Jetsetter Spring 2022

IRISH TALES:

On the Literary Trail in Dublin

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS:

The Growing Thirst for Wine Investment

A STAR

TURN Brioni Welcomes Jude and Raff Law

NFTs EXPLAINED

SYDNEY CITY GUIDE

TONY WARD

C H E S T E R R O W B E LG R AV I A , S W 1 A U N I Q U E LY D E S I G N E D B E L G R AV I A T O W N H O U S E This charming town house provides a wonderful mix of classical style and contemporary architecture. The house offers versatile living accommodation arranged over two floors and an exceptional private central courtyard providing ample natural light throughout the home.

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Pause.

Reflect.

Renew.

2022 will be the year of slow travel Travel is no longer about rushing from one place to another.

Private villas, resplendent with luxuries that you dreamt of, smiling staff, and delicious food cooked just for you.

It’s official - seclusion is the new black.

Block your calendar, plan a vacation and save when you book one of our gorgeous villas in advance.

Flexible cancellation policies help you book with confidence, as does the reassurance of vaccinated and routinely tested staff.

See you soon?

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

WESTMINSTER FIRE STATION LUXURY RESIDENCES

With an eagerly anticipated launch in early 2022,

Westminster Fire Station in Victoria, SW1 has been thoughtfully designed with attention to detail and sustainability at its core.

T

he boutique, design led development has undergone a complete restoration of an Edwardian Grade II listed Fire Station, beautifully crafted to house

seven apartments. This characterful building (“The Fire Station”), is complimented by a unique new building (“The Station House”) consisting of eleven apartments with architecture from Openstudio Architects, interiors from Studio L, London and a peaceful, landscaped residents’ courtyard by James Lee Design. The development also houses a new flagship restaurant (Mathura) for twice Michelin starred chef, Atul Kochhar.

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

The project is a partnership between awardwinning, design-led development managers, Alchemi Group and Far East Orchard Limited, a Singapore real estate company listed on SGX Mainboard.

Sustainability has been a key factor in Alchemi Group’s decision making throughout with their passionate team dedicated to reducing the impact Westminster Fire Station has on the environment, both during and after construction.

As much of the existing Grade II listed structure has been retained in order to reduce the output of embodied carbon emissions and, without altering the historic attributes of the building, it has been thermally upgraded to reduce energy demands. As a result, the development achieves a carbon reduction of circa 60% which is well above Building Regulations, and exceeding the carbon reduction target of 35%, set by the Greater London Authority and the City of Westminster.

“We’re proud of our sustainability achievement at Westminster Fire Station which means a great deal to us” says Charlie Baxter, Managing Director of Alchemi Group. “By reusing and restoring the existing fire station building and making it more energy efficient, we have far exceeded carbon emission reduction targets set by the GLA and London Plan. Also, the entire ground floor of Mathura has been restored and incorporated much of the original fabric of its pre-existing use as well.”

Alchemi Group are equally passionate in their pursuit of design excellence, with Studio L, London, an innovative interior design studio curating Westminster Fire Station’s interiors and show homes. Its founder and creative director, Laura Marino has successfully combined elements sympathetic to the heritage of the building, such as oak herringbone flooring and custom ironmongery, with touches of luxury in its use of Italian Calacatta Viola marble as well as modern comforts of underfloor heating and comfort cooling.

These qualities are complimented by architectural features such as ceiling heights of up to 3.6m in their duplex apartments, a stunning glazed “snug” room in their largest Fire Station apartment and a magnificent penthouse with iconic views of Big Ben, the Shard and The Houses of Parliament.

CBRE International Residential Sales +852 2820 6553 ipm.hongkong@cbre.com.hk

JetsetterBooking.com

Denis Fahy

denis@jetsetter-magazine.com Publisher

A Letter from the Editor

Helen Dalley

helen.dalley@jetsetter-magazine.com Managing Editor

Nick Walton

Contributing Editor

Don Pierre Riosa

don@jetsetter-magazine.com Art Director

Paul Lo

paul.lo@jetsetter-magazine.com General Manager (Shanghai)

T

Robyn Tucker-Peck he pandemic has hit Hong Kong hard in recent months, and we hope you’re all safe and well during these challenging times. With travel still off the menu for most, many of us are taking time to enjoy the finer things in life, like a good bottle of wine. “With travel bans in place, people are more open to exploring wines that they may have otherwise adventured into while abroad,” says

co-founder of Hong Kong wine retailer Crushed Wines Camille Glass. Whether you’re keen to purchase limited edition bottles or just looking to expand your terroir repertoire, read our feature on wine collecting (and drinking!) on p34.

Contributing Editor

Darryl Scott

d.scott@jetsetter-magazine.com Advertising Director

Fatima Cameira

fatima@jetsetter-magazine.com Marketing Director John Murphy john@jetsetter-magazine.com Advertising Director (Thailand)

C

Lois Lai

Y

It’s the investment trend that everyone is talking about: non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. A form of digital ledger that can be sold and traded on a blockchain, it was Collins Dictionary’s word of the year in 2021. If you’re keen to get started but don’t know where to begin, read our feature on

lois@jetsetter-magazine.com Event Director

p74, which showcases NFT platforms for art, property, watches, sports memorabilia and wines and spirits.

Now that Australia has opened its borders, there’s a city guide on Sydney (p30) that spotlights the best outdoor swimming pools, places to enjoy scrambled eggs and live music. Love books?

Then don’t miss our feature on Dublin, which includes a literary pub crawl and a trip to the Museum of Literature Ireland. While in the Irish capital, we also visited independent whiskey distillery Teeling, whose 24-Year-Old Single Malt was crowned World’s Best Single Malt award at the 2019 World Whiskies Awards. (p48).

M

CM

MY

Laurence James

laurence.james@jetsetter-magazine.com Chief Representative, Europe

CY

CMY

JETSETTER is registered as a newspaper & periodical.

JETSETTER is published by Jetsetter Ltd JETSETTER is printed by Jetsetter Ltd Suite A, 14/F Bangkok Bank Building, 28 Des Voeux Rd, Central, Hong Kong Level 8 Tower 2 Jing An Kerry Centre, 1515 Nanjing West Road Jing’an District Shanghai, China 200041

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Managing Editor Helen Dalley

Contributors Robyn-Tucker Peck

brings more than 30 years’ magazine experience working in London, Chicago, Hong Kong and Vancouver for magazines including Cosmopolitan, Tatler and Homes & Gardens. In this issue, Robyn explains why Lebanese fashion designer Tony Ward is such a fashion icon.

Check out pieces from his latest collection on p64.

Paul Lo is Jetsetter’s

general manager in Shanghai, a media veteran who’s worked at the Hong Kong Standard, South China Morning Post, Shanghai Daily and the Global Times. In this issue, Paul talks travel trends and new properties with Hilton’s Nils-Arne Schroeder and Brian Tong, the newly appointed GM of the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai. Read the interviews on p90-93.

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All rights reserved. Copyright and distribution rights are reserved exclusively for Jetsetter Ltd, their partners, associates and affiliates. All materials published remain the property of the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission. All information contained in this publication is from a reliable source. Jetsetter Ltd does not make any guarantees to the accuracy of the information contained.

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30

CITY GUIDE SYDNEY

Jetsetter rounds up the best outdoor swimming pools, places to savour scrambled eggs and live music venues in the city

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34

FEATURE

GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN

Wine consumption and investment is on the up in Hong Kong. Whether you want to start a collection or simply buy better bottles, read our feature first

48

FEATURE

LITERARY ADVENTURES IN DUBLIN

With four Nobel Prizes for literature, there’s a distinctly book-ish feel to the Irish capital, says Helen Dalley

64

FEATURE

LEBANESE COUTURE

Robyn Tucker-Peck introduces the latest collection from Lebanese fashion icon Tony Ward

74

FEATURE

DIGITAL DEALINGS

Jetsetter introduces the best blockchain platforms for NFT investments, from art to sports memorabilia

84

INSIDER

ALL IN THE MIND

New mental health studio Mindish takes a hospitality-inspired approach to wellness

48

88

INSIDER

BREWING UP IN HONG KONG

Carbon Brews is winning over non-beer fans with its creative ales, says co-founder Chris Wong

98

IN THE KITCHEN FIERY PLATES

74

Andrey Metelev / Unsplash

Sichuan eatery Chilli Fagara offers plenty of veggie-friendly dishes, says head chef Kai Chan

106

HOTEL REVIEW

ARTISTIC INSPIRATION

Linthwaite House in the Lake District is home to one of the UK’s finest collections of South African art, says Helen Dalley

110

RESTAURANT REVIEW

FRENCH CLASSICS, JAPANESE TWIST

At Clarence, chef Olivier Elzer showcases his newly patented “Yakifrenchy” concept, which sees French classics like frog’s legs and snails presented yakitori style

Cover Photo of Jude Law courtesy of Brioni

An Ideal Retreat to Escape and Unwind

hotelnikkobali-benoabeach.com

hotelnikkobali

+62 812 1266 3577

ROOM WITH A VIEW

Koh Cool Kimpton Kitalay Samui’s largest

two-bedroom villa offers a capacious escape…

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ROOM WITH A VIEW

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impton Kitalay Samui opened its doors this January on Choengmon Beach in the northeast of Koh Samui, bringing a dash of understated glamour to the

popular party island. Situated in a quiet cove far from busy Chaweng, the resort was designed by local Thai creatives P49 Deesign and stands upon double-tiered, stilt-suspended platforms.

Featuring rustic wooden elements from repurposed driftwood, earthy palettes and wave-inspired terrace furnishings add character to the 138 designled rooms and pool villas, which showcase Thai basketry motifs on the bathroom floors and local artwork.

Once checked in, guests can sample an elevated bath experience with the resort’s signature sea salt and patchouli-scented bath amenities by Thai beauty brand Harrn including bath bombs, bath salts and milk baths. Afterwards, cocoon yourself in a handwoven ocean blue cotton robe customdesigned by local Samui tailors.

At the resort’s 21 oceanfront villas – including our favourite, the two-bedroomed Villa Kitalay with this stunning turquoise view – you’ll have 628 sqm to lounge about in, with two bedrooms set in separate structures to offer the kids (or friends) some privacy. Curl up with a paperback or your Kindle on the daybed or lounger beside the private pool, then pull up a chair on the raised platform over the swimming pool as you gaze out at the Andaman and sip something cold.

Enjoy s’mores and shadow puppetry at Kimpton Kitalay Samui

As the sun sets, head over to the firepit for complimentary s’mores and a performance of Nang Talung, Southern Thailand’s traditional shadow puppet theatre. More of a morning person?

Get up at sunrise for alms offering to the monks, or a take part in the bike ride around Choeng Mon Beach, which leaves daily at daybreak. kimptonkitalaysamui.com

21 jetsetter-magazine.com

INTRODUCING

A Soular Retreat Plan a trip to a design-conscious hotel situated in the Mexican jungle

L

ocated in the Mexican jungle outside

wellness area and a standalone open-air Mexican

Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca, eco-

restaurant that serves up nutritious menus. A short

conscious guests with a penchant for

walk away, the beach club takes a similarly health-

Brutalist-inspired architecture will

focused approach, with turmeric and cayenne

adore Hotel Terrestre, a boutique

pepper lemonade and a drink crafted from ginger

property completely powered by solar energy.

and cacao sods. A beach club drink is the perfect precursor to a visit to the wellness area, which

Brutalist-inspired boutique property Hotel Terrestre is powered by solar energy

Featuring 14 interconnected villas, each with their

features a communal circular pool, swimming lane

own private pool, architect Alberto Kalach and his

and hexagonal spa with chilled water tub and steam

team at Taller de Arquitectura X (TAX), constructed

room.

the hotel entirely of locally sourced materials together with interior design studio RB + K. Earthy colour

The property is situated near cultural spaces

palettes are utilised throughout the property and

including Casa Wabi, a compound with a Tadao

complemented by custom furniture from Mexican

Ando-designed centre that hosts artist residencies

designer Oscar Hagerman. Each villa has an outdoor

and exhibitions and a permanent large-scale outdoor

bathroom, while private terraces are furnished with

art installation by Mexican artist Bosco Sodi. Surf,

hammocks and pools overlooking the Oaxacan coast.

bird watch, hike, horse ride, bathe in natural hot springs or simply meditate during your stay while

Hotel Terrestre’s vibrant garden surrounds a

22 jetsetter-magazine.com

admiring the oh-so-cool design. terrestrehotel.com

Join our discerning community of affluent, successful and interesting people

membership@clublux.co

INTRODUCING

Vietnamese Vibes

D

reaming of Vietnam once restrictions are lifted? Regent Hotels & Resorts will launch its first property in Southeast Asia this Spring. Situated off the southwest coast of Vietnam alongside a UNESCO-designated World Biosphere Reserve, the hotel will feature 76 suites and 126 villas on Long Beach.

If you’re travelling en masse and want to stay together, don’t fret, as large parties can bed down in a seven-bedroom villa. Want the best view? The Sky Pool villas,

Regent Hotels launches first resort in Southeast Asia in

Phu Quoc

situated high in the Sky Wing, boast fabulous ocean views while lagoon pool villas overlook the resort’s lagoons.

Designed by BLINK Design Group, the resort’s architecture echoes and reflects its local surroundings with a modern interpretation of Vietnamese roofs while in-villa courtyards pay tribute to a traditional Vietnamese house.

Among the six restaurant and bars is Oku, a Franco-Japanese Salon de Boeuf serving beef cuts and sushi at the omakase counter, while Rice Market

Regent Phu Quoc’s 76 suites and 126 villas are inspired

by Vietnamese architecture

serves up Southern Vietnam and southern Chinese dishes. Fancy a drink?

Speakeasy Bar Jade serves up artisanal spirits and bespoke cocktails mixed with fresh local herbs, while sky pool terrace joint Fu Bar mixes up gin-based drinks.

The Health Club features a fitness centre, reset meditation studio and rooftop yoga pavilions, while wellness programmes include Acoustic/Vibrational therapy and Psammo Hot Sand Therapy. Pre-dinner, why not pamper yourself at the Pedi:Mani:Cure concept salon by renowned podiatrist Bastien Gonzalez? regenthotels.com 24 jetsetter-magazine.com

Hommage à Vincent van Gogh

MADE IN VIENNA shop.FREYWILLE.com

INTRODUCING

Shenzhen Luxe Mandarin Oriental opens its first hotel in Shenzhen

H

ong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental

teppanyaki joint Rin and MO Bar on the rooftop,

brand has opened a hotel over

which serves up vintage cocktails and tunes from a

the Chinese border in Shenzhen

live DJ.

on the top levels of a new

The Mandarin Oriental Shenzhen has eight F&B options and a Mandarin Spa

79-storey mixed-use development,

Situated on the 68th floor, the Mandarin Spa has

UpperHills, in Futian. Featuring 178 rooms and

seven treatment suites, including one where couples

suites, most feature telescopes so you can zoom in on

can experience therapies together. The signature

the views from this lofty spot. The 114 sqm Skyline

treatment, Spirit of Shenzhen, features a warm quartz

View Suite is your best bet for dreamy sunset vistas,

sand therapy to detoxify, singing bowl therapy plus

while the larger 190 sqm Mandarin and Oriental

Xiuyan Jade and Gua Sha Meridien techniques. Other

suites overlook Shenzhen Bay and Buia Hill Park

key treatments are the Serenity Sound Bath to remove

respectively.

blocked energy using sound and specialist massage techniques, and an Oriental Body Scrub. There is

The hotel has eight restaurants and bars including

also a fitness centre and a 20m indoor lap pool with

Cantonese fine dining restaurant The Bay By Chef

a cathedral-like 30m ceiling that’s sure to wow.

Fei. Other stand-out F&B options include Tapas 77,

mandarinoriental.com/Shenzhen

26 jetsetter-magazine.com

INTRODUCING

Eastern Charm Conrad

makes dazzling debut in Shanghai

T

he opening of Conrad Shanghai represents the brand’s first foray into the city – and it’s one of the biggest hotels in the city, with 728 guest rooms and 17 meeting rooms. Situated amid People’s Square, the hotel’s extensive meeting

space and rooms are set over 66 floors, and within within easy access of the Bund, Xintiandi and other attractions including Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Grand Theatre, and Yu Garden.

