24 HOURS IN ROME

MAGAZINE OF THE MARCO POLO CLUB 

2 

QUARTER 2009 

24 HOURS 

IN ROME 

ARMCHAIR 

THRILLERS 

GILT-EDGED 

FURNITURE

CONTENTS 

12 

2 THE CLUB 

DEPARTMENTS 

04 MESSAGE FROM 

THE CLUB 

08 EXPLORE 

HONG KONG 

Chocolate, surreal 

dining and a watch 

collectors’ club 

12 EXPLORE 

THE WORLD 

Porsche Museum, 

name a star and 

Art Deco in Tokyo 

14 WHAT’S ON 

Siena pageant, 

Bacon and Dalí 

exhibitions, and 

Gion Matsuri 

16 CHOICE 

Designer rugs to 

leave you fl oored 

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD 

Grace Poon Mun Wong Ella Young Mandy Chau 

The Club is published by Cathay Pacifi c Loyalty Programmes Ltd. (CPLP) 

Cathay Pacifi c – The Marco Polo Club, PO Box 1024, Tsuen Wan Post 

Offi ce, Hong Kong. Tel +852 2747 5500 Fax +852 2537 9900. No part 

of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission 

of CPLP Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright 2009 by CPLP Ltd. Opinions 

in The Club are the writers’ and not necessarily endorsed by CPLP Ltd. 

Manuscripts, photographs, drawings and other materials will not be 

returned unless they are accompanied by a self-addressed envelope 

and appropriate international postal coupons. The Club cannot be held 

responsible for unsolicited material. 

FEATURES ON THE WING 

18 BESPOKE 

Custom jewellery: 

made-to-measure 

treasure 

24 EXPERT ADVICE 

Contemporary 

furniture gets 

gilt-edged 

30 24 HOURS 

Do as the Romans 

do for a day in the 

Eternal City 

38 TRAVEL 

Summer is festival 

time in Sapporo 

18 

44 INSIDE CX 

Choosing the right 

wines to drink in 

the sky 

48 CX NEWS 

Cathay Pacifi c wins 

world’s best airline 

award, new menus, 

an Asia Miles 

award, and more 

PUBLISHED BY ACP MAGAZINES ASIA LIMITED 

Unit 604-5, 6/F, 625 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong 

Tel +852 3921 7000 Fax +852 3921 7099 

Website www.acpmagazines.com.hk Email cathay@acpmagazines.com.hk 

Chief Executive Offi cer Julie Sherborn • Publishing Manager Alky Cheung • Editor in Chief William Fraser • Chief Sub Editor 

Andy Gilbert • Sub Editors Ellen Wong, Yam Yim-lan, Kylie Wong, John Cramer, Ling Ka-wai • Designers Shaun Horrocks, 

Karen Chan • Photo Editor Elisa Fu • Production Manager Jimmy Tse • Assistant Production Manager Chris Wong 

ADVERTISING ENQUIRES 

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Printer: Paramount Printing Company Limited 

38 

Photos. Porsche: Kurt Henseler – laif/IC. 

Jewellery: Courtesy of Tayma Fine Jewellery. 

Sapporo: TPG Images. 

Cover photo. Alex Fradkin – IPNstock

MESSAGE FROM THE CLUB 

4 THE CLUB 

We're the world's best 

Katie Rowen, Manager The Marco Polo Club 

I 

n spite of the current economic 

climate, we were encouraged 

by some very good news: 

Cathay Pacific was named Airline 

of the Year 2009 in the World Airline 

Awards run by SKYTRAX, the Londonbased 

research organisation. 

This is the third time we have taken 

this honour in the past 10 years: first in 

2003 and more recently in 2005. If you 

were one of the 16.2 million passengers 

surveyed in the past eight months who 

voted for us, then thank you. We were 

also named Best Airline Asia 2009. 

I hope we continue to serve you – our 

most frequent travellers – better each 

year and that you feel we are deserving 

of these honours. 

I would especially like to thank you 

for your support during this downturn. 

