Glowing recommendation
Restaurant Ember, the hip Bangkok eatery popular with local gourmands, is currently showcasing the culinary art of chef Sebastian Ng - executive chef of Ember's sister restaurant in Singapore. His degustation menu for 1,600 baht (HK$390) is a seven-course feast that includes dishes such as Hokkaido scallops carpaccio and foie gras brulee. The menu, which focuses on contemporary European cuisine with local flavours and ingredients, will change fortnightly. Restaurant Ember is at 99/11-12 Lang Suan Balcony, Building Room 1, Soi Lang Suan, Ploenchit Road, Bangkok, tel: 66 2 652 2086/7. Monday to Saturday, 11am to 2pm and 6pm to 10pm; closed Sunday.
London calling
A slice of London has arrived in Manhattan. The London NYC hotel brings together some of the best examples of British sophistication, including London-based design maestro David Collins, who is responsible for the hotel's swanky interiors, and Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay, who has opened his first US restaurant on-site. Guests will also have access to the benefits of Quintessentially, the elite global concierge service co-founded by royal stepson Tom Parker Bowles. However, the most original perk of staying here must be the free telephone calls to London for up to eight hours a day. From US$359 a night. The London NYC is at 151 West 54th Street, New York, tel: 1 866 690 2029;
www.thelondonnyc.com.
What price luxury?
If package deals seem a bit too 'discount' for you, think again. Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is offering the height of luxury living through its MO President Package. Check into the hotel's sky-scraping Presidential Suite and indulge in champagne breakfasts delivered to your room and a stretch limousine for your personal use around the clock. You will also be given a personally engraved bottle of premium champagne and a customised, three-hour spa treatment for two in the hotel's spa suite. It costs 971,429 yen (HK$64,233) for the first night and 743,030 yen for the next two nights. Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is at 2-2-2 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, tel: 81 3 3270 8950;
www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo.
Women only
From this month, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai will be keeping a lot of women very happy. The hotel is launching its new concierge concept, just for women. Men Don't Get It plays on Shanghai being a magnet for independent, 21st-century alpha-females and is divided into four key lifestyle components. The first, Girls on the Town, points female guests to the city's hippest hangouts, while Under the Duvet claims to promote in-room bonding, with room-service and DVDs. The third, Retail Therapy, provides insider knowledge on where to find the best bargains in town, while Diva in the Making is all about top-to-toe pampering in the hotel's spa. From 3,300 yuan. Four Seasons Hotel is at 500 Weihai Road, Shanghai, tel: 86 21 6256 8888;
www.fourseasons.com/shanghai.
The sky's the limit
Oasis Hong Kong Airlines is bringing more good news for travellers whose taste for comfort might have outgrown their pockets. The budget carrier has announced that it will be offering a non-stop service from Hong Kong to Vancouver later this year.
In the meantime, the airline is offering a 'buy-one-get-one-free' reward programme for business-class passengers. Every purchase of a business-class ticket (minimum value HK$10,800) will be rewarded with a free business-class ticket in the same direction on its Hong Kong to London route. For more information visit
www.oasishongkong.com.
