Last night Girlahead binged-watched. Netflix’s Live to 100, Secrets of the Blue Zones, introduced and commented throughout by Blue Zones’ king Dan Buettner, is absolutely addictive (warning, eating and lifestyle everywhere in the USA other than the Seventh Day Adventist community of Loma Linda in the Californian desert, is BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH).
Eat together, and put movement into everyday life, are just two of the messages. Another could be go local. In Montreal, at Daniel Boulud’s splendid Maison Boulud at RITZ-CARLTON MONTREAL, a breakfast choice not to be missed is Le Montréalais. Look at the image above. A bagel is split, toasted and spread with cream cheese, all acting as a base for coils of smoked Canadian salmon, Lebanese cucumber and. presumably from Canada, radish, red onion. Delicious. Interestingly when hotel GM Andrew Torriani needs dig-deeper concierge help he turns to a Lebanese-Canadian, Simon Bajouk – we know Lebanon produces marvellous people but why do they have national cucumbers? In fact what is called a ‘Lebanese cucumber’ is Cucumis Sativus, a straight cucumber developed in Cyprus, which does now answer why it is called Lebanese.
It’s that time of year, by the way, when special events happen all over. In Hong Kong, for instance, Swire Hotels’ THE UPPER HOUSE, part of The Set Collection, has drag queen Madame Mincemeat as guest mixologist for one night, Wednesday 13th September.
Also in Hong Kong, afternoon tea is absolutely fashionable, especially at THE PENINSULA. The hotel continues its partnership with Star Ferrie’s World Star. Today and tomorrow, plus next Saturday, the theme aboard afternoon tea at sea is Summer. From 16th September the theme evolves to ‘All Things British” Afternoon Tea (note, Girlahead thought she was British but the inclusion in the hotel’s menu of ‘black pudding’ is something interesting). After that, from 25 November through 17 December, The Peninsula holds festive “Teas of Hope”, with US$5 per guest being donated to the Make-A-Wish Hong Kong.
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