Calvados, French apple brandy with a kick, perfect for palate cleansing or an...
Calvados, the tipsier version of apple cider, is reputed to have roots in 8th-century Normandy, France. It is a type of brandy, but differs from those made in Cognac and Armagnac, because calvados is...
View ArticleHow to make zhajiangmian, Chinese noodles with bean paste and pork sauce
Zhajiangmian is a Chinese dish that every cook makes differently. It can be made with minced pork or small cubes of pork belly. I’ve eaten versions with cooked cucumber (most use the raw stuff), with...
View ArticleMy Hong Kong: Bo Innovation chef Alvin Leung gets personal, takes readers on...
Canadian chef Alvin Leung’s fame extends beyond Hong Kong, where he got his start as a restaurateur when he took over Bo InnoSeki, in 2004. The restaurant has changed names – it is now known as Bo...
View ArticleVegan festival VeggieWorld promotes plant-based lifestyle in meat-loving Hong...
Despite Hongkongers having been outed as the world’s most meat-hungry citizens by a University of Hong Kong study last year, there are encouraging signs that the city is starting to pay more attention...
View ArticleHow ancient China took its tea: as a soup or with salt, tea-drinking...
Bubble tea shops are everywhere in Hong Kong. Near where I live, there are four peddling these sugary drinks along the same street, two of them next to each other! The beverage, which has found...
View ArticleHong Kong bar The Old Man channels spirit of Hemingway to reach world top 10
In cocktail lore there are certain iconic figures who are famous primarily for doing something other than bartending. None looms larger than the American journalist and novelist Ernest...
View ArticleTibetan recalls a time when there was no pressure to conform and education...
Paradise lost I was born in 1977 and raised in Zhongdian, northwest Yunnan, in the Himalayan foothills. In those days, there were only two real streets. The ancient quarter was quiet and peaceful, with...
View ArticleThree wines from the 2015 Bordeaux vintage that are worth splurging on
The 2015 Bordeaux has reached Hong Kong. It is a vintage worth taking a serious look at as the wines are of consistently high quality and are approachable young but with the capacity to age. The Wine...
View ArticleQuick and easy braised recipes: fried oysters and roast pork in clay pot
Braised dishes often need hours of simmering to render the ingredients tender. These two recipes, however, require less than 30 minutes (not counting the preparation time) and make relatively quick but...
View ArticleThe hawkers of Hong Kong and Los Angeles: two cities, two very different stories
Hawkers have been peddling their wares on the streets of Hong Kong since there was little more than a fishing village on the island. By the 1960s, the street-vending scene had reached its peak and...
View ArticleMalaysia’s east-coast cuisine seduces Singaporean author Bryan Koh, who was...
When food lovers plan eating tours of Malaysia, the first destinations that come to mind are Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh and Melaka. Author Bryan Koh admits as much when he writes in the introduction to...
View ArticleWhy water is this French bartender’s must-have ingredient, and the...
What was the first alcoholic drink you had? “When I was around nine, I tried pastis, which has a strong aniseed flavour, very French. It tasted disgusting! I love it now but it’s not for everyone. It’s...
View ArticleThree must-try wines from Europe’s highest vineyards in the Italian Alps
Mont Blanc, Italy’s highest mountain, at 4,810 metres, is a popular spot for winter sports and mountaineering. It also produces high-quality wines.The Valle d’Aosta DOC, which lies in the vicinity of...
View ArticleHow to make chow mein with seafood and vegetables – a simple, versatile dish
There are many ways to make chow mein (“stir-fried noodles”). Some restaurants serve a basic version – just boiled noodles mixed with seasonings (this is actually lo mein) – while others toss the...
View ArticleYouTube channel ArtGer serves up Mongolian food and culture like you’ve never...
On March 7, a package arrived at Javkhlantugs Ragchaasuren’s office in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. Inside was a congratulatory plaque from YouTube: his channel, ArtGer, had surpassed the 100,000 subscribers...
View ArticleMichel Roux Jr’s Le Gavroche cookbook shows that excellent taste is timeless
With his surname, Michel Roux Jnr must have felt tremendous pressure when he stepped into new kitchens as he was working his way up the culinary ladder. He is the son of Albert Roux and nephew of...
View ArticleAnthony Bourdain: ‘Italian food at its best is like Japanese food, but with...
If you buy Pasta, Pane, Vino (2018) expecting Italian recipes, you’ll be disappointed; there aren’t any. But it will help you understand Italian food better, because the book – a 300-plus-page love...
View ArticleFrom Vietnamese refugee to co-owner of acclaimed Chicago restaurant HaiSous
Tell us about your childhood. “I was born in Dong Nai province, an hour northeast of Ho Chi Minh City [in Vietnam]. My mother came from a farming family, my dad’s side were traders. I am the youngest...
View ArticleSwedish chef Björn Frantzén on football, family and finding time to enjoy his...
Football focus I was born in Stockholm (in Sweden) in 1977. I have a younger brother and sister. My father was a car mechanic and my mother sells wood for the construction of houses. It was a...
View ArticleVin jaune from eastern France is ‘the durian of the wine world’, beloved and...
Vin jaune (“yellow wine”) is the durian of the wine world. It has a strong, distinctive smell and taste that you either love or hate.The wine is made from a quirky grape, called savagnin, that isn’t...
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