Gourmet Corner N° 34

In Asia, and especially in China, due to the problem of the language, way of life, locations, etc., it is often difficult to find the right "gourmet" restaurant in the cities you visit, unless you have a local friend who will guide you to the best restaurants in that city.

Hong Kong's name is derived from "Heung Kong" – meaning "Fragrant Harbour" – the Chinese name for an anchorage at "Aberdeen" (after Lord Aberdeen), so named because ships would take on fresh water from a spring nearby.

Kowloon's name – meaning "Nine Dragons" – is derived from an incident 800-years ago when boy Emperor Ping counted 8 hills and remarked there must be 8 dragons because of the ancient belief that a dragon inhabits every mountain. Ping’s prime minister told him there were aactually 9 dragons ("Kow-loon") as another ancient belief held that emperors were dragons.

Today, Hong Kong perches on the edge of mainland China occupying an anomalous position as a territory straddling two worlds. Since the handover from Great Britian in 1997, Hong Kong has become a "Special Administrative Region of China" and is no longer a subject of colonial sovereignty. Past and present fuse here to create a capitalist Utopia embedded within the world’s largest "non-capitalist" country.

Hong Kong consists of four sections: Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, the New Territories, and the Outlying Islands. Kowloon and the New Territories form part of the Chinese mainland to the north of Victoria Harbour. Hong Kong Island, containing the central business hub, lies on the southern side of the harbour facing Kowloon.

Hong Kong offers a dense concentration of shops and shopping malls with a cross-pollinated cosmopolitan culture that embraces Chinese and British cuisines with equal enthusiasm. It is the perfect gateway for travelers to Southeast Asia and China, providing a smooth transition from West to East.

As one of the key economies of the Pacific Rim, Hong Kong Island showcases a gleaming landscape of skyscrapers and boasts a highly developed transport infrastructure that makes commuting around it a dream. But, "Yes, Hong Kong is in China!"

The city has traveled a long way full and seen big changes since my first trip to Hong Kong in 1969. In that time, there were few tourists and many "expats." Hong Kong was an English colony then, where the "In" restaurants were of the Western type. Some of those restaurants still exist today, but serve more as "nostalgia" for the old times than as something worthy of the Gourmet Corner.

The Marco Polo – Hong Kong Hotel

ASIAN KICHEN

That’s all – enjoy your food & "Bon Apetit!"

With more than 115 hotels of international standards, the choice of accommodation is difficult. But since "space" is a main factor in Hong Kong, of course I will recommend the place where the rooms are very spacious in comparison to the normal standard in the other hotels.

Located in Kowloon Harbour City
Canton Road
Tel: (+852) 2113 0088 - Fax: (+852) 2113 0011

Only reserve a room with "Hong Kong Harbour View" – with great views of Hong Kong Island & the Ocean Terminal where all the "Big Liners" arrive. The other rooms in the hotel are of no interest – spacious, but without views.

Prices start at 2,600 HK$ and can be negotiated by your Travel Agency, or via IAPA (International Airline Passengers Association), or any International Travel Web you will trust or direct by the Hotel Website.

My recommendation goes for a room at "The Continental Club" on the 17th & 18th floors – of course, a room with "Hong Kong Harbour View!"

— Complimentary American Buffet Breakfast (06:30 AM– 11:00 AM) with "Butler Service".

— Complimentary afternoon tea (2:45 PM – 5:00 PM)

— Complimentary evening cocktail (5:30 PM –  8:30 PM)

— Complimentary tea or coffee or "expresso" through the day

— Complimentary use of "Boardroom" for a maximum of 4 hours daily (7:00 AM – 11:00 PM)

— Complimentary use of "Broadband" access for 1 hour daily in "The Continental Club Business Centre"

— Wireless connection available, 1 hour free, extra hour 70 HK$ or around 120HK$ for 24 hours

— Complimentary pressing of one suit or dress

— Complimentary laundry of one shirt or blouse

— Library featuring a wide selection of international newspapers, magazines, travel guides reference books.

Knutsford Terrace & Knutsford Steps

Whampoa Gourmet Place

If you're looking for health-rejuvenating products from all over China, the best place to go is the Central & Western District. Here, along Wing Lok Street and Bonham Strand West & East, you'll find shops specializing in the sale of Ginseng and Bird's Nests. Many of the shops are along Bonham Strand West, previously known as Nam Pak Hong Street after the Nam Pak Hong Chamber of Commerce (North-South Chamber of Commerce). Many of them been in business for at least half a century

Dried Seafood / Herbal Medicine Street  

For a truly unique Hong Kong experience, there is no better place to visit than Dried Seafood Street (Des Voeux Road West) and Herbal Medicine Street (Ko Shing Street) in Sheung Wan. Here, in the Western District, unique aromas and fragrances will assail your senses as you walk from shop to shop gazing at an unbelievable array of dried seafood products and Chinese medicinal herbs.

