Hong Kong. 15 hour flight to come.

They say Cathay pacific has some more "intangible" benefits. But their planes don't look so homely.

Hong Kong - the peak

The last thing to do in Hong Kong is to take the tram up to the peak. The view is quite nice.

Too sick to drink

There is a street in Hong Kong dominated by bars and foreigners.

Afternoon tea at Joel Robuchon

The French know how to make english tea.

Hong kong dim sum: $2-3 michelin star restaurant

The sweet pork buns were worth the 4 hour wait. The rest not so much.

Australian beef at a Japanese restaurant, hong kong

Not sure what this says

Shanghai pork buns

Jean George in shanghai

I include the photos from the new York location in the trump hotel. I went this summer. The $100 prix fixe (650rmb) includes 3 courses and four desserts (below).

Shanghai in the morning

With a slight fog, the high rises disappear into the sky

Shanghai feels like home

Shanghai is a first class city with scifi buildings on one side of the river and (beautiful) western architecture on the other. Exchange students who choose shanghai will feel quite at home. They can frequent the little village I went to last night (Xin she jie) where there are no Chinese characters to be found and where you can comfortably speak in English. The stores resemble high end stores in Canada, where not-as-well-known brands like true religion dominate the standard Veblen variety (prada/Armani/Gucci). The beers are all on tap (with one bar owned by Pauliner, brewed in the back instead of imported from Germany). It was nice to see some rather obscure "brands" make it to the forefront. Like stonegrill, a higher end Korean barbecue where a hot stone is the platform and on top are venison, bison, and other game. I went to the Toronto location with a groupon (and didn't think much of it) but surprisingly it is in shanghai too.

Ritz Carlton shanghai

For the first time in a week, I flip on the TV and the bloomberg channel comes up (In English!)

On tap beer. Finally.

There is a strong tradition of perfect competition. Streets are lined with non differentiated shops. Around a particular lake where the young (and relatively well off) frequent, there are at least 20 bars that sell the same thing. But no on tap beer. But finally, at the end of everything is what I was looking for.

Beijing lattes

Happy new year

Grandma's birthday lunch.

Beijing Centre for the Arts

It's not one big theatre. The ones inside are smaller than Toronto equivalents - but they're all in the same place. And it's absolutely beautiful. The New Year's Eve concert was unfortunately a mishmash of popular overtures and some Asian music. 

Country of excesses

This buffet is unbelievable. The perimeter is laced with offerings from both western and Asian cuisines in such excessiveness that each course is wrought with indecision and the lengthy circumnavigation restores your appetite for more (perhaps a flaw in their business model?). The western cooking is welcome, though the meats are as expected inadequate. However, the raw foods taste surprisingly fresh. A personal favorite is the all you can eat foiegras, all you can drink wine and beer, and all you can eat Haagen daaz! The price ($40) is justified.

Beijing is very much about food

"night" market

Shanghai pork buns

The one in Richmond hill is actually slightly better.

My EM Financiers

We have a couple (4) MD's albeit of the life-saving variety and an associate at barcap HK.