Celebrity Life

Coravin, the wine lover's dream device that lets you pour wine without uncorking, is back with brand new models.

As fans of the smart wine preservation system, we have observed Coravin for some time and seen the brand expand with new technology every year. Now, they have extended their product lineup with the launch of new systems -- Models Three and Six. What's more, all new and existing models have been equipped with SmartClamps™, which, prior to the launch, was only available on Model Eleven. The new easy-on and easy-off clamps are designed to go over the neck of the bottle and push down firmly on the handle in one fluid motion, making the system even easier to use.

Coravin's wine access technology is all down to the hollow needle that is inserted through the cork, before the system pressurises the bottle with Argon (an inert, colourless and odourless) gas, to pour the wine out. Once poured, and the Coravin is taken off the bottle, the cork reseals naturally -- allowing wine to stay fresh for months on end, and years if needed.

The new systems also comes with a Coravin Screw Cap which allows users to enjoy new world wine (with screw caps) the same way as old world wine (cork) bottles, preserving them for up to three months.

So, with four Coravin Models in total, Model Three, Five, Six and Eleven, which model is the right one for you? Well, let's find out shall we.

Coravin Model Three

Details: Model Three is an upgraded version of Coravin's Model One and features a clean and simple, user-friendly and functional design in matte texture.
Perfect for: the everyday wine drinker.
Price: HK$2,080

Coravin Model Five

Details: Model Five is not available for retail as it has been made specifically for trade. The design is simply elegant but durable.
Perfect for: those in the industry who favour classic design with metallic accents.
Price: email for trade price

Coravin Model Six

Details: Model Six is the upgraded version of the popular Model Two Elite edition, it also features vibrant colours with chrome accents.
Perfect for: luxury style and fashion lovers.
Price: HK$3,580

Coravin Model Eleven

Details: Model Eleven is the smartest device of the Coravin family. It is the first bluetooth connected and fully automatic system. It comes with LED display, glass pour optimisation, and connection to the Coravin Moments app, which tracks system statistics and advises on wine pairings with food, music and more.
Perfect for: technology and gadget enthusiasts who love a varied wine experience.
Price: HK$6,880

The post Chef Vicky Lau of Tate Dining Room Unveils Latest Menu Focused on the Versatile Tofu appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

As the new season sweeps the city, award winning chef Vicky Lau of Michelin-starred Tate Dining Room is clearing the decks for a refreshed eight-course menu that not only celebrates the season's best produce, but couples the intricacies of French cooking and premium Chinese ingredients with touches of nostalgia, too. We took a peek at the new menu (priced at HK$1,680 +10% per guest) and we're liking what we've seen so far.

Bringing her edible stories to life once more, Lau's new dégustation is a continued chapter of odes to ingredients of the season. They display distinct Chinese traditions and flavours with the flair of French cuisine. Take the Ode to conch in the first course for example, which is dedicated to the fresh sea conch. This seafood is thought to have healing properties and widely used in soups, and sometimes medicine, for Chinese food therapy. Here, the fresh, tender conch meat is combined with the umami of seaweed jelly, sweetened with pumpkin purée and presented in the shell itself.

[gallery size="full" ids="162264,162266,162267"]

Other highlights at Tate Dining Room include a signature dish; the Ode to pâté en croûte, which takes the French classic of meat terrine baked in a pie crust, and adds a Chinese twist. A layer of fresh abalone sits between a pork and Chinese mushroom filling. It's then topped with a Chinese Xiaoxing wine jelly, sliced to reveal the centre and served with white asparagus and black garlic.

Meanwhile, the Ode to kumquat makes use of the orange fruit that is Native to Northern China and bears an auspicious meaning of good fortune across the country. In this dish, plump servings of Hokkaido scallop are paired with pickled daikon and a traditional French Grenobloise brown butter sauce before the tang of kumquats and dried scallop finish off the dish.

Of course, with some of the finest French produce to back you up, you almost can't lose. The Ode to Challans duck is exactly this. Pan-roasted duck breast, which makes use of the hand-reared ducks recognised for it's lean meat with bags of flavour, is served with a fig and red date compote, as well as a savoury duck jus.