Dried seafood, traditional medicinal herbs and tonics are extremely important to the people of Southern China. This is where health-conscious Chinese shop for local fish delicacies and ingredients for "rejuvenating tonics."

Trade along Herbal Medicine Street (Ko Shing Street) dates back to the 1880s. Along the street, the fragrance of medicinal herbs fills the air. Ko Shing Street is the wholesale centre of herbal medicine. Along with wholesale and retail, export is also a major activity here.

The medicinal herbs and tonic trades are collectively known as the Nam Pak Hong (north and south trades) because the goods are imported either from the far north of China, ginseng and deer horn, or bird's nests and sea cucumber from the south.

After dinner, don't forget to take the "cheapest" excursions and one of the best sightseeing bargains in the world.

Take the "Star Ferry" between Central & Kowloon, for only around "20p" of HK$ fare in the upper-deck of the ferry. Now with 12 ships, the colored fleet has been plying the harbour for more than half a century. Grab a seat either at the bow or the stern for the best views of the Hong Kong harbor. It runs from: 6:30 AM to 11:30.PM, every day of the year.

The money you save on the taxi ride you can invest in a drink at the "Top of the View" Bars: at the Peninsula Hotel (the most snobbish), or the Sheraton Hotel (the most intimate), or the top of the Hankow Centre (the new "In" place) in Kowloon. The views are breathtaking.

Or go visit the ...
Avenue of Stars

The show creates an all-round vision of colored lights, laser beams and searchlights performing a stunning, unforgettable spectacle synchronized to music and narration that celebrates the energy, spirit, and diversity of Hong Kong.

There are five main themes — Awakening, Energy, Heritage, Partnership and the finale, Celebration. On festival days, special pyrotechnic displays launched from the middle of the harbour add extra sparkle to the show.

For the best view of A Symphony of Lights, take a harbour cruise or head to the waterfront promenades on either side of Victoria Harbour. The show, organized by the Tourism Commission, is a must-see event on any visit to Hong Kong

* Along the Avenue of the Stars on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront.

* On the waterfront promenade outside the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai.

*Aboard a Harbour Cruise.

* On your harbour view room at the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel

Enquires: (+852) 2508 1234

Shanghai ("The Paris of the Orient") is one of the most interesting cities in Asia and the world. It combines the old mystery of the Orient, with the "opium wars," the first foreign settlements in China, and one of the most progressive cities in our modern world.

Shanghai has hundreds of hotels and restaurants, serving all tastes and pocketbooks for the international traveler. International chains such as the Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, St Regis, Westin, Peninsula, Mandarin, Grand Hyatt, Hilton, and Sheraton, all have premises in the city. Some of them have "posh" restaurants and bars where all the trendy people meet.

But "no one" can match the "trendiness" of the newest "In" place in Shanghai:

The Pudong Shangri-la Hotel

"JADE on 36" - Restaurant & Bar

"JADE on 36" is the "Best International Restaurant" in China!

"A view that changes the way you thing about Shanghai."

Jade on 36 will take guests on a "Cuisine de Voyage" where food is much more than just sustenance!

It is an unforgettable "culinary adventure on a plate," a journey, one that seduces the taste buds and often surprises.

You find yourself in a different place with every bite! In terms of ethnic influence, the tastes come from around the world. In terms of ingredients, it ranges from "truffles and foie gras," to "tinned sardines and Nutella."

Not using ingredients in the traditional way is a hallmark of Jade on 36 cuisine. We are convinced that the "tomato & mozzarella" is, indeed a delectable dessert, and that the "ketchup sorbet" – served iced-cold – is actually a very nice accompaniment to the giant "French fry."

A "lemon tart" that appears as a whole lemon, is remarkably taken apart and recreated so that the entire lemon is edible – the skin is actually a comfit – and the taste is unmistakably that of a fresh-baked lemon tart. I recommend that guests sample the tasting menus, which feature carefully structured, balanced samplings of the restaurant’s offerings.

