Peech's Recent Activity
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Italian besides Da Domenico, Gaia maybe??
Tuscany by H gets my vote as having some of the best pasta in town. Isola/Gaia/Va Bene are all run by the same people, so theoretically there's no difference in food. I no longer go to Nicholini's nor Grissini.
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Sun Tung Lok, Happy Valley, HK - How's the food these days?
Didn't realize you can't make reservations at STL...we went around 1ish and didn't have to wait at all.
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Best Dim Sum in Hong Kong
Now that I finally made it to both T'ang Court and Sun Tung Lok... I will put Sun Tung Lok near the upper end of dim sum places in HK. Quality was very high, and it's much, much better than the other popular place in my neighborhood - Dim Sum...
T'ang Court: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/200...
Sun Tung Lok: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/200...
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Sun Tung Lok, Happy Valley, HK - How's the food these days?
OK Charles, JUST FOR YOU... Sherman and I went to Sun Tung Lok with some friends for dim sum today. Overall I thought the quality was very high, certainly among the top in Hong Kong for me. With one lunch experience each, STL definitely kicks the butt of the so-called 3-star LKH.
But I probably will stay away from ordering the expensive stuff...was never a big fan and certainly not gonna change just for this place!
Blogpost: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/200...
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Shanghai dining tips
You must have had some stinky tofu...although it would be weird to have them fried since Shanghainese tend to get them steamed.
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Best Shanghainese Restaurant
My votes for the best Shanghainese in Shanghai (u didn't specify which city in the original post) go to Jesse and Fu 1039 (same owner as 1088). But Fu1039 imposed a ridiculous RMB 150/head minimum charge for dinner when I was there, excluding beverage. This forces you to order some expensive items and annoys me a little.
Blogposts from most recent visits:
http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/200...
http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/200...
I avoid Jean Georges, Laris...etc like the plague when I'm in Shanghai. Absolutely no point to travel there and spend $$ on that kind of stuff in China.
Chowhound Post
Bo Innovation dress code?
Very few places in HK actually have a dress code, Michelin star or not. Of course this doesn't mean you show up in shorts, flip-flops and a tank top...
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Sun Tung Lok, Happy Valley, HK - How's the food these days?
I keep wanting to go since I literally live only a block from this place. But somehow I keep missing the chance... Will report back once I've had their dim sum. Don't think I would pay for the shark's fine and abalone though...
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Hong Kong Food Blogs?
Um... thanks for the endorsement, guys... it's always an honor to be mentioned in the same breath as CXB coz he is THE blogger of HK... And of course KC has eaten his way thru pretty much all of HK in the last few years and is way more knowledgeable about the HK dining scene than myself.
Not to play favorites but may I also suggest Siu Yeh... he's been out of commission for about a month but pretty prolific in general... http://siuyeh.com/
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L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Taipei
Bella Vita is now operational, although news report suggest that L'Atelier would be open around mid- to late Oct. A source of mine attribute the delay to the difficulty of getting the right kitchen equipment manufactured in France due to a strike. Let's hope this opening isn't delayed any further!
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Foodie Landmarks in Ubud, Bali (Indonesia) - Reviews
Did you see many locals at Ibu Oka? On my last visit 6 months ago, the only locals I saw were tour guides accompanying tourists. My impression is that Ibu Oka had raised their prices so much in the last few years (I believe at least 2-2.5x) that they priced themselves out of reach of locals. I blame this at least partly on Tony Bourdain for introducing this place to the tourist crowd...
http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/200...
It's been a few years since I was last at Bebek Bengil, but I was less than impressed with the duck... and at Rp 67,000 you will find only tourists willing to pay for that...
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Thoughts on one amazing meal in San Sebastian?
Akelarre is not that far...it's just past the village of Igueldo. Definitely my pick for SS...both for the food and the view/ambience. If memory serves me, you can order dishes in half portions - which you can also do at Martin Berasategui. Akelarre only had 1 star when I went in 2006 and now it's a full-blown 3-star restaurant...
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Tim's Kitchen or Yung Kee 4F
Think this has come up multiple times before... Chinese food does not lend itself to solo dining or between a couple. You need 4-5 people min to be able to sample a variety of dishes.
This is where Tim's Kitchen comes to the rescue. The dishes are generally small and there are a few single-serving dishes perfect for a small dining party. Therefore it's a no-brainer for me: go to Tim's if it's only 2 of you.
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Shanghai: a xiao long bao report card (long)
I thot Fu Chun was pretty decent in taste, with plenty of soup. The skin isn't the thinnest but it's not too bad.
Jia Jia is very, very good... I would put on par with DTF in terms of the thin skin and fullness of flavor.
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Gastronomic Honeymoon thru SW France + N Spain
It's a bit "touristy" by now after Bourdain and "Spain...On the Road Again" but I loved my lunch at Rafa's in Roses. Wonderfully fresh seafood cooked simply. Not cheap though since he knows people look for him after all the celeb endorsements.
I would definitely do Akelarre in San Sebastian for lunch. View is absolutely beautiful and the food is great, too.
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FiftyThree: Singapore's answer to The Fat Duck?
I find it interesting that hungrygowhere is used as a source on fine dining... it's even less reliable than OpenRice in HK...
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Hong Kong: Most recommended top end restaurant
Depends whether you want to sample local/Chinese or Western. My personal preference usually is to go for local cuisine when I travel. However, I always found Chinese food for two to be difficult, as you need to order enough dishes to really get a feel and two people can only stomach so much food...
Therefore Bo Innovation and Tim's Kitchen become obvious choices. Bo is fairly unique so you should give it a try if you like fusion/molecular. Tim's Kitchen's dishes come in small/individual portions which enables you to have a little more variety. Dim sum is another way to enjoy Chinese for two, but you can only have dim sum for dinner at places like Dim Sum or Island Tang...
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Best Chocolat Chaud - Paris
Yes, the chocolat chaud à l'ancienne is good at Angelina, and they also have the hot white chocolate although I found it too rich and sweet. One thing I never liked was the ambiance and service at Angelina, though...
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Seoul International Airport?
it's on the same level as all the shops and the gates. No need to go upstairs for the second floor.
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Taiwan Trip Recommendations?
I like the beef noodles at Niu Baba. Go for the NT$300 bowls...either spicy or clear broth. I've tried the NT1000 bowl and thought it was pretty good. Never did try the NT$3,000 or the NT$10,000 bowls...
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Seoul International Airport?
The Byeok-Je I went to was inside but I can't remember which gate it is closest to...
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Taipei, around Grand Hyatt
Hi Mark, saw you guys on TV the other day...
I used to stay at the Grand Hyatt a lot when I travel back to Taipei, out of pure laziness I would go to the food court at Taipei 101 next door. You get some of the same street food but in an aircon environment. Shin Yeh has a fancy restaurant on top of 101 which serves good Taiwanese cuisine and has great views from the 85th floor.
There are also a couple of places not far away around Neo19 serving pretty decent food (not talking about Chili's...).
Do It True a short walk away on Jen Ai Road serves authentic "northern" Chinese. A scaled down version with limited menu is in the Taipei 101 food court.
The beef noodle at the Grand Hyatt is actually very good. It's served in Cheers as well as part of room service.
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Best Dim Sum in Hong Kong
I've been to Che's a couple of times, and while I thought the food was pretty good, it is waaaay too crowded and noisy. I find myself still going back to Victoria and the underrated Golden Leaf.
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Best Italian restaurant in Hong Kong: Da Domenico?
DD "most romantic"?... puh-leeze... neither the decor nor the service (actually the lack of both) give any hint of romance... How does a place bright enough that I don't see my own shadows give romantic ambience?
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Must eat dishes at Amber?
Dungeness crab seems to be one of the signature dishes at Amber, and I've had it on a few occasions. Recently they were also doing a nice braised beef short rib.
You can search for Amber within my blog: http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com and look at the dishes I've had over the last couple of years.
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Foodie Tours Hong Kong
Josh would know all the places so his blog would be a great resource. He hasn't mentioned about a sidejob as a foodie tour guide, though...
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Restaurants / Bars with a view of HK Skyline
One of my favorites has always been the Chinese restaurant at the InterCon, Yan Toh Heen. It's one of the best Cantonese restaurants and has a harbor view by the windows.
Spoon and Nobu also have views and I can't complain about the quality of food at either place.
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Best Italian restaurant in Hong Kong: Da Domenico?
I'm pretty sure Umberto doesn't cook in the kitchen at the Drawing Room, although he is a shareholder.
On my sole visit I watched the kitchen staff work through the windows of our private room. Roland was running around in his T-shirt but Umberto was just hanging out.
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Recommendations for Bordeaux
I find La Tupina to be a bit hit/miss... some of the stuff is good but not everything. It does seem to be packing them in, though...
http://chi-he-wan-le.blogspot.com/200...
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Best sushi in Hong Kong?
Hmmm interesting. I haven't been back for a long time, but the old Qube certainly did have the glass cabinets. I've got pictures! For our omakase we also didn't have too much white fish.
A few friends have recently given thumbs-up to Sushi U. Looking forward to trying it out for myself.
