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The Hong Kong hangover breakfast challenge

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:10:28 +0000

We put Hong Kong's biggest, baddest breakfasts up against each other for a morning-after chowdown to end all chowdowns, and hopefully the brain pain

It's the morning after a big night out, and we feel like a victim of Hannibal Lecter. Our skulls feel crushed and our brains feel like they've been stirred into a thick soup ready for the doctor to slurp up. The only thing that will make us feel better is first throwing up everything from the night before, then filling our empty, queasy bellies with a big stodgy breakfast to anchor us down for the rest of the day.

We already know that the Mandarin Oriental's Grill + Bar serves the best full English breakfast in Hong Kong (see mouthwatering photographs of it here, if you dare) but when we're very much worse for wear and our mouth smells and feels like a rat hole, we don't want to take our first and perhaps only meal of the day in a posh hotel. Far better to go on a hunt for the perfect hangover breakfast, a heaping plate of all things crispy, chewy and briny, that can be enjoyed in comfortable, sympathetic surroundings, like the following places:

Old China Hand

It's not even noon and the guys at the Old China Hand are already drunk. They sit near the bar's open front, chatting boozily with the bargirls in short skirts and tight tops, who glance distractedly at passersby on Lockhart Road. It's an odd scene in the morning glare but we're hungry and we've heard the Old China Hand does a mean English breakfast, so we press on, into the bar's dark belly, through the sloppy remnants of last night's partying and into a booth near the back of the bar. Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" blasts deafeningly through the sound system.

The bartender gives us an odd look when we order the "World Famous Large All Day English Breakfast" (HK$89) which comes with two sausages, three eggs, bacon, mushrooms, black pudding, baked beans, fries and a grilled tomato. Two Lady Gaga and one Pitbull songs later, the breakfast is delivered by a large grandmotherly woman. She smiles faintly, deposits the dishes and returns to the kitchen without a word.

"Large breakfast," in this case, is an understatement. This isn't breakfast meant for a normal human being, unless you consider an Australian rugby player to be human. It's hard to feel ripped off with this much stuff on the plate. Unfortunately, quantity doesn't necessarily mean quality. The sausages are a bit dry, the fries are too skinny and sad-looking, the toast is stale, the eggs are overcooked and the black pudding doesn't really taste like anything. The up side is that the bacon is fresh, tender and delicious and everything is satisfyingly greasy, without being too oily. A pint of Guinness ($58) is pretty much essential to wash it all down.

Open 24 hours on Friday and Saturday; 10-3am all other days. G/F,104 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel +852 2865 4378, www.oldchinahand.com.hk

Yorkshire Pudding

Having slept through the morning we arrived after noon, and so thought we had missed breakfast. But thankfully they serve breakfast till 5pm, and so we tucked in. The British Fry-up breakfast (HK$98) had all the quintessential items of a traditional English fried breakfast: baked beans, mushrooms, hash brown, sausage, garnished tomatoes and eggs of course. We opted for the scrambled version (the thought of runny eggs was a little nauseating from the beer buzz we still had going on). The portion is on the lean side, barely filling the plate with only one of each item. Not exactly an awe-inspiring sight after a night of alcoholic excess.

What made up for it though was that the fry-up was distinctly un-oily, which did help us keep the breakfast down despite the old wives' tale about grease being the great hangover cure. The whole meal was quite tasty as well (in that we managed to taste something, given the lingering aftertaste of alcohol), and the hash brown was spectacularly crunchy. We wolfed it all down in double-quick time, washed down by strong black coffee. So while the portion size was a somewhat disappointing start to the morning after, the variety of non-oily foodstuffs did help to alleviate the hangover haze.

Open daily 10am-midnight. 6 Staunton Street, Soho, Central, tel +852 2536 9968.

Coast

We staggered into Coast Bar & Bistro, the new Australian eatery on the escalator track in Soho, at about 11-ish on a Sunday morning and, surprisingly, we were the first on the scene. One item immediately popped from the breakfast menu: the Hangover (HK$105). In hindsight it's a terrible misnomer -- shouldn't they be taking it away, not giving us one? But it is one epic dish. Steak, bacon, beef sausages, hash browns, tomato slices heaped next to a mountain of thick toast with your choice of eggs. It was so massive, the plate could barely contain all that meat.

