FOOD NEWS

The Dish

Small bites from around the region

STAR PERFORMER…

The Sydney Morning Herald named Quay as its Sydney restaurant of the year. Expect to pay A$200/S$254 for a meal. Compare that to Hong Kong’s Tim Ho Wan, the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred eatery, offering dim sum for about A$2/S$2.50.

VROOM, VROOM VIETNAM…

Tour operator Exotissimo’s new five-day Cultural Hanoi tour includes a meal with a culinary connoisseur and dining with local nobility. Another new tour, Unseen Ho Chi Minh, includes a hands-on cooking class at a Saigon family’s house and a scoot through the city’s motorcycle madness.

READY, STEADY CHEF…

Canadian-born Chris O’Brien – whose TV appearances in Australia include Ready Steady Cook – is now leading the kitchen at The Mercure Sydney Airport. Specialties include twice-cooked eight-spice roast duck breast on an Asian greens risotto and Black Angus filet mignon.

TOP TIPPLES…

Penfolds Grange is being challenged as Australia’s best – and most expensive – wine. Fellow South Australian winemaker Henschke’s latest Hill of Grace 2005 vintage is selling for about A$550/S$698 in liquor stores. The current 2004 Grange release sells for about the same price.

STAR ATTRACTIONS…

Michelin has launched the second edition of the bilingual Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macau. The 2010 version of the classic guide to exceptional restaurants contains 245 establishments in Hong Kong and 53 in Macau.

CELEBRITY CHEFS…

Singapore’s newest casino, Marina Bay Sands, due to open early this year, will have six world-renowned chefs setting up shop – Mario Batali (New York), Daniel Boulud (New York), Wolfgang Puck (Los Angeles), Santi Santamaria (Barcelona), Guy Savoy (Paris) and Tetsuya Wakuda (Sydney).

HEALTHY PARTNERSHIP…

Daniel Desbaillets, who was the president of InterContinental Hotels Group in the ’90s, has teamed up with his Cornell-educated son, Adrien, to start a group of salad bars in Singapore called SaladStop. The first one has opened in Marina Square. Father and son describe their salads as fresh, fun and fabulous.

SIMPLY EATING…

MasterChef Australia judge and food critic Matt Preston (you know, the one who always wears cravats) has revealed his favourite food indulgences at home – “pizza, soft-boiled eggs with toast soldiers (strips of toast) and Corn Flakes with ice-cold milk”. Yum.