1. C2 Thursday, March 19, 2015
CITY
EVENT REPORT: 100 TOP TABLES 2015 – A CEO’S DINING GUIDE
T
he city’s culinary
masters came together
yesterday to celebrate
the art of fine dining at
the annual launch of
the South China Morning Post’s
100 Top Tables 2015 – A CEO’s
Dining Guide. The event,
attended by chefs, restaurateurs
and hotel executives from Hong
Kong and Macau, marked the
launch of the third edition of the
restaurant guide for business
leaders and top executives.
“Let me be the first to
congratulate you all for your
sheer creative brilliance and
pursuit of perfection, which
have led to your inclusion,”
Robin Hu, CEO of SCMP Group,
told a packed house at the Asia
Society Hong Kong Center.
Hu’s initiative created100
Top Tables three years ago, when
he realised there was an
abundance of bulky restaurant
listings, but a lack of dining
guides tailored to executives.
“Senior executives are busy
people, and to them too much
information is no information,
so we decided to take on a ‘less
is more’ approach. Plus, we
figured it would take the good
part of an entire year to sample
100 top restaurants even for
CEOs,” he said.
To pick100 restaurants from
a list of over1,000 fine-dining
establishments in Hong Kong
and Macau is no small feat. “It’s
always a big challenge,” said
Winnie Chung, editorial
director, Specialist Publications,
SCMP’s Advertising and
Marketing Solutions. “We had to
stay focused on our criteria to
allow us to pick the ones we felt
represented the best in
executive dining.”
The selected restaurants had
to reach high standards in terms
of food and service, and provide
a suitable environment for
executive dining. This year’s
issue features 40 newcomers,
and highlights 20 fine-dining
establishments in Macau.
The range of eateries is
diverse, from molecular
gastronomy and fine dining
to Japanese teppanyaki and
gourmet steakhouses.
The guide includes leading
establishments such as Amber
and Bo Innovation, which have
been on the list for three
consecutive years.
Guests who attended the
event included Frankie Tang,
executive chef of Spring Moon;
Daniel Chui, director of Seventh
Son; Emanuele Gorla, restaurant
manager at Nicholini’s; and
Flavio Pensa, general manager
of Gaucho.
Macau was also well-
represented with attendees
including Donna Campbell,
director of marketing and PR at
Sands’ Dynasty 8; and Mak Wai-
ming, senior Chinese chef at
Venetian Macau’s Canton.
The Peninsula Group’s
executive chef, Florian Trento,
expressed his delight at having
three restaurants listed.
“[It’s] unbelievable. It’s
also a great encouragement
for the team as their efforts
are recognised.”
Olivier Bonard, vice-
president of food and beverage
at Wynn Macau, felt “proud” of
the group’s achievements.
“The recognition is a tribute
to the ongoing commitment of
the Wynn Macau team in
providing guests with
exceptional and memorable
experiences,” he said.
The selected restaurants
were presented with a framed
certificate of recognition for
their outstanding cuisine,
services and venue. Copies
of100 Top Tables will be
distributed to SCMP subscribers
and are available at retail outlets,
airport lounges, airport stores
and Pacific Coffee outlets.
Dine with the very best
Launch of
restaurant
guide pays
tribute to
sheer creative
brilliance and
pursuit of
perfection
(From centre to right): Winnie Chung, editorial director, SCMP’s Specialist Publications; Elsie Cheung, SCMP’s COO; Robin Hu, SCMP Group’s CEO; and Romanus Ng, general manager, SCMP’s Advertising and
Marketing Solutions, celebrate the launch of 100 Top Tables 2015 – A CEO’s Dining Guide with renowned chefs, restaurateurs and hotel executives from Hong Kong and Macau. Photo: Dickson Lee
(From left): Cédric Kerhir, general manager of Le Dôme de Cristal; Yoshiharu Kakinuma, executive chef of Sushi Shikon, with general manager Anthony Tan; and from The Royal Garden Hotel’s restaurants, chef Andrea Oreste Delzanno of Sabatini
Ristorante Italiano, head chef Sze Chiu-kwan of Dong Lai Shun and sous chef Henry Ho of Inagiku Grande. Photos: PhotoGift Photography
No need to say sorry
for party no-show
Perhaps Ronny Tong Ka-wah
does not need more evidence to
prove the rift between him and
the party he co-founded, but the
barrister – who never
disappoints gossip lovers – has
given the public yet more
confirmation of the rumour.
