The LUXElife Q&A
Matt's dream coming true at Yardbird
If you think everything tastes like chicken at Yardbird, you’re pretty much right. Matt Abergel, who trained under Masayoshi Takayama at three-Michelin-starred Masa in New York, before heading up the kitchen at the Hong Kong outpost of Zuma, has opened the Fragrant Harbour’s coolest restaurant so far this year. It’s a neck-to-tail yakitori joint dedicated to the humble chook, with the focus of Tokyo’s famed Birdland, plus a big dose of New York-style, sass and fun thanks to its industrial shophouse interiors and hostess with the mostest Lindsay Jang. This is one piece of fowl play we’re happy to support, but be prepared to wait, it’s been rammed since opening and takes no reservations. Here, Matt talks chicken with LUXE, and tells us what Yardbird is about, the challenges of opening a restaurant, and his favourite places to dine and drink in Hong Kong and beyond.
Gentleman's Essentials
Congrats to Manon St Pierre and Joshua Peck, the 2 lucky winners of our Gentleman’s Hamper competition. Manon and Joshua each get a fabulous hamper filled with these manly treats:
A pocket-sized, easy to use Flip video camera to shoot and share the moment.
An Otis Batterbee olive ‘Waxed Grand Tour’ washbag to keep gents fresh on the go.
Coffee Mint Invigorating Body Wash by cult label Wash with Joe, so you can wake up and smell the coffee before you drink it.
A Babassu and Bergamot Shaving Kit by dapper Mayfair barbers Gentlemen’s Tonic, containing foaming cleanser, shave cream and aftershave.
The LUXE City Guides World Grand Tour Box covering 12 destinations. Let us be your beacon of light around the globe.
Be sure to keep checking in with us for a chance to get your hands on fabulous hotel stays and other goodies. We just love to spoil our dear readers.
Zaha's intergalactic vision
Nihao! A small slice of travel inspiration from us at LUXE City Guides to you, jetsetting darlings. Last week’s Palm Springs post has launched us into an archi-kick, so today we shine the spotlight on China’s Guangzhou Opera House, by architect of the moment Zaha Hadid. While we hope that Hadid’s big Olympics project, the London Aquatics Centre, won’t suffer the same construction quality issues as in the Chinese megacity, Guangzhou Opera House is still a sight to behold.
For more of the LUXE team’s travel pics, “Like” us on Facebook, and get clicking in this album. TTFN!
On the highway to style
If you’ve been following our Shanghai guides for a few editions, you’ll know we’ve had our eyes on Helen Lee. A graduate of Shanghai’s prestigious DHU-Lasalle International Design College, Helen’s first brand, INSH has been pushing the envelope of the Chinese fashion scene since 2003 with her vibrant, youthful creations. This year, she launched her eponymous line and opened a standalone boutique in Shanghai’s chi-chi Jing’An district. Tai hao le!
The LUXElife Q&A
Pucker up for Lulu
If there’s anybody who knows how to inject a bit of quirky fun into the serious world of fashion, it’s Lulu Guinness, OBE. Not only have those luscious Lip clutches garnered a cult following from celebs and mortals alike, her capricious arm candy has also scored permanent museum space, as The Florist Basket has done at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Here, she takes a moment to tell us the inspiration behind her whimsical handbags, and explains what makes London a real style capital.
We can't do a beach post every week, you know...
Happy Friday! Time for another spot of travel inspiration from us at LUXE City Guides to you, dear globetrotting hearts. Today, we forgo the beach and set off for Palm Springs to study up on all the Mid-Century Modern archi. Besides, we’re always up for a bit of Californian sun – who isn’t?
For more of the LUXE team’s travel pics, “Like” us on Facebook, and get clicking in this album. TTFN!
Going coo-coo for cocoa at Patrick Roger [photo: Paris by Mouth]
If you read our first guest post by Istanbul Eats, you’ll know that we’ve been asking some of our fave bloggers to appear here on LUXEtasy as occasional guest writers. This time, we bring you food-lovin’ Yankpats in Paris Barbra Austin and Meg Zimbeck, editors of the fabulous Paris By Mouth, a website dedicated to the edible pleasures in the City of Lights, with a crew of name-drop-worthy contributors. For LUXEtasy, the gals tell us their favourite sweets and where to get them. Hips be damned (or as Barbra suggests, get your leg over a Vélib’), et on y va!
Mourning the end of elBulli? Read on… [Photo: Charles Haynes/Flickr]
Missed your chance to dine at recently closed culinary trailblazer elBulli? There, there sugar, your appetite for Adrià can still be satisfied. Get yourself a reservation at Tickets, Albert and Ferran Adrià’s latest venture in Barcelona. While the brothers make it clear that this is no replacement for the legendary former temple to modern gastronomy, the menu does feature a few of elBulli’s greatest hits at a fraction of the price, reason enough to get on that plane.
Like Bali, without the crowds
Ayubowan! A small slice of travel inspiration from us at LUXE City Guides to you, jetsetting darlings. This Friday, we’re taking you on a jaunt to Tangalle, Sri Lanka – a relaxing retreat from the ballyhoo of the capital to get you nicely chillaxed. It might be monsoon season now, but there’s still plenty of sun to get your tan on. We love the Amanwella resort for its beauteous infinity pool, pristine powdery beaches and azure ocean views. Ahh…
For more of the LUXE team’s travel pics, “Like” us on Facebook, and get clicking in this album. TTFN!
Red (and green) hot chilli peppers
Here at LUXE City Guides, we believe in getting a local’s perspective. After all, our guides are written by editors who are resident in each destination. The whole wide world of the internet has also opened our eyes to plenty of fantastic blogs, many of which are written by locals who are clearly passionate about their city. We’ve asked some of our faves to appear here on LUXEtasy as occasional guest writers. To start, we bring you Yigal and Ansel of the self-explanatory Istanbul Eats, who take us on a lipsmacking tour through the area of Aksaray, or as they’ve dubbed it, Little Urfa, near the ancient centre Sultanahmet. So, without further ado, let’s hand it over to the boys.
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