Slightly daunted, we set to it with a will to finish, but it was quite a struggle. They obviously held to the grease-cures-all belief, since everything was oily. The 'steaklet' was the centerpiece -- lightly grilled and still pink on the inside -- but the beef sausages were badly overdone and tough. We opted for eggs done sunny-side up, which we soaked up well with the bread slices. In the end, we managed to clean the plate, but the sheer amount didn't really sit well in the stomach. Recommended only if you've an appetite to match that monster hangover, otherwise go for the smaller Coast Breakfast (HK$95).

Open daily 8-3am. 1st Floor, Kinwick Centre, 32 Hollywood Road, SoHo, Central, tel +852 2544 5888, www.coast.com.hk

Life Cafe

If your body is imploring for something just a little bit healthy after the previous night’s ravaging, head for Life Cafe. This vegetarian, organic (whenever possible) eaterie has a globally inspired menu of omelets, pastries, cereals, fruit salads, pancakes, and more. None of your oil-doused, heart-clogging fry ups here. The Life Breakfast (HK$85) is a well-measured plate of veggie sausages -- which were strangely aromatic -- eggs, toast, fried potato slices and a sprinkling of salad. This is the nutritious injection our stomachs have been craving ever since last night’s dinner of three dozen beers and a couple bowls of nuts.

Best of all is a full page dedicated to juices, smoothies and shakes that will flush even the most poisonous of alcoholic contaminants from our bodies. The Reanimator mixed juice (apple, lemon, ginger, HK$32) is a refreshing and sweet accompaniment to the Detox Tea (HK$30), a toxin-purging medley of 19 roots, herbs, seeds and berries. True party champions don’t fret, there’s a good selection of organic wines and beers too. It’s a cozy place, with a convivial atmosphere, but if your 10 megaton headache calls for a breakfast in solitude this probably ain’t for you. It can get pretty popular and we found ourselves sharing our table with someone who apparently did not appreciate our beer breath.

Open daily 11:30am-9:30pm. 10, Shelley Street, Soho, Central, tel +852 2810 9777, www.lifecafe.com.hk

Jo Jo Mess Club

Head to Jo Jo Mess for all your curry-for-breakfast needs. Sounds strange, but sometimes a greasy, spicy, carb-and-oil-laden feast can be just the thing to knock your mojo back into gear after a night on the bathroom floor. To be honest the flavors here can be a little disappointing and the textures a bit unimaginative, but considering your taste buds will probably be comatose anyway, that won’t detract too much from why you’re really here: to stuff yourself silly before going back to bed.

Start with a yogurty lassi (HK$32) to settle the stomach, before diving into some aloo parantha (HK$18) with raita (HK$30) and pickle, which will get your saliva glands pumping in preparation for the fish tikka (HK$88) and mushroom peas pulao (HK$48). Alternatively the chicken korma (HK$72), while bland, will help quell any meat pangs. Wash it all down with a sweet lime soda, and you won’t need to eat again all day. This is a restaurant, not a greasy café, so don’t expect to find too many fellow sufferers. But it’s casual with a friendly staff who will look upon your tormented soul with a refreshing sympathy.

Open daily 11am-3pm, 6pm-11pm. 2nd Floor, David House, 37-39 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, tel +852 2527 3776, www.jojofood.com

Delaney's

Ironically, the best hangover cure in Hong Kong is in the heart of one of the city’s booziest districts: Wan Chai. Seated on a stool at a high-top table in Delaney’s Irish Pub, you can easily pass the time sipping on a Guinness and watching people stroll past the restaurant’s open doors on Luard Street. Delaney’s only has one breakfast item on the menu, but it definitely delivers.

“The Ultimate Fry Up” ($98) is a traditional British breakfast served on a large plate and brimming to the rim with hearty portions of bacon, sausages, fried liver, black pudding, mushrooms, baked beans, fried potatoes, grilled tomatoes, toast, and two eggs sunny side up. The meal is adequately greasy to ease one’s tender, post-alcohol-binge tummy. Everything is prepared to perfection and the eggs are extra runny. Wash it down with some fresh-squeezed orange juice ($38).

The restaurant's atmosphere is laid back and the servers are friendly, without being overbearing. And if you can stomach the cheesy 1990s love ballads piping throughout the pub speakers, then this breakfast is sure to please.

