Chocolate Masterclass with Paul A Young

The art of chocolate making

I don't know much about chocolate but one things for sure is that just like a glass of fine wine or a well aged spirit, in order to achieve exceptional quality, every step needs to have a high focus of detail, from the coco beans sourcing, all the way to the hand crafting process. So when I heard that the beautiful boutique hotel, St James Hotel and Club was offering a chocolate masterclass with one of the hottest chocolatiers in the name of Paul A. Young. I signed myself up and hoped to learn a few things about the art of chocolate making and drinks pairing.

St James Hotel and Club

Paul A. Young masterclass

Canvas by Michael Riemenschneider

Artwork on a canvas

When Canvas by Michael Riemenschneider opened in Marylebone in January 2014, I had it in my must try list due to the fact that the concept of his restaurant sounded so appealing. One of the biggest challenges when it comes to a tasting menu is that all the courses are fixed and you are left without any choices. So Canvas's idea of creating your own tasting menu based on a list of choices, eliminated that limitation and with a CV of working with the likes of Pierre Gagnaire, Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay, I was very confident he had something special to offer in his intimate 20 seats restaurant. 

Canvas by Michael Riemenschneider

dining room

Honey & Co

Homely Middle East food

Honey & Co in Fitzrovia has become one of the most popular restaurants in 2013, with a Michelin Bib Gourmand as well as winner of the Observer's OFM best new comer. Honey and Co is a tiny restaurant and it looks more like a local cafe with about only 20 seats inside, Run by the husband and wife team, Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer, together with bags of experience behind them such as Orrery and Yotam Ottolenghi. Honey & Co label themselves as food from the Middle Eat, showcasing the food they love and grew up with.

Honey and Co

Otto e Mezzo Bombana

Underwhelming

Brainchild of Umberto Bombana, 8 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana is the only 3 star Michelin Italian restaurant outside Italy and ranked no 6 in the Asia's 50 Best Restaurant award 2013 edition, with such achievements, it is safe to assume that chef patron Umberto Bombana's restaurant is one of the best in Hong Kong and worth a special trip to visit even if you are on the other side of the world. But sadly, my visit proved not to be the case.

 8 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana

Lung King Heen

Totally overrated

Who is familiar with the phase: "With great power comes great responsibility"? If that term is to apply to restaurants, surely it would be something along the line: "With great awards comes great food"? Sadly my lunch experience at Lung King Heen proved otherwise. Located inside the Four Seasons Hotel, Lung King Heen is currently the only traditional Chinese restaurant in the world to hold 3 Michelin stars, it has countless awards and recommendations from the media across the world and is regarded as one of the best restaurants in Asia.

Views from our table