“An impressive beast”

On Friday I caught up with CNN anchor and business travel guru, Richard Quest, during the Hong Kong stop of his Asia tour. Billed as “a voice of authority” on the Airbus A380 I was eager to get all the nitty gritty on this behemoth of the skies.

You’ve probably seen the news about Singapore Airlines grounding the hopes of amorous airborne couples by now: no sex on board the A380 please, we’re Singaporean etc. Well, Richard Quest, who flew on SQ’s maiden A380 voyage has a couple tips for mile high club wannabes and I'm going to share them with you here:

Tip 1: Be very careful in the first class suites
They aren’t completely sealed and have no sound proofing. The diminutive Singaporean air hostesses can’t see over the top of the privacy screens, but the airline’s taller passengers can. So, please, do everyone on board a favour and keep the cord on those first class pyjamas firmly tied.

Tip 2: Business class is where it’s at
If you’re a determined in-flight fumbler there is, according to Mr. Quest, a bathroom in the front of the business class cabin (left-hand side) where there’s enough room for “a veritable orgy”. Amorous couples should head there instead and save a few thousand dollars in the process.

So there you have it, quest over.

I (quite) like Lucy's

I’d heard a lot of good things about Lucy’s in Stanley: delicious food, great atmosphere, creative menu etc etc, so I decided to check it out last night.
They’ve gone for a Tuscan theme decoration wise which, in my humble opinion, doesn’t work; the place is in danger of looking like JD Weatherspoons meets the Home & Away set. Bad lighting, even worse wall stenciling and a tacky palm tree to round the whole look off. I was feeling slightly nauseous when the waiter handed me the menu, but once glance at that was more then enough to convince me to stay.

The menu is a great size, you choose from five or six starters and main courses and there’s a separate pudding list. You’re not overwhelmed by choices so the simple, well thought out food really stands out (which is lucky given the decoration scheme). Starters include a deliciously fresh mozzarella, courgette, almond and grape salad with a fig tapenade ($90) and char-grilled squid and white bean bruschetta ($85). There was a tomato and thyme braised lamb shank on the main course menu ($200), along with falafel with tomato salad and pita ($170) and seabass with spicy chickpeas, aubergine and pomegranate couscous ($210), which I strongly recommend.

Feeling very full we still pushed on to the puddings; I went for a fantastic rhubarb and raspberry crumble and my friend opted for a pecan and ginger tart. Both were excellent. They also have two and three course set menus at $240 and $280.

I feel a bit sorry for the girls who get taken there for cosy dinners à deux. Although Lucy’s offers delicious food and wine it isn’t exactly the romantic dinner date destination I’d imagined. Well, perhaps if you’re Alf and Alsa and living happily in Summer Bay, but this is Hong Kong and there are hundreds of romantic hotspots to choose from. For a girly dinner or a good food fix I’d go back, but I won’t be angling for a hot date there any time soon.

Lucy's - G/F, 64 Stanley Main Street, Stanley. Tel: +852 2813 9055. Look for the side street to the right of Deli France, the restaurant is up there.

Mama Mia!

For deli fans like me the thought of twenty five types of salami, ham and pâté equals serious salivation. Add to this a whole ream of cheeses, including delicious taleggio and pecorino, grilled artichokes, broad bean salads and gently fried dover sole and you've got an elbow-jabbing, taxi-chasing, must-see attraction on your hands.

Il Bel Paese (I visited the Caine Road branch, but will be hurrying to Wanchai and Happy Valley as soon as I've finished scoffing my current batch of San Daniele) is one such Aladdin's Cave of deli delights. They've got shelves stacked with wine, olive oil (and I mean the good stuff), balsamic vinegar, pasta, tapenade, pesto, lentils, butter beans, chickpeas, capers, porcini mushrooms, truffles, peppers and more delicious Italian treats than I've seen since I set foot in Hong Kong. There's a fresh fruit and veg counter and, should you so desire, Florentine ceramics you can pick up too. The best part is that it's all a lot cheaper than the likes of CitySuper, Great and Olivers. Hooray!