Each of the hotel’s suites and executive rooms include access to the Executive Lounge on level 44, while calligraphy, paintings, and pottery coolly reference the hotel’s location. If you’re travelling in a group, all suites sleep four, the largest being the 128 sqm King Conrad Suite, which has a separate living/dining area and a kitchenette. Freeling peckish? There are Cantonese, French and Spanish restaurants onsite, along with a bar and lounge on the 64th and 65th floors that features a penthouseinspired event space and a classically styled bar boasting wraparound views of the Bund and Pudong. hilton.com

Conrad Shanghai boasts 728 guest rooms and an executive lounge

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INSPIRE

Jetting Away Plan a private jet trip with Four Seasons in 2023

the African Wonders is a 13-day family-friendly adventure and includes wildlife excursions in Rwanda, a trip to the ancient pyramids of Egypt and stop-overs in Mauritius, Victoria Falls and Johannesburg.

The longest running Four Seasons private jet journey, Timeless Encounters, returns in 2023.

Starting off in Hawaii, guests do a guided snorkel safari in Bora Bora before jetting off to Australia backstage at the Sydney Opera House, then Thailand and India for temples, Dubai for cool cityscapes before heading to Florence for a private viewing of Michelangelo’s David then backstage for a show at

Book a bucket list trip with the Four Seasons private jet experience

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

W

ant to explore bucket-list

International Intrigue takes in nine destinations:

destinations without multiple

Seattle, Kyoto, Hoi An, Maldives, Serengeti,

commercial flights, layovers

Marrakech, Budapest, St. Petersburg and Paris, with

and delays? Four Seasons has

highlights including a samurai sword lesson in Kyoto

debuted a trio of private jet itineraries for 2023:

and soaring above the Serengeti in a hot air balloon.

family-friendly private jet journey African Wonders, returning favourite itinerary Timeless Encounters and

All 2023 itineraries will take place aboard the new

International Intrigue, which takes in four continents

Four Seasons private jet, a 48-seater with the widest

and nine countries.

and tallest cabin in its class, while the flight crew for each journey will include a concierge, executive chef

The first Four Seasons private jet journey of its kind, 28 jetsetter-magazine.com

and physician. fourseasons.com/privatejet

CITY GUIDE – SYDNEY

G’day Again,

Sydney

As Australia opens its borders to international travellers, Jetsetter rounds up the best of Sydney, with scrambled eggs, outdoor pools and live music all in the mix 30 jetsetter-magazine.com

Silas Baisch / Unsplash

Scott Eckersley / Unsplash

CITY GUIDE – SYDNEY

SCRAMBLED EGGS Fork up a breakfast favourite

LIVE MUSIC Tune into the city

OUTDOOR POOLS Splash about alfresco

Laid back chef Bill Granger is a Sydney

The Enmore Theatre (enmoretheatre.com. au) has hosted Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Coldplay and Oasis. Enmore Road’s pubs, bars and restaurants are buzzing when a gig at The Enmore is on: stop in for a drink at Earl’s Juke Joint or the Enmore Hotel.

An ocean rock pool built into the cliffs at

treasure and his restaurant, Bill’s (bills. com.au) is renowned for its scrambled eggs made with butter and cream, which you can sample at one of four locations.

Have it straight up on sourdough, or go for the Aussie breakfast (eggs, toast, tomato, mushrooms, pork, sausage and

Inspired by Andy Warhol’s famed Factory

bacon).

in New York, the Oxford Art Factory

the southern end of Bronte Beach, Bronte Baths is divided into two sections by a barrier in the water, for 30m lap swimming, or water play and bathing.

Get here for high tide and you might encounter waves crashing over the edge of the pool.

(oxfordartfactory.com) is where Lady Gaga

Bondi Iceberg (icebergs.com.au) has

Another popular choice for smooth,

played her first ever Australian show in 2008.

a licensed clubhouse that boasts stellar

creamy scrambled eggs is Two Good Eggs

This tiny venue allows performers to interact

views across Bondi Beach. Featuring a

(twogoodeggs.com.au): it serves them

with the audience and there are plenty of

larger lap pool and smaller kid’s pool,

on sourdough with home-made relish

spots for a drink beforehand: try Bitter Phew

qualified lifeguards are on patrol during

from its location in Surry Hills. Sides of

for local ales.

opening hours all year round. There’s also a sauna.

smoked salmon and avocado make a good accompaniment. Why not go for both?

West Juliett (westjuliett.com) offers eggs your way – including scrambled on toasted sourdough of course – using free range eggs from a nearby farm. Feeling adventurous? Then try the chili scrambled eggs with grilled chorizo and cherry tomatoes. Pair it with a single origin cold brew coffee from Five Senses.

Another good place for a fiery take on scrambled eggs is Bitton Café (bittongourmet.com.au), which serves its chili scrambled egg dish with spicy vegetable pickles. Try them at its flagship restaurant in Alexandria, or Oatley and Rose Bay locations.

Since the 1990s, The Metro Theatre (metrotheatre.com.au) has been the place

Situated in Surry Hills next to

for high-energy gigs, with everyone from the

Central Station, Prince Alfred Park

Foo Fighters to Lorde playing here. Smaller

(princealfred.org) offers a 50m heated

shows are also held in The Lair, a secondary

pool with nine lanes, toddlers splash

space that holds a few hundred people.

pad, grandstand with shade, and grass

Darling Quarter is just 10 minutes away if

area for sun lounging.

you fancy a bite and a pint before rocking out.

A restored 1920s pool with harbour views, Macaullum pool is a great place

The Lansdowne Hotel (thelansdownepub. com.au), was the epicentre of Sydney’s rock, punk and indie music scene in the 1970s and 1980s. Five years ago, Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham, who operate Mary’s and The Unicorn Hotel, restored the venue to its former glory. You can now catch live music most nights on the second floor.

31 jetsetter-magazine.com

to splash about in the seawater. Located on the western side of Cremorne Point, the 33m pool is surrounded by a timber deck that’s a great sunbathing spot.

FEATURE - WINE INVESTMENT

Going Against

the

Grain Wine investment is on the up – and it needn’t cost a fortune to start a collection, says

Helen Dalley

34 jetsetter-magazine.com

FEATURE - WINE INVESTMENT

The extensive cellar at sommelier-led wine bar ThinkWine in Hong Kong

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FEATURE - WINE INVESTMENT

T

he wine market is thriving, and investment in fine wines has outperformed luxury handbags and high-end watches during the pandemic according to

Knight Frank’s Luxury Investment Index, which revealed fine wines ranked first by value compared with Rolex and Cartier or Hermès Birkin handbags and prestigious cars in the 12 months to the end of June 2021. The Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Index, which tracks the price of the 100 most sought-after wines, rose 25 per cent last year, and it’s being driven by the first growths of the Bordeaux region, says co-founder Justin Gibbs. Buying spikes are witnessed ahead of Chinese New Year, with many purchasing wines from previous vintages of the same zodiac, while commemorative bottles continue to be released specifically for the Chinese market, say Live-ex.

BORDEAUX AND BURGUNDY CONTINUE TO BOOM There is no doubt that Asia powers the wine market, according to Paul Wong, head of Sotheby’s Wine & Spirits, Asia. “Sales in the region in 2021 accounted for 51 per cent of the global total of US$132 million in auction sales for wines and spirits, a record high for Sotheby’s.” There were several standout moments last year, including the sale of Asian entrepreneur Pierre Chen’s collection for US$15 million and wines from Hong Kong tycoon

other commodities – buy the right wines from the top

Joseph Lau, which fetched US$6.8 million.

producers and vintages at the right time and at the

Led by an increase in the number of collectors and a burgeoning interest among younger generations, the fine wine market continues to grow, says Wong. “As you might expect, some regions are boosted by global demand, and that’s certainly the case with Burgundy – prices are fueled by prestigious names such as Henry Jayer, Domaine Leroy, and Domaine de la

right price. The issue of authenticity is also a given that requires sourcing with care from suppliers with a proven track record. Investment wines as a category are also, by definition, relatively youthful specimens – buying old wines defeats the purpose as they have already achieved their greatest gains in price.”

The element in wine investing that is changing is the widening of categories suitable for this pursuit. “The

Romanée-Conti.”

blue-chip area remains the greatest classified growths of Bordeaux, where there is that magic combination

There is no one size fits all when it comes to

that makes a market: quality and quantity. However,

investing, but full original cases of six or 12

in recent years, the focus has shifted from Bordeaux

bottles continue to fetch a premium as do large formats, which are superb aging vessels and rarer by nature, he elaborates. “The usual ground rules apply to investing in wine as to

to Burgundy, with prices for wines from the greatest domaines commanding top prices. We are also seeing widening demand for top Champagnes and Rhônes, which if selected carefully can be interesting.”

36 jetsetter-magazine.com

FEATURE - WINE INVESTMENT

clockwise from top left:

bottles of La Romanée Grand Cru from 2005 are priced at around HK$20,000; bottles of fizz are aged in Champagne caves; Sotheby’s Paul Wong in action at the auction house

Collectors in Hong Kong have shown a historical preference for French wines such as Burgundy and Bordeaux, and Wong says his wine collection is mostly bottles from these regions. It is also seeing more interest from Champagne and Napa Valley wines.

“There is a growing demand for Champagne in Hong Kong versus Singapore, for example, as their preference is more diverse,” Wong explains.

Before starting a wine collection, Wong advises that you consider its purpose. “Are you buying wine for consumption or investment, or both, what price levels are you prepared to pay, what do you like drinking, what bottle sizes do you prefer, which regions and grape variety are to your taste, and so on.” Provenance, condition and buying from trusted sources is key, he adds. While you may want to save some bottles, Wong says wine collections are there to be drunk. “Wine is to be enjoyed, over meals with family and friends, and on special occasions, such as birthdays and anniversaries, and I’m most definitely an advocate for drinking it.”

There will always be some collectors who buy wine for investment

Photo by: Claudio Schwarz / Unsplash

purposes, and if you count yourself in that category, Wong recommends staying with the wines that have a proven track record of increasing in price in the long term. “We have seen portfolios that have not performed well when the selection is too diverse or focused on lesser producers or vintages,” he notes.

Wong expects Burgundy will continue to be popular as due to its light body and aroma, this is a style that is well-liked by the Asian market, while Bordeaux will also continue to enjoy a stable growth, he predicts.

There is no one size fits all when it comes to investing, but full original cases of six or 12 bottles continue to fetch a premium, as do large formats, which are rarer by nature Paul Wong,

head of Sotheby’s Wine & Spirits, Asia

37 jetsetter-magazine.com

FEATURE - WINE INVESTMENT

INDEPENDENT, SUSTAINABLE WINES While Bordeaux and Burgundy reign supreme in Asian auction houses, in Hong Kong’s bars and wine retailers, the wine experience is diversifying and drinkers are open to trying different bottles.

This is good news for wine retailers in the city like Crushed Wines, which was established by Brut! restaurant and wine bar owner Camille Glass with three other wine-loving friends last May. Located in Sai Ying Pun, Glass says they plan to curate a space where friends, neighbours and the community can uncover distinctive bottles from small-scale producers and sustainable vineyards. “We want wine to be approachable for everyone – that’s why we’re setting out to help people understand the tastes, smells and sensations they’re experiencing. Not just how delicious and approachable they are, but how these winemakers play an important role in the world, sowing sustainability in their vineyards, cellars and communities,” says Glass. Customers can order the wines via the site as well as in-store, with free delivery to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon for orders over HK$1,200.

Crushed Wines’ focus is small batch bottles from around the world, including orange wines from Italy and Spain and Oregon Chardonnays. They begin by searching for smallbatch wines with heart. “We’re looking for wines that tell the stories of the growers and the land they tend, the makers and their inspirations, their communities and the roles they play in them, and how they contribute to sustainability. Any bottles that make us truly excited go on our shortlist and usually onto our shelves,” she notes.

For a long time, Glass says Hong Kong wine choices were almost exclusively Eurocentric, but recently people have started exploring the New World with a lot of enthusiasm.

“The world of wine seems to be turning a page – there’s so much more openness now around lower intervention wines and lesser-known regions and the playful yet elegant whites called orange wines, which are made by juice to create an orange-hued product. Generally, the landscape of what’s popular is becoming a lot more exciting,” she says.

There’s been an increase in wine sales as people have had more disposable income to allocate to wine purchasing since the pandemic, says Glass. “More wine is being

clockwise from bottom left:

Crushed Wines’ retail store in Central; wines ageing in the cellar at Calistoga, Napa Valley; Crushed Wines favours independent, sustainable producers

bought for daily consumption as people are spending more time at home than in previous years in Hong Kong. With travel bans in place, people are more open

38 jetsetter-magazine.com

Photo of wine cave: Jim Harris / Unsplash

leaving the grape skins and seeds in contact with the

FEATURE - WINE INVESTMENT

to exploring wines they may have otherwise adventured into while abroad.”

As for starting a wine collection, Glass says the key is to find a good, reputable merchant – be it retail, online or auction – who does their homework on the wines they’re selling and has detailed information on the bottles. “Pick one thing to roll with, be it the maker, the region, the grape or just even just the style. Use that as the seed you plant and let your learning, and collection, grow naturally from there.” Not all wine is made for ageing, she points out, adding, “ask the savvy wine folk in your community or spend some time Googling your bottle of choice.”

From an investment point of view, wine is a long game, Glass admits.

“Generally, the longer you hold out, the more benefit you stand to gain as each individual wine will get more scarce the further you get from the year it was released. To try and maximise returns, you can take a look at what regions are trending in wine auctions as a guide on what’s likely to sell the best,” she says.

A HOME GROWN AUCTION HOUSE Aeos Auctions offers regular online auctions and community wine workshops Formerly Asia’s head of wine for Christie’s, wine consultant Simon Tam saw how entry level wine lovers were alienated at auctions due to high price points and inexperience. He established Aeos Auctions last year to create a new generation of auction house that welcomes wine lovers of all levels and demystifies common misconceptions about wine. It not only sells wines to collect but also bottles that are ready to drink, with a diverse range of price points.

Bidding starts at just HK$100.

With new bottles added every day, the rolling online auctions last for around two weeks and have included fabled growths from Burgundy and Bordeaux alongside New World wines from Napa Valley and Margaret River. At its first live auction this January, it showcased a single private owner collection of Burgundies from the acclaimed Domaine René Engel. There are no reserve prices or high estimates but there is a 22.% buyer’s premium. aeosauctions.com

With travel bans in place, people are more open to exploring wines that they may have otherwise adventured into while abroad

Camille Glass,

co-founder, Crushed Wines

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FEATURE - WINE INVESTMENT

Hong Kong has lot of wine lovers and connoisseurs, says

THE BAR EXPERIENCE

Loriot. “Wine knowledge among Hong Kong drinkers is

Central wine bar/restaurant ThinkWine has around 600

impressive. They are very curious and willing to learn.

labels of different wines and a stock of 3,500 bottles.

Wine drinkers here are open minded and not focused on

Around 75 per cent of the wines are French, says owner

only one wine country. When I was working in France

Romain Loriot, who worked as head sommelier at Alain

people would not drink Italian, Spanish and definitely not

Ducasse’s Rech in Hong Kong and Paris. “Our customers

Australian wines. It’s a pity because all of these countries

mostly drink red wine from Burgundy and Bordeaux, but

are making beautiful wines.”

we like to recommend wine from other areas or countries for them to discover. Overall Burgundy and Bordeaux

Loriot says a wine collection is very personal. “Are you

wines are all time favourites but interest in fine Italian

focused on one country? Young vintage to age? Vintage

wines and artisan Australian wines are also picking up,”

ready to drink? Rare wine or special wine maker? An easy

he says. These wines are paired with classic French dishes

way is to start with a particular appellation that you like

such as duck confit and bœuf bourguignon, adds Loriot.

to drink, or a special year in your life, such as your child’s birth year,” he says. This is what has formed the basis of

When Loriot arrived in Hong Kong five years ago, he

his own collection. “I like to keep special bottles that have

says Bordeaux was by far the most popular wine – but

a meaning in my life. One typical bottle would be Dom

now he says it’s Burgundy. Guests are also willing to

Perignon P3 1988, which I bought the day my son was

discover wine from Italy, Spain and Australia as it’s more

born. I also keep bottles of Winston Churchill 2002 and

competitively priced.

