My short stay was, of course, all about dining, drinks, gatherings and outings.

There was too much to see and alas, too little time. I did, however, manage to visit the Modern Art Museum for a major Jean-Michel Basquiat retrospective and the Jeu de Paume for a stunning collection of André Kertész photos.

I was also treated to meals at a few Michelin-starred restaurants. Much like my feelings expressed above about the Shabby Butterfly, these experiences were disappointing. They were not only a waste of time and money, but also of calories. After all, you have to book weeks in advance to endure pompous and snobbish service, pore over a complicated menu which takes a quarter of a page to describe a roast chicken, not to mention the prices…

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I visited Madrid many times in my ‘previous life’. Unfortunately, it was always for business, and never for longer than 24 hours. But that was of little consequence, since I was not particularly fond of the city, knowing little of it. I preferred Barcelona, which I found more buoyant, sensuous and eclectic. This time, I had the opportunity to stay longer and explore. I visited a number of museums and came to appreciate the Madrilenos for their elegance, culture and refinement.

We stayed at the Santo Mauro, a charming boutique hotel located in the city centre. It had a beautiful garden in which we enjoyed drinks under the warm autumn sun, away from the busy traffic.

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Beaune, home of the Festival International d’Opéra Baroque, is small. Walking around its perimeter would take, at most, several hours. There are a few attractions: l’Hôtel-Dieu, Notre Dame, the vineyards… Otherwise, take Beaune at face value and stroll through the marketplace and soak up the simple pleasures of being in a charming French town. There are many bistros serving up the local specialties such as bœuf bourguignon and œufs en meurette, but after a few meals the Burgundy-heavy sauce becomes repetitive. I therefore would not recommend spending more than two or three days in Beaune, unless you plan on drinking copious amounts of fine Burgundy wine and promptly forgetting that you have already visited the hospice. My family and I did not do this, and consequently we were prepared to leave after one day.

The way in which we travelled to Beaune is much more worthy of note. French Country Waterways has a fleet of luxury hotel barges which cruise down the canals and rivers of France. Horizon II, the boat upon which we cruised down the canal of central Burgundy, is a spacious barge with a decadently long sundeck and four staterooms to accommodate eight passengers. The barge travels at a very slow pace, such that it is easily overtaken by a leisurely jog. It generally cruises for several hours a day, giving passengers the opportunity to walk or cycle (or whatever, really) alongside the barge. Unlike the view from a large luxury cruise liner, which is mostly one of infinite ocean, the view from the barge is one of an unfurling tableau of French countryside.
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My mother had not been to Tokyo for many years, so I wanted to make this trip a memorable one.

We stayed at the Peninsula Hotel, not only for the comfort and the extremely helpful concierge team, but also for its convenient location in Ginza, just five minutes’ walk from the concert halls.

I also planned dinners at some of Tokyo’s best restaurants. Ma is a true gourmet and appreciates fine dining.

Sushi Aoki is a small restaurant located on the second floor of an old building, in the heart of the Ginza district. The small counter seats around a dozen patrons. You don’t really get to choose your food as there’s no menu, and not speaking Japanese makes any attempts at expressing your wishes futile. Basically, you get served the produce of the day.

That’s fine because the Sashimi and Sushi are of the highest quality. While we were there, the chef behind the counter, although busy with the preparation of the dishes, was very attentive. We had a great meal of succulent fresh fish and seafood and will definitely come back to this unpretentious but excellent restaurant.

Ma had never experienced Molecular Cuisine, and explaining exactly what Molecular Cuisine is was not only difficult, but just about impossible. So I decided to take her to the Tapas Molecular Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Personally, I prefer traditional, even simple, cuisine. However, as Molecular Cuisine has been the talk of the town for so long, I felt Ma should really experience it for herself. Some of the dishes on the set menu were tasty, some were creative, all were intriguing. Overall the meal was a success and Ma had a great time, which is the most important thing.

We also went to the restaurant of Joel Robuchon, one of the most famous living French chefs, and arguably the best. People rave about his Tokyo restaurant, and visiting it for the first time with my mother was truly special.

The Chef and Director in charge is Alain Verzeroli, an old acquaintance from Hong Kong. Before moving to Tokyo, Alain spent a few years at Petrus, the Island Shangri-La’s fine French Restaurant. We used to have a great time feasting on the special menus he created for us and our friends. It was great catching up with Alain, and reminiscing about the good old days. Moreover, seeing his maturation into an established world class Chef was very heartwarming.