They also prepare food to eat-in or takeaway. On the menu are salads such as Caesar ($32) and Tuscany bean with tuna ($28), cheese platters (from $72), cold cut platters (from $65), pasta dishes (from $48 - $58), fish ($52), meatballs ($52), sandwiches (from $30) - and we're talking the fiocaccia and ciabatta kind - and puddings (from $29). They can also cater if you're planning a party. The smells from the kitchen were delicious and I'm sure the food would do Mama proud.

Happy Valley: 23 Sing Woo Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2868 2818
Mid-Levels: G/F, No.85 Caine Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2549 8893
Wanchai: G/F, No.25 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2804 2992

All hail Aqua Luna

Fancy living the life of a Tai Pan or sipping on a sundowner like a colonial conquistador? Well, if you're in Hong Kong it's easy, book yourself straight onto the Aqua Luna junk and cruise the harbour in serious style. Departing from both Central and Tsim Sha Tsui the junk runs daily from 13:30 to 22:30 and gives you unrivaled views of Hong Kong's harbour from a spectacular vantage point.

With its iconic deep red sails the Aqua Luna, a traditional Chinese junk, is an experience not to be missed. On arrival you're handed a complimentary glass of wine, beer or a soft drink, and invited to lie back on one of the comfy sofas and enjoy the views. There are more photo opps than you can shake a stick at and you're guaranteed to be the envy of all your friends once they see your snaps.

The junk was painstakingly built by an 80 year old craftsman and is known in Cantonese as Cheung Po Tsai. The eponymous Cheung Po Tsai was an infamous nineteenth century pirate who terrorised Hong Kong's waters. No pirates to be seen these days, but if you book yourself onto this water bound beauty you're guaranteed to feel like you're the one who's found all the treasure.

Book online here or call +852 2116 8821. Booking is essential.

A sheep worth following

The Black Sheep restaurant in sleepy Shek O is a Hong Kong favourite. Bursting at lunchtime with beach lovers, locals and hikers alike its pizzas, seafood, fresh globe artichokes and homemade lemonade are enough of an attraction to make the 30 minute journey from Central more than worthwhile.

Although you can feel much better about gorging on their gastronomic treats after having hiked the Dragon's Back or done a few lengths up and down Shek O beach, dinner at The Black Sheep (without any of the outdoor activities) is a real treat and much recommended.

Once the sun sets the restaurant is an even more relaxed affair than usual; lit up with bizarre planetary mobiles, glittering disco balls and overlooked by a temple it is a pocket of calm and tranquility, the like of which is usually only found on far flung beaches and in hard-to-reach havens.

There are far fewer diners in the evening, which means that the service is much faster and the staff more attentive. I even got a 20% discount off the food because the waitress recognised me as a regular. I'll definitely be flocking back.

The Black Sheep - G/F, 350 Shek O Village, Shek O. Tel: +852 2809 2021

It's a wrap

It can be tough to find a decent piece of wrapping paper in this city, but I stumbled upon a treasure trove this morning in the most unlikely of places.

I was buying envelopes (of all the exciting things) at the Yat Cheong Paper Co. on Lyndhurst Terrace when I spied lots of pretty handmade wrapping paper on display. Choose from paper studded with dried flowers, deep blue paper with marbled streaks, greens, pinks and lots lots more. Now I just need something gorgeous to wrap up...

Yat Cheong Paper Co - G/F, 26 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2815 8466.

Va Va VROOM!

I've never been much of a driver and it was with some trepidation that I agreed to a racing night at the Sideways Driving Club in Central. Tucked away on Chancery Lane Sideways is a virtual racing centre and, in short, a total boy heaven.