Dom Perignon P2 1998, the two Champagnes I drank with my wife on our first date.”

While wines can be taken away, Loriot says it encourages customers to enjoy the extensive wine list on the

The restaurant owner admits there are a lot of people

premises. A surprise discovery may encourage wine

buying or trading wine to make profit, and that rare wines

lovers to seek out this wine again and perhaps add it to a

are always good investments if you can buy it at a good

collection.

price. “It’s best to get some allocation directly from the

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FEATURE - WINE INVESTMENT

An easy way is to start a collection is with a particular appellation you like to drink, or a special year in your life, such as your child’s birth year

Pierre Loriot

owner, ThinkWine restaurant and wine bar

wine maker or buy it when the vintage is released. I’ve read fine wines have been appreciating by 15 per cent or more annually in the past five years – it’s hard to verify the number but I’m not surprised. After all, which investment instrument can be consumed for enjoyment other than wine?”

The wine market is in a good place right now and will only continue to diversify, says Loriot. “While wine prices have been going up every year, you have more and more wine collections around the world and more wine lovers. At every shipment, I try to import new winemakers not yet represented in Hong Kong. I’m confident that Hong Kong’s wine market will prove resilient and even grow, despite social distancing measures. You might see more wines being purchased from online wine retailers because of it.”

clockwise from left:

Hong Kong wine bar/restaurant ThinkWine; popular bottles with its clientele; magnums in the fire place; barrels at prestigious Burgundy winery Louis Jadot

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FEATURE - DUBLIN

Arching over the River Liffey, Ha’penny Bridge in Dublin’s centre is crossed by around 30,000 people daily

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FEATURE - DUBLIN

Dublin Revival

With a buzzing F&B scene and an inspiring literary legacy, the Irish capital is one of Europe’s most memorable cities, says Helen Dalley

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FEATURE - DUBLIN

C

clockwise from bottom left:

elebrated for its pubs, cultural heritage – there are more than 60 museums and 50 art galleries –

the streets of Dublin; the handsome facade of the Willder Townhouse; the garden room, H1 suite at the hotel; popular room

and dry wit, Dublin is one of Europe’s best-loved cities, its friendly, down-to-earth residents a big

draw for many who stop by the Irish capital. One of its most famous sons and celebrated writers of the 20th century, Dubliner James Joyce, who used the city as the backdrop to many of his novels, once said, “When I die, Dublin will be written in my heart.” While he spent much of his adult life living abroad, Joyce placed Dublin at the centre of his writing, once remarking: “I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin, I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world.”

Joyce set Ulysse s, one of the greatest books ever written, in Dublin, along with many of his novels. But Joyce is one of many literary legends hailing from the Irish capital. Seamus Heaney, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and William Butler Yeats all received the Nobel Prize for Literature, while Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker are Dublin born and bred.

For my Dublin retreat, I’m staying at the Wilder Townhouse, a 42-room red-bricked Victorian beauty located in Saint Kevin’s, which is named for its neo-Gothic parish church. A 20-minute walk from the city centre, the hotel is in a quiet, affluent area, while the rooms teem with character. In our popular room, the high ceilings, sash windows and original fireplaces are coolly contrasted with a pair of modern yellow chairs, while a golden spaniel statue, ears akimbo, sits solemnly by the fireplace. Deputy manager John Farrelly, who is showing me round, says the hotel used to be a retirement home for governesses, who were often left destitute when they retired.

“The younger ones were located on the higher floors and had to take the stairs, while those from prominent families would receive a better room,” Farrelly notes. In the suites, the stained glass in the upper windows and the original fireplaces in the

Matheus Camara Da Silva / Unsplash

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FEATURE - DUBLIN

bathrooms pay tribute to the hotel’s former status. As for recommendations of what to do in Dublin, the deputy manager is full of ideas. He advises a trip to the nearby seaside town of Howth for fish and chips on the pier, and a walk round the National Art Gallery to see the Jack Yeats room, where you can view oil paintings by one of Dublin’s most celebrated artists. Don’t miss, too, he says, the Chester Beatty Library for its Oriental textiles and the Oscar Wilde statue in Merrion Square. Most importantly, where is a good place for a pint of Guinness, I ask. “O’ Donoghue’s,” he replies, without missing a beat. A gathering point for early Viking settlers, it has traditional Irish music on seven nights a week.

Like more and more boutique hotels, the bar/dining space is reserved for hotel guests only, and during our stay we get to know several members of staff quite well.

Each guest is entitled to a complimentary gin and tonic (craft Irish gin and Poacher’s tonic, also Irish), which we sip in the lounge under the gaze of a contemporary light fitting reflected in a gold-framed mirror. It’s an upscale, idiosyncratic space, tables decked out with wildflowers in glass bottles and artworks like miniature pigs wearing gold boots sat atop the mantle.

SCONES AND COFFEE Stepping out into the Dublin’s streets you’re hit with a big city buzz but something distinctly Irish, too, with signs for Guinness and Jameson’s beckoning drinkers into the city’s many bars. But there’s more to the Irish capital than its iconic bars, and Dublin’s sophisticated dining scene plays host to many cuisines. No-one understands this better than co-founder of Middle Eastern-inspired eatery Brother Hubbard and Limerick lad Garrett Fitzgerald, who recently opened his fourth 51 jetsetter-magazine.com

FEATURE - DUBLIN

outlet in the city. We talk over a Farmhand coffee, which is brewed locally, in the back room of his vast Capel Street restaurant. “I had this interesting career as a

Dublin’s food scene can now happily sit shoulder to shoulder with London, Melbourne, Paris and New York

business consultant but was always interested in food and was inspired by Otto Lenghi’s modern approach to Middle Eastern food,” he explains. Fitzgerald ate his way round the Middle East, experiencing the dishes and the culture of the food, before returning to launch his first restaurant in Dublin in 2012. “We were one of the first specialty coffee places in Dublin,” he says. The restaurant owner describes the changes to Dublin’s food scene in the last decade as explosive.

“The level of innovation and creativity has been

Garrett Fitzgerald

owner of Brother Hubbard restaurant

incredible, and Dublin can now happily sit shoulder to shoulder with London, Melbourne, Paris and New York,” he believes. What to eat at Brother Hubbard? He

Negroni and Vietnamese iced coffee are popular.

recommends a mezze tray for lunch, available as a meat or vegan version, or a Moroccan Zalouk, a chickpea

WHISKEY AND BONO

and aubergine stew with soft poached eggs on top and

Breakfast at the Wilder is quite extraordinary, with

sourdough bread. “It’s a good meal to get you started

three tiers of treats, afternoon tea style, served up

and set you up for the day,” he says. There are nods

alongside your main brekkie order. The tiers are topped

to Irish cuisine on the menu, too. “We couldn’t open

with smoothies and granola in shot glasses, followed

a restaurant in Dublin without having scones on the

by miniature pastries, with soda and Guinness bread

menu, and we make them fresh every morning – it’s a

at the bottom. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I

classic breakfast pastry here,” he says. They’re served

order overnight oats with raisins and honey, while my

with Irish butter, with orange blossom for a Middle

companion has an Irish breakfast with black and white

Eastern flourish.

pudding (the flavour is broadly similar, but the white version doesn’t contain blood).

Before heading back to the Wilder over Ha’penny Bridge, I stop in for an award-winning Irish coffee

Walking into town through St Stephen’s Green, we’re

at Vice, where brews change depending on seasonal

keen to explore the Little Museum of Dublin, a must-

availability and food tours and gastronomy students

visit for any U2 fan as there is a whole floor dedicated

continuously swing by to try this boozy staple. “We’re

to Dublin’s most famous sons and the band’s 40-year

non-traditional, we’re not an old man’s pub, and we

history. Highlights include a giant Gibson Explorer,

champion Irish roasteries like 3FE and Roasted Brown,”

the guitar of choice for the Edge, and a Trabant car

explains Tom Stafford, manager at Vice Coffee. He says

from their Achtung Baby days. Inside the 18th century

people usually think of Irish coffee as something of a

townhouse, our French guide, Pierre, delights in testing

novelty drink, filter coffee and a cheap blended whiskey

our knowledge of all things Dublin, like how many

lazily topped with squirty cream. Here, the popular

Nobel laureates for literature the city has won. He

after-dinner drink is taken seriously. The award-winning

also evokes the squalor of the city’s tenements, where

Artisan Frankie is made with two espressos, Dublin-

families of 10, 11 and more were housed in a single

brewed small batch Teeling whiskey, cream and sugar,

room in the early 20th century.

with grated orange atop the cream delivering a zesty finish. One sip swiftly puts all those Irish coffees I’ve

What I love most about Ireland is its dry sense of

previously sipped in the shade, with warm whisky-

humour: the ultimate Irish wit, Oscar Wilde, once

laced coffee a wonderful undercurrent to the orange and

quipped, “I am so clever that sometimes I don’t

cream, and caramel notes from the Teeling. In addition

understand a single word of what I am saying.”. After

to artisan Irish coffees, Stafford says its cold brew

taking my leave from this eccentric place, I tell my

clockwise from top left:

Dublin by night; inside the Museum of Literature Ireland; Garrett Fitzgerald, founder of Brother Hubbard restaurant; a tier of breakfast treats at the Wilder Townhouse

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Jordan Harrison / Unsplash

FEATURE - DUBLIN

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FEATURE - DUBLIN

clockwise from left:

James Joyce statue at St Stephen’s Green; pot stills and staff at Teeling; the Irish coffee elevated with Teeling small batch.

white bearded guide just how much I love U2 and the museum’s exhibition space. He takes me aside and asks me, “what’s the difference between Bono and God? Bono doesn’t think he’s God,” adding, “God doesn’t wear platform heels, either.” With such down-to-earth residents to keep them in check, even the city’s rock stars’ feet are kept firmly on the ground.

THE FUTURE OF WHISKEY While Dublin is rightly lauded for its Guinness (and it really does taste so much better over here) and Jameson’s, one relative newcomer that is gathering prominence is Teeling whiskey, an independent distiller whose 24-Year-Old Single Malt claimed the prestigious World’s Best Single Malt award at the 2019 World Whiskies Awards. When it opened in 2015, it was the first new distillery in Dublin to set up shop for 125 years, and it’s putting a youthful, edgy spin on whiskey with cool murals from local artist Shane Sutton decorating the distillery walls, and a tasting room that plays host to some creative cocktails, from a Blood Orange Smash to a New (Market) Fashioned, a Teeling twist on the Old Fashioned. While blended whisky often gets a bad rap, the Teeling Small Batch is one of the best blends I’ve tasted. It’s aged in ex-Bourbon barrels, then married together in Central American rum casks for up to 12 months for a unique, dried fruit profile. “On the blind testing, the blended whisky does really well,” says distillery brand ambassador James Kilgannon. He adds there’s still some work to be done on educating people about the origins of Irish whiskey but points out that the city is home to 37 distilleries.

While Jameson’s is the one everyone knows, Kilgannon says, with some confidence, “we are the future of Irish whiskey.” It’s certainly leading the way in the sustainability stakes, installing a rainwater harvesting system and onsite well to reduce water consumption, while beehives on the roof make honey for the distillery’s gift shop. They’re also trying to change the distillery experience, not only with the funky murals but also by giving visitors the chance to get up close and personal to the stills, which are named after owner

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FEATURE - DUBLIN Jack Teeling’s three daughters. As for the whiskey the focus is on unearthing new flavours. “We don’t want to make something that’s been made before. What’s the point?” says Kilgannon. Its unconventional collection, which includes the first single pot still to be made in Dublin for nearly 50 years, is testament to that, triple distilled in American virgin oak, Bourbon and sherry casks. But old favourites abound here, too. Bar supervisor Adam Wall mixes me up another Irish coffee, this time with brewed filter coffee and topped with

We are the future of Irish whiskey

nutmeg. Whiskey sours and the (New) Market fashioned, which is made with honey from the distillery’s beehives, are both popular Teeling tipples, he says.

James Kilgannon Brand ambassador, Teeling whiskey

BEER AND BOOKS The Dublin Literary pub crawl is organised by a group of writers and actors. Actor and teacher Colm Quilligan brings the streets of Dublin alive with literary legend with his stories, and some charming Victorian pubs. We begin the tour in the Duke, where Leopold Bloom, the central character of Ulysses , met Molly Bloom, who was modelled on Joyce’s wife, Nora Barnacle. “Joyce was a feckless scrounger and big drinker who moved to Paris to escape Roman Catholicism,” says Qulligan, putting the literary visionary firmly in his place in typical Irish style, as we sup our first half-pint of the night. Next, we pull up a stool at O’ Neill’s, which has stood here since 1713, for a Smithwick’s red ale, where the poet Brendan Kennelly was a regular. “In 1759, Dublin had more than 4,000 pubs and over half of them were illegal,” notes Quilligan. Then we head to the Palace, a popular haunt of former editor of the Irish Times Bertie Smyllie and Flann O’ Brien, author of At-Swim Two Birds . “He was fond of drinking with Seamus Heaney, and his father wouldn’t allow English to be spoken,” our tour guide explains. The great famine, and mass emigration stopped Irish from being widely used, with around half the population speaking Irish before that, Quilligan adds.

At the Old Stand, which has stood on the corner of Exchequer and St. Andrew’s Street for more than 300 years and has a distinctive horseshoe bar, we sip O’Hara’s IPA as Quilligan tells us this was a haunt of the writer Brendan Behan.

Then we’re back on Duke Street at Davy Byrne’s,

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FEATURE - DUBLIN

where Leopold Bloom ate a gorgonzola sandwich and drank Burgundy in Ulysses .

REBRANDING THE POTATO Stephen Quilligan, co-founder of the Irish Potato Cake Company, is trying to make potato cakes, many an Irish mammy’s staple, a new trend in the city. At the restaurant, there’s a distinctly Irish theme going on, with a green colour scheme, shamrocks and Irish folk music playing softly in the background, while cute details like miniature Connect 4’s on the table and tea cosies on the pots add a homey feel. As a long-term F&B veteran of the city, he noticed that many were asking him where they could try Irish food, and what was Irish food, while some Asian visitors were under the impression that

clockwise from top left:

Stephen Quilligan, founder of the Irish Potato Cake Company; the library at Trinity College; Teeling tasting room; Oscar Wilde statue at Merrion Square; Trinity College; vegan potato cakes

the English staple of fish and chips was Irish. “There wasn’t a tangible thing that people could say, ‘oh, this is Irish,’ apart from the Irish stew and the Guinness.“ After selling potato cakes on the street as the pubs closed, it worked very well. “It’s a classic example of leftover cuisine, just like paella, and when I was a kid we’d make them with leftovers from Christmas

Mitch Hodge / Unsplash

day and so on. It’s a happy memory.”

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FEATURE - DUBLIN

Joyce was a feckless scrounger and big drinker who moved to Paris to escape Roman Catholicism

Colm Quilligan literary pub crawl tour guide

Presented on a wooden board, my trio of vegan cakes, which are flavoured with thyme and sage, are arranged to resemble a shamrock and feature a bean salad on the side. Other options on the menu include bacon and cheese and beef and Guinness.

Potatoes are an iconic part of Irish history. “If you ask people what they know about Ireland, they’ll say potatoes, shamrocks and Saint Patrick,” says Quilligan, who is hopeful that potato cakes can become a culinary trend in the city.

After our chat, it’s time to warm to the city’s literary theme once more, with a visit to the Museum of Literature Ireland, where an exhibition, Love, says Bloom, explores the deep love between James Joyce and his wife Nora, and their children Giorgio and Lucia. Books by Irish writers old are available to read throughout the museum. After seeing a copy of Oscar Wilde’s The

Happy Prince , I can’t resist sitting down to thumb through one of my favourite childhood books and am moved by the prince and the swallow’s friendship and sacrifices.

After a few days in Dublin, my heart has been won over. I’ve been impressed by how the city celebrates its heritage, be that local coffee roasteries and independent whiskey brands or classic dishes like scones and potato cakes. But it’s Medienservice / Unsplash

the Irish themselves, that down-to-earth wit and soft Dublin accent that will ultimately encourage me to return.

