trip to Singapore and Hong Kong last week

A visit to some outstanding restaurants to talk, discuss and present some New Zealand produce,
update on business and trends. Even early in the week several were fully booked, good sign.

In Singapore Chefs Table had to squeeze me in, The Tippling Club prepared NZ Lamb for me
in the middle of a lunch time rush. Morels, Singapore’s most photogenic restaurant, was perfect
      for brunch and a walk in the Botanic Gardens.. My first visit to 665 °F  Chef Josephine Loke was recently
profiled in wine and dine restaurant and a pleasure to dine there. The kitchen opens on to a more formal
almost dramatic dining room (designer Andre Fu of AFSO) The mood is created by the kitchen. Busy, but not
loud, efficient and practiced, the best part was plenty of laughter. They were happy chefs.

Hong Kong, I met with mostly importer / distributors. A lunch at Arcane was a standout. Food
and service perfection.

Later a more casual 22 Ships where I meet Aaron Gillespie. Very cool and casual dining. The
food is fresh, interesting. A great place where you feel part of the Hong Kong buzz.
I shared a lift with Ovolos Chef Alvaro Ramos. Whom I had never met, he was holding three
packs of Flowers and herbs, intrigued I asked him where he got them. They’d just arrived from
'The Secret Garden' in New Zealand!

Most of the food in Hong Kong is shipped or flown in. Given it’s a single flight from most major
airports, the range of food is incredible. New Zealand food and wine appears in many places,
but the competition is strong. White asparagus just in season from Holland, wild garlic from
freshly from France.