Tuesday, November 13, 2012

TFT HK Festival of Restaurants Partner: JAR




TFT Dish (Festival of Restaurant set menu: Nov. 1st-25th)*:

John Dory poached in white wine with braised sweet leeks





From the JAR website:

What's in the name? 
JAR stands for “just-a-restaurant”.
It is our answer to the frequently asked question, “What is the concept of your restaurant?”
This response arrives at a time when restaurant menus defy easy geographical categorization, and the line between fine and casual is often blurred. In a move towards simplicity, we decided to dispense with superfluous definitions and go back to basics by describing our concept in the simplest possible terms – “no fuss, no frills – just a restaurant”.
How is it different from 798 unit & co. bistro?
Imagine JAR as another child of 798 unit & co., the culmination of our years of experience but with its own unique temperament. While 798 unit & co. bistros cater to more popular tastes, JAR –with a Central location and westernized audience– allows us to take a bolder approach in terms of food. 
One thing remains across all our outlets, that is, the mission to deliver really good food in a place where every one can eat and drink without needing a special occasion.


Address:


2/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong

(Parking is available at The Centrium, Arbuthnot Road or Man Yee Bldg, 67 Queen’s Road Central)

Hours:
Mon-Sat:  noon – midnight
Sun:  10.30am – midnight

Telephone: 2543 8000
Email: info@justarestaurant.com

* Please book through OpenRice/TableMap

Sunday, November 11, 2012

TFT HK Festival of Restaurants Partner: Cafe Roma



TFT Dish (Festival of Restaurant set menu: Nov. 1st-25th)*:
Baked Eggplant and Zucchini Parmagiana - Baked and gratinated vegetarian lasagna (without pasta)







From the Cafe Roma website:

Cafe Roma is a laid back, all-day hangout nestled at the tip of Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach. It fronts the Park Island apartment complex, located between Lantau Island and Tsing Yi Island. You can enjoy a quietly majestic view of the Kap Shui Mun and Tsing Ma bridges whilst gentle waves lap along the seafront.  
Our menu consists of favourites such as pizza, pasta, burgers, steaks and healthy salads. A full Kids Menu is also available. Ingredients are carefully chosen and thoughtfully prepared in our kitchen to serve familiar flavours that are tasty, comforting and satisfying. The bar offers a selection of wines, beers, creative cocktails and fresh fruit juices.
The ambience is relaxed and chilled out. It's perfect for a quiet meal alone, a romantic date, or a gathering for family and friends. Private events such as cocktails, birthday parties, kids parties, wedding receptions and reunions are also easily accommodated by our team of friendly professionals.  
Enjoy life's simple pleasures of sun, sand and surf.

Live life sweetly. 
Live the good life. 
Livin' La Dolce Vita... 
Welcome to Cafe Roma.
Address:

L1 - Shop 7 & 8 Beach Commercial Complex, Park Island, N.T., Hong Kong

Phone: 

3446 1226

Hours:

Tuesday - Thursday 1:00pm - 11:00pm
Friday 1:00pm - 12:00mn
Saturday 12:00pm - 12:00mn
Sunday 12:00pm - 11:00pm
Monday - CLOSED (Except Public Holiday)


* Please book through OpenRice/TableMap



Wednesday, November 7, 2012

TFT HK Festival of Restaurants Partner: Bloom





TFT Dish (Festival of Restaurant set menu: Nov. 1st-25th)*:
Beet Root Risotto - Vialone rice risotto with organic "Bull's Blood" beetroot, roasted with butter and thyme; kaboucha squash; red kuri pumpkin; and ginger cooked with Muscat and candied with demerara sugar, natural brown sugar, and truffle honey

From the Bloom website:

