Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Panorama bar near Nathan Road - Jewel in a Boutique

Surprises bubble up every now and then if you keep you eyes and mind open - this time I am talking about a cozy rooftop panorama bar housed in a new boutique hotel in Jordan, Madera (a.k.a.木的地酒店). If all you want is a little quiet place in the middle of the vibrant Kowloon, with astonishing view and a friendly bar-tender at your service, you may find the Panorama Lounge an oasis in the concrete surroundings.

The Panorama Lounge is located on the 29/F of the hotel building with a living room size lounge bar area with living room setting (couches and plasma TV...what else do you need? Yea, the bar of course!). Walk up the stairs to the rooftop, you will be wowed by the unique panorama view of the Kowloon peninsula plus HK Island just a stone's throw away from our usual viewpoint from TST. Like my friend would say, one can't usually see the Nathan Road that straight from close. Haha it makes no sense but when I looked at it, I couldn't agree more!


The bar-tender was nice and thoughtful but he was about to move on and work at another bar in TST by the time I visited - good luck! Anyway, this bar is kind of family style so whichever you name, as long as the ingredient is available, you'll get it.

So I got my Cosmopolitan with a luscious squeeze of the lit lemon skin (so as to release the lemon oil) - such a long-lasting savor! We also got some other cocktails out from creativity. The best thing was to watch the bar-tender's skills and chat along.

Litting up the lemon skin
After cocktails, it was close to the closing time at 11:30pm, Mr. bar-tender was itching to show his skills again~ and made us some dangerous shooters!! Olala!


Panorama Lounge at Madera is generally a great venue for private parties - which can comfortably accommodate approx. 20 pax at the 'living room' plus rooftop. Check its website for details. Cheers!

Madera - 1 Cheong Lok Street, Jordan, Kowloon+852 2121 9888


Sunday, June 24, 2012

Craft beers and top beer bars in Hong Kong

Something that catches my attention these days is the rising popularity of craft beers in Hong Kong. Craft beers are defined as beers produced by small, independent and traditional breweries (Brewers Association). They are made with traditional ingredients like malted barley, and often added with interesting and sometimes non-traditional ingredients - for their magical and distinctive kicks.