Lining the walls are thirteen shiny simulators that on first sight look decidedly more dodgems than David Coulthard, all hooked up to a big screens on which the virtual race plays out. After having donned a rather unattractive pair of "racing socks", Grand Prix wannabes squeeze into the small cockpits, which are (apparently) as much like a real Porsche racing cars as is possible.

After a short briefing from the owners you're let loose on the machines and sent to trial the track before the real racing begins. The driving is a lot more adrenaline fuelled that I'd imagined; if you're in any way competitive seeing your friends whizz past you on your plasma screen, witnessing large scale pile ups at every corner and revving up before the races begin really gets your heart pumping!

The evening is broken down into three parts. The first race is three laps, with a one lap qualifier; the second race is five laps with an obligatory pit-stop and a three lap qualifier; the third race is three laps in driving rain with a one lap qualifier. Yuktai, one of the club's owners, can complete a lap in 1min30secs, her boyfriend, co-owner and ex-professional racer can do it in about 1:20. The fastest in our group sped round in about 1:36 and I was left trailing behind at 1:43.

Between each race there's as much pizza, wine and beer as you can stomach, which must make Sideways one of the only places in the world where you're encouraged to drink and drive.

Sideways' owners Yuktai Chan and her boyfriend own a trading company, which is where they work by day. Needless to say however, Sideways is rapidly overtaking to become their more profitable venture. They cater for individual racing, group racing, tuition and corporate events. Yuktai says that it's fast becoming a popular party venue, and they can even bring their simulators out to other events around the city. They've got some heavyweights behind them too, professional racing car drivers pop in whilst in Hong Kong to practise for upcoming competitions. I think I might hang out there more often, a girl never knows when she might bump into Lewis Hamilton.

For more information on rates and packages click here.

Sideways Driving Club - LG/F, 1 - 2 Chancery Lane, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2523 0983 / email: racing@sideways-racing-club.com.

Loving your Laksa

Laksa lovers look no further. I've checked out Pasar, both in Wanchai and in Central, and am happy to report that they serve up a superlative bowl of this spicy, aromatic comfort food.

The Laksa Supreme (with prawn, fish cakes, squid balls, tofu and egg) costs $68, and you can also opt for Laksa Special (shrimp, cockles, fish cakes, squid balls and tofu) at $48 and Laksa with Singaporean Chicken for the same price. If you're a veggie don't despair, the staff at this friendly joint are happy to omit the meat and fish and prepare a morning glory, tofu and beansprout stuffed version to make sure you don't miss out on this creamy delight.

If Laksa isn't your thing there are plenty of other Singaporean dishes on the menu, from beef rendang to fried carrot cake with shrimp to grilled sambal stingray (much recommended by a friend). They also do lunch and afternoon tea sets if you're on a budget.

Central location - 2/F, Yu Wing Building, 64 - 66 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: 3693 4448

Wanchai Location - 97 Johnston Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong. Tel: 3168 2057

Moon Festival Lanterns, Victoria Park

There were hundreds of coloured lanterns hanging in Victoria Park this week to celebrate the Moon Festival. The festival always happens on the fifteenth day of the eight lunar month of the Chinese calendar when the moon is at its largest, lowest and brightest. It's an important family day in China and relatives gather to eat mooncake and tell stories of Chang'e. As legend has it Chang'e flew to the moon where she has lived ever since. Forget the man in the moon, in China the woman got there first!

A deli-icious slice of home life

As insignificant as it sounds, one of the things that I really miss about living in Europe is popping into the local cheesemonger and stocking up on delicious treats at the tiny Italian deli just around the corner from my old flat. To my mind there's nothing finer than a warm, crispy baguette, a crumbling hunk of Montgomery cheddar, a couple of slices of delicious wafer thin ham and a glass of red wine. I can happily spend half an hour in the cheesemonger breathing in the comforting aromas of extra mature stilton and gently oozing brie, and I love the deli for the lingering smells of Spanish legs of ham and really good olive oil.

