That was a long dinner. 2-hour masterclass, followed by a beautiful steak and cheese dinner. 9 wines tonight.

Oh dear. Did I just talk myself into a negotiation with a French supplier — in French?

This is not going to be easy.

1 day of rain tomorrow, but then (apparently) a cloudless week to come.

Hmm.

Good port is dangerous. I can drink this stuff all night.

Graham's 20yo tawny is stunning. Incredibly delicate and nuanced.

The temperature has plummeted: woohoo!

It’s cloudy: eh

It’s also raining: damn.

Some of HK’s most interesting bars are a little ways up a hill.

This is not a problem at the start, but walking 500m down a street at a 30° incline after a few drinks, accompanied by reckless taxi drivers, is quite a way to end the night. Or one’s life.

Overheard: “Arabic is not that useful.”

Uh huh…?

I wonder how long this place can stay open though.

I can see how they reduce ingredient costs — every spirit is infused or sous-vide with some ingredient (marshmallow gin, nori vermouth…), so they can afford to use cheap booze (and still make very nice cocktails), but this is 5 minutes’ walk from all the bank offices etc.

Very decent, and at 2/3 the price of any other comparable cocktail in the city. Everything on the menu is HKD90.

This is basically a dirty (filthy?) martini in which nori has been steeped for god knows how long.

Insanely rich, salty, and boozy, but still with a gentle floral note.
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