Hong Kong restaurateurs appear to be making a beeline for Malate in Manila. Hot spot at the moment is Sala (tel: (632) 524-6770), a new restaurant opened by Colin Mackay, former chef of Lucy's in Stanley. Joining him in the next few months will be four new restaurants by Elite Concepts' Paul Hsu. Sala, which opened in November, has so far taken bookings from a veritable who's who of Filipino society, including the Aquinos and the Marcoses. The group of steely nerved Hong Kong investors backing Mackay are said to be delighted with the response. Mackay's foray was driven by a combination of the lack of a suitable site for a restaurant in Hong Kong and the dearth of good European food in Manila. The Sala concept, he says, is simple modern European food, with a small menu changed every four or five weeks. The decor is a soothing grey-green with lots of gold mirrors, and the restaurant seats about 45 people. Hsu's restaurants - French, Japanese, Chinese and Asian - are on a much larger scale. Together, the four venues will seat about 800 people. All are on the retail podium of the new Pan Pacific Hotel in Malate. The idea, Hsu says, is to target a broader clientele than his Lan Kwai Fong restaurants. All have been designed by Tony Chi, who was responsible for Elite's Indochine and Tokio Joe. The restaurants will open in May and June. Naturally it's good The Health Shoppe (tel: 2833-9090) in Queensway, Admiralty, is upping its focus on health foods and juices. Although the ranges remain relatively small, there is a fair representation of organic and non-organic cider vinegars, honey, non-dairy milk products, bottled juices, organic teas, various grains, nuts and dried fruits, and a selection of nut spreads. Organic-food restaurant, The Source of Health (tel: 2869-6382), in Central, has also expanded its range of health foods, including a selection of instant hot cereals and a great range of bite-sized flavoured rice cakes. It also offers a selection of the best vegetarian sandwiches in Hong Kong. Starbucks returns Good news for Starbucks coffee fans: Oliver's will have the bottled-coffee version of the renowned American coffee brand back in stock mid-March. The drink was first launched in August last year, and ran out of stock within two months. Supply hiccups have since been ironed out, the store promises. Sweet as St Patrick Irish coffee may be the obvious choice for coffee fans celebrating St Patrick's Day on March 17. For its first celebration of the Irish holiday, the Pacific Coffee Company is trying to broaden the experience. Its offering this year is a latte with Irish Cream syrup. Happy St Patrick's Day!