A tribute to old New York, BLOOM is an eclectic, comforting American brasserie inspired by the energies of turn-of the-century markets. After descending an iron staircase in the corner of our bar, LILY, diners enter past a tapestry of vintage grain sacks into a room full of rhythmic yellow and white tiling. A wall of floor-to-ceiling black steel grate inspired by old street scape of Manhattan serves as a back drop to the 4-meter long solid walnut dining bar. A chalkboard full of ‘market’ items like daily flatbreads, handmade pastas, fruit cobblers, and herb and fruit-laced cocktails slides across the bar on a hand crank chain system. Elegant wall-mounted lanterns, industrial light fixtures and warm candles glow throughout the dining room, while pre-War measuring scales, milk jugs, and flower molds highlight the many nooks and crannies of the space. Through a pair of frosted glass-and-wire doors is a unisex bathroom. Here, in the center of the room, a tall stone fountain serves as a communal basin. Just beyond a half-moon shaped booth that bookends the front room is a doubleheight dining space whose sides are lined with reclaimed boat wood and tall wire glass panels. Comprised of some 70 pieces, the 2-story ‘BLOOM’ chandelier hangs just above a circular slab of white marble that adorns the center of the room. 

Address:

 6/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central

Phone: 

2810 6166

Hours:

Sun-Thu 6pm-11.30pm
Fri & Sat 6pm-2.30am


* Please book through OpenRice/TableMap


Tuesday, November 6, 2012

TFT HK Festival of Restaurants Partner: Blue Butcher

TFT Dish (Festival of Restaurant set menu: Nov. 1st-25th)*:

Beet Salad: belgium endive in sweet truffle dressing and smoked beets served with feta cheese






Blue Butcher is a NYC style restaurant & bar bringing our customers an array of meat, carefully hand sourced right down to the farm and the breed from around the World. Cooked and handled with the knowledge and care only found in the best butcheries and restaurants, we pride ourselves on serving food in a style that is often forgotten when eating out. Big plates and big cuts to share, produce and flavours that talk for themselves… our aim is simple, to bring back what cooking and eating is all about. 

Blue Butcher is the only restaurant equipped with a walk-in pink salt dry aging room in Hong Kong. With our philosophy taken from years of history and tradition, we prepare, bake, age, and hang everything in-house using age-old recipes blended with modern techniques. In addition, we support the local farm to table tradition; our Chefs pick the freshest produce and herbs from local organic farms. 

Our cocktail list, also taking the same approach, consists of prohibition influenced cocktails with a meaty molecular twist. Our expert mixologist’s go right down to the bone when handcrafting your drinks. Traditional in-house infused liquors and bitters are poured over extra large cubes of ice and hand selected cut crystal glasses ensuring you have some of the best tasting cocktails in the city. 

Upon entering our restaurant, you feel as though you have just taken a step back in time with antiques and old dark railway decor. Our nostalgic ambiance coupled with our young friendly hipster staff will make you feel like you have just stepped off the F train in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the 1920s.

Blue Butcher is not just a restaurant, it’s an experience.

Address:

108 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong

Phone: 

2613-9286

Hours:
Mon - Sat: 4:00 pm - 12:00 am
Sun: 12:00 pm - 12:00 am



* Please book through OpenRice/TableMap


Monday, October 29, 2012

Food Hero Tuesday: TFT Japan Food Team


Note from the Editor: TFT "food heroes" are people who inspire us, and whose visions align with the values that TFT espouses and promotes. This post is from a registered dietician and member of the Table for Two Japan Food Team, Shoko Ohno, who tells us about TFT Japan's latest campaign and provides us with healthy eating tips. TFT Japan Food Team, we at TFT HK salute you!
Table for Two Japan's campaign, "One Million people to share TFT meal" 

"The Importance of weighing yourself and how to cut calories in your daily life"
Author: Shoko Ohno, National Certified Dietitian and a pro bono TABLE FOR TWO staff member

Your weight changes daily. Though such changes may be as small as by gram unit, watching weight every day is a very important measure to maintain your health by/for yourself.

