Juice Fasting Arrives in HK

Genie has brought juice fasting – the notion of only consuming juice for a few days – to Hong Kong. Established by two young Aussie lasses, we think it’s going to be a hit because Hong Kongers love dramatic regimes. The city is overflowing with those ridiculously large tubs of protein and super foods that should emit a roar when opened. And we all know guys who can’t do without their vegetable shakes in the morning and running up The Peak. Vomit.

Russian Haute Cuisine Coming to HK

Russia isn’t known for its fine dining. In fact, when you hear Russian food you think of heavy stews, potatoes and borscht; the type of fare that would have sustained the Soviet Union against bitter winters, German attacks and state-run television. But times change and this month The Landmark Mandarin Oriental is hosting Varvary, the only restaurant in Russia to earn a spot on San Pellegrino's 'World's 50 Best Restaurants' shortlist.

Make your Own Whisky

Whisky Blender is a cool site where you can blend your own scotch and learn more about the golden nectar. What we most like is its humility. In the ‘About’ section they say, ‘We know that this doesn't compare to the excellent work that professional master blenders do to give us beautifully crafted whiskies... it's just a wee bit of fun.’ Trust the Scots to start a sentence with excellent diction and finish like a punch-drunk peasant.

Unusual Brews & Beer of the Month Club

Hop Leaf imports unusual beers to Hong Kong such as Baird and Rogue, holy grails of the Japanese and American craft beer scenes respectively. It was set up by a group of enthusiasts who wanted to share their love of the good stuff, which we can support far more easily than Diageo. You imagine the suits at Carlsberg prefer a glass of red over a beer and submitted noise complaints about the South Bay Beach Club. RIP.

Charming & Secluded French Restaurant

Lamma’s probably our favourite day trip island, but it gets hectic and the eating can be one dimensional. Or so we thought. The Bay has been around for a while but we only recently dined there for supper. The beach and the restaurant can look a little tired in the day so you’d be forgiven for giving it a miss, but in the evening, overlooking the sea, it's magic. It’s one of the best spots we’ve found in Hong Kong, so long as you come with napalm levels of mosquito repellent.

Instead of neutralising their potatoes' flavours, Karlsson's Batch 2008 vodka celebrates their characteristics like wines do their grapes

Ship's First Class Dinner Revived in HK

Hullett House is recreating the ten-course dinner served to the Titanic's first class passengers on April 14th, 1912, the last supper served on the ill-fated ship. The meal will be held in the JP Hennessy room (a suitably aged venue) with waiters wearing specially designed uniforms and guests eating from the same plates used on board the Titanic. It will be a magnificent occasion - so long as you forget the people who died after eating the same meal.

Authentic Mexican Restaurant Opens in HK

Authentic Mexican food is notably difficult to find in Hong Kong - read Jaspa's lobster nachos - but Taco Chaca has just opened in Sai Ying Pun offering excellent value. Their tacos cost about HKD45 (paying over HKD100 for a Mexican dish is ludicrous) and the food is the best you'll find in the city. It still won't compare to what you'd eat in America or Mexico itself but beggars can't be choosers. Apart from the bald lady who hobbles from Wan Chai to Central every night. She's great.

Good Wines at Great Prices

It's a mystery to us that the abolition of Hong Kong wine tax in 2008 hasn't really pushed prices down, but a relatively young company, Wine Rack, is now filling the gap bottle by bottle. Their focus is Australia and New Zealand and they’re about as cheap as you can get in Hong Kong. Think Welcome Vs Market Place. Or Mong Kok street walkers V Wan Chai.

Inaugural Beer Festival with 90 Brews

Bar the occasional Fullers Honey Dew, there’s not much of a beer selection in Hong Kong but we’re in for a treat this month when Beertopia comes to town. The inaugural beer festival will showcase over 90 beers from around the world and our unofficial challenge is to try each one. This is a rare occasion when you can smash tankards of frothing beer together as if you were at a medieval banquet, so get stuck in.

