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

I have always preferred Beijing to Shanghai, for the city is more cultural and less stressful than my hometown.

And probably for the above two reasons, the dining options are less extensive and sophisticated, as Beijing people are much more casual and less demanding.

This time I chose to stay at the Grand Hyatt because of its convenient location. The hotel is decent, but the rooms do need some revamping. I visited the hotel’s in-house Chinese restaurant, Made in China, which purportedly serves the best duck in town, but I must say it was quite a disappointment. The duck was very oily and quite tasteless, and moreover, for such a high-end restaurant, the service was close to non-existent.

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As Venice marked both the beginning and the end of my magnificent trip, I thought I would write a few words about this magical city as an introduction to the destination. The charm of the city has already been recounted by so many able writers, that it seems daunting to follow their narration with my own. As such, I will simply share my own personal moments in the city with you.
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Hong Kong has so much to offer the resident, never mind the visitor. I’ve lived here for more than 20 years and there’s still so much to be discovered, experienced and tasted.

The Hong Kong Chamber Music Festival is a good opportunity for music lovers to get a glimpse of the kaleidoscopic range of cultural and culinary experiences available in this great city.
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A June reunion with two old friends from primary school was a great chance for shopping, eating, gossiping and giggling, a gathering made even more indulgent by staying at The Langham, an extremely comfortable hotel conveniently located on Regent Street and close to all the high street brands.

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