Top Five: Creative Juices
Being in the presence of art and beauty is what interior designer Mirei Lim of Hirsch Bender and Associates creates for her hotel clients. Here are her picks for where she dines for design inspiration
1. Spoon by Alain Ducasse (18 Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2313-2256). “The place is spectacularly designed by my idol Tony Chi, who’s done the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, Ye Shanghai and others. I love the 500 hand-blown glass spoons adorning the ceiling. It’s just beautiful."
2. Café Too (Island Shangri-La Pacific Place, Supreme Court Rd., Admiralty, 2877-3838). “The place is designed like an urban kitchen with a “cooking theater” concept. It’s an entirely open kitchen where the chefs are the performers, the restaurant, the stage, and the diners the audience.”
3. Opia (1/F JIA Boutique Hotel 1-5 Irving St., Causeway Bay, 3196-9100) “The up and coming local designer Andrea Foo did this one. He used a lot of lush colors and rich textures. It’s a cool hangout and I like the mod-Aussie cuisine menu especially the crispy fried pork
hock. Yum.”
4. Dong lai shun (Royal Garden Hotel (B/2, The Royal Garden Hotel, 69 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2733-2020) “Go there for the lamb hot pot. The interior is very modern and very untraditional for a Chinese restaurant. It’s very contemporary.”
5. Amber (Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 7/F, 15 Queen’s Rd., Central, 2132-0188). “The metal strips that make up the 'chandelier' are quite dramatic and a impactful art piece to look at. Very provocative. Go there for a power lunch to close the deal.”