While many asked why Tong
had missed the Civic Party’s
ninth anniversary celebration on
Tuesday, he gave All Around
Town an honest answer. “I
didn’t realise it was the
anniversary until I saw the
pictures on Facebook,” he said.
Tong, known for his more
moderate stance on political
reform than his colleagues, said
he was not very aware of party
affairs, especially now that he
was no longer a member of the
executive committee. He joked
that he would need his secretary
to remind him about his
wedding anniversary and
believed missing the party’s
celebration wasn’t a big deal.
And will he now say sorry to his
colleagues? “Love is never
having to say sorry,” Tong said.
Jeffie Lam
Competition declines
for DAB panel seats
Although lawmaker Tam Yiu-
chung says he is stepping down
as chairman of the Beijing-
loyalist Democratic Alliance for
the Betterment and Progress of
Hong Kong to make way for
younger leaders, the
competition for seats on the
DAB’s 52-strong central
committee is turning out to be
milder than at the last election
two years ago. In 2013, 62 DAB
members were put forward as
candidates for the central
committee. But this year, party
secretary general Chan Hok-
fung said fewer than 60 had been
nominated. Chan said voting
would run from this week to
April13. The newly elected
central committee will then pick
the 21-member standing
committee, which will decide
before April18 whether the top
candidate for the chairmanship,
Starry Lee Wai-king, will become
the 23-year-old party’s first
chairwoman. DAB lawmaker
Gary Chan Hak-kan said the
lukewarm interest in joining the
central committee might be
related to the district council
polls in November. “Maybe
many people want to spend time
winning a district council seat
rather than taking part in party
affairs,” Chan said. Tony Cheung
Party shows different
faces on third runway
The Democratic Party, known
for its diversity of voices, is
divided on whether the third
airport runway project should go
ahead. The split first surfaced on
Tuesday night when party
lawmaker Sin Chung-kai
expressed a milder stance than
his fellow party members on the
HK$141.5 billion project. He said
the government should work
with mainland authorities to
resolve airspace management
issues, and then went on to
comment on the authority’s
plan to issue bonds. Sin’s
statement immediately drew
flak from activists who slammed
his almost supportive stance.
Then yesterday, the party’s
deputy spokesman on transport
policy, Henry Chai Man-hon,
initiated an internal campaign
asking colleagues to “express
reservations” about the
government’s “hasty” approval.
“I don’t know why Sin has a
different view. Our party last
year listed issues that must be
resolved before approval, and
they remain unaddressed. ” Chai
said, hoping members would
meet this weekend to come up
with a unified view. Sin said he
had nothing to add and Chai
“had the liberty” to say what he
wished. JoyceNg and Tony Cheung
ALL AROUND TOWN
Lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah.
The prosecutor in a case involv-
ing the murder and dismember-
ingofanelderlycoupleurgedthe
nine-member jury not to be
affected by the gruesome nature
of the evidence. This came as the
sensational trial in the Court of
First Instance drew towards a
close.
Henry Chau, 31, and Tse
Chun-kei, 38, deny two counts of
murdering Chau’s parents –
Chau Wing-ki and Siu Yuet-yee –
on March 1, 2013. The couple’s
heads were later found in two
refrigeratorsandtheirbodyparts
in three plastic boxes in Tse’s flat
in Tai Kok Tsui.
Prosecutor Michael Arthur
reminded the jury that the killing
was completed within 20 min-
utes and involved two victims.