I've been missing that in Hong Kong, and although I'm a big fan of Cantonese cuisine there's nothing quite like the therapeutic whiffs of ham and cheese to make me feel comforted and at home. I was delighted, therefore, to stumble across Olala in Wanchai. It's a rare find in this crazy city: a small, wood furnished, simple French deli / brasserie tucked away just off Star Street.

For the princely sum of $72 (£4.50) you get two simple, but hearty courses from the set menu and $98 (£6.30) gets you three. The set menu is excellent value and offers bistro staples like steak frites, a plat du jour and a good, but straightforward lamb dish. None of that for me though, I sprinted straight towards the display of hams, salamis and cheeses stacked under the deli counter. As soon as you walk through the small door the smell of them hits you, and although they cost more at about $120 a plate each it's well worth it. There's a good selection of cheeses and cold meats to choose from and they can all be accompanied by decent French wine. I was extra nice to the staff there; I’m going to need them on my side when I end up at the door happily sniffing the air and completely oblivious to anything else that’s happening around me.

Olala – 1 Electric Steet, G/F, Wanchai, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2294 0450.

Oh I do love to be beside the seaside

OK, so Suffolk isn't exactly in Asia, but I thought I'd deviate... Suffolk isn't a place that usually springs to mind when planning a mini-break by the sea either, but if you're a London based beach lover then it's a lot easier to reach than the far-flung paradises of South-East Asia or Sangria soaked resorts in Spain.

Aldeburgh, which is just 2.5 hours away from central London, is a pretty and quintessentially British place with a huge (albeit pebbley) beach, traditional pubs, snug B&Bs and cute boutiques.

Famous for its annual arts festival and being the place where Benjamin Britten breathed his last it's well worth a weekend visit. Aldeburgh is located right in the heart of rural Suffolk and visitors can make the most of miles of unspoiled countryside, historic villages and lots and lots of fresh air.

The best parts of my trip included delicious Ploughman's Lunches, pints of sweet Suffolk cider, bike rides between Aldeburgh and the pretty villages that surround it, walks on the beach, eating fish and chips from Cooney's (a very famous fish and chip shop) on the shingle, the impressive Snape Maltings , rummaging through the little boutiques that line Aldeburgh's High Street and relaxing away from the hustle and bustle of city living.

There are some great places to stay in and around Aldeburgh (Alastair Sawday is always a great place to start) and a weekend break will give you plenty of opportunity to make the most of this little corner of England.

Smelling sweet and looking fresh at Tiare

The Tiare, a type of Gardenia, is native to Polynesia where young women tuck the flowers behind their ears to show whether they’re on the look out for Mr. Right or not. The white, star-shaped flower is credited with curing a number of ailments, including migraines, and thanks to its sweet, heady fragrance does a pretty good job of covering up the less delicious scents associated with living in a hot and humid climate.

I found a Tiare on Staunton Street. It was a prize example of this pretty genus of flower, and the perfect cure for many frustrating hours spent tramping the malls of Hong Kong looking for something decent to wear. Shopping in Hong Kong isn’t easy unless a) you’re as petite as the Chinese, b) you have a small fortune to spend on designer labels or c) you don’t mind ending up in the same thing as everyone else from Mango, Zara, French Connection or H&M.

Tiare Boutique in Soho is a breath of sweet fresh air that does its namesake proud. Stocked with both established and up-and-coming LA brands the shop offers Western girls on an average budget perfectly selected, stylish clothes that can be worn both at work and play. US clothes means US sizing, and it came as a very pleasant surprise to finally be zipping up into a small again!

Owned by Kathleen Sweeney, a Hong Kong born Californian who’s returned to her roots, and managed by her best-friend and fellow California girl the shop is light and spacious with a refreshingly relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Shoppers can roam the rails in peace without an irritating assistant following half a pace behind, as is so often the case in this city. Dressing rooms are large and even include a pair of stilettos to try the gorgeous dresses, skirts and jeans on with. Make sure you come out of the changing room to admire your reflection though as the mirrors inside make you look deceptively slim.