In Japan TABLE FOR TWO's original campaign called "One Million people to share TFT meal" (Hyakuman Nin no Itadakimasu) started on 16th of October this year. This is the fourth year of this annual, month-long campaign. Participants include corporate cafeterias, restaurants and food retailers and the campaign has garnered a great deal of exposure on national TV.

TFT Japan's campaign on TV!


We are now running a brand new event for this campaign. Under my advisement, two men, one in Japan and one in the USA, are now competing to change their eating habits and lose the most weight during the campaign period. The participant in Japan is Mr. Tohru and the participant in NY is Mr. Aki. Both men are over 100kg (approx. 220 pounds). During the competition, the two men share what they eat, how they work out, and how much weight they have lost over our designated Facebook page. Their friends, supporters, and I give comments, encouragement, and advice.  Most of the news feed is in Japanese, but feel free to follow this link and take a look (you must first send a friend request): www.facebook.com/challenges.tft

So far during the first week, Tohru in Japan has already lost 2kgs (4.4 pounds). In an effort to change his overeating and consumption of unbalanced meals, Tobru weighs himself daily and bravely reports it on FB. In fact, according to OMRON, one of the leaders of measuring instruments in Japan, it is better to weigh oneself not only in the morning but in the evening, too. OMRON says that this practice allows one to see how various eating habits influence one's body; this, in turn, leads to faster weight loss.

For those smart phone users who want to make watching ytheir weight more fun, I would like to recommend this "kawaii (cute)" application called "SIMPLE DIET"! According to a source, this has already won great favor in Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan;

If you are also a good home cook, please find some hints to cut calories of what you eat! Food is not only a way to supply us with nutrition. It is also one of the joys of life. Learning to enjoy eating sensibly and without stress ensures that one will not simply gain weight back after dieting.

Let's Change
Avoid fried foods. Either broil, bake or steam. If you are an enthusiast of dessert, replace a part of it with fresh fruits.
Let's Add
Take in 5 or more servings of vegetables a day. Taking a glass of milk or yogurt in the morning also improves your diet
Let's Subtract
Refrain from eating snacks every day; cut the frequency of snacking to 3 times a week. If you really crave “junk food”, allow yourself a small splurge once a week.

Small changes are very worthwhile, because each change accumulates and each day of small changes accumulates too. The result is better health and weight loss.


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Festival of Restaurants Grand Opening Feast!





The Hong Kong Festival of Restaurants (FR) is coming!  The Hong Kong Tourism Board, in partnership with Table for Two, tablemap, OpenRice, Dry Soda, and Italian Cuisine and Wines World Summit 2012 is bringing us all this "celebration of Hong Kong’s international cuisine" (we'll bring you more on the Festival goings-ons in the coming days), that kicks off next Tuesday (October 30th) evening with the FR Grand Opening Feast! Here's more info on what is sure to be an incredible night of food and inspiration from some of the city's premiere chefs: 
Grand Opening Feast, Hong Kong - the inaugural opening event for the Hong Kong Festival of Restaurants. It will serve as the Press Conference for the Festival. This is a cornerstone event for the culinary capital of Asia. Top chefs from Hong Kong and around the world will talk about their vision for the culinary scene in this city. Each chef and restaurant has carefully crafted a dish that has been inspired by our theme colour “GREEN”.
Headlining this event will be Michelin Chefs that operate and own their own restaurants, up and coming young chefs as well as exceptional minds in the food and beverage industry. Each individual present has invested their sweat and blood to achieve their status today. In the culinary world, they are artists – inspired to dazzle their diner’s smell, taste and visuals. It is a rare opportunity to have so many artisans in a single place working their magic.
Tickets range from $800 to $1300 and include the chance to eat food created by many of Hong Kong's all-star chefs! To RSVP and buy tickets email feast@festivalofrestaurants.hk and/or go to the Cityline ticketing site. See below for the featured chefs' (including our TFT Chef Ambassador Andrea Oschetti and TFT partner, Peggy Chan!) bios: