Die, die, must try! -- Eating outside Singapore

[KeithMEL]

I think we just might have to make that (or SQT FCO Do) happen, jhm.

Yes! I'd definitely be interested in that.

[jhm]

Three potential Do attendees plus one host already!

[LukeGT]

i'm always here

[jhm]

Having ate at Hakkasan again yesterday after a long absence (I moved on to Yauatcha when it opened for dimsum), it reminded me very much of a restaurant I tried last month in Hong Kong.

Hutong (Tsim Sha Tsui) - recommended to me by the Island Shangri-La concierge (although the restaurant is well known) and named after the hutongs (small alleys) of Beijing but there the similarity ends. Similar dark and romantic Chinese decor as Hakkasan BUT rather than being in a basement (former car park), Hutong has a stunning view from the 28th floor looking directly out across Victoria Harbour to Hong Kong Island (one of the world's greatest city views IMO/experience so far) - you need a table by the floor to ceiling windows. Food based on that in north China (hence the name) but modernised like in Hakkasan. On the night we went for dinner (not sure if it's all nights), they had a live band doing a mixture of Chinese and English songs.

[jhm]

jjpb3 - I think you actually mean afternoon tea rather than high tea at the Lanesborough. I made the same mistake on the BA board in TOF and was slapped down by someone there - in the past, high tea was for miners and other members of the working class (which they had instead of dinner) as opposed to afternoon tea. My defence was that it's known as High Tea in the (former) colonies which is why I used that term.

Another recommendation:

Brasserie Gallopin (directly opposite the Bourse metro in Paris) - no Michelin stars (but it does, I believe, have a bib rating in the Guide - good food at an equally good price) - nothing trendy here but just good old fashioned French food with good old fashioned service and settings. Unlike a lot of other places (AFAIK), this one stays opens on Sunday throughout the day which is why we struggled last month after the TOF SXB Do - complete with heavy luggage up and down the metro - from arriving at CDG to eat here and then straight back to CDG for our flight to London!

More recommendations from places outside the UK (all of which of course I've eaten at ) when I can think of them.

[jhm]

Certainly we did have a very high mark for that watermelon martini at Mandarin Oriental Knightsbridge.

Having now been lucky enough to try this (thanks to jjpb3's recommendation), all I can is wow! Smooth and very drinkable. Love the staff uniforms as well!

Having eaten our way around a small constellation of Michelin stars in England, France and Italy, four of my favourites are:

The Waterside Inn (Bray, Berkshire - about an hour's drive from London) - classic French cuisine at a pretty location on the banks of the Thames. In the same (!) village just down the road from another eaterie called the Fat Duck (which we tried a few times when it only had 1-star) and for our tastes and preferences, the Waterside Inn is better.

Arzak (San Sebastian, Spain - near Bilbao) - as mentioned above. Wonderful modern Basque food and the chance to spend a few minutes talking with the delightful and charming Elena! We've eaten here about 4-5 times and I just booked some U2 flights (STN to Bilbao; and about an hour's bus journey from there - alternative would have been BA/IB via MAD but inconvenient times and expensive) last week for the specific purpose of eating here again.

Les Pres d'Eugenie (in the elegant spa town of Eugenie les Bains, southwest France) - Michel Guerard, one of the heavyweights of French cuisine. Perfect food. A table outside in the grounds. Will defintely go back if I'm lucky enough to be in this part of France again - TLS may be the nearest airport (we crossed the Channel tunnel, took the French motorail overnight sleeper - i.e. you sleep in a compartment with your car loaded on the back of the train - from Calais to Toulouse and then drove).

Le Champignon Sauvage (Cheltenham, England - near the Cotswolds) - a very small and intimate 2-star restaurant in an unlikely location. The whole operation is run by David Everitt-Matthias and only a few other chefs in the kitchen and they also do all of the preparation/washing up themselves (unlike some other restaurants with dozens of people) and his wife, Helen in the dining room. French food with - what seems to me - an occasional Asian influence.

All of the above have 2 or 3 Michelin stars but that isn't necessarily an indication that we'll like it, e.g. San Domenico (Imola, near Bologna, Italy) which we didn't like (but then again, I was totally sloshed at the end having tried to consume - by myself - two bottles of wine ) and Michel Trama's Loges de l'Aubergade in Puymirol, southwest France (definitely not impressed with the - presumably meant to be exotic - Asian starter of a spring roll with lobster and Asian spices which I ended up having!).

Enough procrastination ... back to work!

[CGK]

Having now been lucky enough to try this (thanks to jjpb3's recommendation), all I can is wow! Smooth and very drinkable.

Smooth and drinkable? We had only twice last night! Oh how about that lemon grass martini that took me the whole meal time at Hakkasan?

Love the staff uniforms as well!

Hmm I thought you like the idea that the staff was willing to kneel down while serving like on board SQ?

[jjpb3]

jjpb3 - I think you actually mean afternoon tea rather than high tea at the Lanesborough.

Duly corrected. I did forget to mention that the inclusion was due to a number of SQTer votes.

[jhm]

Smooth and drinkable? We had only twice last night!

Until they ran out of watermelon juice - we must give them advance notice next time!

Oh how about that lemon grass martini that took me the whole meal time at Hakkasan?

That was good but I definitely prefer the watermelon one. You have to drink more next time - we never did get to see your performance on the stage.

Hmm I thought you like the idea that the staff was willing to kneel down while serving like on board SQ?

No need for that - plenty to see already!

Hey, that's perhaps an idea for another thread (or this one) - favourite watering holes around the world! It's not going to get many/any posts from me though - the people I normally hang out with are more into coke and other soft drinks (and I follow of course).

[YK@HKG]

My favorite Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong is undoubtedly Yung Kee, right at Central and next to Lan Kwai Fong. An excellent place to have wonderful dinner and then drinks galore

For those who like Indonesian food, Padang Restaurant in Causeway Bay is my favorite. Slightly pricey (for Indonesian standards), but, its worth it.

As for Western food, try the Ruth Chris in the Lippo Tower (Admiralty MTR). Wonderful ambience and wide selection of wines.

[cawhite]

I also have to add my recommendations for the already-mentioned Hakkasan in London, as well as The Lanesborough for tea!

[cawhite]

Until they ran out of watermelon juice - we must give them advance notice next time!

I can't vouch for the watermelon martinis at the MO London, but their passionfruit martinis are VERY good!

Oh how about that lemon grass martini that took me the whole meal time at Hakkasan?

Or my The Hakka that you seemed to have problems keeping your hands away from!

[cawhite]

Certainly we did have a very high mark for that watermelon martini at Mandarin Oriental Knightsbridge

Having now been lucky enough to try this (thanks to jjpb3's recommendation), all I can is wow! Smooth and very drinkable...

I forgot to ask... This favorable report despite *horrors* the first round was not served in the appropriate glassware?!?!

[CGK]

I don't think it's an error by mistake. The MO knows that we are coming for watermelon martinis, thus, a smaller type of the glass was used for the first round. Otherwise, we would not have a second round!

[CGK]

I can't vouch for the watermelon martinis at the MO London, but their passionfruit martinis are VERY good! Or my The Hakka that you seemed to have problems keeping your hands away from!

The Hakka? The non-alcoholic drinks you had?