Tiare’s collection typically includes dresses and t-shirts from Velvet (their bestsellers apparently), Raven Denim (I loved the selection of skinny jeans), Michael Stars tees, clothes by Indo-Chinese inspired brand Da-Nang, dresses by Alan Schwartz for ABS and the new luxury line, Graham & Spencer, from Velvet designers Jenny Graham and Toni Spencer. Accessories junkies can further sate their appetite for all things Californian with a spot-on selection of chunky belts, sexy-but-cute underwear and semi-precious jewellery from Vietnamese-born, US-based designer Thoi Vo.

The collection at Tiare is constantly updated and refreshed and the shop staff are a real help if you’re looking for something special: they know about everything that’s arriving well in advance and I’ve already got my sights set on a slinky deep plum number by Graham and Spencer. Ask to be added to the mailing list too so you can be kept up-to-date about what’s coming in, special events and sales.

I’ve saved best part about Tiare until last… Every girl out for a retail fix can rest easy, the boutique stocks just one of each size in every style throughout their collection. At long last they’ll be no more turning up for drinks and dinner to be greeted with ten identikits looking better in your outfit than you; retail migraine officially relieved.

Tiare Boutique, Ground Floor, 53 Staunton Street, SoHo, Central, Hong Kong
t. +852 2540 3380 f. +852 2540 3382 e. info@tiareboutique.com
Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 12pm – 10pm; Sunday, 12pm – 6pm; closed on Mondays.

Lost and found in Lantau

Lantau island, famous for it's abundant forests, towering peaks and sleepy fishing villages, is known as "the lungs of Hong Kong". What makes this epithet so impressive, aside from the fact that Lantau is just thirty minutes away by ferry from one of the most frenetic capitals in the world, is that the development of a dismal Disneyland and the world's most popular airport haven’t managed to strip the island of it's title.

Having lived in Hong Kong for the past five months I've been meaning to make the short journey to Lantau for a while. It was only last Monday though, when a colleague returned bronzed and glowing from the weekend, that I was spurred into action: she had been there, she said it was amazing and I wanted to look like she did for a change on Monday morning.

By lunchtime she had drawn a map for me - a unique thing hurriedly penciled onto a post-it note with landmarks such as "barking dogs", "bicycle racks" and "lots of children" to navigate by. She talked infectiously of gently undulating hills with uninterrupted views of golden sands and swimming at the beach before enjoying a South African style braii. By the end of the day I was armed with the comforting bulk of The Serious Hiker's Guide to Hong Kong which, although void of the particular walk that bronzed colleague experienced, boasted a detailed, shiny, illustrated map of the Lantau trail, the 70km long, circular walk that starts and finishes in Mui Wo.

Mui Wo, connected by ferry to Hong Kong island and Discovery Bay, is a sleepy fishing village; it's main purpose seems to be to act as a rustic "park and ride" for Lantau's inhabitants who arrive there by bike before heading into Central. The only infringements of city based Hong Kong life are the MacDonald’s, standing awkwardly by the sea, a run-down 7-Eleven and a grotty supermarket. When we arrived there was hardly a soul to be seen. Finding bicycle racks, as instructed by the post-it note map, wasn't difficult but in the Saturday afternoon rain the "barking dogs" and congregations of children proved more elusive. Confident that bronzed colleague could only have started at the beginning of the Lantau trail (which was the one, very badly signposted walking route out of Mui Wo) we settled for following its small, silver markers.

The first stage of the Lantau trail isn't a very inspiring walk. Uphill all the way, and never deviating from the asphalt of the South Lantau Road, it sat at odds with bronzed colleague's account of paradise. Only after thirty minutes of walking does it lead to a glade – the Nam Shan picnic area – and a wooden archway by the L005 marker takes you away from the noise and fumes of the main road. Soon surrounded by indigenous trees, the sound of birds and dappled sunlight we were lulled into thinking that we had, at last, found the trail of dreams.

