Celebrity Life

In Conversation With the Michelin Guide’s International Director Gwendal Poullennec

by Marta Colombo March 15, 2021

The latest ready-to-wear design from The Anthology deepens the brand's burgeoning reputation for sartorial clothing that's elegant yet easy-wearing -- a winning combo even when you're aren't 'working' from home.

Last April, while institutions around the globe were struggling to contain the fear and uncertainty wrought by a now-familiar contagion, huge numbers of clothing brands dealing in what we'd call 'classic menswear' were on the brink of a similarly existential collapse. With offices emptying out at record rates and 'stay home' orders being enforced worldwide (many of them still ongoing today) it seemed that the long-prophesied 'death of the suit', and by association, tailored clothing, had finally arrived.

Multinational menswear outfitters in the mould of J Crew -- known in their heyday for peddling slim, modish suits in malls from Indonesia to Alaska -- disappeared overnight, having failed to recognise (or worse, acknowledge) the sea change that has been taking place in men's fashion these last six years. And that's before we were all locked up, drinking badly-made cocktails over Zoom.

Fortunately, a handful of smaller brands (including an inexplicable number focusing on sartorial clothing, in Hong Kong) have managed to make lemonade out of the current crisis, principally by taking familiar styles of clothing and cranking the comfort factor, both literal and emotional, up high. Those themes were at the forefront of the design process when Hong Kong-based The Anthology released its 'Lazyman' in 2020: a "casual, multifunctional jacket" that's a no-brainer for the 'working from home' brigade, but still smart enough to warrant a place in your wardrobe when the pandemic inevitably ends.

To complement this beloved "blazer alternative", the brand has just released the 'Taskmaster' -- a quasi-outerwear design that rustles many of the same thematic feathers as its predecessor, while expanding The Anthology's casualwear universe. "If the Lazyman is an alternative to the office-appropriate navy sport coat," says co-founder Buzz Tang, "then the Taskmaster is our answer to the classic American work shirt."

It turns out that The Anthology's answer to workwear of the 21st century owes a debt to designers like Ant Franco and Jerry Lorenzo. In an era when fashion's influences are rapidly decamping between art, history, and pop culture, that's certainly no bad thing. Commencing from the reference point of the American workshirt, Tang & co continually tweaked the Taskmaster until they arrived at something suitably "fast-adapting" for a mixture of modern urban situations. It's for working, for loafing, for when you're stuck at home working on your loaves.

Almost by necessity, that makes this different to the scores of workwear designs which have come before: the body is shorter and slimmed for a closer fit, ensuring it wears well even whilst tucked beneath a trouser waistband; whereas the chest pockets have been expanded to handle the tools of modern professionals -- two oversized, postbox-style shapes roomy enough to stash your phone, spectacles, currency or even a palm-sized writing aid.

Intriguing choices in fabric are a signature at The Anthology, and the Taskmaster is no exception in this regard. For the Taskmaster, the brand has chosen to keep its sartorial sensibilities low-key, working closely with its Italian textile partners on a corded glencheck that juxtaposes a sumptuous handle with hardwearing, robust externalities. I say 'low key' since the colour here has enough degrees of separation to isolate it from the exploded plaids we're used to seeing on the high street. According to Tang, this corduroy begins life as a dusty beige cotton that's woven over with cords, shaded in what he likes to call "bleeding fountain pen". Collectively, those colours are redolent of a quill and ink -- an allusion, very nearly imperceptible, to The Anthology's blue feather logo.

The 'Taskmaster' overshirt is now available for HK$3,300. To learn more, visit The Anthology online.

The post In Conversation With the Michelin Guide’s International Director Gwendal Poullennec appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Posted in Michelin Guide, Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau, Wine & Dine

Read more

Michelin Guide 2020: The Stars in Hong Kong and Macau Announced

by Fontaine Cheng December 17, 2019

The results are in. And with it, stars have been awarded, retained and in some cases, dropped across Hong Kong and Macau. Taking place in the City of Dreams in Macau, talented chefs from the best restaurants across the region gathered for the announcement of the 12th edition of the annual Michelin Guide 2020.

Established since 2009, the Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau is one of Michelin's first forays in Asia and now, after one year on the ground, Michelin inspectors have compiled their lists of one, two and three Michelin-starred restaurants based on five criteria. This includes 1) quality of the ingredients used, 2) mastery of flavour and cooking techniques, 3) the personality of the chef in their cuisine, 4) value for money and 5) consistency between visits.

Announced today on Wednesday 17th December by International Director of the Michelin Guides, Gwendal Poullennec, the awards saw a total of 90 restaurants in Hong Kong (70) and Macau (20) receiving the coveted accolade.

[caption id="attachment_181281" align="alignnone" width="927"] The three Michelin-starred restaurant winners and their chefs[/caption]

There wasn't much movement in the lists for the highest accolade and remained very similar to 2019 with 7 in Hong Kong and 3 in Macau earning three stars. However, we did see Chef Alvin Leung's Bo Innovation drop from three to two, while, Forum, mostly known for their signature Ah Yat braised abalone jumped from two stars to three. Sushi Shikon also maintained its three star status, though technically is a 'new entry' thanks to its new location in the The Landmark Mandarin Oriental.

The results also saw some promotions with 3 new two-star additions. This includes Hong Kong's contemporary French restaurant Arbor which, after debuting on the guide last year with one star, claims its second star thanks to Chef Eric Räty's culinary direction which combines his sophisticated techniques in French cuisine and use of premium Japanese ingredients. Meanwhile in Macau, Cantonese fine dining restaurant Wing Lei in Wynn Macau was awarded its second star, and Wynn Palace's Sichuan Moon made its debut with two stars. The modern Sichuan restaurant is fronted by celebrated Taiwanese chef André Chiang and run by Malaysian Executive chef Zor Tan.

[caption id="attachment_181282" align="alignnone" width="941"] The two Michelin-starred restaurant winners and their chefs[/caption]

Michelin's 2020 selection of the best restaurants also saw 61 establishments emerge with one star, including 11 new Hong Kong entries. The results reflected some inklings that we had ourselves here at Prestige, with some of our favourite new restaurants claiming a star. This included French restaurant L'Envol at The St Regis Hong Kong with Olivier Elzer at the helm, Julien Royer's new French restaurant Louise, and Roganic by acclaimed chef Simon Rogan. Other highlighted wins include David Thompson's Thai restaurant Aaharn, Chinese restaurant Rùn, and Japanese restaurants Ryota Kappou Modern and Zest by Konichi.

Speaking highly of all restaurants and chefs involved, Poullennec commented that, “Both cities have their own identity, but are quite similar when it comes to the quality of the cuisine, which is world class.” And he wasn't wrong. So without further ado, here are the full lists for Hong Kong and Macau's Michelin-starred restaurants in 2020.