Fine Dining in Hong Kong: Mandarin Grill + Bar at Mandarin Oriental

by Gadling Staff on

If you keep up on celebrity chef buzz, you might remember hearing something about a certain renowned chef who recently aired his laundry at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.

Famed chef, Thomas Keller, brought his signature three-Michelin-starred cuisine from The French Laundry in Napa to Hong Kong, wherein lucky diners were able to meet him and witness his culinary talents firsthand. The price for this life-changing experience? It was touted as 2010’s most expensive dinner with guests paying $900 each — not including wine!

Following the dinner, Mandarin Grill + Bar received a lot of attention, leaving some wondering — how did this one-Michelin-star restaurant rate the honor of hosting an esteemed chef like Thomas Keller? Determined to find out firsthand, I convinced my husband to fly out last weekend to check out the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.The Mandarin Grill stands in the downstairs shadow of the more highly regarded two-Michelin-starred Pierre, and is quite an understated gem in the Hong Kong dining scene. Eager to experience the best of what they have to offer, we opted for a nine course tasting menu paired with five wines.

Our verdict? Mandarin Grill is terribly underrated and offers cuisine you’d expect to find in the world’s finest restaurants, but without prices that rival your monthly mortgage payment. With a flair for progressive cuisine and a hint of molecular gastronomy, Executive Chef Uwe Opocensky prepares dishes designed to delight all the senses. From courses that focus on unique textures, unexpected colors, and bold flavors, to intricate presentations, this is a one-of-a-kind culinary adventure for around $250 a person.

Some of the highlights included the onion consomme infused with herbal tea and served from a teapot and a forest-inspired sirloin course with mashed potatoes poised as mushroom stems and actual mushroom caps hardened with a bright red candy-like coating. The star of the night was definitely the foie gras with black truffles that required a ten minute prep and tableside presentation — including frying a duck egg on the sizzling cast iron plate — all served on what resembled a giant bird’s nest.

Since there is no such thing as too many truffles during a meal, we decided to end on a high with their signature truffle souffle and homemade truffle petit fours served on an edible chocolate cutting board. With culinary treasures like these, it’s no wonder that Thomas Keller chose to pay the Mandarin Grill a visit.

Daily Pampering: InterContinental Hong Kong’s million dollar Valentine’s Day date

by Melanie Nayer on

Looking for a totally over-the-top way to spoil your special someone this Valentine’s Day? The InterContinental Hong Kong has planned the ultimate Valentine’s Experience for only HK$1 million (approximately $130,000 USD) Valentine’s Day Date in the hotel’s Presidential Suite.

The package includes one-night stay in Hong Kong‘s largest Presidential Suite (at 7,000 square feet), which includes a duplex living room, rooftop terrace with a private swimming pool and jacuzzi overlooking Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island and a master suite and bathroom, with a jacuzzi and rain forest shower for two, plus a private sauna and steam room. The suite at the InterContinental Hong Kong also has a private dining room, gym and study.You’ll also get:

  • Chauffeured airport transfers via the hotel’s Phantom VI Rolls Royce.
  • A bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé 2004Champagne served with fresh strawberries in the Rolls Royce, in transit to InterContinental Hong Kong
  • A personalized premium bar set-up in the Presidential Suite for your enjoyment throughout your stay.
  • Our Phantom VI Rolls Royce limousine with private chauffeur — on call for your use throughout your stay.
  • A special welcome gift and amenities in the Presidential Suite upon your arrival.
  • Your selection of pampering spa treatments in the private couple’s Spa Suite at the hotel’s feng shui inspired I-Spa during your stay.
  • Arrangements for a Personal Shopper to help you select your designer wardrobe for the evening at the brand name boutique of your choice (to the value of HK$150,000).
  • A custom-designed Valentine’s message displayed by banner via a private boat at a designated time as seen from your rooftop terrace.
  • Personalized floral décor in the suite
  • A premium private bar set up in the suite.
  • 1,000 roses delivered to the Presidential Suite – just for her
  • A “declaration of love” gift from (valued at HK$100,000) from him to her from a designer brand store of her choice.
  • Pre-dinner cocktails and aperitifs served with deluxe hors d’oeuvres in the Presidential Suite
  • A romantic dinner fit for a prince and princess, with your choice of a custom-made menu from one of the hotel’s two 1-Michelin star restaurants
  • Yan Toh Heen (for exquisite Cantonese cuisine), or SPOON by Alain Ducasse (for contemporary French cuisine) or NOBU InterContinental Hong Kong (celebrated for its innovative new-style Japanese cuisine), paired with vintage wines.
  • The romantic candlelit dinner can be served in the Presidential Suite by your personal butler or in the private room at SPOON by Alain Ducasse, Yan Toh Heen or NOBU InterContinental Hong Kong.
  • Live music performed by a string quartet throughout the evening in the Presidential Suite.
  • A Champagne and caviar breakfast served in the privacy of Presidential Suite on your private harbourview terrace overlooking Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island.
  • Monogrammed His and Hers Shanghai Tang silk bathrobes.
  • A butler-drawn rose petal bath in the Presidential Suite’s romantic harbourview Jacuzzi with sweeping views of Victoria Harbour.
  • Chanel bathroom amenities
  • Access to the exclusive Club InterContinental (Executive Lounge) where you can enjoy afternoon tea and evening cocktails, as well as complimentary high-speed internet access and personalized concierge services.