We forked off the Lantau trail and onto a smaller, less trodden track that took us up and into sparser woodland. Trees soon made way to grassy mountainside and we stood below Sheung Tung Au looking down onto Mui Wo and up into the higher-reaching summits of Lantau island. The views were spectacular: unspoiled by developments and unbroken by high-rise buildings. We were alone on the trail and acutely aware of listening to the complete sound of silence for the first time in five months.

Our reverie, however, didn't last for long. The South Lantau Country Trail, which we were now following, took us through an unbroken two-kilometre stretch of trees inhabited by the largest spiders any of us had ever seen. These monsters had yellow-striped bodies, muscular thighs, huge staring eyes and what looked distinctly like fangs. They had woven webs that spanned a good three metres and it was impossible to walk without getting mouthfuls of cobweb. Terrified of ending up a sticky trap and being attacked by one of these beasts the appeal of the silent mountains began to diminish. Where spiders live, surely snakes must follow, and I had seen a post just a few days before on Victoria Peak stating that August is peak snake season.

Feeling very Indiana Jones-ish we ventured on, wishing one of us at least had been as well prepared as his trusty sidekick, Shorty. Swatting oversized webs and ducking arachnids gradually lost some of its initial terror, one of our party even foolhardily began flicking spiders’ lairs in an attempt to get an even closer look at the large eight-legged inhabitants. The sideshow came to an abrupt close as we all stopped dead in our tracks hearing the same unexpected noise. Water. Lots of water.

The narrow trail took us down and, as it wound ever closer to the sound of rushing water, earth became rock that became wet slippery rock. Crossing the first waterfall without the familiar comfort of a bridge was pretty nerve wracking; blindly springing from one water-bound rock to the next we all silently prayed not to slip, nervously knowing we’d now ventured so far out of our usual comfort zone that our mobile phones were picking up signals from China rather than Hong Kong. After two or three waterfall crossings, and semi-mastering the art of rock leaping, we realised how lucky we were to be enjoying such powerful natural displays alone away from the tourist groups and sign-toting tour guides that usually accompany them.

After successfully skirting the waterfalls we were rewarded with a succession of fantastic views across to Pui O beach. From afar we saw groups of miniscule people looking to be having a fantastic Saturday swimming, lounging on the sand and enjoying the food at Oh La La restaurant. From the bulk of the mountain Pui O looked so close that we wanted to save our aching legs and roly-poly down the hillside to flop onto the golden sands. Our trail had other plans for us though as it snaked underneath the Lantau trail proper hugging the sides of Yitung Shan and Sunset Peak.

Four hours, thirteen kilometers, twelve waterfalls, hundreds of spiders and goodness knows how many steps ascended and descended later we hit a road. For hours it seemed like we were at least a couple of hundred years away from civilisation, and being back amongst chugging, fuel emitting lorries and buses came as a surprisingly un-relieving end to our adventure.

Our trail came to a close at the end of the second stage of the Lantau trail at Tung Chung Road. There below us lay a development site, with bright yellow cranes and fork-lift trucks digging up and destroying the forests we had just conquered, it was a bittersweet finale; whilst our walk wasn’t the gentle weekend stroll I had in mind it was a real slice of adventure and an unexpected respite from an otherwise unerringly comfortable city. To see it being destroyed, if only in part for the moment, was galling. It seems that the lungs of Hong Kong will find it difficult to breathe easy for too much longer, and it’s a real shame to think that future walkers might be denied the terrifying spiders and vertiginous waterfalls that Lantau is currently home to.

Getting there:
Ferry timetables for First Ferry (Central – Mui Wo)

Resources:
The Serious Hiker’s Guide to Hong Kong – Pete Spurrier
The Hong Kong Observatory

Eating:
Oh La La, Pui O Beach, Lantau Island: +852 2546 3543
The Stoep, 32 Lower Cheung Sha Village: +852 2980 2699