Watch Out For… Looks like actress Carina Lau’s decided to take a break from acting to open up three restaurants in a single location all at once, because, you know, she can. Kyo-Shun (18/F, The One, 100 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2426-6111) is a modern-chic Japanese contemporary fine diner serving seasonal dishes from Kyoto, while Zurriola (18/F, 2253-7111) and Tapagria (18/F, 2147-0111) are both Spanish-themed venues: the former a formal, posh affair and the latter a drinks-and-tapas place. Turns out the upper echelons of the ICC aren’t just full of fancy schmancy diners after all. Thanks to Eclipse, there’s now a casual cafe for the rest of us—before the space transforms into a schmoozy lounge come nightfall, that is. Vista (100/F, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Rd. West, West Kowloon, 2711-0163) is a place for OLs and recession-era bankers to grab their coffees and chorizo sandwiches. After 6pm, cocktails and dainty tapas take over. Coffee enjoyment goes far at the new The Coffee Academics (34-35 Johnston Rd., Wan Chai, 2154-1180) , owned by local java queen Jennifer Liu—who’s also the mastermind behind Caffe Habitu. This new space only hires baristas as staff, so pretty much everyone you speak with here will give you a run for your coffee beans. There’s also a specially designed cupping room for the dead-serious aficionados who want to taste-test their cuppas, with the most precise equipment around. Oh, and you’ll get to enjoy an extremely exclusive Guatemala Santa Felisa Orange Honey Geisha coffee—available only at TCA, because Jennifer has seen to it that the entire 100-pound production run for the year was purchased by her group and her group alone. It probably won’t be cheap. Talk of the Town Beijing’s famous Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant will be temporarily teleported to the Mandarin Oriental once again this year, in a week of special lunches and dinners from October 24 to 31 held at Man Wah (25/F, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Rd. Central, 2825-4003). Besides the prized “super lean” Peking duck that will be the highlight of the menu, diners also get to enjoy quintessential dishes like braised abalone, sweet and sour fish and a more Northern-style deep-fried mutton fillet, starting from $698 per head. There’s also a one-night-only gala dinner on November 1 hosted by chef “Da Dong” himself, Dong Zhenxiang. That’s $2,888 per head. Cheers Want to drink outside the box and test your nose on tipples from lesser known wine countries? Here’s a name to watch for: Vino Esotico ( www.vino-esotico.com ) imports wines from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions, such as Sardinia in Italy, and Turkey. I was at Sumac on Glenealy for a recent tasting of Domaine Wardy wines from Lebanon, and got to learn about the unique wine-drinking culture there, as well as the native grapes (such as Obaideh) that are found in the local vineyards. If you want to try out more exotic varietals and lesser known winemakers from the Old World, check out the website and sign up for an upcoming wine-tasting dinner to see for yourself. Email me at adele.wong@hkmagmedia.com or follow me on Twitter: @adele_hklife.