Jetsetter stayed at the Wilder Townhouse (thewilder.ie), which is part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group (slh.com) 57 jetsetter-magazine.com

WELLNESS

Self

WELLNESS EXPERIENCES AT HONG KONG’S FULLERTON OCEAN PARK

Care Spring Experiencing covid fatigue? Then book into Hong Kong’s new mental health studio, Mindish, or plan a visit to the new Fullerton Hong Kong Ocean Park

Slated to open in the second half of 2022, Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong is the first Fullerton resort worldwide and the only Fullerton hotel in the city.

Proving its commitment to wellness and sustainability, the hotel was the first in China to receive the International Well Building institute’s WELL Precertification under the WELL Building standard last year. It will offer wellbeing programmes including such as aqua yoga, hiking, meditation, forest bathing, tea ceremony rituals, dance/movement and music therapies. In addition to a wellness centre, the 425-room hotel has four dining outlets, an infinity pool, a kids’ lagoon and an indoor kids’ zone. fullertonhotels.com

A HOSPITALITY-INSPIRED APPROACH TO THERAPY WITH MINDISH A new mental health studio in Hong Kong, Mindish hopes to de-stigmatise therapy with a modern twist on mental health services that embraces a hospitality-informed approach. It’s an all-inclusive membership to integrated therapy with meditation classes, events and workshops. People pay for the number of sessions they need, then the meditation sessions, book clubs and so on are free. Each member can access a personal growth manager, trained psychologists who triage members and examine their circumstances and goals. Want to find out more? Read our interview with founder Hasanal LythgoeZafrullah on p84 . mindish.com

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WELLNESS

NEW PACKAGES AT CHIVA-SOM HUA HIN Specifically designed to address the challenges of COVID-19, ChivaSom recently launched four new wellness retreats. The Immune Resilience retreat incorporates nutrient-rich cuisine, detoxifying treatments and mindful exercise to naturally boost the body’s defences, while Gut Health is a personalised meal programme utilising natural ingredients, probiotics and fibre to restore the gut microbiome. Nature’s Embrace, meanwhile, emphasises the healing effects of nature, with outdoor activities to rebalance the body and mind, and Senior Wellness builds on gentle exercise, a nutritious diet and quality sleep enhancement to increase energy levels, cognitive function, stability and mobility. chivasom.com

AMAN ANNOUNCES NEW RETREATS

India’s Amanbagh has debuted its first-ofits-kind Ayurshala Centre, a purpose-built medicinal pharmacy unit where authentic Ayurvedic medicines are prescribed and prepared for guests using ingredients grown on site. A place for guests to gain a unique insight into Ayurveda Apothecary, the new stand-alone centre will also be home to the resort’s Ayurshala Retreat, which will take guests on an educative and transformative journey through Ayurveda, one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems, with retreats available year-round. Throughout 2022, Aman’s flagship holistic hideaway, including Thailand’s Amanupuri and Vietnam’s Amanoi, will continue to offer Wellness Immersions, multi-day, personalised programmes tailored to meet personal goals, which include a customised routine with daily spa treatments, a considered diet or cleanse, and suggested exercise. aman.com

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The Future of Working-From-Anywhere

FASHION - TONY WARD

The Architect of Detail Tony

Enter Lebanese fashion designer Ward’s stylish haute couture world with Robyn Tucker-Peck

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FASHION - TONY WARD

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FASHION - TONY WARD

L

ebanon has always had strong French connections – could that be the reason it produces so many talented fashion designers? In 1920, the League of Nations mandated that France administer Lebanon

and it became part of the French colonies. Charles de Gaulle, meanwhile, was posted in Beirut as a senior officer in the staff of the Levant Troops from 1929 to 1931. France and Lebanon still enjoy a close relationship. French is widely spoken throughout Lebanon and taught in many Lebanese schools as a second language to Arabic. The Lebanese people are a heady mix of East and West and keen to embrace diversity and new trends.

Tony Ward Couture Spring/Summer 2022

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Event Photographs: Tony Ward Couture

FASHION - TONY WARD

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FASHION - TONY WARD

Celebrated for its ancient Roman ruins, castles, churches, mosques and beaches, the country is also regarded as a fashion destination.

Once described as, “the Paris of the Middle East,”, designers including Tony Ward, Elie Saab, Georges Hobeika and Zuhair Murad are renowned for creating gorgeous haute couture, including glitzy gowns, and elegant wedding dresses featuring breathtaking detail. Indeed, the impact of French style and its cultural influences on Lebanon have created an environment that’s conducive to luxury and glamour.

The Lebanese love of fashion has inspired designers to leverage their French heritage and craftsmanship to merge into their designs, adopting a more fashion-forward look for Middle Eastern clients. While based in Beirut, Lebanese designers are inextricably linked to Paris, bringing their extravagant designs to

Tony Ward Couture Spring/Summer 2022

runways and private showings alike, catching the eyes of celebrities and royalty. Emily Blunt, Rihanna and

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FASHION - TONY WARD

The son of a celebrated couturier in Beirut, Elie Ward, he grew up surrounded by fashion. At 18, he enrolled in the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in Paris. He then worked for seven years with Claude Montana at Lanvin, with Gianfranco Ferre at Dior and with Karl Lagerfeld at Chloe. During this period, he busied himself perfecting haute couture techniques before launching his own brand, Tony Ward Couture.

The designer then transformed his family’s couture house, established by his father in 1952, into an international brand. The fashion house has shows during Paris Fashion Week and presents six collections annually of Couture, Ready-to-Wear and Bridal creations. Favoured by royalty and celebrity, he has boutiques globally, including eight stories in China and a boutique on Orchard Road

Event Photographs: Tony Ward Couture

in Singapore, while his pieces are also distributed

Halle Berry are all big fans of Elie Saab while Whitney Houston wore a Tony Ward gown to the Black Entertainment Television Honors.

Fittingly named “the Architect of Detail”, Lebanese-Italian designer Tony Ward draws his inspiration from contemporary architecture, which helps him envision sculptural forms, create innovative techniques and play with the boundaries of light and transparency.

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FASHION - TONY WARD

Tony Ward Couture Spring/Summer 2022

Event Photographs: Tony Ward Couture

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FASHION - TONY WARD

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FASHION - TONY WARD

Tony Ward Couture Spring/Summer 2022

in more than 50 exclusive high-end boutiques and multi-brand stores worldwide.

Ward’s Spring/Summer 2022 couture collection, Magnification, captures bright monochromatic pieces with intriguing details, says the designer. “It is wild, green and lustrous; it is intricate, multicoloured and linear, it is the surprise factor when magnifying a life-sized shape. Look closer, now take a macro lens and look again… what do you actually see?

Organic shapes zoomed to oversized dimensions; fragmented beads inspired by macro-photography wonders.” The collection marks 70 years since the establishment of Ward’s Ateliers by Elie Ward, and Event Photographs: Tony Ward Couture

25 years of Ward’s designs. Always mindful of his couturier father as an inspiration, he says, “Inspirations change, creations evolve, but the legacy remains.” Find your fashion inspiration on these pages or check out his website at tonyward.net

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Digital A Dealings

new dawn of the internet is upon us, Web 3.0, which is based on blockchain technology and incorporates concepts including decentralisation and

token-based economics. The trend is all-pervading, with Collins Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2021 being NFT, and it’s arguably the biggest trend in the investment market right now. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are a digital asset that represents a real-world object. Unlike

Are you ready to make your first digital investment? Helen Dalley has the low-down on everything from cultural purchases to sports memorabilia

many digital assets, which can be easily altered and are nearly impossible to determine ownership of, blockchain technology means that the origin and ownership of NFTs can always be proven. An NFT, like all artwork, can be copied, but only one person can demonstrate that they own the original. Ownership can be proved by referring to a specific transaction that it is impossible to forge.

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Sports

Sporting Souvenirs Making a mint in sports memorabilia

A

digital spin on the football card collection, licensed NFT collections are springing up from the world’s most iconic

players. This includes the Messiverse, which contains NFT assets featuring soccer legend Lionel Messi. The collection included a oneof-a kind digital asset called The Golden One designed by the artist Bosslogic, renowned for his work with Marvel Studios. With a reserve price set at US$50,000, it rocketed to more than US$1 million in bids.

Sorare (sorare.com) is an NFT based fantasy soccer game that enables players to buy, sell, trade, and manage a team built with digital playing cards virtually. Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo’s unique 1 of 1 Sorare card sold for US$265,275.55 last year, while another Ronaldo card fetched US$312,000.

Love tennis? the Australian Open (nft.usopen.org) is launching a NFT collection with Sweet’s (sweet.io)’s NFT platform based on iconic moments of the event throughout the decades, from the 1970s to the present day. Cricket fans looking to get their hands on digital memorabilia, meanwhile, can check out Rario (rario.com), the world’s first digital collectibles marketplace for cricket where you can buy, sell and trade officially licensed cricket NFTs. Australian white-ball captain Aaron Finch is the latest on the growing list of cricketing superstars to have signed an exclusive contract with them.

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The Arts

Cultural Cool Artistic digital assets

D

igital art investments platform Artcels (artcels.com) launched a blue-chip art portfolio, Millennials, last April. Available

to investors as share-based ownership using NFTs, it is backed by its own Swiss-based cryptocurrency, Artem. The new portfolio features contemporary blue-chip artworks by Banksy, Nina Chanel Abney, Jonas Wood, Josh Sperling and Yoshimoto Nara, with demand driven largely by millennial collectors.

The athlete to claim the first skateboarding Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Yuto Horigome, released an NFT this January with new digital and physical collectibles creation platform

Fwenclub (fwenclub.com), an offshoot of AllRightsReserved, which has partnered with more than 100 international contemporary artists – including KAWS, FUTURA2000 and Huang Yuxing. The NFT, which is titled The Golden 22 , is a 3D digital sculpture that captures the achievement and glory of this win.

Fwenclub designed the digital sculpture to showcase skateboarding as not only a sport but also an art form. The NFT can be plugged into any digital world, and used to create or publish digital media, from videos and animations to digital merchandise and collectibles.

The auction houses are getting in on the act, too. Bonham’s (bonhams.com) launched the world’s first NFTs for ballet with Natalia Osipova, the principal dancer at The Royal Ballet in London, who has performed three pieces, two from the classic ballet Giselle and one from the contemporary duet Left Behind . The pieces were sold at Bonhams’ new auction, Encore! Modern

Art on Stage , which celebrates the creative intersections of visual art and the stage.

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Watches

Digital Timepieces Exploring online watch investments

A

s rare physical watches become harder to find, NFTs and cryptocollectible timepieces are

gaining traction. Last March, Hublot’s

(hublot.com) Jean-Claude Biver and Swiss cybersecurity company’s

WISeKey (wisekey.com) were the first to launch an NFT auction for a luxury watch. The Bigger Bang All Black Tourbillon Chronograph ‘special piece’, Biver’s favourite watch, became the first luxury watch to have a digital life with certified ownership and authenticity.

This digital twin will be the authentic double of the physical watch in the digital space – and you can view it on OpenSea (opensea.io).

There are even NFT watchmakers, like

Generative Watches’ Jesus Calderon (opensea.io/collection/genwatch), whose creations are commanding thousands of dollars. With popular watchmakers reappropriated – think Rødex Bitmariner and Øhmeiga Speedmeista – these playful collections are characterised by their bright colours. SpatialPort (spatial-port. com), meanwhile, recently introduced the world’s first luxury 3D NFT watch, the SP21 MTVRSMaster. Its proprietary technology algorithmically randomises materials and shapes of watch components to ensure each timepiece is unique. Such pieces can be worn in the metaverse or kept in NFT art collection inventories.

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Property

Digital Real Estate How to invest in digital property

H

ong Kong unicorn Animoca Brands’ (animocabrands.com) decentralised virtual reality platform, The Sandbox (sandbox.

game), enables players to build virtual worlds and conduct transactions with NFTs. New World’s CEO Adrian Cheng is one of its most prominent investors, but there are plenty of big names on there, too. “A lot of brands have gone into The Sandbox: some famous inhabitants include Snoop Dogg, who hosts concerts and events there. There are a lot of big brands on there, too, including Atari, Ubisoft, Warner Music, The Walking Dead and The Smurfs,” says Animoca Brands’ President, Evan Augang (pictured below ). “The Sandbox is a communitydriven experience and community-owned space.

It’s about enjoying each other’s company in the cyberspace. Ultimately it will become much more decentralised, where users are driving interaction of how the space develops.”

Like the Sandbox, Decentraland (decentraland. org) enables investors to purchase virtual land and invest in the metaverse, and land is selling for as high as US$900,000 for 16 virtual acres.

Superworld (superworldapp.com) is another space where you can buy and sell virtual real estate, with 64 billion plots of land. The SuperWorld virtual real estate platform is mapped over the entire surface of the globe, meaning users can purchase iconic buildings such as the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal and the Burj Khalifa, which is currently selling for 50 ethereum (around US$2,746).

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Wines and spirits

Stellar Vintages Rare wines and limited-edition bottles

W

hen you purchase an NFT of a rare wine or collectible spirits bottle, you’re not just purchasing a digital image but

the physical bottle, too. To provide an example,

Glenfiddich (glenfiddich.com) recently released 15 bottles of Glenfiddich 1973 on the world’s first direct-to-consumer luxury spirits platform BlockBar (blockbar.com). Presented in a bespoke Baccarat crystal decanter, this rare 46-year-old whisky finished in Armagnac casks is purchased via NFTs. Each NFT corresponds to a bottle in a storage and the owner of the NFT can keep, sell or trade it. The buyer has the choice to resell or transfer the NFT through the BlockBar platform or to redeem it for the physical version at any time.

Hennessy’s first-ever NFT collection, a dual drop of Hennessy•8 cognac carafes number 1 and 250/250, was sold to spirits collective Angry Pitbull Club for more than US$226,000, or 66.49 ethereum.

The sale within the crypto community further emphasises BlockBar’s mission to make luxury spirits more accessible, says BlockBar’s co-founder and president Sam Falic, who explains, “We feel we are introducing the younger demographic to luxury spirits and the older demographic to NFTs.” Wine brands are keen to get in on the NFT act, with

Penfolds (penfolds.com) creating limited edition NFTs tied to 300 bottles of Penfolds Magill Cellar 3 Cabernet Shiraz from the 2018 vintage. Each bottle will be stored in limited edition gift boxes at BlockBar’s facility in Singapore, until the purchaser decides to redeem the bottle NFT by collecting the physical bottle. Former basketball ace Yao Ming has also entered the NFT market with his wine brand, Yao Family Wines (yaofamilywines.com) pairing its premium wine The Chop with an NFT digital collectible limited to 200 lots, with bottle #11 in homage to the number worn by Yao Ming in his NBA career.

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Investing in Digital Art with Oxo Living

OXO Living CEO

Johannes Weissenback

on setting up the world’s first NFT Property Art Collection

directly linked but physically separated from the actual property. People used to sell houses with physical artwork, now we do the same with digital artwork such as NFTs. Finally, each owner/NFT holder can access privileges to our exclusive private members club called OXO Collective, which will launch later this year.

As some of your investors and residents are crypto entrepreneurs, is this why you wanted to link the properties to NFTs? Correct. While there is currently a lot of hype around crypto and NFTs in the media, only a minority fully understand the technology and its use cases. Our objective was not to simply launch another NFT project for the crypto community, but also show what can be done by connecting this new space with traditional industries such as property. The uptake was as expected, all owners who have exposure or pre-existing knowledge in crypto have grabbed the opportunity to own the NFT of their physical property. Many curious owners have ‘onboarded’ and only a few have passed on the opportunity, most likely because they do not yet fully understand the intricacies of NFTs.

You’re the first property developer in the world to “mint” your own NFT collection of 24 digital artworks, representing each of the properties OXO Living have built so far. Tell us about your journey

Buyers of OXO Properties have the first right of refusal to purchase the NFT for their respective property. Have you seen much demand so far?

To better understand what OXO stands for and what our ambitions

or within hours of the public sale. Currently none of

are, one must understand the evolution of Bali over recent years.

Bali has become one of the world’s favourite places for digital nomads and crypto investors. Lifestyle is their status symbol, working remotely is just ‘work’, and financial mobility is key. To purchase a property using crypto as a payment method, hotel-like services, sustainable technologies, flexibility for owner-usage or as a

All NFTs that were for sale have been sold either prior the NFTs are for sale, which means all existing owners believe in the project and are ready to hold their asset. As only one NFT per property gets minted, we are creating a unique art collection over time.

passive income generating investment are the new normal.

