The Big Smoke Ain’t No Drag…
BY VERITY DOUGLAS
While it’s argued that London lacks the shine of New York and the polish of Paris, this rough diamond has more facets than any Cartier confection. From Hampstead to Hackney, Hoxton to Hammersmith, once you scuff aside the city grime you may still find the streets of town are paved with gold. After all, “all that glitters…”
On Saturday mornings, I invariably need to recover, so I haul myself out of bed and head for Angel. A world away from the throngs of Oxford Circus and Portobello, the Elk in the Woods on Camden Passage, is the perfect place for a recuperative coffee or the bloodiest of Marys. And, if breakfast is actually lunch, then I recommend their scrumptious cheesy, leeky toast. It’s comfort food for hungover souls without the guilt of a full English. (Although, if it’s a full English you’re after, then challenge yourself to demolish Mario’s ‘Big Breakfast’ – it’s breakfast to the power of ten and if you manage to plough through all 5000 calories within twenty minutes, it’s free…and then you die. After all, according to the British Heart Foundation, “eating this amount in one sitting is not a good idea”. No s**t Sherlock). Still, if you’re content not to carry the weight of a small person around in your stomach all day, then stick to Camden Passage and enjoy a non-competitive snack, whilst scoping out the wares of the various market sellers, who congregate on this narrow street to flog the contents of their battered suitcases. Don’t be perturbed by the hotch-potch of jumble, for one man’s tat is another man’s treasure and on a good day, fashionistas can get their hands on everything from vintage lace to Judas Priest t-shirts. Just be equipped with cash, a keen eye and a level head. It’s dangerously easy to get carried away.
Drink with the Locals
BY BENJAMIN NATHAN-SERIO
In Barcelona there is a fairly strict gastronomic code, and some very precise cultural habits when it comes to mixology. Hedonism has its rules in this thriving cultural capital. So, if you want to drink like a Barcelonés you need to be familiar with your options.
In most of the Western world cocktail hour gets going in the evening around 5. Ha! Locals in Barcelona whet their lunchtime pallet from around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Traditional aperitifs in Barcelona range from vermouth on the rocks with a splash of whisky and a wedge of lemon to Cava, Spain’s answer to France’s Champagne. More humble folk might just get started with a caña (a glass of beer) or a mediana (a bottle). Barcelona’s local beers don’t have a great range in flavour, but they do the job. Try a Moritz or an Estrella. Naturally if you opt to start things off with a copa of vino tinto (red wine), you won’t be seen as uncouth.
The wine here flows as copiously as the waters of the Mediterranean and is just as refreshing. This is the most popular drink to accompany the Catalan lunch. For a delicious local wine ask for a Priorat. These vineyards are just over an hour inland from Barcelona. The largest nearby city Reus is an ideal spot to try out your new drinking regimen. In many local restaurants (set menus under 10 euros) you will simply get the vino de casa (house wine). Often this will be accompanied by a bottle of cold, sweetened, carbonated water (gaseosa). Pour a little in your wine, to taste. Now you’re drinking like a proper obrero (worker).
Hong Kong’s Hippest Bars: For the Perfect Summer Cocktail
BY MARK LEAN
Like a flaming wok, the air in Hong Kong practically crackles with heat and energy. Experience this in the flesh by brushing pass the throngs of people on streets and snaking alleys. Space is a premium commodity in the former British colony, as are the views from highly prized vantage points on misty hilltops and dramatic sea-facing cliffs. This definitely isn’t middle-of-the-road suburbia.
The island’s vibe is a mix of Manhattan cool and Chinese smarts, the latter of which has created one of the world’s most thriving economies. For new arrivals in town who’d like an idea of top spots to soak up a cocktail or two whilst rubbing shoulders with the Prada-wearing cognoscenti, here are a few suggestions.
Big on space, jaw-dropping wraparound views of Victoria Harbour, and unique interior design, the 10,000sq.ft lifestyle destination SEVVA (pronounced “savour”) also features a much talked about bar. Owner Bonnie Gokson has enlisted the skills of acclaimed mixologist, Joseph Boroski, who featured in the television series Sex and the City, to create east-meets-west cocktails with a stylish twist (prices start from HKD$120) that Hong Kong’s versions of Carrie Bradshaw and friends will love.
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