Open daily noon-3am. G/F & 1/F, One Capital Place, 18 Luard Road, Wanchai, tel +852 2804 2880, www.delaneys.com.hk

Rocksalt

This newly opened Stanley eatery really hits every hangover nail on the head. It's located near the beach and it's open design allows the fresh air of Stanley to revive those alcohol-pickled brain cells. Plus, it's named after what a hangover victim really craves -- salt. The big breakfast served here sells quality over quantity. Everything is done just right, but big fellas will be left wanting seconds. The rest of the menu is a novella of seafood concoctions, from the raw oyster bar to crab cakes with water cress tomato salad (HK$78) and the mussels with spicy tomato (HK$148). For a final pick-me-up, try the Turkish toast with fresh ricotta, strawberries, cinnamon and honey (HK$98) with shot of strong coffee followed by a stroll on the beach. Hangover? What hangover?

Open daily noon-10:30pm. 25 Stanley Market Road, Stanley, tel +852 2899-0818, www.chiram.com.hk

Tags: Old China Hand, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong restaurants, Hong Kong hangover, Hong Kong full English breakfast, Coast

Chippendales muscle in on Macau and Hong Kong

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:50:38 +0000

The latest update on ticket sales for the immensely popular male dance troupe

The Chippendales, that bunch of hunky, waxed, male dancers who do choreographed one-arm push-ups and syncopated hip-thrusts before ripping off their clothes, are coming to town. Scheduled to appear at FINDS tomorrow night, the RSVP list for the gig is full. But fans are encouraged to show up at FINDS at around 10pm to try their luck. The free show will last for a quarter of an hour in the moderate-sized Scandinavian restaurant where fans will be able to get close to the action.

Or go to Macau for the weekend, where Chippendales are headed next to perform at Sands Macao. Their Saturday show is already sold out, but tickets are still available for Friday night. March 19, 8pm, HK$280-480. Tickets through hkticketing, CotaiTicketing.

The Chippendales' visit for Hong Kong and Macau is part of their Asia Tour. They were in Singapore last week where grannies nearly dropped their fake dentures in the audience, and one female journalist's boyfriend dared to go to the show with her.

Tags: Macau, Hong Kong restaurants, Finds, Cotai, Chippendales

Best of Hong Kong Rugby Sevens parties

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:57:00 +0000

Warning: Outrageous drunken behavior will be obligatory on Rugby Sevens weekend

Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is the biggest party of the year. But if you haven't secured tickets to the games, it really doesn't matter. Rugby Sevens revelry will infect much of the city over the weekend of March 26-28. Here's how to get in on the action:

Get your kit on

You aren't serious about partying during Hong Kong Rugby Sevens unless you are serious about your costume. Your tranformation by attire is directly proportionate to your levels of uninhibitedness. So go nuts at the costumers, such as Matteo Party, which has various sartorial sideshows for rent. Or go low-key and pick up an official jersey at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens shop sponsored by Kukri.

Party with the English and Fijian teams

Get close enough to the rugby players to smell their deodorant at RED Soho's exclusive parties with the teams. The English team will be at RED Soho on March 23, 6:30pm onwards (tickets cost HK$400) and the Fijian team will be there on March 28, 8pm onwards (tickets are HK$300).

www.pure-red.com

Champagne Tent at the Sevens Village

If you're at the Sevens Village, you're practically at the games. Located near the main stadium gates, the Village will broadcast the action live, accompanied by the real echoes of cheering crowds from the stadium a mere stone's throw away. Entry is free from 8am until the final whistle and HK$100 thereafter, when the village is tranformed into a huge party venue.

The village's Champagne Tent is where fans get to meet the teams and special guests, while sipping on bubbly. Tickets cost HK$300 (three night’s entry) and are only available in advance from Ironmonger Events.

www.ironmongerevents.com, tel +852 2973 0372

Rugby widows get their own

Meet the Italian rugby team at the W Hotel's Living Room (HK$298 advance tickets; HK$350 at the door). The party will feature a charity bachelor auction and a "cheeky fashion show" accompanied by free-flowing cocktails and wine. Reservations: tel +852 3717 2222.

Or head to the Pawn where ladies will be offered a complimentary glass of Perrier Jouet and cocktails are two-for-one throughout the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens weekend.

Old standby: Lan Kwai Fong

That magical bend in the road where Cbar, di Lux, and Lan Kwai Fong Beer Bar meet is where the street party's at on Hong Kong Rugby Sevens weekend. Live rugby will be broadcast on large screens and draft beers go for HK$50.

Tags: Rugby Sevens, Rugby 7s, Hong Kong rugby, Hong Kong parties

Save the date: Twitter Twestivals coming to Asia March 25

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 07:01:59 +0000

Twestival is for Twitter fanatics, those looking to donate for a good cause, or those that just want to meet some interesting new people in their city

What the devil is Twestival? The short answer is that Twestival is a Twitter Festival where twitterers gather in one place, on the same date -- March 25, 2010 -- to talk about their favorite social network.

But something the folks organizing this year's various Twestivals (details and Twestival websites listed below) want to get away from is the misconception that people come to the parties just to tweet or talk Twitter. It is more of a social networking party that's about meeting people and getting to know some of those Twitter buddies in real life -- building on online relationships, essentially.

Even for those of you that might not have the foggiest of clues about tweeting, twitterers, Twitter or social networking, buying tickets to the local Twestival in your city will send proceeds to charity organizations. For example, Hong Kong Twestival proceeds will go to Concern Worldwide (which deals with literacy and education for women in some of the poorest countries in the world, with Haiti getting a portion of the money.)

Please see below for Twestival venues, prices and more information on Twestivals across the region.

Hong Kong: http://hongkong.twestival.com | Perri Gorman @bethebutterfly | tel: +852 6506 8882

Mumbai: http://mumbai.twestival.com | VJ KM @adropofwisdom | tel: +91 9886068649 (contact for India)

Shanghai: http://shanghai.twestival.com | Peter Davison @ourmaninsh | tel: +86 138 1695 1914

Tokyo: http://tokyo.twestival.com | Michael Todd @mqtodd

Singapore: http://singapore.twestival.com | Mike Foong @mikefoong | tel: +65 8139 0262

Beijing: http://beijing.twestival.com | David Feng @DavidFeng | tel: +86 13910039329

Kuala Lumpur: http://kualalumpur.twestival.com | Niki Cheong @nikicheong

Penang: http://penang.twestival.com

Kota Kinabalu: http://kotakinabalu.twestival.com | Jackie Miao for Kota Kinabalu @kktwestival

Bangalore: http://bangalore.twestival.com

Chenna:i http://chennai.twestival.com

Cochin: http://cochin.twestival.com

Delhi: http://delhi.twestival.com

Goa: http://goa.twestival.com

Kolkata: http://kolkata.twestival.com

Seoul: http://seoul.twestival.com (Korean language)

Tags: twitter, Twestival

Hong Kong ArtWalk: SoCO exhibition confronts ugly truths

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:23:43 +0000

ArtWalk proceeds will go to the Society for Community Organization to fight poverty and homelessness, which are showcased by a gallery of documentary photography

It's the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong ArtWalk, the annual, boozy charity event where art galleries in Central stay open till midnight for a good cause.

Last year, ArtWalk 2009 raised a donation of HK$477,000 (and ArtWalk 2008 raised a record HK$689,000) which benefited the Society for Community Organization (SoCO).

This year, SoCO will again benefit from proceeds raised from ArtWalk 2010 for their pro-active community work, original social policy research and advocacy work. One of the participating galleries, Schoeni Art Gallery, has donated its premises for a special exhibition on Hong Kong's 'invisible' people -- the homeless, the cage home-dwellers, the children who grow up in cubicle-homes -- whose rights are guarded by organisations such as SoCO. Take a sneak peek at the striking images at the SoCO and ArtWalk website.

Hong Kong ArtWalk 2010 will take place on March 17, from 5pm till midnight. Tickets can be purchased at these galleries at HK$430 each. Food and wine will be available at participating galleries.

Hong Kong ArtWalk 2010, Society for Community Organization

Tags: street party, Society for Community Organization, Schoeni Art Gallery, Hong Kong charity events, Hong Kong Art Walk, Hong Kong art exhibition

Amitabh Bachchan to take lifetime achievement award at Hong Kong International Film Festival

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:26:13 +0000

'Big B' will get the big award at the HKIFF next month and according to his blog, he's over the moon about it

The smoldering police inspector played by Amitabh Bachchan in "Zanjeer."

The Hong Kong International Film Festival will give Amitabh Bachchan the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 4th Asian Film Awards, scheduled to start on March 22 as part of the Festival, will honor Bachchan with their highest accolade and here's what the "Big B" has to say about it:

"[The award is] not so much a personal recognition, but one that comes to me as a member of the film industry of India and indeed India itself," Bachchan said on his blog. "Yet another moment when the Indian tricolor shall earn recognition on foreign soil. A moment of pride for me, a fraternity of which I am part and a country whose citizenship I cherish."