We realise that for some members it is 

becoming difficult to maintain your 

usual travel pattern and we very much 

appreciate the fact you are still flying 

with Cathay Pacific and Dragonair. 

I am sure that many of you saw the 

Cathay Pacific Group’s annual results for 

2008 (a record loss of HK$8,558 million). 

These are tough times for us all but our 

commitment to outstanding products 

and service remains. 

Apart from the honour of our recent 

awards, Cathay Pacific is privileged to 

be one of five founding members of 

the oneworld® alliance. Some of you 

have mentioned sighting the new 

oneworld livery being featured on 

Cathay Pacific aircraft. Three of our 

aircraft (an Airbus 340-300, an Airbus 

330-300 and a Boeing 777-300ER) 

will carry the livery to highlight our 

ongoing commitment to the oneworld 

alliance in this, its 10th anniversary year. 

oneworld now brings together 10 

full members and about 20 affiliates 

serving almost 700 airports in nearly 150 

countries. We hope you, as members 

of The Marco Polo Club, will continue to 

reap the benefits of belonging to the 

oneworld network. 

Since my last writing, it is with great 

sadness that I announce the passing of 

our oldest Marco Polo Club member, 

Rudolf Voll, who died on 11 February, 

2009, aged 97. I know that he was an 

inspiration and great friend to many 

of you and will be sorely missed by 

all, including those of his friends here 

at Cathay Pacific and Dragonair. Our 

thoughts are with his family at this time.

EXPLORE 

HONG KONG 

8 THE CLUB 

A vintage Russian watch at a recent The Art of Time 

event. Note the position of the numerals 

Watch this space 

Hong Kong watch lovers now 

have their own club. The Art of 

Time is a club organised by the 

Federation of the Swiss Watch 

Industry and has been relaunched 

for those Hong Kong watch 

connoisseurs entranced by the 

engineering, precision, history and 

collecting of mechanical watches. 

The club organises monthly workshops 

with guest speakers, appreciation 

seminars, VIP previews of 

watch auctions, watch exhibitions, 

organised tours to Switzerland’s 

famous watch-making areas and 

education about all aspects 

of horology. 

www.fhs.hk/TAOT 

Hit the trail 

The Ping Shan Heritage Trail links 

various historic buildings associated 

with the Tang Clan, which 

settled in the Yuen Long district 

as early as the 12th century. 

www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/ 

Monument/en/ping_shan.php 

CÉPAGE 

Tang Clan 

Ancestral Hall 

Eats of Eden: 

surreal dining at 

Dada Bar + Lounge 

My heart 

belongs 

to Dada 

For a more than 

usually surreal Hong 

Kong experience, try 

Dada Bar + Lounge. 

Drinks, music and art are 

all inspired by the Dadaism 

art movement of the 

early 20th century, the 

precursor to surrealism. 

Dining rooms Heaven, 

Hell and Eden are all 

extravagant forays into 

the farthest realms of 

interior design. 

2/F, The Luxe Manor hotel 

39 Kimberley Road, 

Tsim Sha Tsui 

+852 3763 8778 

www.dadalounge.com.hk 

Perfect blend 

Wan Chai’s hip Starstreet dining 

scene has a new addition, CÉPAGE 

serving French-Mediterranean food. 

The three-storey restaurant is sleek 

with black onyx marble, antique 

chandeliers and more than 2,000 

bottles on display in a glass cellar. 

23 Wing Fung Street, Wan Chai 

+852 2861 3130 

www.lesamis.com.sg 

Photos. Watch: Courtesy of The Art of Time. 

Tang Clan: Fumio Okada-OTHK

Stacks of 

chocolate 

Rona Hu’s Terra Cotta 

Warrior Aria! No 1 

Melody-maker 

Rona Hu, who studied oil painting 

at the Guangzhou Academy of 

Fine Arts, expertly utilizes distinctive 

colour tone and economical 

overlapping of canvas space to 

epitomise the passage of the time. 

A book of her work, China Melody, 

is available in major bookstores. 

The dark side 

At VERO chocolate lounge, your hot chocolate comes with a glossy disc 

of dark chocolate covering the glass cup. Slowly the chocolate melts into 

the drink adding to the thick, unctuous, mousse-like texture. VERO is serious 

chocolate territory and offers a choice of tasting experiences ranging from 

Venezuelan (“The Bordeaux of the chocolate world,” says VERO co-founder 

Roger Chan) and Ecuadorian chocolate to VERO’s seasonal collection. For a 

variation on the chocolate theme, try the tasting plate of five mini muffins. 

Buy online or at Lane Crawford, Pacific Place. 

1/F, Fenwick Pier, 1 Lung King Street, Wan Chai, +852 2559 5882 

www.verochocolates.com 

THE CLUB 

9

High spirits 

A cocktail can be a cheap and chic way to treat yourself to a sense of 

occasion, especially if it comes with a great view. Try these Hong Kong 

sites for a taste of the high life. Sip and happily survey. 

Felix 

Drop-dead décor (by Philippe 

Starck) and view (by HK) all started 

and reached its zenith at Felix at 

the top of legendary The Peninsula 

hotel. It still impresses and the 

bathrooms are still worth a visit. 

www.peninsula.com 

Aqua Spirit 

The mezzanine bar at One Peking 

has a vertiginous view of the restaurants 

below and an unimpeded 

panorama of Hong Kong. A great 

place to impress first-time visitors. 

www.aqua.com.hk 

M Bar 

Set ‘em up, Joe. This is sophisticated 

cocktail territory on the 25th 

floor of the Mandarin Oriental 

Hong Kong. Perch on a stool and 

allow the mixologist to do his 

worst. Take in Chinese tapas and 

the view. 

www.mandarinoriental.com 

Living Room 

A lounge bar that is an oasis of 

funk and cool in West Kowloon, 

on the sixth floor of the W Hong 

Kong hotel. Soaring ceilings, a live 

DJ, and harbour views all contibute 

to the W trademark vibe. 

www.starwoodhotels.com 

ToTT’s 

ToTT’s – Talk Of The Town teeters 

high above Causeway Bay at the 

top of The Excelsior, Hong Kong 

and offers a different perspective 

on Victoria Harbour when viewed 

through the glass – preferably one 

containing a martini. 

www.mandarinoriental.com/ 

excelsior 

Room with a view: 

Aqua Spirit (above) 

and the resident 

Mango Martini

The solar 

system 

seen 

through 

the Sydney 

Observatory 

telescope 

EXPLORE 

THE WORLD 

12 THE CLUB 

Wish upon a star 

2009 is the International Year of 

Astronomy and for a truly celestial 

gift, you can name a star after that 

special person in your life. Astronomers 

at the Sydney Observatory 

from 1967 to 1983 measured the 

position of about 80,000 stars 

visible from the southern hemisphere. 

The Sydney Southern 

Star Catalogue contains almost 

27,000 stars and for AUD300 

(about HKD1,600), you can choose 

a star to name. 

www.sydneyobservatory.com.au 

Photo. Powerhouse Museum, Sydney 

Get lost in the Getty 

Center’s Central Garden 

Down the garden path 

Richard Meier’s Getty Center in Los 

Angeles is one of the most successful 

purpose-built galleries of 

the 20th century. Less well known 

is the Central Garden, created by 

renowned artist Robert Irwin, that 

lies at its heart. The 12,550-squaremetre 

design features a natural 

ravine and tree-lined walkway 

Every 

Art Deco 

fitting was 

purpose-built 

that leads visitors through an 

extraordinary experience of sights, 

sounds, and scents. 

Getty Center Garden Tours: 

45 to 60-minute tours of the 

grounds and Central Garden. 

