The week in pictures: Hong Kong

From visiting Salvatore Calabrese’s latest bar to tasting Château Palmer’s new Vin Blanc de Palmer, it’s been a week of firsts for the dbHK team.

Mixing drinks at the well-stocked bar at Maison Eight, Salvatore Calabrese’s newest venture since leaving the Playboy Club. The wine list covers everything from Bollinger’s rarest vintages to the ‘forgotten vines’ of the Languedoc, and there is also hearty cocktail list to wade through while enjoying the evening air from the 21st floor terrace.

Maison Eight boasts Le Club 1829, in homage to all things Bollinger and diners in the private room can have this special contraption wheeled out for all occasions which houses glassware and ice bucket.

This view never gets old. While the db HK team invariably arrives at office via the more prosaic methods of the 37X bus, others can sail the high seas from Lamma Island or Ap Lei Chau via sampan and alight at Aberdeen’s attractive promenade.

A sunny late afternoon was well spent enjoying happy hour at Tartine, a place which makes the humble sandwich cool again, courtesy of Philippe Orrico of Upper Modern Bistro, ON Dining and PICNIC on Forbes. There’s also a wine collaboration with Pont des Arts co-founded by Thibault Pontallier.

A good dinner indeed: Wagyu beef with Château Palmer. A wonderful back vintage pairing at the Ritz Carlton’s Tin Lung Heen with Palmer 1995 and 2011 as well as its second wine, Alter Ego 208. 

‘A beautiful line-up of Chateau Palmer, including the much-anticipated Vin Blanc de Palmer which the estate has just released to Hong Kong via Omtis Fine Wines.  

Despite Hong Kong’s humidity making everyone’s hair look frightening and the occasional amber rain warning which never happens, Hong Kong can still be very attractive at this time of year.