In his career-defining role in "Zanjeer" (see clip above), Bachchan broke free of the traditional confines of Bollywood's male protagonists as romantic heroes. His 'angry young man' character in the film won over critics and audiences, and Bachchan went on to make 15 years of box-office hits. Now recognised as 'The Godfather of Bollywood,' it's hard to keep count of the numerous international awards won by Bachchan, including 1984 Padma Shri, 1999 BBC Superstar of the Millenium, 2007 Officier de La Legion d’ Honneur (he is also one of CNNGo's Greatest Asian Actors of All Time, and PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Male in Asia).

But we would really like to make up an award for Bachchan's latest achievement -- his highly addictive blog. Big B's flowing, descriptive prose is just the right shade of purple for Bollywood's most representative actor. The blog's self-indulgent melodrama (we'd be disappointed if it wasn't) is heightened by B's keen sense of the theatrical in even the most mundane minutiae of modern life. This isn't just another celebrity blog; this is the 'Indian tricolor' Bollywood hero blog.

Check out the below, posted a few days ago:

"A gift of an iphone 3G and a day spent in understanding its functions. You carry your lifetime in your palm virtually -- of yesterday, today and tomorrow with the softness of your finger tip. Finger tips that carry the ultimate identification of human kind, the final ID. Now ironically used for identifying others, for reaching out to them, for seeking information hidden in millions of mega bites on Grey master computers. An International media conference meet stipulated the web as having a limitless future. We are already in limitless form. What ever could there be in store for us ? But then, who had ever imagined the onset of what we possess now. Who then can imagine what be in store for us in the future."

Great Monday guilty-pleasure reading, and if that weren't enough you can even hear it from the man himself in his latest self-absorbed gift to the people, his vocal blog, Bachan Bol.

Tags: Zanjeer, vegetarian, lifetime achievement award, Hong Kong International Film Festival, Bollywood actors, Amitabh Bachchan

5 tips for turning scrap metal into gold

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:15:00 +0000

Hong Kong entrepreneur Stephen Greer performed a tricky bit of alchemy when he turned metal trash into a US$250 million business

A year and a half out of college, Stephen Greer flew out to Hong Kong in February 1993 on a one-way ticket with no idea what his next step would be. Within three months, he had incorporated Hartwell Pacific and decided he was going to start trading in something, anything. After six months of chasing wild geese -- Christmas tree ornaments, chicken feet, clay pots, jeans, rakes -- he got a request from a contact in Germany to look into the scrap metal market in Asia.

Not long after, Greer was trading in scrap metal. The economics major soon fell in love with the raw material that tells fascinating stories of countries’ economic development. In his book "Starting from Scrap: An Entrepreneurial Success Story" Greer tells of how he turned scrap metal into a US$250 million business by the time he sold it in 2005. Here, he shares a few of his tips on being a successful entrepreneur.

Opportunities are time-sensitive

Stephen Greer: "A friend of mine has a notebook he carries around; he calls it his notebook of great ideas. And he’s thinking at one point in his life, he’s going to execute [his ideas]. But we’re both middle-aged now and he’s got this great notebook of ideas, but he hasn’t executed.

"The definition of an entrepreneur is 'risk-taker.' Nobody can teach you to take a risk. All business schools can do is teach you how to evaluate a risk. And if you evaluate a risk too long, that’s what they call analysis paralysis. Opportunities go away because they’re time sensitive.

"You can study cases, and that’s great for learning what worked and what didn’t. But at the end of the day, risk is up to your own gut and that’s what you have to live with. I want to say to young people: If you’re ever going to try it, now’s your chance. Being a young entrepreneur is a great way to get amazing life and business experience.

"A lot of parents are saying to me, 'I want my kid to read this book,' but I think the parents should read this book. The way my father taught me was like standing behind the kid who’s learning to ride a bicycle, getting ready to make sure his head doesn’t hit something if he falls, but letting him fall, letting him have the freedom. My optimism comes from my parents. They helped me to convert low moments into opportunities and growth -- in crisis is opportunity."

"The definition of an entrepreneur is 'risk-taker.' Nobody can teach you to take a risk. All business schools can do is teach you is how to evaluate risk."