The OXO Property Collection is available on OpenSea, the world’s largest NFT marketplace. Are you happy to be on there?

To create an NFT art collection featuring each of the properties built

We have chosen OpenSea because of its simplicity and

so far was a logical extension of the brand to showcase our passion

ease especially for newbies to crypto and we are happy

for design and further connect our community. The NFT art can

with the platform. Ultimately, the marketplace is only

be seen as a digital derivative of the physical property. Firstly, it

an interface. The actual artworks are stored as ERC-721

creates an emotional link which is important for property owners.

tokens on the Ethereum blockchain and high-resolution

For example, we have one owner who loves to display his property

downloadable files are hosted on InterPlanetary File

NFT and has a printed copy in his house in Europe to showcase

System (IPFS), meaning the works are completely

his lifestyle property in Bali. Secondly, it’s a store of value that is

decentralised.

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built and completed. Because of its limited supply, we are demanding an initial sales price that gives the project justice. Later this year, we will be launching a private members club, Oxo Collective, which will deploy NFTs as a means for membership authentication and access to privileges and events (oxocollective.io). They will be launched at different pricing levels as the OXO Property Collection.

How do you expect trends within art NFTs in the next 12 months?

The NFT market size is now almost equal to the entire fine art market in terms of annual trading volume, so there’s no doubt that this segment should be taken seriously. While there is a lot of hype and thousands of meaningless short-

If an NFT owner wishes to have a physical copy made for them, OXO Living works with Bali’s local businesses and craftsmen to create a print or handmade copy of the work.

Do you expect to see much demand for this?

Yes, we already had multiple ‘copies’ produced, but it’s ironic as it inverts the idea of the art medium. In the past, art was always physical and authenticated by experts through the object itself.

Digital copies of the physical piece were made only for security, ease and promotion.

Now, we are creating digital originals on the

term money focused projects out there, the underlying blockchain technology

The NFT market size is now almost equal to the entire fine art market in terms of annual trading volume

Ethereum blockchain, stored, authenticated and

is arguably superior. Why? Because it provides freedom - geographically and financially. It

will revolutionise many industries, not only the arts. We at OXO are currently looking at various legal and taxation frameworks to offer fractional ownership of our properties to customers. This would mean people can purchase a fraction of an OXO property for as little as US$1,000 and derive financial and lifestyle returns. We see other major developments happening in consumer and luxury goods (Adidas, Stella Artois,

traded on-chain. The true value of and emotional connection to the art is now non-physical, which

and NFTs have infinite potential and

LVMH), entertainment (Snoop Dogg),

Johannes Weissenback, CEO, Oxo Living

can be accessed everywhere, moved anywhere, and liquidated globally, it can be lent via smart contracts to generate passive income or borrowed against — all from a mobile phone, anywhere in the world, without paperwork, without speaking to anyone and without anyone interfering. So yes, people make printed copies of their digital originals, but they have become mere temporary physical reminders of a much more supreme digital asset or idea.

The initial offering of each artwork is priced at 1 Ethereum, which is equivalent to around US$3,241. Will you introduce other artworks at lower or higher price points?

The OXO Property Collection is our inaugural NFT collection with only 24 artworks. We only mint new works when physical properties are 81 jetsetter-magazine.com

gaming (with play to earn games), carbon offsets and many more. oxoliving.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Art Captured In Gold Every year, avid collectors eagerly await new product releases of FREYWILLE, a family-owned fire-enamel atelier in Vienna that has become a world-renowned jewellery brand for its unmistakable style. We spoke to the CEO of FREYWILLE, Dr Friedrich Wille, to find out what his brand represents

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

PURE ART From design to craftsmanship, art embedded in every

Launched in winter 2021, our Désirée Necklace & Désirée

details of FREYWILLE fire-enamel jewellery.

Earrings are our latest creations in 18 Karat Gold & Diamonds, available in designs inspired by Claude Monet,

Our inspiration rises from historical masterpieces and

Vincent van Gogh & Gustav Klimt.

cultural treasures, the essence of these classic pieces are reinterpreted and recited through the hands of our master

Elegant & versatile, the delicate Désirée jewellery line is

artisans, brush strokes after brush strokes of elaborate

illuminated by the soft glow of FREYWILLE fire-enamel

details are hand-painted in FREYWILLE Vienna atelier.

and has become exceptionally popular and desired since released.

FREYWILLE fire-enamel jewellery is always individually crafted in a limited quantity. Every creation consists

This year spring, we will launch our stunning Désirée

of layers upon layers of enamel paint with different

Watch, a charming addition to the sought-after Désirée

substances, and each enamel layer must be applied and

jewellery line. The Désirée Watch represents a milestone in

polished by hand, with intermediate firing at 800°C. The

FREYWILLE’s history, it is our first fire-enamel dial watch

intricate enamelling procedure is our closely guarded

that allows the dazzling fire-enamel artwork to shine on a

technique that make the pieces shine with a stunning and

prominent watch surface.

everlasting brilliance.

Désirée watch combines meticulous enamelling FREYWILLE fire-enamel pieces are an incredible work of

craftsmanship with the precision of its Swiss Quartz

art of tremendous skill and dedication. We take great pride

movement. Every watch is Swiss Made, then set with fire-

in our coveted artistry and desire to pave a new way of

enamel at the FREYWILLE Vienna atelier.

jewellery appreciation.

INSIDER

Revolution In TheHead New mental health studio mindish hopes to de-stigmatise therapy with a modern twist on mental health services that embraces a hospitality-informed approach. Helen Dalley meets founder Hasanal

Lythgoe-Zafrullah

Why did you set up mindish?

I burnt out massively three years ago, ended up in a counsellor’s office, and realised I could grow and change. In a couple of years, I made huge shifts but had to eat well, sleep on time, go to the gym and make better decisions around alcohol. I realised that everything is connected, and mental health is health. You go to the gym to feel good about your body, so why not put the same effort in to feel good about your mind?

How did you develop the concept?

About 18 months ago, I quit my job and the mindish model began to evolve. For about a year, I ran focus groups to understand the pain points [people are facing] and researched how to create a concept that’s radically consumer centric. How could we develop a mental health concept in a city that’s so image conscious? When people see a therapist here, it’s very discreet and I wondered how we could be more community oriented. It was about achieving the functionality of a clinic without looking like one. We’ve created a space that doesn’t look like a therapy office at all. The concept feels modern, but it also has an old school hospitality twist. The front of house staff is hotel trained and they note details like if a client has a favourite drink.

In terms of the therapeutic approach, mindish focuses on how therapy must go beyond levitating misery: so long as we keep running this crisisbased narrative, we’ll never progress. We want people to take a therapeutic approach to health and happiness. Mindish is like a gym for your mind.

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INSIDER Who are your members?

It’s primarily women between the ages of 25-50, with a ratio of around 80:20 female to male. The women tend to be CEOs, MDs and stay at home mums. Women are generally more proactive than men, who may wait until they’re in crisis to see someone.

How does mindish membership work?

It’s an all-inclusive membership to integrated therapy, meditation classes, events and workshops. What we sell is therapy, and everything else is complementary. People pay for the number of sessions they need, then the meditation sessions, our book clubs and so on are free. Our personal growth managers, who are trained psychologists, triage members and examine their circumstances and goals. It’s a bit like having a relationship manager at a bank, and members have a single point of contact. We may recommend members see a counsellor, life coach or hypnotherapist. Some therapists are fun, while others are sterner. It’s important to get the chemistry right between members and their personal growth manager.

More and more people talking about therapy and working with a coach or therapist. It’s not mass market yet, but it is happening,

Describe what happens in the centre

particularly for those from an affluent socio-economic background

We discourage use of technology – if members need to make a

and within the city’s English-speaking community. As for things

phone call, they do so in the corridors. We want them to instead

like crystals and candles, there’s growing apprehension, as lighting

have a conversation with other mindish members. We have a

a candle is not going to fix deep-rooted trauma. Everything we do

library and encourage people to borrow books and take them out

is evidence-based.

on their library card. For the meditations, we keep it to between four and six people per class, and brief teacher on members to

Are attitudes to mental health changing here?

further personalise the experience.

I think there’s a silent revolution happening. People medicating for conditions like ADHD are now asking if they can speak to a

You’ve asserted there is no real way to measure progress in mental health. How will you tackle this?

psychologist instead, while couples therapy is more prevalent.

We’ve just launched and can’t keep up with the enquiries. People

The first is to set a goal with members in the first two weeks. For

are so tired of shopping around for a therapist, so I think there’s a

example, if they want to quit smoking, we may initially get them to

massive shift happening.

cut down from 15 to 3 a day. So, there will be one overarching goal and a series of mini goals. We have a 12-week programme and by

What do you like about being based in Hong Kong?

week two, we want to know that members trust their therapist.

I love the opportunities. Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world where this hustling culture still thrives, and I love the

What trends are you noticing in wellness in Hong Kong?

efficiency and ease of doing business here. While mindish is selffunded, I know that you can raise capital easily and efficiently here, too. I put in a sizeable investment and that’s testament to my commitment to the brand. Investors value that, as most people take that risk with other people’s money. Now, we have private investors coming to us.

Do you hope to launch this overseas?

Yes – New York is slated for later this year, and we think the concept will take off quickly there. We also hope to launch in Singapore soon. We’ve applied for trademarks in around 50 countries so far and paid a domain fee for the mindish brand, as we want to own everything. We’ve applied for trademarks in China, the US and Canada among others and in three to five years, we aim to have a presence in 30 locations. For Mainland China, the positioning will be a bit different. But ultimately, we believe that human connection is the answer to burnout, and it’s about community care not self-care. mindish.com 85 jetsetter-magazine.com

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

PARADISE FOUND

I

Experience laid-back luxury and reconnect with nature at Samsara Ubud

f you’re keen to jet off to an unspoilt tropical

There are 17 villas at Samsara Ubud, including eight

paradise, Samsara Ubud is the epitome of laid-

one-bedroom pool villas, six one-bedroom deluxe

back luxury and secluded chic. Located in Desa

pool villas, a duo of two-bedroom pool villas and one

Kelusa Payangan, the resort offers a wonderful

three-bedroom pool villa. Designed by internation-

sense of calm, yet is conveniently situated too,

ally acclaimed Bali architect, Popo Danes, Samsara

being only a 20-minute drive from Ubud town and an

Ubud takes the natural environment into account,

hour and a half drive from Ngurah Rai International

and the integration of sustainable design can be seen

Airport. With 17 sublime villas, this Balinese boutique

from how the original contour of the land is main-

gem is the perfect place for a romantic getaway, big

tained. The multi-level and layered architecture is a

celebration, family gathering or a fun summer break

tribute to Bali’s centuries-old rice terraces, and pro-

with friends.

vides all villas with views of the lush tropical jungle.

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Ready for some R&R? The Chakra Spa at Samsara Ubud is a temple of wellbeing where you can take some much-needed time out in one of three private double treatment rooms. From soothing Balinese massages to restorative body scrubs, you’ll soon be in a perfect state of relaxation. Other leisure facilities at the resort include a gym where guests can stay in shape during their stay, and heated outdoor pool for balmy laps or splashing around with friends and family.

Get the break you deserve and enjoy some serious pampering at Samsara Ubud. samsaraubud.com A mix of contemporary Balinese décor and rich teak furnishings, villa sizes start at 122 sqm and each comes with a private heated infinity pool and outdoor area. Take a dip in the warm infinity pool and soak up the beauty of the forest, or listen to the soothing sound of a nearby waterfall as you enjoy your dip. Statement bathrooms are decked out in Makassar marble and feature double vanities, a deep soaking bathtub plus separate indoor & outdoor showers.

At Samsara Ubud’s restaurant, The Kelusa, chef Iwan Sutrisno and his team cook up dishes that celebrate the rich culinary history of Balinese and Indonesian food. Highlights include Cakalang Woku, grilled tuna with charred leek and confit tomatoes in spicy turmeric broth, and Sate Ayam, meat wrapped around a lemongrass stalk with peanut sauce.

If you can drag yourself away from the comfort of your villa, there are plenty of activities to consider nearby, like venturing through the lush tropical forests of Payangan, exploring nearby Kelusa village and experiencing a Balinese water purification ritual at Tirta Empul water temple. Feeling adventurous? Don your hiking boots for the Mount Batur sunrise trek and Campuhan ridge walk or take to two wheels for the Tegalalang cycle tour.

INSIDER

Collective

Creative Brewing Employee-driven brewery Carbon Brews is creating inventive craft ales for non-beer lovers.

GM Chris Wong tells Helen Dalley why all employers are encouraged to submit ideas for new brews.

Tell us about the company’s collective approach to brewing We’re an employee-driven brewery – there’s no single voice that speaks for the company, or real founder, so we’re more of a collective. We’re very focused on the product creation side. Whoever has an idea they want to push can submit it to product submission then we put it out for a vote.

This way, we benefit from getting a lot of new ideas [for new beers] and our younger teammates are more creative. It creates more admin, but this is the company DNA. No matter how senior or junior, we all vote on what beers we should brew.

We were brewing Hazy IPAs and New England IPAs in Hong Kong when this was still very new.

How’s your relationship with local brewers?

Our facility brews ales for five other craft beer brands, so we know the other breweries well. It’s a very cohesive market, and we help each other out. There’s not too much rivalry as craft brewers have low market penetration in Hong Kong overall.

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INSIDER You claim that your beers are brewed for those who think they don’t like beer – can you elaborate on that?

Our logo is a grid that looks like a periodic table, and I’d say we’re 50% art, 50% science. We respect the science of brewing, but at the same time we want to push boundaries and surprise people, so they’re saying, “I didn’t know that beers could taste like this.”

We work with familiar concepts and ingredients and keep customers curious. Our strawberry milkshake IPA, for example, is creamier than other IPAs. One of our best sellers is [double hazy IPA] Crazy Rich Lupulins, which came out at around same time as the Crazy Rich Asians movie. It was one of the first hazy IPAs to become popular in Hong Kong, and it still sells well.

How would you describe the Hong Kong craft beer scene?

Big beer brands give craft suppliers like us a tough time to match their prices, so the market is hard to penetrate. Some craft breweries have opened their own restaurants or brew pubs, but that’s very big risk. You can end up compromising the beer quality if the beer facility is in-house, and we don’t want to do that, so we’re planning to open tap rooms to sell our beer. We want to be a dominant local brand and are proud to be made in Hong Kong.

tasting room as we want to host more brewery tours

Your brewery tours are currently suspended. Will they return soon?

able to see everything from fermentation to bottling,

and it should be ready by this April. Guests will be and sample four to six beers.

Yes, we’ve been busy adding in more tanks and building a

What are the advantages of being a brewer in Hong Kong?

The free borders means that it’s easy to import raw materials, and we can use the best hops, malt and yeast to create a top-notch product. A lot of talented brewers are willing to move to Hong Kong, as it’s one of the best places to brew in the world. Our head brewer, Conor Hogan, relocated here from Ireland.

How are you getting your name out there?

We’ve previously joined HOFEX and Restaurant and Bar Hong Kong and used to attend a lot of international beer festivals. These events are good for networking, as you can learn from brewers around the world. We’ve found that everyone’s open about their procedures, and we’re able to share different practices and skill sets.

What are your plans for 2022?

We’ll be releasing a sour beer with [fellow Hong Kong brewers] Yardley Brothers called Red Beard. We’ll also be opening a tap room on Wyndham Street and another in Tokyo. The Japanese market is very similar to Hong Kong, as they’re prepared to spend money on good quality products. carbonbrews.com 89 jetsetter-magazine.com

INSIDER

Putting the Wow in

Waldorf GM at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai, Brian Tong, talks leadership styles and calming customers with

Jetsetter

What is your leadership style?

My leadership style is ensuring the team is gearing towards the same goals and direction so that we can all achieve together. Good leadership should focus solely on the team’s spirit and goals. We will have to be structured and have the same mission and vision.

Why did you want to be a manager for this hotel chain?

Hilton is one of the leading hospitality companies in the world with more than 6,000 hotels globally. The hotel chain has a good portfolio of iconic luxury hotel brands such as the legendary Waldorf Astoria. The most challenging aspect of a GM’s job is having the team to focus on attention to details and provide unforgettable experiences that money cannot buy for our guests.

