New Restaurants Giando and Ladurée Open

Parisian macaron specialist and tourist favorite Ladurée (Shop 3224, 3/F, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, 3-27 Canton Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2175-5028) has set up a permanent shop at Harbour City, to be opened in early December. Lane Crawford brought the brand—which actually also makes lifestyle products—to Hong Kong earlier this spring as a pop-up concept, but Ladurée will be here to stay this time ‘round. I’m predicting long queues like at the Champs-Élysées branch (where I too once lined up for close to 15 minutes on a non-busy day for a box of their goodies). Ladurée macarons, I find, are a bit on the heavy side, so remember to consume these deceivingly small pastries in manageable portions. Be extra careful with the \sticky-sweet caramel variety! Chocolates, jams, teas and candles will also be available at the Harbour City shop.

If you’re one of those foodie people who need to know the “hows” and the “whys” behind every dish, here’s a book that might be right up your alley. “The Science of Good Cooking,” written by the folks from cooking show America’s Test Kitchen (who also publish cooking magazine “Cook’s Illustrated”), is a recipe slash how-it-works tome that explores the science behind cooking. Tidbits of wisdom are passed on to readers via 50 separate chapters demystifying different cooking concepts. Did you know, for instance, that starch helps keep eggs from curdling? And do you know why, for that matter? (If this sounds a bit familiar to you, you might remember the five-volume tome “Modernist Cuisine” by Nathan Myhrvold, which debuted with a bang last year at a whopping retail price of over $5,000.) Thankfully, “The Science of Good Cooking” is a smaller-sized, less intense version of “Modernist,” and much friendlier on the pocket, too. You can order yours straight from America’s Taste Kitchen (tiny.cc/hk-cookbook) for around US$32 ($248) including standard delivery, or through Amazon (tiny.cc/hk-amazon), which stocks them at US$24 ($186, plus different shipping charges depending on where you live and how much you order).

Singapore-based Les Amis group is expanding with another restaurant in K-Town called Bistro du Vin (G/F, 1D Davis St., Kennedy Town, 2824-3010), a casual French concept that serves classic staples such as pates and rillettes while using as much local produce as possible. The resto is right beside Les Amis’ other K-town establishment, Piccolo Pizzeria, in a very trendy part of town right by the harbor.