Week in pictures: Hong Kong

A Sotheby’s pre-auction tasting, Hong Kong’s first Bar Awards and tasting the 100-pointer Castillo Ygay white 1987. It’s a been a busy week for the dbHK team.

In celebration of all things française and ahead of Hong Kong’s Wine & Dine Festival, Sopexa hosted an aperitif co-organised with the French Ministry of Agriculture.

Championing the best of natural French produce, a queue was formed for Nautral Food & Beverage’s gin cocktails made with Generous Gin.

Flowers and glass: Central’s Armani Prive bar was transformed into the ‘Hanging Gardens of Kyoto‘ in conjunction with Tanqueray Gin.

Guests were able to choose their own scent profile for their cocktails as Tanqueray unleashed an intoxicating combination of scents which make up Tanqueray gin. Unsurprisingly, juniper was chosen as everyone’s favourite, followed by jasmine and citrus.

Hong Kong’s first Bar Awards came and went with over 70 bars and restaurants making it to the nominations list. Here the team at Philippe Orrico’s On Dining picked up Best Restaurant Bar Award at the rowdy announcement party which carried on into the small hours. 

A stunning lineup of Marques du Murrieta’s wines hailing from the heart of Rioja, Hosted by Jebsen Fine Wines, the event also featured the 100-pointer, Castillo Ygay white 1986 which is the first Spanish white ever to be awarded top marks by Wine Advocate.

Behold! Possibly the world’s most expensive Cognac. As part of its upcoming Hong Kong auction, Sotheby’s held a viewing of Louis XIII L’Odyssée D’un Roi Cognac which will go under the hammer with a hefty starting bid of HK$800,000 (US$103,000). 

Vincent Gere, Asia Pacific director for Louis XIII draws a sample from a decanter of Louis XIII for the press and Cognac enthusiasts to taste.

A pretty line-up of Corton Charlemagne hosted for Hong Kong’s wine trade by the Bourgogne Wines Club with speaker, Lu Yang. An envy-inducing tasting included the 2009 vintages of Maison Champy, Roux Pere et Fils, Henri de Villamort and a blindtasting of Louis Jadot 1991. 

Hosted at MyHouse, an all-natural wine bar and restaurant in Wan Chai, the Bourgogne Wine Club focused on the grand cru Cote de Beaune appellation of Corton-Charlemagne with the next event to be held on 22 November and highlighting Burgundy’s bubbles, Cremant de Bourgogne. 

A jaw-dropping panoramic shot of Hong Kong’s answer to Hyde Park, Victoria Park in Causeway Bay from the new rooftop Skye restaurant and bar at the Park Lane Hotel.  Skye’s wine list is overseen by sommelier, Sam Lau and British chef, Lee Adams is looking after the menu which is inherently ‘French contemporary’. Adams has previously worked with Gary Rhodes’ at his Dubai restaurant, Grosvenor House, and also with Michel and Alan Roux’s at the acclaimed Waterside Inn in the UK.

Facing great expectations from Hong Kong’s F&B journalists, London’s renowned Duck & Waffle team came to town to show off their quirky modern-British cuisine. The lavish dinner kicked off with bacon wrapped dates and cripsy polenta with Parmesan and truffle. 

A modern take on a classic. The young and talented bartender from Singapore’s 28 HongKong Street, Brendon Khoo was in town in a one night takeover of Honi Honi. A dbHK favourite was the Jungle Bird – with dark rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, Campari and sugar syrup and invented in 1978 at the Aviary Bar at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton Hotel.