This one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Date Experience in the Presidential Suite is exclusively for reservations between February 11-14, 2011.

Get more luxury travel ideas from daily pampering.

Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong closes out 2010 with ‘quirky’ stats from spa, restaurants

by Melanie Nayer on

There’s more to hotels than guest rooms and bars. The people behind the scenes – from the food and beverage staff to the spa therapists and general management – work to make your stay special. But did you ever stop to wonder just what they do when they’re planning their daily guest check-ins?

I checked in with my friends at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, to see how their year shaped up and was surprised to find some pretty interesting statistics. It just goes to show you… a hotel stay is more than room service and a helpful concierge (although they certainly add to the ambiance). It’s the little things that happen around you that really make a difference.

Did you know that since January, the Pastry Kitchen at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, has consumed around 212,000 pounds of flour and around 43,000 pounds of butter to make their pastry creations? Did you know that the restaurant has sold over 14,000 portions of its signature dish, Hainan Chicken Rice and produced more than 55,000 pieces of Dim Sum items?

Here’s a look at some of the quirky things have happened behind the scenes at one of Hong Kong’s favorite hotels:

  • Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong has produced over 60,000 freshly baked scones for their legendary afternoon teas.
  • Since January, The Mandarin Cake Shop has produced over 10,000 jars of their Rose Petal Jam.
  • Since January, The Mandarin Cake Shop has produced over 7,500 signature American Cheesecakes for all cake-lovers.
  • Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong’s Pastry team has baked over 9,000 Almond Croissants in 2010.
  • The Mandarin Barber has conducted 14,076 haircuts this year.
  • The Mandarin Spa has performed over 12,000 massages during 2010 and used over 84 cups of massage oil this year.
  • The Mandarin Spa and Salon has manicured over 4,500 pairs of hands since January 2010
  • Guests in the hotel’s Clipper Lounge have consumed around 455,000 pieces of Oyster in 2010.

Next time you walk into a hotel think about the amount of work that goes into each guest throughout the year. You never know… you might the first one to experience a new spa service or a signature dish, or you might be the guest that helps create a hotel’s new dessert menu item!

Daily Pampering: Reidel Room at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong

by Melanie Nayer on

What’s better than a night of fine wine and cocktails? An evening of fine wine and cocktails served in some of the best crystal stemware available.

With around 40 wines to choose from by the glass and 170 by the bottle, the world’s only Reidel Room at the JW Marriott Hong Kong ups the experience of a night out for wine lovers by offering pours in top-line Riedel crystal glassware. The elegance of the dark room lined with animal prints and crystal chandeliers provides an ambiance unique to Hong Kong nightlife. Stylish chairs and sofas force you to relax in luxury, and if you’re craving a bit more pampering, opt for the private suite with tens of thousands of crystals hanging from the ceiling to set your scene.

Try the large range of Grand Cru and vintage champagnes or pick your own wine from their walk-in wine cellar.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Lady Gaga now a waxwork model at eight Madame Tussauds museums

by Sean McLachlan on

Ah, Lady Gaga, what would we do without your telephone hats and nude suits?

Now the famous wax museum Madame Tussauds has unveiled Lady Gaga models at eight of their branches: London, New York, Las Vegas, Hollywood, Amsterdam, Berlin, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

The figure at the London branch has the crazy suit shown here: a telephone hat designed by Philip Treacy and a midnight-blue Armani suit. Keeping up with Amsterdam’s debauched reputation, the museum there has a Lady gaga in a nude body suit, white jacket, and a rather phallic-looking purple hairdo. The other outfits are equally outrageous.

Hopefully her penchant for crazy clothes will continue, but not so much that she’ll have to be stripped by flight attendants like she was in March.

[Photo courtesy Madame Tussauds]