Thursday, February 28, 2013

K-Town Eats


Guest blogger hkLifestyleGeek takes us out for some K-Town eats
The far west side of Hong Kong island is burgeoning with new eateries springing up particularly in Kennedy Town. And if you want to narrow it down further, it's along Davis Street, a small strip by the water that has a series of restaurants and bars shoulder-to-shoulder.

One of the casual joints is Piccolo Pizzeria & Bar, a pizza and pasta place that's popular with residents in the area, so come early or make a reservation. Many usually get take-out, but it's fun to come here and sit by the window looking into the kitchen and watch pizzas being made in the brick wood fire oven.

Oh and yes you can bop along to the 80s hits playing in the background...


The calamari (HK$85) were a tad too deep-fried, but they were tasty, while the warm salad with pumpkin and cherry tomatoes (HK$80) was fresh, lightly seasoned, though it would have been better with a few more chunks of delicious chunks of pumpkin.

Next up were the higlights of the evening -- thin crust pizzas! (HK$130 each)


The suprema pizza was laden sliced sausages, onions, mushrooms and fresh chillis for a spicy kick. The angled slices of sausages were quite large, making every bite a meaty one.


However we preferred the proscuitto pizza with thin slices of the cured ham on top of the hot pizza topped with rocket leaves in the middle. The best way to eat it was to fold the slice in half -- the Neopolitan way.

I hear the pastas here are also very good, in particular the aglio e olio (HK$110), spaghetti with roast garlic, chilli and olive oil.

Next door is Bistro du Vin, the newest addition to Davis Street.

Inside it's very quaint and feels very Parisian with interesting knick-knacks on the walls, tiled floors and high ceilings. However it can get noisy when it's busy so it's not a place for romantic evenings.

Nevertheless, the food here is very good.


Start with the house-made charcuterie platter (HK$170), featuring pork pate, duck pate and duck rilettes, great smeared on bread.


For mains, the bouillabaisse (HK$570) is a meal in itself for two, served in a shallow Le Crueset ceramic pot and filled with perfectly cooked seafood like crab, prawns, clams and fish. Don't miss out on the broth which is so full of flavour.

Another winner is the crispy suckling pig confit (HK$220), a sinfully delicious dish with a crispy skin on top followed by very tender meat underneath.

If there's room for dessert, the lemony taste from the freshly-baked Madeleines (HK$70) are a nice finish.

And finally around the corner from Davis Street is a new Jaspa's. The restaurant opens up onto the street so diners can eat outside if the weather's nice, or those inside can do some people watching.

The interior (this post's header photo) is rustic looking with brick and wood, though we have to say the chairs aren't very comfortable, perhaps hinting there's no need to linger too long in this place. At the time of writing, the restaurant still hadn't been approved for a liquor license so it's BYOB for now.

Like in other Jaspa's, the portions here are huge, so best to share everything -- even if it's for a quick bite to eat.


The smoked salmon salad (HK$120) came with three rosettes of smoked salmon and tons of greens in a deep bowl, but hardly enough dressing. We had to ask for more of the honey mustard dressing in order to finish it without feeling like we were eating rabbit food.


Desserts are also huge and the Aussie pavlova (HK$75) was a giant slab of meringue covered in cream and strawberries. Unfortunately the meringue was on the verge of sickeningly sweet and because of that very hard, while the cream was a bit tasteless, so the only saving grace was the sliced strawberries.

We'll try Jaspa's another time perhaps for its popular breakfasts, but for now best to avoid the pavlova unless you're having a sugar craving.

Piccolo Pizzeria & Bar
Shop 1E, Davis Street
Kennedy Town
2824 3000

Bistro du Vin
Shop 1D, Davis Street
Kennedy Town
2824 3010

Jaspa's Kennedy Town
G/F, Manhattan Heights
83 Catchick Street
Kennedy Town
2872 0823

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Fashion Week Redux: Cushnie et Ochs



Realistically I know that I love colour way too much to give up on ridiculous instances of colour-blocking (it's neon yellow! it's hot pink! it's apple green! omg!) but when you see images from a show like Cushnie et Ochs' it makes you seriously reconsider switching to a monochrome palette. But I think to myself: what would I do with my brights? And then I figure, well Rooney Mara probably has a whole CLOSET full of blush pink chiffon dresses that she isn't allowed to wear anymore, and you don't see her complaining. Mainly because she doesn't know me well enough to talk to me, but also because she's SO A-LIST right now, who's going to miss a couple of pastel pieces?

I'm not saying that changing the way I dress will skyrocket me into the career stratosphere (plus, well, I'm fundamentally unpromote-able at my job now anyway), but...well, I wore black leggings, a white shirt and a black blazer which I selfie'd on Instagram the other day and got all these likes and comments. Because when you go monochrome, YOU GET POPULAR.

Surprised no one put two and two together before this moment.