[gallery size="full" ids="162263,162262"]

The creative marriage of French-Chinese cuisine can also be found in the Ode to Brillat-Savarin. Taking on the soft, buttery, white-crusted triple cream brie from Burgundy, this dish is escorted by rye toast and plum gel along with a variety of Chinese condiments such as ginger, hawthorn bar, dried plums and bergamot. To follow, the dessert takes the humble chestnut -- commonly used in Chinese and French cuisine -- to blend classics from both regions. Inspired by Hong Kong's baked sago pudding with chestnut cream, the Ode to chestnut envelops those flavours into a chestnut sago soufflé served with Pu'er ice-cream.

We also hear that the final chapter, an Ode to chinoiserie, is quite the spectacle. Where guests can open a customised chest of drawers that reveal an assortment of small pastries inspirited with the memories of Lau's Chinese upbringing. Think Rose chocolate fans, chocolate bon bons infused with red date, ginseng, green tea and sesame, guava marshmallows, mini mango kaffir lime gateaus, and much, much more.

[caption id="attachment_162259" align="alignnone" width="6500"] Chef Vicky Lau's seasonal ode is an innovative French x Chinese eight-part menu.[/caption]

Wine pairing options are also available and offer blends from France and China’s notable wine regions for an additional +HK$190 for a glass of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, +HK$480 for three glasses and HK$780 for six glasses.
For the full menu, visit the the Tate Dining Room website here.

The post Tate Dining Room’s New Seasonal Menu Revels in French Cooking and Chinese Nostalgia appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

In Prestige Online’s “Getting to Know” series, we ask our favourite personalities what they’re like outside of work -- and get a little more personal. 

She’s the chef and owner of one Michelin-starred Tate Dining Room, but who is Vicky Lau beyond being one of Asia’s best female chefs? We took the chance to find out more about the ex-graphic designer and found out what she gets up to when the chef whites come off.

What’s a normal weekend like for you?

Well, weekends for me are actually only Sundays as I work on Saturdays. Tate [Dining Room] is closed on Sunday, so I have one day off and I always spend it with my daughter. She’s two and a half years old. We do a lot of family activities on that day and explore new places with her. Last week, we went to the library. That’s the kind of thing we do together. This weekend, maybe we’ll go swimming. I like hanging out in Repulse Bay and just generally in the midst of nature. I think kids also enjoy that, too.

What’s on your playlist right now?

Recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of [American three-piece band] Khruangbin. It’s hard to define this type of music, but I guess it’s alternative. I like alternative music, trip-hop, jazz and easy listening music. Bonobo is one of my favourites too.
I’ll listen to music in the car but also in the kitchen -- especially if I’m doing something repetitive because I need to encourage myself to keep going! If you need to make the same thing [for a dish] 200 times, you really need music to get you through it!

[caption id="attachment_149945" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Khruangbin is a band from Texas formed of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald Johnson on drums.[/caption]

When you’re not in the kitchen, what else are you up to?

I do Thai boxing at the gym… I also meditate, which I try to do everyday for 20 minutes before I sleep. I do it in silence mostly, but if your thoughts are a little crowded you can use music or do some guided meditation. For me, I need that peace of mind. I’m actually a quiet person, but when you’re in this industry you need to face a lot of people, handle them and get along with them, so I need that quiet time to reset. Meditation really helps you to dump any negative feelings and be more neutral.

What are you most likely to order at a bar?

I enjoy a lot of cocktails, but especially Negronis. I love the classic version but I will also explore different kinds of cocktails. It’s actually really tough to get flavour in liquid, but a lot of people do such a good job, so it’s worth exploring. The Old Man makes a great Negroni!

[caption id="attachment_149944" align="alignnone" width="1135"] The Old Man took the top spot in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2019.[/caption]

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I love eating in bed. I do that a lot actually. Especially at the end of a work night when I’m tired and feel like falling asleep, but I really want to eat. During service I don’t have much of an appetite, so I’ll just have something in bed instead. It’s the best when I’m staying at a hotel, and I can just order some room service and eat a club sandwich in my pyjamas, in bed!

Have you ever met any chefs that turned you into a fan-girl?

So many! Thomas Keller is definitely at the top of my list. [Joël] Robuchon and Pierre Hermé, too. They’re all big names but they’re so humble. I think there are a lot of people that are at that high level, but are more normal than you think.