Restaurant Takes Over Shake 'Em Buns For Mexican Night

On Tuesday, March 6, Yardbird is hosting a one off taco fest at Shake ‘Em Buns which is potentially awesome on various levels. Firstly, like most Hong Kongers we love Yardbird but it’s too loud for us grandpas so the alternative venue will be much kinder on our eardrums. Secondly, Mexican food couldn’t be worse represented in Hong Kong – the consulate must be starving. And thirdly, we really love Yardbird.

Groceries & Food at Reasonable Prices

Flavour began as a purely online deli/pre-prepared food service but customers soon began asking why they didn’t have a shop front. Fortunately for us, they recently opened their doors in Sheung Wan, and by our reckoning it’s the cheapest deli in Hong Kong. Others have a wider selection but we estimate their cheeses and hams are at least 10-15% cheaper than anywhere else in the city. And that’s cause to get fat.

Pizza Beer Looking for HK Distributor

A husband and wife team from Chicago have developed a brilliant pizza beer and they're looking for a Hong Kong distributor. Back in 2006 they were home brewers making beer as a hobby but after picking up a few ribbons at beer festivals they put it into limited production. Jay Leno says it's great and we fully endorse a beer that tastes like pizza. It's in the same boat as cheese and marmite, or chili and chocolate. Like Stephen Hawking they don't sound right but they're some of the world's greatest treasures.

Reptile Banquet with Slow Food

Slow Food is holding a unique snake banquet in Sham Shui Po on Friday, February 10. There are more snake dishes on the menu than you can shake a stick at (Eve would’ve been in trouble) and we have to say, it sounds terrifying. Sure, we’re hardy men who like their food adventures, but stewed berry snake? If you think you’ve got enough Indiana Jones about you, then be our guest.

Clever Kit to Grow Vegetables at Home

We live in a city of grey, walled skyscrapers so urban greening is appealing; if a little gimmicky. What’s the point having a couple of cacti when you can’t see more than five metres in front of you in the first place? Allotinabox, however, actually provides something green and consumable. They’re small kits for growing vegetables at home and whilst you might scoff at the idea – rolling up your shirt to pick your own leeks in Mid-Levels sounds like a utopian dream.

Mid-Levels Fine Dining

Casa is an intimate private kitchen in Mid-Levels that can seat up to 16 people. It continues our obsession with private kitchens but unlike a lot of them in Hong Kong, this one feels genuinely private. Most of the others are just restaurants offering BYOB. In a proper private kitchen you should feel like a small family would just about survive without social services.

Wine Shop Unveils 1869 Lafite

Hong Kong’s drowning in wine but a new shop has just opened in Causeway Bay, bordeaux etc, stocking an 1869 bottle of Lafite. That’s right, 1869, the year the last Māori troops surrendered in New Zealand, Britain abolished public hanging (not private), celluloid was patented and Gandhi was born. If you think it’ll taste like feral panda droppings, think again. It’s still eminently drinkable but the HK$285,990 price tag might put you off.

Shackleton’s Antarctic Whisky Recreated

When Ernest Shackleton left three crates of Mackinlay scotch in the Antarctic after his infamous failed expedition to reach the South Pole in 1907 (pictured) he had no idea what was to come. Or how rich he'd make Whyte & Mackay, owners of the Mackinlay brand, who've now recreated it. Some people have all the luck, eh? Who owns a thriving multinational and then stumbles across a treasure chest?

Top French Deli in SoHo

We’ve found a pocket of Gaul in Soho, Premiere Pression Provence, selling some of the finest olive oil in town. There’s something about the French which delights and annoys in equal measure. There’s only one country in the world where the unemployed are allowed to go on strike but their cuisine is top notch and few spread the word as effectively as this little deli. Their staff are genuine and seem to know their products well – so they basically have your wallet out at the door.

