Category Archives: Bits and Pieces: Holidays

The Krug Room, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong

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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.

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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.

HK Pics

And Every Moment Is Precious – UK/Spain 2009

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Precious moments.

Basking in the warmth of the fading summer sun in Winchester.

Walking in the rain in London, puddles of water splashing with every heavy footstep.

Inhaling the scent of wet grass and sheep droppings in Avebury.

Marvelling at the 90,000+ mobilephone wave at a Coldplay concert in Wembley as Viva La Vida thunders on.

Going 65 metres up into the towers of the Sagrada Familia to experience a most breathtaking sight that can only be inspired by a greater being.

Standing in awe at its base, and wondering about my puny yet significant existence in this universe.

Getting drenched by angry waves, and laughing at how much I look like a drowning duck.

Meeting Carlos, a film director from Mexico, again and again and again in San Sebastian because the city is only that big.

Being ecstatic with the knowledge that Robert Duvall is sitting just 10 feet away from us while we’re watching his movie, Get Low at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

Being mistaken for a movie actor (budget movie only).

With eyes closed, listening to the melodious strumming of flamenco music at Park Güell and letting the music envelope my entire being.

Drinking cider in Reading with my brother and realising that despite the different lives we lead, we are essentially the same.

Cheering Liverpool on at the Kop end of Anfield.

Eating Dulce de leche gelato and walking hand in hand, our fingers intertwined, secure in the knowledge that we have each other.

Limping several kilometres along the beach to view The Wind Comb by Eduardo Chillida.

Taking in the colours and smells of the morning markets.

Giggling and making faces at each other at a 3-star Michelin restaurant, oblivious to our surroundings.

Making new friends – Mireia, Elena, Jose Ramon, Carlos, and many more.

Sitting by the beach at night, in silence, and thanking God for every precious moment that He has so graciously given to us.

Getting totally lost in Spain and enjoying our journey of discovery, of life, and of each other.

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For past writeups on food in Spain, check these out:

Mugaritz

On the Pintxos Trail

Note: All pictures, with the exception of the Coldplay album, are mine.

The Nirvana Bus Tour – Shhhhh!

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“Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife
Their sober wishes never learn’d to stray;
Along the cool sequester’d vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.”

-From Thomas Gray’s poem Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, from which Thomas Hardy derived the name for his novel, Far From the Madding Crowd–

I have been reading a lot lately thanks to a power surge (due to a loose neutral point) that destroyed our home entertainment system, and whilst I bemoan the effect on our pockets, I am delighted with the extra time that has been forced upon me.  Nothing pleases me more (and I wish I had the willpower to do more things that please me than to sit Jabba-like on the couch with a remote control) than jumping into bed with a book in my hand, the air-conditioning turned down to its coldest and the feeling of a warm duvet pulled up to my chest, with a hint of the scent of blissful templetree with my every movement.

The washing machine is also fried, but there is nothing romantic about smelly clothes.

Picnik collage

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive.”

-Eleanora Duse-

Shhhhh!

It is not silent here.   Motorcyclists use the bridge to cross over to the other side.  Our laughter fills the air, barely, fighting hard with the vehicles of modernisation.

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Remember the oath of secrecy.  Reveal the location on your blog and suffer the wrath of one particularly angry Cordon Bleu Chef’s Mother.

Steamed fish

The fresh steamed fish with onions and salted soybean sauce is good, but this is not the reason for our drive to Nibong Tebal in Penang.

prawn curry Roti Benggali

We pre-ordered this dish to ensure that the large prawns are available.   Cooked in a thick curry, it goes marvelously with the Roti Benggali – thick cut bread that is excellent for dipping.   The curry is addictive and whets the appetite, and the prawns are fresh, cooked in their shells, the heads oozing with roe.   We see young chaps walking in intermittently carrying plastic bags holding treasures within – live prawns from the river that flows beside this shack.  One plate isn’t enough.   We order another and mop up everything.

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Shhhh! The football team secretly trains here.

Also check out What2See’s blog.

Thank you, Aunty.

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For more about the Nirvana Bus Tour, read about it here:

The Nirvana Bus Tour Part 1 – click HERE
The Nirvana Bus Tour Part 2, Prologue and A Nirvana Tribute – click HERE
The Nirvana Bus Tour Part 3, The Tanjung Tualang Chapter – click HERE
The Nirvana Bus Tour Part 4, Street Food in Pulau Tikus, Penang – click HERE
The Nirvana Bus Tour Part 5, Sai Lam Coffee Shop – click HERE