Celebrity Life

In our city that never sleeps, there's always something new to eat, drink and explore.

From the arrival of iconic Japanese coffee specialist Koffee Mameya, to a fancy outdoor pop-up at one of our favourite hotels, the F&B scene is bustling with exciting openings and events worth checking out. Here are some of the most important dining news you need to know about this October.

The inaugural Macallan Room opens its doors

[caption id="attachment_210687" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Macallan Room. (Image: The Macallan)[/caption]

The world's first Macallan Room has launched at K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui. Decked out in wood and gold tones, the intimate seven-seater whisky bar and concept store is the perfect spot to unwind over a dram or two. It's decorated with illuminated wall displays of the Speyside distiller's rare whiskies, making it an immersive experience for Macallan aficionados. The space will also be used for private events, whisky tastings and workshops. More details here.

Shop 507, Level 5, K11 Musea, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

The Upper House hosts a cheese and wine pop-up

[caption id="attachment_210689" align="alignnone" width="1024"] An evening at C’est Cheese – The House Cheeserie. (Image: The Upper House)[/caption]

Nothing hits the spot better than some delicious artisanal cheese and wine, especially after a hectic work day. From now until December 30, stop by The Upper House and spend an indulgent evening at its C’est Cheese – The House Cheeserie pop-up. The cheese menu (HK$275 for three types, HK$475 for five, HK$675 for seven) changes weekly and showcases varieties from France, Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands, which means there's always something new to look forward to even on your repeat visits. The hotel's chef-sommelier Leo Au is in charge of curating the wine repertoire, which alternates regularly.

The pop-up is held outdoors on The Lawn from Tuesdays to Sundays, 5pm to 11pm. Find out more here.

The Lawn, Level 6, The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong

Japan's Koffee Mameya is now in Hong Kong

[gallery ids="210703,210701,210702"]

There's a lot going on at K11 Musea lately. Famed coffee bean specialist Koffee Mameya has set up its first shop outside Japan at the mall today. The brand is founded by Eiichi Kunitomo, the man behind the iconic Tokyo café Omotesando Koffee, and will provide what it describes as the "Haute Couture Service of Coffee", where baristas will conduct one-on-one bespoke consultations with customers and recommend coffee beans suited to their preferences. Customers will also be taught how to prepare and brew the beans for optimum enjoyment. The store boasts a selection of 15 to 20 bean varieties, ranging from geishas to rare micro-lot coffees.

B217, B219, B2, K11 Musea, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival goes virtual

[caption id="attachment_210690" align="alignnone" width="1024"] This year's Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival will go digital. (Image: Hong Kong Tourism Board)[/caption]

The 2020 edition of the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, originally slated to take place from 29 October to 1 November, will be held online for the first time. The event will be held over several weeks, featuring programmes such as virtual wine-tasting classes and cooking demonstrations by the city's top chefs. Merchants who initially signed up for the actual festival will get to participate in the digital iteration for free. The new dates have yet to be announced; watch this space for more details.

(Main and featured images: The Upper House)

The post All the Dining News You Need to Know This October appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Young butcher Victor Dumas is convinced that his fellow French counterparts wield their knives unlike any other, and is hoping the UN will agree they deserve pride of place at the UNESCO global culinary table.

Dumas, 21, has been touring France for the past year in a campaign to win recognition of his skills from the UNESCO cultural agency, which curates a list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

"There's a really distinct way of carving in France," he told AFP in Paris, where he met with chefs as well as fellow butchers known for their dedication to using everything from "nose to tail".

[caption id="attachment_210705" align="alignnone" width="1024"] French butcher Victor Dumas at work. (Image: Antoine Bouthier/ AFP)[/caption]

Travelling to Belfast for the World Butchers' Challenge in 2018, where he took third prize in the apprentice category, made him realise the French had elevated the age-old craft of carving up animals to an art.

"In a beef carcass, we're going to come up with 40 different cuts... whereas others aren't going to make the most of the meat" and settle for just five or six pieces, Dumas said.

He wants French butchering to be honoured alongside Chinese calligraphy, Tinian marble-carving and Kazakh yurt construction on the UNESCO list. The distinction would bring a welcome boost as the number of French artisan butchers has been dwindling, in part reflecting a social shift towards eating less meat.

But Dumas does not think his profession is in danger. "People will always need to eat, and more and more are seeking out quality -- we saw this during the virus lockdown," when getting dinner on the table every night suddenly became a preoccupation for millions.

[caption id="attachment_210706" align="alignnone" width="1024"] An array of meats. (Image: Kyle Mackie/ Unsplash)[/caption]

A butcher's calling

Dumas says he knew his destiny when he was just five, recalling the "human contact and sharing" when neighbours would join his family-butchered animals at their farm in the rolling hills east of Lyon in southeast France. His job was to crank the hand grinder for making sausages.

"When we would kill a pig, it was our annual party," he said. "It was incredibly festive, and in one day we would fill the entire larder."

He began his studies at 15 and is now apprenticing to learn the secrets of charcuterie and other pork delicacies in Aix-les-Bains in the French Alps.

These days, wearing his crisp white jacket embroidered with "Victor a l'Unesco", the butcher can carve and mount a rack of lamb, the quintessential centrepiece of a fancy Sunday lunch, in under 10 minutes. He is already preparing to compete in the world championships in California next year, when he also aims to officially submit his UNESCO application.

[caption id="attachment_210708" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Butcher Victor Dumas is determined to achieve UNESCO recognition. (Image: Victor Dumas/ Facebook)[/caption]

"Victor represents all the butchers who adapt according to tastes and seasons," said Mathieu Pecqueur, head of the Culture Viande industry body.

"The French art of preparing meat is recognised in countries worldwide," added Dominique Langlois, president of the Interbev meat and livestock association.

"In China, where French beef has just entered the market, we're being asked to help train people," he said, referring to Beijing's recent lifting of a longstanding ban in the wake of the "mad cow" disease scare. He hailed Dumas's campaign, vowing to support the UNESCO bid "for the next several years if we have to."

(Main and featured images: Victor Dumas/ Facebook)

The post This Young French Butcher is Determined to Achieve UNESCO Recognition appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The Delray Beach restaurant shares a recipe to satisfy seafood lovers and fishermen alike

The post Make Sustainable Ceviche with Lionfish Delray appeared first on Palm Beach Illustrated.