Make Savings with Online Restaurant Bookings

YumTable has arrived in Hong Kong, a last minute online table reservation service offering savings of up to 50%. We’re big eaters in Hong Kong – exemplified by the lack of kitchen space in the city – and this new website will further condemn home cooking. Kitchen appliance producers in HK must be livid - having an oven here is nearly as rare as having central heating. Although having an oven is double the fun because you can also use it for central heating at this time of year.

Futuristic Wine Bar with Touch Screen Counters

Amo Eno is a new wine bar in the IFC with technology that would’ve made the Klingons wet their knickers, and that’s before you look at their wine list which has over 70 labels available by the glass. We’re well aware of Hong Kong’s love affair with wine but combined with the shininess of Amo Eno (Hong Kongers like shiny bars) we’re sure the public will take it to their bosom.

Everyone loves Xiao Long Bao. When you go for dim sum, you can chop and change certain varieties but not Xiao Long Bao – it’s a keeper. So, feeling a weight of responsibility that would have made Atlas weep, we set off to find Hong Kong’s best Xiao Long Bao. But we weren’t going to do it alone. Food critic and resident culinary expert Angie Wong joined us for the ride.

New Spanish Restaurant Serving Authentic Tapas

Over the last few years Hong Kong has seen an influx of Spanish restaurants but none serve the simple authentic tapas you'd find in Spain. Meeting that demand is the Martino family, Spaniards who've lived in Hong Kong for over 20 years and have just opened Plaza Mayor. We all love the idea of the Spanish lifestyle. Siestas and 10pm suppers - no wonder the Eurozone is in such trouble.

Best Mussels in Town?

A northern French restaurant, Brasserie de L’ile, has just opened on Arbuthnot Road with arguably the best mussels in town. Of course whether they’ll be able to keep it up is another matter, but if you like getting your hands dirty with moules, you should check it out. It’s clearly not first date material - unless you wear a tablecloth for a napkin - but otherwise it’s hearty fare for this time of year.

Genuinely Boozy Ice Cream Recipes

Alcoholic ice cream with a genuine kick is something of an anathema. The problem is the freezing point of booze. It’s a lot lower than water’s so producing an ice cream with the right texture as well as a decent amount of alcohol is a puzzle of Fermatian proportions. The standard derivations you come across like Rum Raisin and Baileys don’t count. They wouldn’t excite a Lindsay Lohan rehab party.

Caribbean Food in Sai Kung

Mandy’s is a private kitchen in Sai Kung serving terrific Caribbean fare. The thought of Caribbean food is always appealing – the notion of jerk chicken, spice and a Big Mama stirring the pot are universally enjoyable – and Mandy’s is no different. Except Mandy is of Punjabi descent.

Special Spanish Eatery in Sai Ying Pun

We love our private kitchens but once they open they tend to be quickly overrun and lose their unique intimacy. Not so with Comilonas, a Spanish private kitchen in Sai Ying Pun. It’s far enough away from Central to put off plenty of casual diners so let's hope it remain as hidden as Mubarrak’s billions.

Cool Corcickle for Chilling Wine

The Corkcickle is a cross between a cork and an icicle, offering an ingenious solution for cooling wine. We like it a lot. There are few things more disappointing than a nice bottle of white wine turned luke warm, plus you can enjoy impromptu sessions of light saber fighting Arctic style or wine-flavoured Calippos.

Bargain Menus Up For Grabs

The Hong Kong Festival of Restaurants takes place from November 7 – 13, essentially a chance to eat well at basement prices. If there’s a certain eatery you’ve had your eye on but haven’t tried because you keep coming up short at the end of the month, now’s your chance to get a very messy napkin.

Hong Kong's Best Value Chickens

Sai Ying Pun’s ‘The Chicken Man’ is the THE place to go for chicken in Hong Kong – and that’s saying something. In this city, for whatever reason, chicken is elevated in your culinary thinking. Back home you wouldn’t be seen dead ordering roast chicken – it’s got all the imagination of a two hour CFA class – but here the craving is as close as we’ll ever get to understanding pregnant women.