Daily through 30 June at 11:30am, 

12:30pm, 2:30pm and 3:30pm. 

www.getty.museum 

Tokyo treasure 

Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, situated in park-like gardens in 

Meguro district, is one of Tokyo’s hidden gems. Completed in 1933, the 

former home of Prince Asaka is a beautifully preserved example of Art Deco 

architecture and interior design and includes original work from artists 

Henri Rapin and René Lalique. It houses frequent exhibitions but the house 

and gardens are notable destinations in themselves. 

www.teien-art-museum.ne.jp 

Photo. Alamy/ArgusPhoto 

By design 

Porsche’s 

“Targo Florio” 

exhibition 

shows the cars 

in the famous 

long-distance 

race in the 

mountains 

of Sicily 

In 1939, the forefather of 

all Porsche cars was built 

in the Stuttgart suburb of 

Zuffenhausen. In 1950, the 

first Porsche sports cars 

were produced there. Now 

it is the site of the Porsche 

Museum, destined to be a 

place of pilgrimage for all 

lovers of quality motoring. 

Under construction 

since 2005, the museum 

was designed by Vienna’s 

Delugan Meissl Associated 

Architects and is a shrine 

to 60 years of technical and 

design excellence that has 

defined motorsport. 

Apart from some 80 

vehicles on display and a 

chronological history of 

the marque, the museum 

includes an archive, 

restaurants and a shop for 

those important souvenirs. 

www.porsche.com

Photos. Porsche Museum: Kurt Henseler – Laif/IC. Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum & JNTO. The London West Hollywood: Thomas Hart Shelby 

Lob into 

The London 

lobby 

Stay here first 

The London West Hollywood 

in Los Angeles is the new sister 

hotel to the New York flagship 

The London NYC, which opened 

last year. This all-suites hotel 

features food by celebrity chef 

Gordon Ramsay and concierge 

services by Quintessentially. 

www.thelondonwesthollywood.com 

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has 

opened its first hotel in Japan in 

the top 11 floors of the glamorous 

37-storey Maranouchi Trust 

Tower Main building next to Tokyo 

Station. Glass shaped into ginko 

leaves, the symbol of Tokyo, is 

used in the hotel chandeliers. 

www.shangri-la.com 

Gourmet travels 

One of Australia’s best known celebrity chefs, Neil Perry, has opened a 

Sydney branch of Rockpool Bar & Grill, the steakhouse that has been such 

a hit in Melbourne. 

www.rockpool.com 

And check out nearby Quay, recently voted 

Australian Restaurant of the Year 2009, which 

has views across Circular Quay to the Sydney 

Opera House. 

www.quay.com.au 

The Cupola, Three on the Bund, Shanghai: is this 

the world’s most romantic dining spot? In the 

two-storey tower on the corner of this landmark 

address are two dining rooms, one for eight and 

one for two. Food can be provided by any of the 

Three on the Bund restaurants. 

www.threeonthebund.com 

Photos. Alamy/ArgusPhoto 

Tower of 

romance at 

Three on 

the Bund

WHAT’S ON 

SUMMER 

TIMES 

14 THE TH THE TH THE TH THE TH THE TH THE TH THE TTHE TH THE T TTH HE HHE 

E CL C CL CLUB CL C CL CLUB UB U 

Holey grail: 

the Links Trophy 

MAY 

20 May-16 August 

Francis Bacon: 

A Centenary 

Retrospective 

Metropolitan Museum 

of Art, New York, US 

The first major exhibition 

in New York in 20 years 

devoted to Bacon, one 

of the most significant 

painters of the 20th 

century, features 130 

works spanning the 

themes and treatments 

Bacon explored throughout 

his career. 

www.metmuseum.org 

28 May 

Sun Life Stanley 

International Dragon 

Boat Championships 

Stanley, Hong Kong 

This beachside event 

is held on the Tuen Ng 

Festival public holiday. 

www.dragonboat.org.hk 

www.dr 

30-31 May M 

HHong 

Kong 

International 

Dragon Boat 

Regatta 

Shing S Mun River, 

Sha 

Tin, Hong Kong 

The ma main dragon-boat 

event oof 

the year. 