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Beauty Notes: Ĕpoux BB Cream


I love BB cream for days when I feel like my face need a break from my liquid foundation yet I've noticed that there are some BB creams which seem even thicker than liquid foundation and make me feel that if I scratch my face, I will leave an indentation mark. However, when I tested out the Ĕpoux BB cream, I found it to be quite lightweight offering just enough coverage yet not caking layers on my skin. Having just arrived in Hong Kong this month, the brand is available at Log-On and Citysuper and the BB cream is priced very reasonably at HK$88/50ml. Do note however, that the BB cream has a light pomegranate scent to it so for those of you who don't like scented creams, this might be a deterrent. I suspect the scent comes from its ingredients of Licorice extract, Green tea extract, Pomegranate extract and Aloevera leaf extract.

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Oscar Fashion Faves: White Hot



It was kind of a lacklustre year for the Oscars, but I thought Seth McFarlane was actually quite sweet. Although I for one think that the whole "host" thing should be abandoned in favour of sock-puppet re-enactments of all the Best Picture films. Which would be better than the year they had shadow-dancer introductions of films. Or if there must be a host, perhaps Sifl and Olly would be happy to come out of retirement.

Fashion-wise, I'm very over the slinky, glitzy golden-girl thing. I, like Taylor Swift of late, care only for white gowns, in particular those featuring a simple silhouette. Which explains why Charlize in Dior and Queen Latifah in Badgely Mischka made my Fashion Po-po list. Zoe Saldana came back to life in Alexis Mabille Couture (hasn't she been boring lately?) and Jennifer Lawrence was just too darling in Dior (I wanted to hate her for her undeserved Oscar and her contrived "I'm so human" fall on the steps, but she won me over with her profuse "Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!" Oscar speech. So sad she has to make more Hunger Games movies.)

But of course, this is the Oscars, so it's not like we can just completely ignore all the colour. Or can we? Can't say I was dying over any other gowns, although Naomi Watts definitely deserved a mention for her custom Armani, and Samantha Barks in believe-it-or-not Valentino, both triumphs of artful fabric cutting.

Images: Style.com

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Geek Spy: Retro Stylus Pen


I never understood the need for a stylus for the phone, yet there are times when you see gadgets that pique your interest and ring in the bell of nostalgia. Such is the case with this stylus masquerading as a Bic pen. I haven’t used one of these pens in ages and never thought they were particularly great to write with but as a stylus perhaps it would be.

Available at Perpetual Kid for US$12.00

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Fashion Week Redux: Mary Katrantzou



More good prints from good ol' Mary. A lot darker and bringing a whole new brand of drama.

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Chocoolate x Mos Burger


I wish PRs would respond when I reply their emails saying I can't read Chinese but please send me English info coz I want to write about whatever you're sending me. Alas, the folks at Chocoolate undoubtedly think that photos speak louder than words hence I am unable to tell you anything about this crossover collection with Mos Burger other than it's food meeting fashion and there is a hamburger tote bag with legs wearing what looks like 3 inch heels. Available at Choocolate, no idea for how long though. See the collection and prices after the cut.


Flocking Print Tee HK$279/$279
Photo Print Tee HK$279/$279
Tote Bag HK$359
Mesh Cap HK$239

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Friday, February 22, 2013

Rihanna for MAC Cosmetics


There are some MAC collections you die for (Disney's Venomous Villains! Hello Kitty! Cindy Sherman! Wonder Woman!) and others that are cuter in concept than in execution (sorry, Archie's Girls, you're too sweet for me -- though readers, you may beg to disagree. Full collection here). But I'm already looking forward to the brand's next collaboration, with superstar Rihanna. The first product has already been announced, which is RiRi Woo, a red lipstick that plays off of the singer's own favourite hue, MAC's Ruby Woo. Given my obsession with bright lips, I can't wait... but I'll have to, because that product doesn't launch until May 4th at a pop-up MAC shop in New York (when Rihanna's tour lands there).

After that, there will be three other phases, with a summer collection, fall collection and holiday collection. Looks like MAC is banking big on the (admittedly very bankable) star. The biggest launch will reportedly be the final one, which will include everything from makeup bags to nail colours.

Critics were disappointed with Rihanna's River Island collection (I wasn't -- I mean, what did you really expect? And I really want those slutty high-slit maxi skirts). But I have a feeling a beauty collab will fare much better.

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Where Chloe Moretz and Hipster Fashion Intersect


There isn't really anything that ties these two photos together, other than the fact that they both feature cool girls in structured white dresses. One is an It actress photographed by Yu Tsai for Flaunt magazine. The other is an opening online lookbook spread for an It clothing retailer's latest in-house collection. But they both combine to tell me: I need that freaking frock.

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SHOErotica: Liam Fahy Charlotte Pumps



Satin pumps usually conjure up images of wedding belles (or sadly, bridesmaids in pastel-coloured dresses with footwear to match). But these ballet-slipper-inspired lilac confections are so much better than that. Satin is poised for a comeback. You heard it here first, people.

Get them at Liam Fahy.

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