Sunday, November 8, 2009

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, all the hotel chains have « prestigious » restaurants: Michelin, Ducasse, Robuchon, Gagnaire, Jean George, etc…
For instant, the restaurant at the Four Seasons, Caprice, was hosting a 2 star chef from the south of France. We had a great meal.
I also went to the restaurant where I ate a few years ago during a tasting organized by our client for a few wine lovers interested in my wines: Luk Yu Tea House, 25-26 Stanley Street in Central. This old restaurant serves traditional cuisine from Hong Kong and the waiters seemed to have been there forever, some must be over 65 years old. The delicious cuisine has a taste of old times: pre-1940 .... what an atmosphere, with customers who all know each other. This place still seems to want to remain timeless for many more years. We were served, pigeon, chicken, fish and abalone, with Valandraud 2003.

Hong Kong is like a small town where, every day, I met in the streets or in hotels, people I know: for example my friend Marc Dworkin, here to sell wines, along with a well-known merchant of Bordeaux. I also ran into the couple responsible for PR for Château La Lagune visiting for an auction. Hong Kong is becoming an important place for auctions along with London and New York.
Gil's brother, transferred to a new bank in Hong Kong, was previously based in Japan: a sign of things to come?

I met French ex-pats, always ready to help visiting negociant-winemaker.

I should also point out that this city offers affordable services including taxis for 2/3 Euros, delicious meals in small restaurants for 5/8 Euros, but for the rest of the time, we went to trendy and expensive places where breakfast costs 20 Euros and meals cost around 150 to 200 Euros.
Will I find, this time, the right accounts? Will I finally be able to open the market in Hong Kong, and therefore China, despite the intense international competition, and have a special place like I have in Japan and Korea? I will know soon as the nextVinexpo will be held in Hong Kong in 2010.

Hong Kong is often covered by smog coming from the factories located in the industrial part of China, but this time, I was lucky to enjoy a few sunny days. Was that an omen?

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