What made you pursue a career in the hospitality industry?

I’ve always enjoyed travelling and staying at nice hotels since I was a teenager and my love for the hospitality industry grew when I was studying in New York. I majored in hotel management during my college days.

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INSIDER How would you define the purpose of a hotel?

The purpose of a hotel is to provide a ‘home away from home’ for guests who would want to relax and be somewhere comfortable whether they are on business or on leisure travel. It’s a space where you engage and connect with one and another.

What factors contribute to excellent customer service?

An excellent customer service experience is contributed by engaging team members who provide exceptional and unforgettable service details that they do not receive from other hotels. It relies on personal touches and seamless stay experience from arrival to departure.

What is a typical day at the hotel like?

A typical day in the hotel involves lots of walk-through of the hotel ensuring everything is in orderly fashion – that the flowers are fresh and the public areas are in clean and impeccable condition.

Engaging with both team members and guests is key to being the GM of the property especially during breakfast hours where the guests go to first thing in the morning. Daily communications are utmost important with the Heads of Department and with the owning company. Lastly, I would inspect guestrooms, kitchen and public areas with the related department heads to ensure the highest level of standards are in place.

What will be the first thing you’ll do as the new general manager?

Priority as the GM for the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund is to enhance the Food & Beverage offerings with re-conceptualised F&B positioning for the Cantone restaurant, French Fine Dining restaurant and Grand Brasserie Parisian café concepts.

How do you motivate staff?

Inspiration and motivations are key to success to retain team members at the hotel for career development. We always encourage and recognise the team members who go above and beyond to exceed guest’s expectations and needs. There are many times we encourage our team members to be creative and innovative when they personalise a guest request during their stay.

How do you uphold cleanliness within your hotel?

that it is not the hotel’s fault. Guests like sympathy and by

With the current pandemic situation around the world, hygiene

showing our empathy and care, resolution to an unsatisfied

and cleanliness is the key factor that the hotel must maintain so

guest’s needs will be smoother and simpler. We often conduct

customers will feel safe and confident to stay in any hotels. Hilton

Problem Resolution workshops to share case studies and

provides the Hilton’s CleanStay programme, which focuses on

scenarios to our team members.

hygienic guestrooms in concentrating on the ‘most-touched’ areas

What’s your approach to employees?

in the bedroom and bathroom for a full disinfection and hygiene

Empowerment and delegation to our team members is very

assurance. Our Housekeeping team will go through a throughout

important for encouraging their decision-making process

cleanliness checklists as no areas will be missed while cleaning

during guest complaints and improve their managerial

the room. In addition, the GM, executive housekeeper and quality manager will randomly inspect guestrooms’ cleanliness routinely.

skills. We do not punish team members for making decisions

How do you calm an unsatisfied guest?

ability to have handling of opportunities in future. Luxury

It’s best to listen to the guest’s comments and feedback and

hotels need to promote and encourage empowerment

apologise for the inconvenience caused rather than telling the guest

guidelines. hilton.com

and even the wrong decisions, as they will improve their

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INSIDER

What makes each of Hilton’s luxury brands special?

Each of our luxury brands captures the distinct desires and expectations of today’s luxury traveller, whether they’re seeking unique experiences or celebrations, self-care and wellness, or reconnections with the places and people they’ve missed.

Waldorf Astoria properties offer unforgettable experiences through a commitment to True Waldorf Service and culinary expertise.

For travellers seeking the most coveted accommodations, Waldorf Astoria offers utmost personalized and graceful service.

LXR is a collection of independent luxury properties distinguished by personalized service and luxurious, locally immersive, experiences for guests. Each LXR property remains true to the heritage and culture of the destination. Conrad meanwhile caters to the modern traveller with a cosmopolitan palate, and each property features bold, contemporary design.

What can we look forward to for the Waldorf Astoria brand in Asia Pacific?

Our luxury portfolio in Asia Pacific continues to grow at a remarkable pace despite the challenges of the pandemic. Just last year, we launched the crown jewel of our luxury portfolio, Ithaafushi – The Private Island, the largest private island in the Maldives by the award-winning Waldorf Astoria Maldives

Luxe Getaways

As borders open, Jetsetter gets the low-down on Hilton’s luxe developments from Nils-Arne Schroeder, vice president, luxury & lifestyle, Hilton, Asia Pacific 92 jetsetter-magazine.com

Ithaafushi. Spanning 32,000 sqm, two villas and an expansive four-bedroom residence, the private island can host up to 24 guests.

In 2025, we will be launching the brand in Australia and Japan with landmark openings in Sydney and Osaka. We will also open a second hotel in Shanghai that year, with Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan, while the Waldorf Astoria Tokyo Nihonbashi is expected to open in 2026.

How is Conrad and the newly launched Conrad Shanghai meeting the needs of luxury trends and appealing to luxury travelers?

Conrad hotels and resorts create a connection between design, cutting-edge architecture and curated contemporary art to inspire guests.

INSIDER

The recently opened Conrad Shanghai, our largest Conrad

We expect to continue seeing tremendous growth in the

hotel in Asia Pacific, represents the bold design and meaningful

luxury travel space driven by this demand. Conrad will

hospitality that Conrad is known for.

makes its Malaysia debut with the opening of Conrad Kuala Lumpur, while Waldorf Astoria will launch in Indonesia in

As we assess the future of luxury hospitality, we’ve also looked

Jakarta.

at how the pandemic has changed people, the way they live day-to-day, their priorities and their passion points. Reducing

In addition to experiencing destinations authentically,

one’s carbon footprint when travelling will be increasingly top

immersing themselves in different cultures and discovering

of mind for travellers. From sustainable dining to wildlife

something new, luxury travelers will want to travel more

conservation, Conrad hotels and resorts provide conscientious

sustainably.

guests opportunities to make a positive change during their journeys.

At Hilton, we have been on a mission to preserve the destinations we operate in and have implemented initiatives

Conrad Koh Samui for instance, offers an interactive farm-to-

to protect natural resources through energy and carbon

table experience at the resort’s Iris farm. The farm generates

management, water stewardship, waste reduction and

up to 950 kilograms of produce each month, including organic

responsible sourcing. hilton.com

herbs and vegetables. The hotel also invites young guests to participate in collecting eggs, and there are opportunities to feed the chickens, goats and rabbits and free roaming ducks and geese.

How will the LXR brand evolve in Asia Pacific?

LXR Hotels & Resorts complements the Waldorf Astoria and Conrad brands to offer the full spectrum of luxury experiences in the region. Following the debut of LXR in Asia Pacific with ROKU KYOTO last year, the brand will soon expand into South East Asia with a 72 all-villa resort in the Uluwatu region in Bali.

Where would you stay if you are on business or leisure trip?

As I oversee the Asia Pacific region, where I stay on a business trip would depend on where my work takes me, typically within the region. With travel being more precious than before, I try to make the most of my trips and travel for both business and leisure.

The Maldives is one of my favourite places, and it’s just under five hours away from Singapore where I’m based. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has recently undergone expansive renovations and Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi will be adding the world-renowned Japanese concept Zuma to its culinary experiences. With the upcoming LXR opening in Bali, I hope to visit the picturesque island soon. Bali is a place that’s close to my heart as I spent several years running the Indonesia region. As another option for a tropical getaway, I’d head to Conrad Koh Samui, as I’ve yet to see the resort’s Iris Farm, which launched in the midst of the pandemic.

What is Hilton’s outlook on luxury travel in the next 12 months or so?

We are optimistic about the future. As travel borders continue to reopen, we believe that pent-up travel demand is real and luxury travellers will seek more meaningful, inspirational experiences.

93 jetsetter-magazine.com

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LIFESTYLE

SICHUAN SIZZLE Sample New Trends at Chilli Fagara

SPIRITED AWAY: Hennessy Embraces Blockchain

A STAR

TURN Brioni Welcomes Jude and Raff Law

TITLEIST

LEICA

MANDARIN ORIENTAL

IN THE KITCHEN

Fiery Flavours Chilli Fagara’s executive chef Kai Chan talks sustainable menus, momos and where to find the best wonton meen in the city with Helen Dalley

What are your earliest cooking memories?

Almost every menu item at Chilli Fagara is inspired by what my family cooked when I grew up in Chongqing. My father was my greatest mentor – I learnt everything I know about cooking from him, as I often used to watch him while he prepared food and always tried to imitate him. One of the most essential lessons he taught me is to impart patience, care, and attention to detail in every dish.

What do you like to cook the most and why?

Although they are grown up now, I love cooking my children’s favourite meals the most. One such dish is silky scrambled eggs, stir-fried with a tangy-sweet garlic and home-made chilli sauce, and served with sweet white buns. This nostalgic, comforting dish features on the menu at Chilli Fagara.

What are your favourite ingredients and where do you buy them from?

I love to walk around Hong Kong’s wet markets and shop for ingredients. You can pick up everything from fresh tofu to lotus root in the Gage Street Market, just a block away from Chilli Fagara. I also utilise special regional Chinese ingredients as much as possible, such as Yunnan mushrooms, which are a seasonal delicacy from the high mountains of Yunnan. One ingredient I insist on serving is Mongolian lamb. The lamb is reared on wild plains and has a distinct gamey flavour. It’s not the easiest ingredient to source, but it’s worth it for the unique taste.

What are some of the most popular items on the menu?

The chilli Dungeness crab and emperor prawns – these are my personal favourites, too! For the chilli crab, we stir-fry jetfresh crab and mix it with dried Sichuan peppercorn to give it a kick. The emperor prawns are another must-try and are

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IN THE KITCHEN

presented on a bed of dried red chillis. We’ve also created dishes that suit this generation’s more health-conscious eaters, like our Impossible Meat or Karana dishes and gluten-free chilli sauces.

Which Hong Kong restaurants do you rate?

Louise is one of my favourite restaurants in the city. I admire their expertise and passion for French cuisine. The perfectly tender lamb melts in your mouth, and the frog legs with parsley and fresh garlic crisps are two highlights. One of my most memorable experiences I had at Louise was a casual lunch with friends. I was feeling sick on that day, so Chef Laloum specially prepared a bowl of clear vegetable soup for me which was not on the menu. He chopped a variety of fresh vegetables into small, delicate circles to surprise me with a bowl of soup full of colourful vegetables.

Amber is another highlight in Hong Kong’s restaurant scene.

Chef Ekkebus’ signature Uni & Caviar is my favourite dish – it’s a true masterpiece that reflects his unmatched skills. I also consider him as a frontrunner in the modern F&B scene with his development of plant-based dishes.

What’s your favourite Hong Kong street food snack?

One of my favourite local Hong Kong quick bites is wonton meen and the best place that serves them is Mak Man Kee Noodle Shop.

It’s a truly historic restaurant that attracts locals and tourists, and I love their Cantonese wonton meen and pork knuckle noodles.

Their home-made wontons are filled with jet-fresh shrimps, and their dried flatfish noodle soup base is so fragrant.

How can the restaurant industry attract more women to the kitchen in the most senior levels?

In the past few years, the number of female chefs has risen, and diners appreciate their creativity, attention to detail and that female touch in their recipes and dish presentation. However, to encourage them to work in senior levels in the kitchen, gender best chances to succeed. There are already plenty of female

There’s nothing better than sharing a good meal with

What are your plans for 2022?

professionals working in different areas in the F&B industry, so

This year, I’m planning to further explore new food

their interest for working in this field exists.

trends that cater to the needs and wishes of my customers yet allow us to stay true to tradition. We are

What are the advantages of being a chef in Hong Kong?

Its diverse crowd of discerning diners who are curious to try new ingredients while also loving traditional Chinese cuisine – it’s the ultimate mix of people and taste preferences that allows me to prepare my favourite childhood recipes alongside new creations. food trends, like plant-based meat substitutes and gluten-free

out multiple times a week is the norm in Hong Kong. friends or loved ones.

equality at all levels is key to ensuring women are given the

I like experimenting with new ingredients and exploring new

premium omakase experience. I also like that dining

currently exploring more plant-based meat options and are looking into new spice and chilli sauce variations.

With the growing demand for delivery and takeaway options, we are also planning to further expand our delivery-only Hot ‘n’ Meen menu by providing special offers that can be fully personalised. Along with pick-up

options.

and delivery services, sustainable packaging is at the

What do you like most about the Hong Kong dining scene?

various 100% biodegradable takeaway packaging

I love the diversity of Hong Kong’s dining scene. I can eat the

waste to the minimum and contribute towards a more

most authentic Nepalese momos just a few steps away from a

sustainable future in the F&B industry. chillifagara.com

forefront of our ambitions. We are currently exploring options and different ways to reduce the amount of

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clockwise from opposite page:

Chef Chan at her Central kitchen; chilli dumplings; dry hot pot

FOOD ADVENTURES

Soy Joy As demand for meat-free eats increases, soybased dishes are becoming more prominent in Hong Kong…

At soy restaurant Mora, courses include Silken, homemade soft tofu with Ossetra caviar and condiments

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FOOD ADVENTURES

M

odern French Chinese restaurant

Mora (mora.com.hk) features a texture-inspired menu rooted in one of Hong Kong’s oldest culinary traditions. The menu

strays from the traditional format of appetisers, entrees and desserts, and separates courses by textural nuances. Silken features dishes including homemade tofu served with condiments; next up is Crisp (crispy local threadfin with tofu skin fish fumet) followed by Jade (hand-pulled cold udon noodle in soymilk chicken bouillon), Dew (house mapo tofu) and Ice (sweet potato brulée with homemade soy milk ice cream).

Most soy food products found on the menu are set to be created in Mora’s factory in Hong Kong, which utilises a new technology of extracting soy milk with a thicker texture and more intense flavours.

Maka Hiki’s (maka-hiki.com) new breakfast menu is a handy stop-off for pre or post workout treats.

Those looking for a protein fix can enjoy the Poke Bowls including vegetarian-friendly Tofu Peanut bowl mixed with edamame and a zesty peanut sauce. Pair it with a Little Tai Hang Blast smoothie, a blend of cucumber, mint, and pineapple juice. Highlights on the new weekend brunch menu, meanwhile, include the coconut turmeric fried tofu curry with rice.

The soy trend has entered the upscale, with Amber’s (mandarinoriental.com) culinary director Richard Ekkebus on a mission to serve up more sustainable menus. The two-Michelin-starred contemporary French restaurant has been leading the charge for a cleaner, safer, more equitable food system and made its menu less meat-centric with a constant aim to keep a 35:65 ratio between animal protein and plant-based ingredients. Its vegetarian menu includes a moro kyuri starter (fermented soybeans and cucumber) and a heavenly dessert of amao strawberry, pine, hibiscus, enriched soy and strawberry dust.

Over at PIIN wine restaurant (piin-hk.com), one of the standout plates is Soy Mikantai, an elegant dish with a fish broth made with mikantai, a type of farmed sea bream fed with mandarin orange. The fishbone broth is boiled with fresh soy milk to elevate the sweetness and silkiness of the soup texture. It’s served with Japanese tofu cubes, Sichuan peppercorn oil and watercress puree.

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TOP TABLES

Put a spring in your step at these new Hong Kong restaurants

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TOP TABLES

BRITISH FLAVOURS AT THE BAKER AND THE BOTTLEMAN Acclaimed British chef Simon Rogan’s latest venture in Hong Kong, the Baker & The Bottleman, is a modern bakery by day and natural wine bar by night. Freshly baked bread options include the crowd favourite Roganic Irish soda bread loaf made with rye and wholemeal flour topped with golden syrup and oats, and sourdough loaf, which uses unbleached, ethically sourced flours from Alchermuhle, one of the oldest family mills in Germany. Pastry offerings include blueberry swirl; chocolate layers cake, chocolate brownie, triple Valrhona chocolate cookie, and pine and strawberry jam doughnuts, a pine sugar-coated brioche donut with homemade strawberry jam.

Savoury menu highlights include the breakfast muffin (sausage patty, black pudding, brown sauce, and fried egg) and Coronation Chicken sandwich on a buttery brioche bun with curried chicken breast, curry and coriander mayonnaise. facebook.com/bakerandbottleman

Dish to try: Scotch egg with pickled walnut

sauce, a traditional soft-boiled egg encased in sausage and black pudding and covered in panko breadcrumbs.

SPICE IT UP AT BENGAL BROTHERS Looking for authentic Indian street food? BaseHall is now home to a Bengal Brothers restaurant, which pays homage to the street-side eateries of India. If you haven’t tried them yet, sample the classic Kati rolls, made of chunks of chargrilled meats or vegetables stuffed into paratha flatbreads topped with salad drizzled with chutneys and spices. The other speciality is the first-class bowls, featuring a bed of rice, cucumber and peanut salad and chutney then a main topping of chicken tikka, Punjabi chickpea and achaari paneer. Other street snacks on the menu include gunpowder fries, sweet potato chaat and Kerala fried chicken. basehall.hk; bengal-brothers.com

Dish to try: Bengal Brothers’ BaseHall special features

a low carb grill with poppadums, Koshimbir salad and grilled chicken tikka or paneer.

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TOP TABLES

LIP-NUMBING FARE AT GRAND MAJESTIC SICHUAN Inspired by Hong Kong’s love affair with Sichuan food, Grand Majestic Sichuan delivers fiery dishes in an upscale setting. Channeling by the glamour of a 1970s supper club with velvet booths and marble tables, it breaks the mould of conventional Chinese restaurants with its extravagant décor and sleek European-style service. Featuring a menu developed by head chef Robert Wong in collaboration with renowned Sichuan food expert Fuchsia Dunlop, it showcases traditional regional cooking techniques.

Highlights include bang bang ji (poached chicken in sesame sauce) and Chongqing laziji, also known as ‘firecracker chicken’ as it’s laden with chillies. Showing that there is more to Sichuan food than spice, chen pi nu rou marries strips of beef tenderloin with ten year-aged tangerine peel. thegrandmajesticsichuan.com

Dish to try: shui zhu yu: locally caught red snapper in a broth of dried chillies.

ENJOY SOY AT MORA Want to experience soy in a different way? Modern French Chinese restaurant Mora, co-founded by Vicky Lau and Romain Herbreteau with Percy Ho as head chef, features a texture-inspired menu rooted in one of Hong Kong’s oldest culinary traditions. The menu is far from conventional, straying from the traditional format of appetisers, entrees and desserts, and instead separating courses by textural nuances. The meal begins with the first textural category, Silken, which features dishes including homemade tofu served with condiments; next up is Crisp (crispy local threadfin with tofu skin fish fumet) followed

by Jade (hand-pulled cold udon noodle in soymilk chicken bouillon), Dew (house mapo tofu) and Ice (sweet potato brulée with homemade soy milk ice cream). Most soy food products found on the menu are set to be created in Mora’s factory in Hong Kong, which utilises a new technology of extracting soy milk with a thicker texture and more intense flavours. mora.com.hk

Dish to try: The Obsiblue shrimp bean curd croustillant takes tofu to new, refined levels of French cuisine.

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TOP TABLES SAVOUR FRENCH CLASSICS AT CLARENCE Chef Olivier Elzer, whose mentors include Joel Robuchon and Pierre Gagnaire, is set to thrill Hong Kong’s gourmands with Clarence. Helmed by his protegé, chef Simon So, it elevates traditional recipes with Asian cooking methods and makes French cuisine lighter through methods such as charcoal grilling, steaming, and teppan. At the open kitchen, you’ll see chefs working on custom-made steamers, teppan and robata grills and experience Elzer’s newly patented “Yakifrenchy” concept uses the traditional Japanese robata method to breathe new life into classic French dishes: Challans duck confit, frogs legs Pastis, snails Burgundy, and confit potato ratte are all presented on skewers, yakitori style. The raw fish and wine bar, meanwhile, brings a Japanese sushi counter-inspired dining experience to Clarence, and the sommelier room features a black marble tasting table where diners can savour rare vintages not found elsewhere in Hong Kong. Read our review on p110. clarencehk.com

Dish to try: Head to the raw fish bar and

sample the smoked trout made in a custom Traeger smoker, served with avocado wasabi and garlic oil.

WELLNESS EATS AT ORKA Looking for wholesome bites? Orka Wellness Concept is a health-conscious restaurant with allinclusive vegan and non-vegan options. Signature gut-healthy dishes include starters such as beet this soup made with beetroot, lime, coconut, pumpkin seed and galangal, and the aqua spark salad, with umami seaweed, organic chives and Gochujang. Mains include the bibimbap zen, a rice dish topped with vegetables, kimchi and either a light beef tartare or soy-marinated jackfruit. The smoothies showcase natural ingredients and low GI palmyra blossom sugar in blends including the golden elixir (turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, and coconut). If you’re skipping the caffeine, try a Maca’XP French press made with organic black maca root, which has a distinct nutty flavour. facebook.com/orkawellness

Dish to try: The signature mighty bulgogi burger with Australian wagyu, homemade pickles and perilla leaves.

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HOTEL REVIEW - LINTHWAITE HOUSE

Artistic Inspiration Home to one of the UK’s biggest displays of South African art, Linthwaite House mixes up cool contemporary vibes with old school charm, says

Helen Dalley

C

ontemporary art hotel Linthwaite Hall,

and private woodland, art is everywhere: “It’s the kind of

which is home to fine sculptures and

art that you’d find in your home. You can go up to it, touch

paintings from some of South Africa’s

it – we didn’t want to put art behind glass, and each room

most esteemed artists, hasn’t always

is different,” says Davies as we chat beside the crackling

been so cutting-edge. When it first

open fire in reception on blush pink designer chairs, the

opened in the 1960s, Linthwaite was a traditional country

skull of a stag’s head hanging sternly above the flames.

getaway and popular wedding venue, where current

Owner Analjit Singh is a keen collector of South African

breakfast supervisor and local lass Lauren Davies’s mum

art and they add a real vibrancy to the hotel’s extensive

worked as a registrar. Since becoming part of the Leeu

grounds, whether you’re admiring them over breakfast or

collection, which is renowned for representing unique,

strolling past them en route to the suites.

quirky boutique boltholes, it’s attracted a much more sophisticated crowd than the hiking boots and barbour set.

A few hours earlier, we’d stepped into reception and were

At Linthwaite, which is grandly set on 14 acres of gardens

greeted with the comforting warmth of the fire and a glass

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HOTEL REVIEW - LINTHWAITE HOUSE

clockwise from left:

Linthwaite House is next to Lake Windermere; cocktails and upscale plates at Henrock; chef Simon Rogan, who oversees Henrock’s menu

famously wandering, ‘lonely as a cloud’ before being uplifted by these optimistic spring flowers along the shores of Ullswater. The great romantic poet once resided nearby at Linthwaite at Dove Cottage, which is now a major tourist attraction in these parts: swing by and you’ll find a working printing press, quill and ink writing and inspirational views over Grasmere Vale, which Wordsworth described as, “paradise”.

There is one restaurant on site at Linthwaite, Henrock, where the menu is overseen by one of the UK’s most esteemed chefs Simon Rogan, whose restaurant L’Enclume recently claimed a third Michelin star for the first time and is the only restaurant in the north of England that can lay claim to this accolade. As Davies confirms to me in our earlier chat, while he’s not actually from the Lakes originally, Rogan is something of a local hero. “We embraced him from the start, and it’s been great to see

of spicy hot chocolate before being whisked into a golf buggy away from the main house and up to our Fell Suite, where open floor-to-ceiling windows and light, bright living rooms play up the bucolic views and atmospheric art celebrates the Lakes’ rugged fell mountains. Want to get cosy? An open fire can be lit in the living area. If you prefer basking in the great outdoors, some Fell Suites, plus Lakeview and Junior Suites, have hot tubs discreetly located at the back.

Over a cup of coffee, I stare out of the window and see a pair of pheasants lazily wander through the estate’s moss- and ivy-covered trees, their feathers darkly juxtaposed against clusters of daffodils.

I’m reminded of the Lakes’ greatest poet, William Wordsworth,

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HOTEL REVIEW - LINTHWAITE HOUSE

his growing influence on the area,” she says. What makes L’Enclume so special is its hyper-seasonal produce, with all ingredients sourced from its own farm, as is produce for Henrock. The meal gets off to a winning start with some sparkling wine from Hampshire. There are four types of butter, including a brown one that’s mind-blowingly good, and its saltiness makes me think of the English seaside. The saikyo miso glazed aubergine is wonderfully umami, with a silky-smooth smoked vegetable dashi, and I’m mindful to savour every bite. The celeriac main, meanwhile, takes this humble root vegetable to a new level with date and fiery gochujhang, and the meal bows out with a velvety buttermilk mousse that’s cleverly, pleasantly, sharpened with rhubarb, anise and fennel. If you’re hungry for more Rogan, it’s a 25-minute drive to L’Enclume, but don’t forget to book in advance. Afternoon tea on the terrace or in the conservatory at Linthwaite also has a Rogan twist and is building quite the reputation,

so staff tell me. There’s a distinctly English flavour to it, with potted smoked salmon on toasted rye, pork, apple and black pudding sausage rolls and sherry and cherry trifle on the menu. This quintessentially English feel is heightened during the summer months, when guests can indulge in a spot of croquet on the lawn or play on the giant chess board.

At breakfast, I eat chard, poached eggs and hollandaise on sourdough toast and gaze out of the curved bay window at breakfast overlooking the grounds, from which some of the park’s many sculptures are visible. Walking back to the suite, which is based away from the main hotel, I pause to admire a trio of leaping gazelles and a naked bronze, entitled Diana

by Otto du Plessis, before heading left to stop at the tarn, where you can take out one of two small boats. There is an

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HOTEL REVIEW - LINTHWAITE HOUSE

clockwise from top:

the apartment-like Henrock suite; some rooms overlook Lake Windermere; breakfast and dinner are served at Henrock; the bar & conservatory

inviting beach hut with a sofa where guests are encouraged to lounge and appreciate the views.

After that, I head up to the viewing spot, where a swing chair proffers luscious views across Lake Windermere. Unluckily for me, it’s a foggy day, which is why I decide not to make the 10-minute stroll from the hotel into Bowness-On-Windermere, where boat trips across the famous lake await.

“When Bowness is packed in the summer months, people love coming back here as they say it’s an oasis of calm and they can just relax. We want to keep it that way,” says Davies. If you’re looking for a quintessentially English, artistic-themed break in the Lakes, Linthwaite House is the place to be. leeucollection.com/UK 109 jetsetter-magazine.com

RESTAURANT REVIEW- CLARENCE

The Soul of

French Cuisine Clarence offers an inventive fusion of French and Asian cooking, as Denis Fahy discovers…

is warm and comfortable while retaining a formal classical air that instantly suggests you’ve come somewhere very special, with intimate curved booths offering a discreet privacy under the twinkling lights

H

of nearby Tai Kwun. aving trained under some of the

As in most modern restaurants, the open kitchen

world’s greatest chefs – he counts

offers guests in the main dining room uninterrupted

Joel Robuchon, Jean Yves Leranguer

views of the chefs working on custom-made steamers,

and Pierre Gagnaire as mentors –

teppan and robata grills. Here, diners can experience

German-born French chef Olivier Elzer always knew

Elzer’s newly patented Yakifrenchy concept, which

he wanted to develop his own style and create a

employs the traditional Japanese robata method

new format of French cuisine. “I’ve been cooking for

to breathe new life into classic French dishes. The

27 years and having achieved 23 stars, I wanted to

Yakifrenchy menu experience sees Selzer stick French

create a unique dining experience at Clarence that

classics on skewers and cook them on the robata grill.

combines my 13 years in Asia with the soul, heritage and traditions of French cuisine,” he explains.

As Elzer wanted to pay homage to local dining culture where friends and family chat over shared

After leading St. Regis Hong Kong restaurant to

plates, the menu showcases French fish like dover

one, then two Michelin stars in 2019 and 2020

sole and skate wing served whole and steamed on

respectively, Elzer opened Clarence this March,

the bone in true Hong Kong style. We sample the

with his protégé, Simon So, helming the kitchen.

skate wing, a thoroughly delicious and inventive

Since then, they’ve been wowing Hong Kong’s

starting point to proceedings. Similarly impressive

gourmands by taking traditional French recipes and

is the Challans duck confit, which are served with

utilising classic dishes by employing Asian cooking

garlic confit and charcoal burnt mashed potato on the

methods. It’s not an exaggeration to say Clarence

side. We can’t wait to come back more French classics

transforms French cuisine, making it lighter through

on skewers, like Burgundy snails and garlic parsley,

methods such as charcoal grilling, steaming, and

and frogs legs with pastis and tomato. The creative

teppan. With four distinct dining areas – raw &

French-Asian fusion approach continues with dessert:

wine bar, sommelier room, main dining room and

lychee with rose petals and petite-Suisse ice cream

the lounge – Elzer is encouraging diners to come

is a sumptuous marrying of east meets west, while

back and try out different experiences at his first

the berries with whipped cream, olive oil coulis and

restaurant, which is loftily located the 25/F of H

Normandie milk ice cream is similarly delightful, the

Code on Pottinger Street. The ambience, meanwhile,

coulis imparting a slight bitterness.

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RESTAURANT REVIEW- CLARENCE

clockwise from left:

Clarence founder Olivier Elzer with protege Simon So; restaurant interior; black prawns with tonka bean; skate wing with Teppan spices

If you’re in the area for lunch or a lighter bite, then pull up a stool at the raw fish and wine bar, where a Japanese sushi counter experience awaits. Guests seated at the bar can enjoy raw preparations of premium catches uncommonly found in Hong Kong. Taking a quick scan of the menu, the smoked trout served with avocado wasabi and garlic oil sounds worth stopping by for, as does the Arctic char gravlax with bottarga muggine, a traditional dried mullet roe, and the black prawns marinated with lime and tonka bean.

At the heart of Clarence is the sommelier room, where oenophiles can sample rare and limited edition wines, some of which cannot be found elsewhere in Hong Kong. Given that Burgundy and Bordeaux wines remain perennially popular with Hong Kongers, we predict that this place will flourish. Reminiscent of France’s traditional wine cellars, it features a 14-seat black marble tasting table under a vaulted brick ceiling and stepped red brick walls. The floor to ceiling wine fridges are stocked with a curated collection of rare bottles and mature vintages from iconic producers and rising stars alike. Got a special birthday or anniversary coming up? Then why not consider booking a dining experience in this exclusive space, and wow your guest, or party, with dedicated food pairings guided by the wine list. Guests can also puff away on a cigar in the lounge, where a specially curated selection of smokes awaits.

What makes Clarence unique is it offers an authentic French dining experience that cleverly pays respect to fresh Asian ingredients and cooking techniques. As charismatic as he is talented, Elzer being based in Hong Kong – unlike many restaurants associated with a famous chef – is another assured bonus for this rising star on Hong Kong’s dining scene. clarencehk.com 111 jetsetter-magazine.com

SPIRITS

Hennessy Embraces Blockchain

World’s best-selling cognac partners with Aura Blockchain Consortium

By joining the Aura Blockchain Consortium, Hennessy provides full traceability from the distillery to consumers

K

een to provide full traceability

and Wine Welcome the Tiger, and was

from the distillery to the

produced and hand-decorated by French

consumer, Hennessy has

porcelain maker Bernardaud. Each buyer

joined the Aura Blockchain

can check out the product online and

Consortium, a platform founded by LVMH,

receive an authenticated certificate through

Prada Group, Cartier, part of Richemont,

WeChat.

and OTB Group, who joined forces to address the challenges of communicating

The Aura Blockchain Consortium is a

authenticity, responsible sourcing and

not-for-profit providing tools to enhance

sustainability in a secure digital format.

transparency and trust and aims to develop sustainable blockchain solutions

Hennessy provided an authenticity

and technologies bespoke to each sector.

certificate for the collector’s edition of

Hennessy is the first luxury brand from

Hennessy Paradis sold in China this Chinese

the spirits industry to join the consortium

New Year. This limited-edition bottle is

– but we expect many more will follow…

inspired by Zhang Enli’s artwork, Poetry

hennessy.com; auraluxuryblockchain.com

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WISHLIST

Have some speedy fun in the water with this electric jetboard

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WISHLIST

Electrifying

theWaves Take to the seas on electric jetboard mo-jet

L

ove splashing about in the sea but want to go faster than your boogie board or surfboard allows, and play around on different boards? Then check out the mo-jet, a new electric jetboard that boasts five boards in one: a jetboard, bodyboard, diving

jet, inflatable jetboard and rescue board.