The "Menus" are presented in 3 categories:
Large – Medium – Small
Each of them in:
Orange – Rose – Prune – Jade of Jade
All of them have very interesting combinations of creative dishes. The Price Range goes from: 450.00 to 1,088.00 Yuan

On my last visit I had the chance to taste a combination of the "Four Menus" ...

As you can see, the dishes and the menus are "far away" from what you expect to find on a "Classical International Hotel Restaurant."

Readers' Choice Awards 2008 (June)

After your dinner, for a drink, don’t forget to stop next door at the most glamorous, chic, friendly, relaxing, and best "Bar with a View" in Shanghai; "JADE on 36 Bar".

Now I will tell you where to stay the next time you are in glamorous, chic Shanghai;

Located since August 1998 in the heart of Pudong, the financial centre of Shanghai, at the edge of the "Huangpu River" – The Pudong Shangri-La is the only hotel located directly opposite the historical "Bund." The Pudong Shangri-La enjoys a prime location with fabulous views of the best of Shanghai.

With the opening in late September 2005 of "Tower 2" and the new hotel "Premier Rooms" (54 square meters), the hotel has the most spacious guestrooms in Shanghai, Panoramic, floor-to-ceiling views of the historic "Bund." The Pudong Shangri-La is the largest of the Shangri-La Hotel Chain in the world with a total of 981 guestrooms

The "Bund" by Night

The "Pudong Shangri-la" hotel has 28 floors in "Tower One" and 36 floors in "Tower Two," with the "Business Horizon Club" on the top floors.

The Horizon Club offers you these full services, which are included in your room price:

* Complementary: American, Chinese, Continental Breakfast in the "Club Lounge" from 6:30 to 10:30 AM
* Complementary: cocktails, wines, beers, canapés, hors d’oeuvres (Chinese, Japanese, Continental) from 5:30 to 7:30 PM
* Complementary: soft drinks, coffee & espresso, all day & night
* Complementary pressing of one suit on arrival
* Express laundry service at regular charge
* Late check-out until 6:00 PM, subject to room availability
* Airline reconfirmation
* Free use and connection to Internet
* Facsimile & photocopy services
* Meeting rooms available for Club guests
* Hotel Limousine bookings (Airport pick-up or transfer)
[Great Service from & to Pudong & HonQuiao Airports for a very interesting price of 650 & 550 Yuan – one way]

For a hotel of this class, the prices are very reasonable, if you compare with rates in Paris. A "Normal Room Minimum Price" at the "Meridien Hotel" in Montparnasse is around 220.00 Euros and the only view you have is the Montparnasse Train Station

In conclusion: If you need to choose a "Hotel" in Shanghai, don’t hesitate – the choice is simple! Stay at The Pudong Shangri-La:

THE PUDONG SHANGRI-LA
33 Fu Cheng Lu
Pudong
Shanghai 200120,
China

The most important persons to know in the Hotel are:
Ms. Judy Leung
> Horizon Club Tower Two Manager (A Smile)
Ms. Nancy Zhuang
> Reservations Manager (The Perfect Reservation)

Tourist Information

Shanghai (on the boundaries of the city) it has only: "Three Bridges" very far apart, and "Four Tunnels" – The main tunnel, on the city center being "Yan An Donglu Tunnel." In conclusion; "traffic jams" all the times!

Regarding these "traffic jams," let me recommend that when you arrive or depart from Shanghai (Hong Qiao or Pudong Airports), that you take a "Limousine Service" at the airport or ask your hotel for a "pick-up" or transfer.

The prices maybe high for the cost conscious: (650 Yuan: Pudong Airport & 550 Yuan: Hong Qiao Airport);

The ride with a taxi will be around (350 or 450 Yuan), so very little savings, with the inconvenience that the "taxi meter" never stops even if you get stuck in a traffic jam, , and 98% of the drivers speak, poor or No English at all. With the limousine service, (in case of a problem) you can connect with the hotel or your airline (they all have mobile phones) and you have always the warranty of the service and the "Fixed Price," "traffic jam" or not.

After this advice, let me to recommend the first thing to do in Shanghai is to go to see the "River" with "The Bund", the site of the old western settlements, have a stroll on the promenade, and if you are an early raiser, you can see all the locals doing their gymnastics (6:00 AM to 8:00 AM) before a day’s work. If you feel like it, you can join them.

But the most complete experience is to "rent a car" with a driver (normally they don’t speak English) in your hotel [Forget the Guide & the organized tourist tour!] and go to visit: