Hong Kong in pictures

Nikka Whisky hosted a trade and press dinner at Zuma recently. Guests (including db‘s man in Hong Kong, Rupert Millar, looking pretty in pink here) sampled a line up of whiskies paired with Japanese dishes ranging from scallops to beef.

Nikka 21-year-old paired with an exceptionally succulent cut of barbecued beef and sesame seeds proved one of the night’s tasting highlights.

British chef, Gordon Ramsay, opened his first Hong Kong venue in Lan Kwai Fong last week. Bread Street Kitchen is an extension of the UK franchise and will serve up “classic” British cuisine.

More lanterns in Hong Kong around Soho to mark the recent mid-autumn festival.

Sampling the delights of new Spanish bar “Guay” in the hip-and-happening Tin Hau on Sunday 7 September, db found itself in the perfect position to watch the preparation of a dragon before a dance to mark the start of the mid-autumn festival. The dragon arrived covered in roses and other bits of foliage and a number of speeches were then given to mark the occasion.

The dragon was then divested of its more flammable decorations and covered with thousands of sticks of incense…

…until a suitably fiery (and incredibly smoky) appearance was achieved.

Waiting behind were these lantern bearers and the dragon’s tail, the part of the incense-covered length of which can be seen here (his equally incense-covered tail not visible).

The dragon, in all his fearsome splendour, was then paraded in a smoke-filled dance through the streets of Tin Hau to the accompaniment of drumming, tail spinning and, oddly enough, a (bag)piped band

Having sweated through a sweltering summer, the weather is starting to become more bearable and db has seized the opportunity to do some exploring of the outlying islands. Above, Tung Wan Tsai on the island of Cheung Chau which, until recently, had the rather unwelcome addition of a shipwrecked tanker. Having run aground in February during a storm the tanker was left for several months though (slightly unfortunately) had been salvaged by the time db got there. Below, a view of the bay at Sok Kwu Wan on Lamma Island, which db was contemplating thoughtfully, beer in hand.