back in Hong Kong ...

It’s so good to be “home”!

From the moment you land and see the gigantic apartment buildings surrounding the airport there is no doubt as to where you are. This city just never stops surprising me, but besides gorging myself on Dim Sum and catching up with friends and my mother’s family, I’m also here to see what’s happened to the wine scene since the tax changes.

Wine is booming here since the government abolished tax on alcohol early last year which has brought prices down by a massive 20%. Imports of wine into this wealthy city of 6.9 million people have soared by 78 per cent! Can you imagine ?

I’ve heard that as many as 300 new wine companies have been set up over the last year and I’m here to see whether a small Max Wine Gallery could work in such an overcrowded market.

But there’s another thing that’s amazing in Hong Kong and that’s the food ! The IFC shopping and financial complex (movie lovers will have seen Batman jumping out of this building in The Dark Knight) houses two of Hong Kongs swankiest restaurants : Caprice (**) and Lung King Heen (Hong Kong’s only *** restaurant). You’ll have worked out by now that I’m a bit of a foodie, but I’ve still got a fair way to go before dining in these temples. But I can look at the wine lists and menus for free !

Instead, I went to the slightly more reasonable L’Atelier de Robuchon at the Landmark. I love to sit in these fantastic places and sample all the tasty stuff that great chefs have created. Sadly, I just missed being cooked for by the master himself - Joel Robuchon - who was here last week training staff.

My old friend Liza was in charge of dinner tonight and treated me to a Chateau Leoville Lascases 1996 – one of my all time favourite wines. Sadly, it was an unbelievably huge disappointment – flat, dead, more like a 1988 than a vibrant 1996. It is so disappointing when this happens. The sommelier shyly admitted that the wine had actually been bought in the States so they weren’t really sure of its past life !! Incredibly annoying.

We ended the evening slightly disappointed but happy all the same with our amazing meal (and scrummy 1999 Bruno Paillard champagne). After talking to Liza, I’m sure that there is space for a Wine Gallery here, but can afford Hong Kong rent !? Time to dream ...

http://www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/dining.html
http://www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/dining/lung_king_heen.html
http://www.robuchon.hk/