— Stephen Greer

There is a right place and right time in the world, all the time

Greer: "The reasons for my success were obviously multi-layered and of course timing and location played a part along with judgement and a lot of sweat. I believe that Asia continues to be one of those right places, and in my opinion, Hong Kong is really the leading international city in Asia. Hong Kong is the North Asia hub and Singapore is more the South East and South Asia hub. My view is that North Asia has more exciting dynamics.

"That said, Hong Kong is becoming more of a senior management and headquarters hub. Sourcing, selling and back office functions are increasingly moving closer to the supplier, buyer or the market. In most cases in North Asia that is predominantly China. If the nature of your business is pioneering new markets (in China as an example), you may even need to skip past Shanghai and move deeper into China's up-and-coming cities such as Chongqing. One basic value add a trader or value-added services provider creates is just being where there clients don't want to be or don't have the ability to be. So move to Chongqing and enjoy the 'fresh' air ..."

What goes around comes around

Greer: "If you’re a person of high value and character, that’s the way you’ll be treated by your customers and employees. I remember speaking about it with my wife, and our objective was to cultivate employees who would not just like what they do, but would love the company, who could be moved to tears for the company. And if we did that, then the company would be in very good hands and we would be very successful.

"You can’t BS people. You have to treat them with love and care, show them that you have an interest in their futures and they will return to you with loyalty and love. You have to build the trust and that to me is the morality thing. To me, it’s about whether you’re going for the fast buck, or whether you’re going to do something right. You can do something for a quick buck, but all eyes are watching, and that will come back to haunt you."

Luck is believing you’re lucky

Greer: "The reality is that, for most [entrepreneurs], it’s about hard work, persistence, determination and luck. That’s the real story. A lot of entrepreneurs out there have been bankrupt twice or so before they ultimately became very successful. You have to have that 'stick-to-it' attitude, and believe it’s okay to fail.

"Luck is the aura that you create about yourself -- positivity snowballs. Having a positive mental attitude is an enormously important tool for a successful businessperson."

Start with the end in mind

Greer: "You have to know where you want to end up, which includes planning your exits. Who would you raise capital from? Who would view you as a strategic partner? What would be your IPO story? What company would want to buy you as part of a strategic acquisition? Those are your insurance policies. And if you can’t answer any of those questions, then what are you building? If you want to have a business that’s going to outlive you, you have to ask yourself those questions."

Tags: Stephen Greer, scrap metal recycling, Hong Kong recycling, Hong Kong people, Hong Kong entrepreneurs

2010 Miele Guide: Vote for your favorite restaurant in Hong Kong and all of Asia

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:42:28 +0000

Yung Kee, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, and Tonkichi Tonkatsu are all nominated for The Miele Guide's Best Asian Restaurants

Online public voting has commenced for the 2010 Miele Guide to Asian restaurants. Just sign up at their website and start clicking on places that you love to eat at in Hong Kong, and 18 other places in Asia. The best part is you get to nominate any restaurant that you think deserves a chance at being included in The Miele Guide, so we've got the stalwarts of fine dining such as L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Yung Kee up against trendy Causeway Bay tonkatsu joint Tonkichi Tonkatsu.

The Miele Guide profiles Asia's restaurants, selected by professional restaurant critics, a jury of respected foodies, and public voting. The 2009/2010 edition profiled the top 450 restaurants in the region, taken from a survey in which over 2,000 restaurants received votes. See the full list of Asia's Top 20 Restaurants by the 2009 Miele Guide.

Tags: Yung Kee, Miele Guide, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Hong Kong restaurants

Aboriginal rapper Samian at The Indie Ones tomorrow

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:49:21 +0000

The final showcase of concert series The Indie Ones will feature Francophone conscious hip hop from Canada, France, and Belgium

Samian's latest work "Injustice"

Billed as one of Canada's first aboriginal rappers, Samian surprised everyone when he burst onto Quebec's hip hop scene in 2004 with engaged, socially conscious lyrics delivered in a mix of French and Algonquin, an indigeneous language spoken by no more than 3,000 people across central Canada.

Now Samian, whose real name is Samuel Tremblay (Samian is Algonquin for Samuel) will be touring across Greater China as part of "le mois de la francophonie," a French-speaking cultural event sponsored by Canada, France and Belgium. He performs tomorrow at 4.30pm as part of The Indie Ones concert series at the Former Police Married Quarters, along with French hip hop crew AL K Traxx and Belgian electro-popper Labiur. Tickets are free but capacity is limited, so arrive early.