[caption id="attachment_149946" align="alignnone" width="2445"] Pierre Hermé and Chef Vicky Lau.[/caption]

Who was the last person you called?

My daughter. We FaceTime and she sings to me -- she loves singing. She makes up her own songs even. I took her to a Mozart concert once and she came out telling me she wanted to learn the violin.

What was the last meal you had?

Recently, we went to Sing Gor [a popular two-table-only private kitchen in Macau]. It was really delicious. They cook up that classic Cantonese flavour which is so tough to find these days. All that wok hei [smoky, charred flavour you get from using a wok]. He made this soup with pork belly, intestines and seaweed -- it had so much flavour and was a very dark soup, so you could tell it had so much work put into it. You can’t find this kind of traditional Cantonese flavour anymore and I crave for it. A lot of my childhood memories are of food with this classic flavour.

[caption id="attachment_149943" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Lau also enjoys fine dining and here she is at a dinner with fellow chef Daniel Calvert [of Belon] and friends at a Michel Troisgois Dinner.[/caption]

The post Getting to Know Chef Vicky Lau of Tate Dining Room appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

In honour of International Women's Day, the annual event that celebrates the achievements of women all over the world, Vicky Lau, chef and founder of one-Michelin-starred Tate Dining Room, is making her voice heard from the kitchen with not one but two exclusive events taking place on Friday, 8th March 2019. This includes a charity cooking class that she will host herself, and a special eight-course dinner, complete with cocktail pairings, created by another power woman -- bartender Natalie Lau of The Old Man. Proceeds from both initiatives will be donated to The Women's Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to gender equality and female empowerment in Hong Kong.

Voted Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2015, Lau is a leader in her own right and proves that, even within the male-dominated culinary world, the future is still very much female.

[inline-quote author="Vicky Lau, chef and founder of Tate Dining Room."]"In such a competitive field as F&B, it’s important for us women to encourage each other to break barriers. I owe a lot of my achievements today to the strong and powerful women I have been inspired by in the past. Similarly, I hope to be able to empower aspiring female chefs."[/inline-quote]

Since opening Tate Dining Room in 2012, Lau continues to spearhead innovative French-Chinese cuisine and share “Edible Stories” with her food. Her award-winning creativity is showcased in the restaurant's ever-evolving tasting menus; as a diner there, you're guaranteed a journey through intriguing flavours, playful textures and visual artistry on the plate.

[caption id="attachment_130101" align="alignnone" width="1409"] One of Lau's dishes is the 'Ode to Read Fruit', made up of crispy yogurt meringue, raspberry sorbet and an osmanthus white chocolate mousse.[/caption]

To support International Women’s Day, a 10-person private cooking class will be held at V-ZUG’s luxury kitchen showroom in Causeway Bay from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Lau will host the masterclass, taking cooking enthusiasts through a hands-on demonstration of three of her dishes. Priced at HK$2,500, the class includes a glass of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne to pair with the three-course lunch, and all proceeds will be donated to The Women’s Foundation.

That same day, an 8-course cocktail pairing dinner will be held at Tate Dining Room in the evening, the result of a unique collaboration between chef Lau and bartender Natalie Lau of The Old Man, which is currently listed number 10 and 5 on the World’s 50 Best Bars and Asia’s 50 Best Bars lists, respectively. During this one-night-only dinner event, both Laus will work together to offer an exclusive menu priced at HK$1,680 per guest. The cocktail pairing is offered for an additional HK$480, and 15% of proceeds from the evening will also be donated towards the same cause.

[caption id="attachment_130098" align="alignnone" width="1690"] An 8-course cocktail-paired dinner will take place on 8th March 2019 at Tate Dining Room.[/caption]

International Women’s Day with Chef Vicky Lau: Friday, 8th March 2019

• For the private cooking class, please enquire with V-ZUG Hong Kong or at Tate Dining Room. For the 8-course cocktail pairing dinner with chef Vicky Lau and bartender Natalie Lau, please enquire at Tate Dining Room.

V-ZUG, 12/F, 8 Russell Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852 2776 8808

Tate Dining Room, 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; +852 2555 2172

The post How to Celebrate International Women’s Day with Leading Female Chef Vicky Lau appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.