Umberto Bombana's Otto e Mezzo in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, just like London, New York and Sydney, has its fair share of restaurateurs who attract loyal followers. Umberto Bombana (originally at Ritz Carlton's Toscana, then The Drawing Room in Causeway Bay) is definitely one. I had the opportunity to check out his relatively new restaurant. Tucked into a corner of the mezzanine floor of an office building in Central, Otto e Mezzo exudes a certain cosmopolitan Milanese chic: discrete entrance, showy celebration of Jamon (yes, even some of the best Roman eateries such as Salumerie Roscioli don't serve prosciutto anymore), and stylish chocolate brown deco.

The poached langoustine tail topped with caviar was delicious with a delicate texture. Con cura, Signore Bombana personally shaved a big lump of black truffle onto his freshly made taglioni in a mushroom sauce.

Some of us ordered the costoletta alla milanese - and it arrived as a whole piece which was then carefully carved into three portions. The eating experience on a whole was delightful. Everything was delicate and carefully prepared. The staff was attentive without being overbearing. So all in all a satisfying experience.

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Dialogues des Carmélites at the Royal Opera

Michael Levine's set design for Dialogues des Carmélites was minimalist. Actually, was there any set design? I suppose the director Robert Carsen was clever at introducing formation of human figures in many different ways to suggest the context of the opera. It kind of worked. Blanche, sung by Sally Matthews, was pretty good. Though I did find the whole work quite tedious - I think the intimate nature of the dialogues needed a small and intimate performing space i.e. not the Royal Opera House. The ending was worth waiting for. Dramatic. Poignant.

Aqua Nueva serving up some hot Spanish snacks in London

It's just about a month old when Aqua opened in London. And yes, it's the same Aqua as the one on No 1 Peking Road. Well, the entrance on Argyll Street makes a bit of a statement - crimson velvet decor with a sleekly dressed receptionist guiding you to the lift. When you get to the top floor, it opens out into a series of bar and dining areas. My destination was Aqua Nueva - the Spanish part of this drinking-dining complex. That meant I was guided along an atmospherically lit corridor before I got to the the restaurant. It's well lit with a terrace looking out to a roof top terrace. Unlike Aqua in Hong Kong where it has the spectacular harbour view, the London one only looks out to a roof-top view. Rather than wading through the tapas and a la carte menus, I just asked the maitre d' to bring a selection of their tapas. I was pleasant surprised by the delicate croquette of mushrooms, lightly cooked octopus, braised pork, San Pietro fillets, Manchengo topped tortilla a...

Strauss Four Last Songs and Sibelius 5 - Singapore Symphony

The evening concert started with the overture of Lohengrin. Jukka-Pekka Saraste took a poised temple and the strings of Singapore Symphony rose to the ocassion to provide that mythical sound. This probbaly was intedned to set the mood for the Four Last Songs - I guessed. Evelina Dobračeva was the star soprano. Frühling got off to a sure, if a little safe start. The best was probably Beim Schlafengehen, sung with great stillness. September and Im Abendrot felt unblanaced - Dobračeva's subtle words were somehow lost among the swell of orchestral sound. This was followed by Morgen - probbaly the best song of the evening, perhaps the very light orchestration helped. Jukka-Pekka Saraste and SSO were on surer footing with Sibelius 5. The first movement was brisk with lightness and details. The second and last movements felt cohesive, leading to the well known tune in the finale. If only there were more people in the concert hall to enjoy the music.

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