Above: At God’s Window, Mpumalanga
Above: At the England-Germany game, and Brazil-Chile game
Above: Spot the odd one out. Safari in South Africa (excuse the sheep)
Above: Bald Eagle enjoying a glass of beer with his brother.
Above: Sticky pork pancake at Graskop
Up to five days ago, I never knew of the existence of The Krug Room. We were having drinks in Hong Kong, and Mr. B (our fine dining guru) suddenly mentioned The Krug Room. “There are only THREE Krug Rooms in the world,” he said calmly, “and one of them is located right here in this hotel!”
“So why haven’t I heard of it?” asked Hua. “I dine here all the time.”
“Because,” Mr. B lowered his voice conspiratorially, “there is a secret passageway that leads to the room, and you have to spend a lot of money to be able to dine there.”
He had me at Krug.
Equipped with that information, Hua masterminded a special visit to The Krug Room sans food. We were led through the back door of a restaurant which appeared to lead to the main kitchen. A few steps later, we were at an inconspicuous doorway which opened into a private dining room. My jaw dropped at the sight.
Designed by Marc and Chantal, the room is tasteful and chic, probably to reflect Executive Chef Uwe Opocensky’s progressive gastronomy. The floors and chairs were constructed from the same oak that was used to make the champagne barrels, while the light fittings were cleverly made from Hermès plates stacked at different levels. The tableware was specially designed by Hermès for The Krug Room with calligraphy designs of chinese poetry. The menu, specially created by Chef Opocensky daily, is scribbled on a slate wall, and if my meal at the one Michelin starred restaurant, Mandarin Grill + Bar (also helmed by Chef Opocensky, blog post to follow soon), is anything to go by, then I am confident that the Chef’s interpretation of food at The Krug Room will knock anyone’s socks off.
The Krug Room is said to house the largest collection of Krug champagnes outside of France. Dinner guests can view the preparation of the food through a glass window that separates the dining room and the kitchen, and food is personally served by the chef himself.
The price? From HK$1,988 per person for a 14-course meal with one glass of Krug champagne. And if you’re feeling really frivolous, Thomas Keller (French Laundry/Per Se) will be a guest chef at the restaurant in November and prices are rumoured to be in the vicinity of HK$5,000 per person.
I. Will. Dine. Here. One. Day. I suppose I should count myself lucky to have been able to just touch the furniture in the Krug Room. To think that it all started with one bit of gossip over some Bellinis one morning in Hong Kong….
The Krug Room
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
For reservations, call: +852 2825 4014 or email: mohkg-krugroom@mohg.com.
“What’s your idea of a perfect weekend?” Toygirl recently asked me.
“What do you mean by perfect?” I asked her. “Do you mean something achievable, or do you mean my dream weekend?” As this juncture, the idea of sitting by the beach with a book and a cocktail and a tanned masseur kneading my knotted muscles seemed highly desirable.
“Something achievable. Something you can do on a normal weekend,” she replied.
“Oh,” I was brought back to reality. “I suppose it would be spending time with my husband,” I said, matter-of-factly.
We were at a brunch party with close friends, and the wafting smell of a batch of freshly cooked pancakes tickled our noses. Laughter abounded.
“Actually,” I added, “this is an example of a perfect weekend for me.”
She smiled, because I think she felt the same way.
*********
And after all that food and wine, 8 hours later, nothing beats a satisfying meal of hokkien mee and fried chicken. Call me weird, but I prefer tar-pau‘d hokkien mee. The braised glistening dark noodles would have had ample time to absorb all the sauces leaving a reasonably dry, slippery dish that is smoky and fragrant with the smell of pork and lard. And fried chicken with crispy skin that crackles under the molars, and flesh so tender it literally falls off the bone – it’s the perfect companion.
Hokkien mee
Hokkien bee hoon
Fried chicken
Kedai Minuman dan Makanan Ah Fatt
42, Jalan 14/48 (near the 222 Shell station)
Petaling Jaya