We caught Samian as he sat in the back of a Taipei taxi on his way to Hong Kong. Here's what he had to say.

CNNGo: How do you like Asia so far?

Samian:

It's amazing. It's another culture. Everything is new for us and we're a bit bewildered now, but we're getting used to it. It helps that everyone is so nice. We thought they might be a bit hostile but we did two shows yesterday and they were fantastic. We played at a school in Taipei and then we went to Kaohsiung, where the reception was unbelievable. We don't even get that kind of reaction when we play in Quebec.

CNNGo: For a Chinese person who doesn't speak French, let alone Algonquin, what can they get out of your music?

Samian:

Even the teachers at the first show who spoke really fluent French had trouble following us. Beyond that, the kids didn't understand anything. We were there to promote the French language, but they understood a lot more if we spoke in English. It was really just a party. Beyond language, it's for the music, and that's the universal language. It was such a great crowd.

CNNGo: You grew up on a native reserve in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, which is a pretty remote part of Quebec. How did you first get into hip hop?

Samian:

Actually, I started with poetry. 12 or 13 years ago, my sister signed me up for a poetry competition and I won first place. That day I was supposed to read my poem to an audience, and I decided to rap it, right there for the first time. Nobody listened to hip hop at that time in Abitibi. When I first started out with my friend Anodajay [who is also joining the tour across China], we were playing punk shows. Rap was slow to come, especially around there, but it's developing now.

CNNGo: You rap in Algonquin, but when you were a teenager, you'd forgotten how to speak it. How did you learn it again?

Samian:

I first learned it when I was really young, so I knew how to read it, how to write it and I knew the phonetics. I'd sit down with my grandmother and translate my work from French into Algonquin. For me, doing that was the best way to re-learn the language and learn how to sing it. It's really my grandmother I owe for that.

Algonquin is a very musical language that rhymes a lot. Actually a lot like Chinese.

— Samian

CNNGo: Was it an obvious decision to rap in Algonquin?

Samian:

Yeah, but actually at the time, six or seven years ago, I was working with this group called Loco Locass. I was only writing in French and they came up to me once and said, 'Why aren't you rapping in Algonquin?' I'd already been playing with the idea of doing it but that really gave me the push I needed. That's when I went to my grandmother for help. It's good because Algonquin is a very musical language that rhymes a lot. Actually a lot like Chinese.

CNNGo: What are some of the challenges faced by aboriginal people in Canada now?

Samian:

They're completely ignored in Canada and Quebec right now. Doing what I do helps open up the minds and hearts of people in Quebec. It's not right to go to a town and find people who'd never even heard about our history. You get the sense that they really learn something from my show, which is cool, but it's also weird and surprising. I'm sorry to say, but the native history we learn in school is shit. The real history is hidden. So we have a generation of people growing up with no real idea of how the country was founded.

CNNGo: Are you looking forward to meeting any Chinese rappers?

Samian:

I'd love to. I haven't met any yet but at the show last night in Kaohsiung, hip hop had a really strong presence, so we'll try to find something tonight in Taipei. I'd love to hear someone rap in Mandarin.

The Indie Ones

Featuring Hong Kong's own indie kings Chochukmo, Algonquin rapper Samian, French hip hop crew AL K Traxx and Belgian electro-popper Labiur.

Capacity limited to 300 people. Free tickets will be distributed at the venue starting from 2pm. Show starts 3pm.

Former Police Married Quarters at Hollywood Road

Tags: Hong Kong hip-hop, French rap, Central Married Police Quarters, Canada hip-hop, The Indie Ones, Samian

Hong Kong wants to host 2026 World Cup

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:26:25 +0000

The SAR hopes to piggy-back off of China's bid for the Big Game

Hong Kong aspires to host the 2026 World Cup, according to Hong Kong Football Association Chairman Brian Leung Hung-tak.

Leung returned from talks with Beijing officials yesterday and told Apple Daily that a Hong Kong team will be participating in the China Football Association Super League as soon as next year. Beijing is also gearing up to bid for the 2026 World Cup to be hosted by China.

"We hope there's something in it for Hong Kong," said Leung.

If Beijing is successful in its bid for the 2026 World Cup, Leung said it is highly likely that Hong Kong will become one of the hosting cities where some of the final matches can take place. The Hong Kong Football Association is currently planning a youth championship between Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and mainland China.

Tags: World Cup, Hong Kong sports, hong kong football