Jonathan So organized the first ever Beertopia! craft beer tasting event in Hong Kong this April featuring some major craft beer vendors locally and introduced over 90 craft beers from 10 countries. They are still organizing smaller events now and then, so stay tuned with Beertopia! Or if you wish to find your favorite bars for craft beers, keep on reading this post!
Beertopia! Hong Kong Western Market 2012
There has been extensive travel/city reviews covering great beer places in HK, like CNNGo's Best Hong Kong beer purveyors highlighting and reviewing a rising number of craft beers found in town, and TimeOut Hong Kong's Best bars for beer in Hong Kong's useful list of bars with descriptions down to the essence (but note it's been slightly outdated already).
PartyStuff's Beer Bar List is going to be a constant update with a condensed summary of beer bars reviews plus some of my personal recommendations. Hope it could help plan your beer bar crawl in Hong Kong with more fun - enjoy! ;)
Central 
The Globe - 45 Graham St., Central [menu]
Recommended: Hong Kong's largest selection of 12 beers on tap and over 100 bottled craft beers including the rich and chocolaty Fullers London Porter; the crisp, hoppy Thornbridge Jaipur IPA and Theakston Old Peculier, a bittersweet old ale with hints of dried fruit.
Cochrane’s - 46 Cochrane St., Central [menu]
Recommended: About 50 beer choices (one of the El Grande bars) and some special rum cocktails
Frites Central - 1/F Queen's Place, 74 Queen's Road Central (entrance on Pottinger St.)
Recommended: Frites has the widest selection of Belgian Beers (over 70) in HK including famous ones by Trappist monks - characterized by its robust flavor, full-body and high alcohol brews, and some rare brews like Artevelde and Montagnarde.
Hong Kong Brew House - 21 D’Aguilar St., Lan Kwai Fong, Central [menu]
Recommended: Fullers London Pride and Organic Honey Dew beers on tap (an El Grande bar)
The Keg - 52 D'Aguilar St., Lan Kwai Fong, Central [menu]
Recommended: Some special beers like the Canadian Tankhouse Ale, Australian Monteiths at this Canadian-themed bar resembling a large barrel
The Beer Bay (Beer stall with no seating) - Central Ferry Pier 3 
Recommended: Old Speckled Hen, a creamy, malty English pale ale; Durham St. Cuthbert, a hoppy, citrusy American-style IPA from England; Brew Dog, a bitter, edgy ale from a Scottish brewery and its many other bottled craft beers same as The Globe for half the price!
Wan Chai
Trafalgar - 5/F, 62 Lockhart Road, The Broadway, Wan Chai [menu]
Recommended: On tap- Marston’s Pedigree, an English Pale Ale, and the sweet, floral Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc on tap; Bottled- over 60 bottles of English beers, Castle Rock Elsie Mo, a hoppy, fruity summer beer, or Wells Bombardier, with malty biscuit notes are worth trying.
The Canny Man - Basement, Wharney Guang Dong Hotel, 57-73 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai [menu]
Recommended: Total Scottish experience - try its Caledonian Scottish ale 
Hop House - Shop 14, 1/F, Causeway Centre, 28 Harbour Road, Wanchai [menu]
Recommended: De Koninck and Vedett from Belgium are exclusively on tap (an El Grande bar)
Frites Wan Chai - Shop 6, 1/F, Causeway Centre, 28 Harbour Raod, Wan Chai   
Recommended: See Frites Central 
Slim’s - 1 Wing Fun St., Wan Chai [menu]
Again, another bar of El Grande's with over 40 micro-brew craft beers
 The Pawn - 62 Johnston Road, Wan Chai
Recommended: This heritage building has been turned into an epicures' dining room with some fine beers but obviously not their main trade
King Ludwig Beerhall - Shops 1 & 2 G/F, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen's Road East, Wanchai
Recommended: Arcobrau Schloss Dunkel, a German dark beer positioned as a 'dark lager' with a lighter body than a stout like Guiness, but it's highly drinkable with a slight sweetness. 
Causeway Bay 
East End Brewery - Sunning Plaza, 10 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay [menu]
Recommended: A list of over 60 local and imported craft beers, in a peanut shells surroundings (an El Grande bar)
Inn Side Out - Sunning Plaza, 10 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay [menu]
Right next to East End Brewery under the El Grande group with similar menu 
Tai Hang
Stone's - G/F, China Tower, 1-9 Lin Fa Street West, Tai Hang
Recommended: Its unique choices of beers including an Irish cream ale, Kilkenny, in draught and some hand picked American micro-brews from Ballast Point, North Coast Brewing Co. and Rogue
Happy Valley
Happy Valley Bar and Grill - 38 Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley [menu]
Recommended: Another El Grande bar with the most extensive beer list (over 90) in the district
The Jockey - 33 Wong Nai Chung Road, Happy Valley
Recommended: Boutique Real Ales from the UK and unique Crafted Beers
Island East
Frites Quarry Bay - G/F, Oxford House, Taikoo Place, 979 King's Road
Recommended: See Frites Central
Tsim Sha Tsui 
The Roundhouse - No. 36 Lock Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Recommended: Over 70 craft beers and some beer cocktails that would definitely satisfy your curiosity
Fatt’s Place - 2 Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui [menu]
Recommended: A similar choice of over 70 micro-brews as other El Grande bars, good to go for its pizzas and other food as well
Tequila Jack's - 33-35 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui [menu]
Recommended: Mexican beers including Bohemia, with a clean malty aroma and a touch of sweetness and fruitiness.
Bahamas Mama - 4 Knutsford Terrrace, Tsim Sha Tsui 
Recommended: This Caribbean themed beach bar wins my heart with its decor and my favorite Edelweiss Weissbier. Otherwise, beer choices are quite standard.
King Ludwig Beerhall - Shop No. 32, KCR East Tsim Sha Tsui Station
Recommended: See King Ludwig Beerhall, Wan Chai
Yuen Long
Biere von Irene - Shop 17B, 7-25 Yau San St., Yuen Long
Recommended: An unusual and unique beer place exclusively (in HK) with Rogue on tap; and Sanmichlaus, a doppelbock with 14% alcohol from the thousand-year-old Austrian brewer - Eggenberg. Totally worth the traveling to this district!


Updated on 24/6/2012