The dinner was absolutely delicious, “sans chichi”, outstanding in every aspect. It was on the same evening as the “Les Funérailles de Chopin” concert, so for us, the day was an unforgettable feast, composed of a remarkable concert coupled with an exceptional dinner. What more could one ask for?


Photo credits: bach-cantatas.com, whatahotel.com

In the span of three short days, I managed to try a few new restaurants apart from my usual haunts. I had arranged an evening with a good friend, with whom I usually enjoy spending time catching up on the latest news. For this reason, we tend to prefer peaceful, quiet, good restaurants.

This time I opted for the Michelin-starred Hibiscus, which is within walking distance of my hotel, the Langham. We found it cosy and intimate, with excellent service and a very interesting menu. Our evening would have been perfect were it not for our neighbours: a table of six young men who were talking loudly, laughing loudly, eating loudly and even drinking loudly, as if they were the restaurant’s only patrons. I cannot understand how some people come to appreciate fine dining without at least some understanding of basic table manners.
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For a change, I would like to talk about the places where I snack.

I usually don’t snack, but it is so difficult not to in Paris, where there are so many delicious restaurants, bars, cafés, pâtisseries, shops…

So let me list a few that I really enjoy.

There is of course Ladurée, which most of you are probably already familiar with. I love their bar off the Champs-Élysée. You cannot book a table there; it is basically a bar where you can order drinks, apéritifs and snacks from their limited, light but delicious menu. I used to go there with my girlfriends as I find the food very feminine: mainly salads, seafood, fish, and of course, desserts.
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London was as exciting as ever, and I had the opportunity to visit The real Van Gogh, the artist and his letters‘ exhibition at the Royal Academy, which was extremely interesting and well presented. This is a landmark exhibition not to be missed.

As usual, I stayed at The Langham Hotel, the place that  I call “home” now in London. This is a wonderful hotel with excellent service and attention to detail.
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For my two-day stay in Singapore, I decided to give myself a treat, and therefore checked into the famous Raffles hotel.

This Singapore “grande dame” lives up to her reputation, with imposing colonial architecture, impeccable service that recalls the style of the last century, and suites inspired and named after personalities such as Charlie Chaplin, Noel Coward or Somerset Maugham.
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This is not my first time in Taipei, but it was definitely a very nice experience.

I used to have a certain image of the Taiwanese, after reading regularly about fights between politicians in the newspapers, including pictures that showed them pulling hair, beating each other, even women… but after this trip, I must say that the Taiwanese are probably the most polite of all the Chinese cultures in the world.
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Paris has been home for many years.

And since we don’t have a flat anymore, I have been looking for the ideal boutique hotel, homey enough for me to stay every time when I go back to Paris.

This time, I discovered a small hotel, Garden Elysee, nestled in the heart of the 16th district, with rooms looking into a charming courtyard full of vegetation, so calm and peaceful that you don’t have the feeling of being in a big city.

My stay in Paris have me not only going back to my favorite restaurants, but also discover some new gems with my local Parisian friends.

Sardegna a Tavola, a small sardenian restaurant in the 12th district, 10 minutes from Bastille Opera , was a great find.

I had a seasonal salad covered under a generous portion of tuna and mullet bottarga followed by giant baked razor clams with garlic, the meal was so tasty that for the following 2 days, I was still nostalgic of the strong Mediterranean flavors.

Passiflore is what I call my “cantine”, I usually go at least 2 times during my stay, and more if I stay longer.

The game season was in force when I was there, although I am more of a fish and seafood person, but I did not want to miss the occasion of having dish unfound and sometimes even unheard of in Hong Kong. I had grouse ( a bird from Scotland), wild duck, rabbit (not all on the same day, please,) all cooked delicately by Roland.

Another cantine is Dessirier, one of the best seafood restaurants in Paris, I always enjoyed the fresh oysters, fatty Belons, creamy Spéciales, juicy Pousse en claires, ahhh, this is sans fin… and of course, their signature lobster macaroni or shellfish coquillette, all wash down with a nice bottle of champagne Rosé! Que la vie est belle!

Photo credits: venere.com