Developed and manufactured in Germany, the mo-jet can reach speeds of up to 65km per hour. It’s also highly manoeuvrable, meaning you’ll be able to make sharp turns and seamlessly change direction. The 11-kilowatt jet motor, meanwhile, provides 116kg of thrust – enough to move up to 140kg across the water.

You can also pull others along on a banana boat, wakeboard, or inner tube.

The mo-jet is the brainchild of three water sports-loving Germans turned entrepreneurs, Jennifer Köhnsen, Carsten Höltig and Holger Daum, who spent 12 years developing and perfecting their creation. Easy to transport thanks to its weight of only 8.4kg, you can charge it in just 45 minutes. mo-jet.com

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WATCHES

Speedmaster Revisited The iconic Speedmaster Calibre 321 is revamped for 2022

Presented in 18k Canopus Gold, Omega’s Speedmaster Calibre 321 features vintage details

W

hen the Speedmaster

own white gold alloy and characterised by its high

legendary collection

brilliance, whiteness and longevity. Watch geeks

was initially launched

should look out for the NAIAD symbol on

in 1957, it changed the

the watch’s crown, which indicated water-resistance

face of chronograph

in some of the first CK2915 models.

watchmaking. Created for professional racing car drivers, the watch was lauded for its legibility,

Perhaps most sought-after of all is the famous

and was also the first timepiece in the world to

movement inside the watch. The calibre 321 was

feature a tachymeter scale on the bezel as opposed

the original movement used inside the Speedmaster

to on the dial. This feature was perfect for timing

in 1957. It also powered the watches worn during

average speeds on the track, and complemented

the Apollo missions, including all of history’s six

the watch’s sturdy, water-resistant design.

moon landings. Since 2019, OMEGA has brought the Calibre 321 back into production and has retained

Taking inspiration from that very first Speedmaster,

all the authentic specifications. Adding it to this new

the latest release marks the collection’s 65th

release gives the watch added provenance and a

anniversary with a 38.6 mm case crafted in 18k

legitimate connection to the Speedmaster’s heritage. omegawatches.com

Canopus Gold. This exclusive material is Omega’s

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WATCHES

Snoopy Style Love Peanuts?

Franck Muller has

debuted a Crazy Hours limited edition Snoopy watch

F

ranck Muller has paid tribute to the iconic cartoon strip pooch from the comic strip Peanuts

with a Snoopy Crazy Hours model, which is renowned for its atypical placing of the hour numerals on the dial.

Featuring Snoopy on the watchface, the complex mechanical movement allows the hour hand to jump to the next in correct order, while Snoopy’s arms act as the hours and minutes hands.

Snoopy’s faithful sidekick, Woodstock, features on the dial along with his pal, while luminous concentric circles bringing the dial even more to life when in the dark. Presented on a matte black stainless steel case, Snoopy and Woodstock look positively eye catching in black and white on a black dial with grey numerals, while a black hand-sewn fabric strap finishes the look. Further adding to its collectability, this 25-piece limited edition is housed in a box

Snoopy gets a Crazy Hours limited edition Franck Muller watch

featuring Snoopy and Woodstock. Cute or what? franckmuller.com

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WATCHES

Tiger Tribute IWC Schaffhausen

creates Burgundy Pilot’s Chronograph for the Year of the Tiger

C

hinese New Year usually brings a flurry of limitededition timepieces to mark the occasion and this year is no exception,

with Ulysee Nardin’s Classico Tiger and Vacheron Constantin’s Legend of the Chinese Zodiac Year featuring ornate tiger portraits on their dials. More subtle tributes include IWC’s Burgundy Pilot Chronograph.

Limited to 500 pieces, the real highlight of this timepiece only becomes visible when turning the watch around and seeing the IWC-manufactured 69380 calibre through the transparent sapphire glass case back.

The rotor of the automatic winding system, which converts the wearer’s arm movements into tension for the mainspring, is a running and leaping tiger.

A less direct homage to CNY is made on this sporty yet elegant chronograph with its burgundy dial and burgundy calfskin strap, a variation of the auspicious bright red typically used to welcome in the New Year. The dial also features the iconic cockpit instrument design, which has become the hallmark of IWC’s Pilot’s Watches.

Luminescent coating on the rhodium-plated hands and hour markers aids night-time time telling, while the chronograph function

IWC’s Burgundy Pilot Chronograph is limited to 500 pieces

enables stop times measurements of up to 12 hours. A watch definitely worth considering if you’re born in the year of the tiger… iwc.com

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WATCHES The Rado Captain Cook, Rado True and Rado True Secret are now available with lucky red dials

R Seeing

Red Rado goes red on

Captain Cook, Rado True and Rado True Secret

ed dials remain relatively rare, with many of us preferring to opt for more muted, less obtrusive shades like silver, gold, grey and black round our wrists. Just before Chinese New Year, however,

many watch manufactures launch commemorative dials to usher in the new year, with red dials a nod to the auspicious Chinese colour.

Rado has gone red in 2022 on its sporty Captain Cook men’s timepiece, which remains one of its most popular models. The 42mm watch features a dark red colour gradient that ends in black, the dial coolly contrasting with the watches’ rotating bezel in black ceramic and a three-row stainless steel bracelet.

The Rado True for women, meanwhile, is a 30mm timepiece that features a cherry-red dial and four diamonds on the watch face.

Like the new-look Captain Cook, the deep red is given some cool contrast with the black ceramic bezel. Showcasing 12 diamonds instead of numerals, the larger True Secret, with a diameter of 40mm, features a window in the deep red dial, where you can observe the oscillating heart of the mechanical movement on this much-loved model. Prefer more muted colours? Then check out Rado’s True Secret or the True with petrol dial. rado.com

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LUGGAGE

C

Spring

Break

Tumi puts a new spin on its

elebrated for its utilitarian design, Tumi has relaunched its iconic Alpha Bravo collection – and to mark the occasion, it debuted the Life in Forward Motion campaign, which casts the spotlight on the

collection in four short films starring an international cast known as the Tumi Crew. Filmed in New York City and London, the bicontinental campaign features F1 Driver and gamer Lando Norris, Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-Min, Grammy-winning actor, performer and musician Anthony Ramos and singersongwriter Gracie Abrams.

This latest evolution of Alpha Bravo comprises more than two

popular Alpha Bravo range and expands other collections

dozen new styles including backpacks, totes and briefs focused on modularity, sustainability, and durability. Many styles feature a recycled ballistic nylon fabric and all are compatible with the brand’s new TUMI+ travel accessories. From modular pouches to detachable water bottle holders, they can be attached to the interior or exterior of bags using daisy chains, G-hooks and carabiners.

The 19 Degree Aluminium, Merge, Tahoe and Voyageur have also extended their offerings: we love the 19 Degree Aluminum International Carry On in Texture Silver and the Tahoe Finch Backpack in Iridescent Blue. Fingers crossed we’ll be able to pack our bags soon… tumi.com

The latest evolution of Alpha Bravo features more than two dozen new styles including backpacks and totes

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TECH

A Legend

Reinvented Go retro with the Leica M11, a manual-only shooting and rangefinder focusing camera

S

ome of the biggest names in photography – including Henri Cartier Bresson, Ralph Gibson and William Klein – were fans of Leica’s

M-series, which is celebrated as one of the most compact full-frame cameras and for its combined rangefinder and viewfinder.

The Leica M11 combines the experience of traditional rangefinder photography with contemporary camera technology. Featuring a triple resolution sensor, expanded ISO range, dual memory, extended battery life and an intuitive menu system, it is the most flexible M-System camera in Leica’s history.

At the heart of the new Leica M11 is a full-frame BSI CMOS sensor with Triple Resolution Technology, and raw image files in DNG format and JPEGs can be recorded at 60, 36 or 18 megapixels. The 60-megapixel option delivers great image quality and detail resolution, while the lower resolutions enable faster camera performance, extended burst lengths, and smaller files.

Unique to the M11 is the deliberate omission of the traditional base plate, offering photographers easy direct access to the battery and SD card. In addition to the SD card slot, the Leica M11 is equipped with an internal storage capacity of 64 gigabytes, making the M11 is the first M model to save image files simultaneously onto two different storage media. The 1800mAh battery

At the heart of the new Leica M11 is a full-frame BSI CMOS sensor with Triple Resolution Technology

stores 64 per cent more energy than before, allowing for considerably longer shooting sessions with a single charge. leica.com

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STYLE

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STYLE

Star

Turn Jude and Raff Law make their Brioni

ambassador debut in the Spring/Summer 2022 collection, plus highlights of the Fall/Winter 2022 collection

L

uxury menswear Brioni has many famous fans, some of which, including Brad Pitt and Pierce Brosnan, have become brand ambassadors for the Rome-based

fashion house Its newest ambassadors are Jude Law and his son Raff, who recently made their Brioni debut in the Spring/Summer 2022 campaign.

Reflecting that many of us are still working and spending more time at home, shapes are looser and fabrics are lighter for added comfort, breathability, and fluidity, while looks in tonal colours, inspired by workwear attire, are reinterpreted in luxe fabrics for Fall/Winter 2022. A 100% linen suit and a cool seersucker are among the new collection highlights, while suits are styled with denim and silk shirts for a laid-back alternative to formal shirting. Outerwear, meanwhile, comes in soft nubuck leather and a mix of suede and linen, worn with double layered knitwear crafted from Escorial wool and cashmere. Evening wear highlights include silk satin tuxedo jackets and shirts in emerald green and vicuna brown, and a silk faille black and white jacket paired with chocolate brown silk satin trousers. brioni.com

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BEAUTY TRAVEL

Mandarin M

Beauty Shop for spa products and more at Mandarin Oriental’s

Shop M.O

andarin Oriental fan? Missing their gorgeous toiletries? Why not shop for the group’s branded products from the comfort of

your own home with Shop M.O. This global online shopping experience features spa care sets, bath, shower and massage oils, along with the MO spa body lotion, formulated with the frankincense, mandarin and ginger and infused with almond and peach kernel oils.

Want to complete the pampering experience?

Shop M.O. also features candles, diffusers and home fragrance diffusers and atomisers, along with robes and slippers. Whether you’re looking for a present for a special someone or just want

If you’re missing some Mandarin Orientalstyle pampering, stock up on branded goodies at Shop M.O

to treat yourself, check out the M.O. Signature Gifts section, where singing bowl sets, Aquazurra slippers and Orlebar Brown fan swim shorts await. shopmo.com

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Perfect Fitting Shirts and Suits are right here

Shop HOK-7, Lower Level 1, MTR Airport Express Hong Kong Station,Harbour View Street, Central, Hong Kong Sales.august.tailors@gmail.com +(852) 2368 3037

www.august-tailors.com.hk

TEE OFF

Having

A Ball Titleist’s third gen AVX golf ball hits the greens

Titleist’s new AVX ball enhances greenside spin

prioritise distance and extremely soft feel in a urethane covered golf ball.

A new reformulated core generates high speed and low long game spin to drive more distance. This increases stiffness of the outermost portions of the core, keeps the centre of the core soft and decreases driver and

A

long game spin.

The new softer cover contributes to increased re you in the market for a new box

greenside spin and control, thanks to a specific

of golf balls?Titleist has introduced

formulation developed by Titleist R&D. The

the third generation of its AVX golf

urethane cover increases the soft over the

ball, which promises to improve short

hard high flex casing, which contributes to

game spin and control, increase driver

improved short game and greenside spin.

distance, and provide an even softer feel.

The new dimple pattern, meanwhile, delivers a piercing, low trajectory while providing a

The original AVX was engineered by Titleist in 2018 as a

consistent ball flight on all shots.

performance alternative to its flagship Pro V1 and Pro V1x by offering the lowest flight, lowest spin and softest feel of

AVX is offered in both white and high

the three premium offerings. The new AVX reflects further

optic yellow and available in golf shops

advancements in the brand’s multi-component technology

worldwide now. Just don’t slice it into the long

with additional breakthrough results for golfers who

grass… titleist.com

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AUTO David Brown’s Speedback Silverstone Edition luxury grand tourer is a limited to just 10 models

An Ode to Silverstone Brit auto brand David Brown has unveiled its limited edition

Speedback Silverstone Edition luxury grand tourer

A

lways coveted a bespoke set of wheels?

infamous deployable picnic seat is complemented by

Then this will set your motor running.

a picnic set featuring a bespoke wool blanket, leather

David Brown Automotive has debuted its

whisky bottle holder and leather-trimmed flasks.

most recent commission in its limited run

of Speedback Silverstone Edition luxury grand tourers, one

So, how does it move? A twin-scroll supercharged

of just 10 to be built. Destined for an Asia-based owner,

5.0-litre V8 sends 601 bhp to the rear wheels via a

it took more than 8,000 hours to finish and features many

6-speed semi-automatic ZF transmission, giving a

bespoke features, from its black metallic paint – which took

0-60mph time of 4.2 seconds and a limited top speed

more than eight weeks to hand-paint – to a deployable

of 155mph. This limited run of special edition models

picnic seat that folds out from the boot.

also features a Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system, agility-aiding active rear differential and

Inside the car, there’s specially optioned heated and cooled

high-performance brakes. It may have a timeless 1960s

comfort seats hand-trimmed in rich oyster leather, while

inspired shape, but the bespoke 20-inch Afterburner

aluminium union flag and Silverstone Edition inlays,

wheels illustrate this motor means business. And if you

brushed chrome metalwork and jet-inspired air vents evoke

love an impromptu picnic, you’ll find that seat difficult

the racing past of Silverstone. Round the back, the now

to resist… davidbrownautomotive.com 128

jetsetter-magazine.com

For a few years now, we have been watching the USA unfold hybrid warfare towards China. What justifies such aggression? What has China done to deserve such unwanted attention? Where is the threat perceived by the USA? What are the means used by the USA? Where does the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) fit in? What justifies the global information warfare campaign of mis-information, dis-information, and intoxication currently at play in mainstream media about the BRI, which direct result is to create cognitive dissonance at best and create a fabricated enemy at worst?

This book critically examines what China’s BRI is about, clarifies the confusion and answers valid questions. It includes a first time ever published list and contains statistical tables of all the BRI projects up to December 31st, 2018. This work also demonstrates how instrumental the BRI is to globalization, which in itself is conducive to humanity’s evolution. It describes humanity’s five key choke points, and apprehends how China and the BRI are addressing them.

“It is an excellent, comprehensive and detailed treatment of the Belt and Road Initiative. This book is far more useful than almost anything written on the topic.” Parag Khanna, Author of Connectography, New York, USA “I trust this book would provide a good road map for policy makers and infrastructure developers in any developing country amidst complex geo-political circumstances.” Dr. D. J. Pandian, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Beijing, China

CULTURE

The Truth About Tweed

A new book delivers the low-down on one of fashion’s most iconic fabrics

M

oisture-resistant and durable, tweed initially became popular among the Edwardian middle classes, who donned tweed jackets and trousers for elite pursuits like shooting, hunting,

golf and cycling. Tweed houndstooth patterns were all the rage in the swinging ‘60s, as were Chanel tweed suits favoured by Jackie Kennedy and Brigitte Bardot.

Fastforward to the 21st century and the rough, woollen fabric has been adopted by hipsters, who opt to wear it pedalling vintage bicycles on so-called “Tweed Runs”.

Loved by everyone from the British Royal family to Vivienne Westwood, tweed is one of fashion’s most revered fabrics, thanks to its sturdiness and versatility. A new tome, Homespun – True Tales of Tweed by fashion historian J.Joseph Pastrana, takes the reader on a journey through the past, present and future of this esteemed fabric.

Homespun recounts tweed’s rich legacy, from its appearance on the catwalk and on screen to accessories and interior design. The book features first-person accounts from designers including Alan Flusser and Joseph Abboud and menswear labels Ralph Lauren and Paul Stuart. Pastrana has also interviewed costume and interior designers to weigh in with their views on tweed, including Peter Sandel and Jane Greenwood. There’s also input from innovative fashion brand Dashing Tweeds, which creates modern, original designs on a hand loom, and Linton Tweeds, designers and manufacturers of couture fabric since 1912. thaneandprose.com; amazon.com

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