“It required two people to do
it,” he said.
He said there was compelling
evidence showing that “the two
menhadtheirheadstogether”in
planningandexecutingthemur-
ders since October 2012.
ArthursaidChauknewhehad
committed a crime and that it
was wrong. He said the accused
was not insane.
He also pointed out that the
other defendant, Tse, acted dif-
ferently while speaking to the
police and testifying in the wit-
nessbox.Hequestionedwhether
Tse was faking when he used a
child-liketonetogiveevidencein
court.
“Whatwashetryingtodo?Try
towinyoursympathy?Trytoper-
suade you that he was easily
cheated?” he asked.
HeaddedthatChauopeneda
computer file to record the bank
account information of his par-
ents and the pair both suggested
thatmoneymighthavebeenone
of the motives for the killing.
However, Chau’s lawyer
Nicholas Adams denied that his
client had killed his parents for
money. He claimed Chau was
never short of money. Further,
the couple’s credit and bank
cards were left untouched in the
flat after they were killed.
He said Chau initially made a
full confession to his friends, a
cousin and the police. He said it
all showed that Chau was in an
abnormal state of mind at that
time and that his guilt should
therefore be diminished.
Barrister Charlotte Draycott
SC, for Tse, maintained that her
client, who had a low IQ, was not
the kind of person who would
carry out such a cold-blooded
andcalculatedact,andwasbeing
used by others.
Mr Justice Michael Stuart-
Moorewillsumupanddirectthe
jury today.
................................................
Julie Chu
julie.chu@scmp.com
Prosecution and defence in trial of two men for
murder and dismembering of parents give their
concluding remarks before the judge sums up
‘DON’TLET
GRUESOME
EVIDENCE
AFFECTYOU’
COURTS
AseniorMarineDepartmentoffi-
cial and a retired ship inspector
appeared in Eastern Court yes-
terday in relation to the 2012
Lamma ferry collision that
claimed 39 lives.
The department’s assistant
director, So Ping-chi, 58, is
charged with one count of mis-
conductinpublicoffice,whilere-
tired senior inspector Wong
Kam-ching, 60, faces one count
ofperjury.Neithermanentereda
plea and the prosecution said
that both cases would be tried at
the District Court in Wan Chai.
Soisaccusedofwilfulmiscon-
duct because he allegedly in-
structed his subordinates not to
enforce the provisions of the
Merchant Shipping Regulations
on lifejackets. He also later failed
to rescind the order, prosecutors
claim.
Meanwhile, Wong allegedly
made a false statement at the
commission of inquiry into the
disaster by claiming that the ill-
fated Lamma IV vessel carried
children’s lifejackets. Prosecu-
tors claim that during an inspec-
tion of the boat on May 8, 2012,
Wong did not in fact see any life-
jackets.
The collision, one of the city’s
worst ever maritime accidents,
took place on October 1, 2012,
when Hongkong Electric’s Lam-
maIVcollidedwithHongKong&
Kowloon Ferry’s Sea Smooth.
Some 39 passengers who had
beenonboardtheLammaIV,in-
cluding eight children, died.
Granting the pair HK$10,000
cash bail each, Principal Magis-
trate Bina Chainrai reminded
them “not to discuss the present
proceedingsdirectlyorindirectly
with any officers of the Marine
Department”.
Chainrai also ordered the
men to surrender all travel docu-
ments and not to leave Hong
Kong.
Both cases were adjourned to
April 15. Prosecutor Vincent Siu
said that the prosecution needed
time to prepare relevant docu-
ments for transferring the case to
the District Court.
................................................
Thomas Chan
thomas.chan@scmp.com
Marine officials appear before court
LAMMA FERRY TRAGEDY
39Number of people who died in
the Lamma ferry disaster in
2012, including eight
children
Former Marine Department officials Wong Kam-ching, left, and So Ping-chi, right. Photos: Sam Tsang