Company CNY dinner last night. Nice trading war stories with colleagues from The Netherlands, Curaçao, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Xinjiang and all over.
A few flutes of Dom Perignon made for a happy Happy Hour.
Our annual dinners are usually hosted at Lei Garden in TST, this year no exception. Lei Garden is perhaps best known for Dim Sum, and we’ve enjoyed a few “working” Yum Cha lunches there. The banquet staff is efficient, courteous and the timing/pacing of courses spot on. I will make a better effort try their regular dinner service some day soon.
Abstained from the lovely assortment of canapés, saving belly real estate for Real Food.
Tonight’s Bill of Fare only in Chinese. Will have to dine without a road map and take what comes may. The horror!!!
Appetizers plate. Good Suckling Pig, zingy Wasabi Octopus and the best bite, an Egg Roll like thingie with a super tasty Mushroom Filling. The green veggie was over salty and did not impress.
Our company banquet planner is quite conservative, so of course, the de rigueur Sha**’s Fin Soup.
Crab served with its Butter. Slivers of crab was juicy and tender, unctuous crab butter would easily stand as a dish on its own.
One of my most lusted after Hong Kong specialties: Goose Web, Abalone and Asparagus (no shitake??). For me, any meal with goose digits qualifies as a feast! 
The XO condiment was especially delicious, overloaded with Conpoy (dried scallops). My wife raved about the sauce, and a jar “magically” appeared for her to take home. Not the first time this magic act has happened, don’t know how she does that.
Plenty of social lubricants to complement the good eats.
Mouton Rothschild ‘98. Clementin de Pape 2010. Martell Creation Cognac. Ragnaud Sabourin Cognac.
There were some Whites and Sauternes floating around, I stuck to the Asian og agenda, Reds & Cognac.
Continued the meal with an excellent Steamed Grouper, somewhat ordinary Roast Chicken, Oysters with Pea Sprouts (dou mew) garnished with Seaweed and last but not least, Shrimp Chow Mein. A neat presentation of noodles fried with shrimp enhanced the fragrance of the crab essence, adorned with the crab shell.
There was dessert. Dessert Soups, Custards, Pastries and of course, Fresh Fruit.
Surprisingly un-hungover today??? Even remember how we made our back to the hotel from the Elements.
Ok, now back to our regular program of wandering the streets and back allies and eating anything and everything that smells and looks delicious. Yay!!!