Cruise and Dine

WOM's associate editor, Vicki Williams, recently went on The Peninsula's Cruise and Dine package, which involves a 45-minute champagne harbour cruise on the Shining Star, a refurbished ferry, followed by dinner in The Peninsula's Lobby. "A great package for visitors and Hongkongers. A relaxing cruise around the harbour, sipping champagne while enjoying the festive lights got the evening off to a wonderful start."

Three menus have been created for the package, with a different menu each week; there are a choice of three entrees, mains and desserts. Vicki and dining companion selected: Spinach, palm heart and pomelo salad with green peppercorn dressing; Thai seafood marinated with chilli-lemongrass dressing and green mango; Pan-fried salmon escalopes with tarragon on a green pea risotto; Roasted beef tenderloin, baked potato with condiments and seasonal vegetables; Orange salad with cinnamon syrup and grapefruit sherbet; and Freshly made chocolate tart with vanilla ice cream.

"All the dishes we had were memorable in terms of both presentation and taste. The salad was bursting with flavour and freshness. The Thai seafood dish had such an authentic balance of quintessential Thai flavour elements that if I shut my eyes I would have thought I was in Thailand - impressive for a non Thai restaurant. 

The buttery salmon found a perfect partner in the al dente risotto, while the steak was juicy and flavourful. The two desserts were ideal to share as one was light, refreshing and fruity, the other chocolate-y and indulgent."

The package is priced at $1,288 for two and includes a 45-minute champagne cruise, three-course set dinner for two, including one glass of wine or one non-alcoholic drink per person, served in The Lobby, as well as a cocktail at Salon de Ning, (or at The Bar on Sundays). As a special gift, each diner will also receive a $300 gift certificate from The Peninsula Spa by ESPA, which may be used towards any treatment on the spa menu.

To book call 2315 3220 or email: diningphk@peninsula.com. Gift vouchers are available. Blackout dates: 24 to 31 December 2010, 1 January 2011, 3, 4 and 14 February 2011.

Nourishing Dishes

Toh Lee has introduced an array of nourishing delicacies for winter. Highly recommended by the chef are the nourishing winter boiled soups. The double-boiled crocodile meat with Mandarin peel and Chinese herbs and double-boiled green turtle with fish maw and wolfberries are two choices. There is also the double-boiled black skin chicken with fresh conch, dried figs and Matsutake and double-boiled fish head with Angelica and cuidium officiuale. 

Other dishes recommended for the season include sautéed shredded venison with black pepper and gravy, stewed mutton with Chinese wine in casserole and sautéed egg white with fish maw, bird's nest and crab roe.

Seven-Course Tasting Brunch

Tokoro will launch (4/12) an all-new weekend brunch featuring an ongoing supply of live seasonal oysters shucked to order and a seven course tasting menu that changes monthly. The brunch, priced at $388 per-person, will be available between 12:00pm and 3:00pm every Saturday and Sunday.

Two highlights from December's tasting menu are the kuruma ebi yaki (king prawn) with tatami anchovy crisp, edamame and shichimi chilli glaze, and the Australian robatayaki beef skewers with ginko nuts and maietake mushroom tempura. And, if you can't consider it a brunch without champagne, fear not; Tokoro will be serving bottles of Piper-Heidsieck Champagne at $298 per bottle.

Heritage Bowls 

Winter Solstice is a significant time as it marks the shortest day of the year and heralds the cold weather that is to come. In Hong Kong it is also the time when families and friends reunite for dinner to celebrate. The master chefs at Tsui Hang Village Restaurant have prepared traditional heritage bowls to mark the winter season. 

Five heritage bowls are available: abalones, sea cucumber, fish maw, shark's fin, prawns, scallops, chicken, hairy gourds stuffed with conpoy create the Premium Heritage Bowl; the Fortune Heritage Bowl is a creation brimming with flavours and rich textures from pigs' trotters with sliced abalone in oyster sauce, shark's fin with shrimp roe and dried oysters; Treasure Duck Heritage Bowl features abalone, conpoy, sea cucumber, dried oysters, stuffed whole duck, lotus seeds, lily bulbs and Bailing mushrooms; Sumptuous Heritage Bowl features mud carp stuffed with Chinese sausage, glutinous rice, dried oysters, conpoy stuffed in hairy gourd, sliced conch, prawns, and marinated pigs' tongue; and Vegetarian Heritage Bowl includes assorted mushrooms, conpoy stuffed in hairy gourds, and bamboo fungus.