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© Les Chensiyuan Williams<br />
HOSPITALITY / RESTAURANTS / BARS<br />
WHERE<br />
TO GO<br />
IN<br />
Hong Kong<br />
CLUBS / EVENTS / SHOPPING / CULTURE<br />
Brought to you by<br />
Hong Kong Gets The French “Seal” of Approval<br />
If you’re looking for great French food in Hong Kong, one of Asia’s most cosmopolitan cities, a fun idea is<br />
Serge et le Phoque (Serge and the Seal), in the Wan Chai district – close to the convention centre. To get<br />
an “inside look” at where to go in Hong Kong, we asked the restaurant’s director, Charles Pelletier, what<br />
it is that makes this city so special as far as he is concerned.<br />
Charles Pelletier<br />
Director, Serge et le Phoque<br />
I’ve lived in Hong Kong and Indonesia for a number of years<br />
and ultimately decided to come back to Hong Kong and<br />
start my restaurant business here. The city is vibrant and fastpaced,<br />
and what makes it special for me is the economic<br />
freedom which has allowed me to open my business with<br />
ease and enabled me to import quality ingredients and<br />
wine so that we can do what we love! I also love how<br />
diverse the city is. You meet so many different people from<br />
all over the world, some stopping through others settling<br />
down permanently.<br />
Do you have a favourite restaurant and/or wine bar<br />
(apart from yours of course!)?<br />
I love La Cabane and 121BC, both in Central. They’re<br />
both small bite, wine bar restaurants with great ambiance,<br />
and you really feel like home when you’re crammed into the<br />
small space. Both restaurants are great locations for a quick<br />
bite or a leisurely hangout with friends. I also really enjoy<br />
the local Chinese restaurants in Wanchai, which is near to<br />
my restaurant. I stop in for a bowl of hot noodles or some<br />
Chinese barbeque all the time.<br />
Can you suggest a “must” for those on a first visit to the<br />
city?<br />
The Peak on a clear day is the ultimate must visit in Hong<br />
Kong, even with the long queues and tourist crowds. You<br />
really get a sense of the city’s density and scale from atop;<br />
it’s truly breathtaking. It’s also beautiful to visit in the evening<br />
with the city lights. Hong Kong is the only city in the world<br />
with this view. Another must, which sounds cliché, is a<br />
tram ride through the city. You get to juxtapose the city’s<br />
THE WANCHAI<br />
MARKET IS AN UNUSUAL<br />
EXPERIENCE BECAUSE<br />
YOU REALLY SEE AND<br />
FEEL THE CITY’S SPIRIT<br />
BUSTLING THROUGH<br />
FROM DAY TO NIGHT<br />
magnificence from atop by a ride winding through the<br />
dense streets.<br />
Can you recommend an unusual place for the visitor to<br />
discover?<br />
The Wanchai market is an unusual experience because<br />
you really see and feel the city’s spirit bustling through from<br />
day to night. The sights and smells are intoxicating and<br />
unique to such an urban metropolis. You’ll find the butcher<br />
hacking away at a whole side of pig, and turn the corner<br />
to find yourself at a tiny hidden coffee shop serving artisan<br />
espresso. How special is that?<br />
Another unusual visit is to the numerous different beaches in<br />
Hong Kong. That’s also a surprise to most visitors because<br />
many people know Hong Kong as just a dense city, but if<br />
you go out just 20 minutes, you end up finding the most<br />
beautiful hidden beaches that really turn out to be mini<br />
getaways on the weekends.<br />
VINEXPO DAILY / DAY 1 / TUESDAY 24 TH MAY 2016 15
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