www.hkdba.com.hk 

www.hk 

JUNE 

5-7 June 

St Andrews Links 

Trophy 

St Andrews Links, 

Scotland 

Dating from 1989, the 

Links Trophy is one of 

amateur golf’s major 

events. Many of the 

world’s top golfers, 

such as Ernie Els, Lee 

Westwood, Padraig 

Harrington, Philip Price 

and Paul McGinley, 

played in the Links 

Trophy early in their 

careers. Last year’s 

winner, Keir McNicoll, is 

now 190th in the world 

amateur golf rankings. 

www.standrews.org.uk 

13 June-4 October 

Salvador Dalí – Liquid 

Desire 

National Gallery of 

Victoria, Melbourne, 

Australia 

The first comprehensive 

retrospective of 

the work of surrealist 

Salvador Dalí ever to be 

staged in Australia. 

www.ngv.vic.gov.au 

Heart-pounding 

horse races 

in Siena 

2 July & 16 August 

Palio di Siena 

Siena, Italy 

One of the world’s most 

spectacular events that 

dates back to medieval 

times. Jockeys dressed in 

colours representing 10 

of the 17 neighbourhoods 

of Siena race around the 

Piazza del Campo. 

Enormous crowds cheer 

the bareback riders. A 

colourful flag-tossing 

pageant precedes 

the races. 

www.ilpalio.org/palioenglish.htm 

16-20 June 

Royal Ascot 2009 

Ascot, Berkshire, England 

Royal Ascot is a highlight 

of the London 

Season, with a heritage 

dating back almost 300 

years. It is one of the 

greatest race meetings 

in the world and a celebration 

of everything 

that is uniquely British. 

www.ascot.co.uk 

Dalí’s Daddy Longlegs of 

the Evening – Hope!

Photo. St Andrews Links Trophy: St Andrews Links Trust. Dali photo: 

Fundació Gala – Salvador Dalí. Siena Photo: Giovanni Simeone – 

SIME/Argus Photo. Kyoto Photo: Frank Carter – Lonely Planet Images 

JULY 

16-26 July 

World Games 2009 

Kaohsiung, Taiwan 

Sports not played at the 

Olympics make up the 

World Games. 

www.worldgames2009.tw 

17 July 

Gion Matsuri 

Kyoto, Japan 

The Gion Matsuri is one 

of the top three festivals 

in Japan. More than 

30 floats, some more 

than six-metres tall, are 

dragged through the 

streets of Kyoto, with 

the procession taking 

hours to pass. 

www.jnto.go.jp/eng 

WORLD OF SPORTS 

A massive float 

at the Gion 

Matsuri festival 

22-28 July 

Hong Kong Book 

Fair 

Hong Kong Convention 

& Exhibition Centre 

Hong Kong 

The fair celebrates its 

20th anniversary this 

year. It has expanded 

into a must-attend 

summer event, which 

drew about 830,000 

visitors in 2008. Booklovers 

can browse the 

latest offerings from 

publishers in Mainland 

China, Hong Kong, 

Macau, Taiwan, 

Singapore and France. 

www.hkbookfair.com 

24 May-7 June: Tennis French Open, Paris, France. 

www.fft.fr/rolandgarros/default_en.asp 

13-14 June: Motor Sport Le Mans 24 Hours, 

Circuit de al Sartha, France. www.lemans.org 

22 June-5 July: Tennis Wimbledon 

Championships, England. www.wimbledon.org 

4-26 July: Cycling Tour de France. Locations 

across France. www.letour.fr/indexus.html 

12-16 August: Table Tennis Pro Tour China Open, 

China. www.ittf.com 

AUGUST 

13-17 August 

Food Expo 2009 

Hong Kong Convention 

& Exhibition Centre 

Hong Kong 

The annual Food Expo 

pays homage to Hong 

Kong’s reputation as 

the culinary capital 

of Asia. With a wide 

variety of foods to whet 

every palate, the fair is a 

melting pot for culinary 

creations from the East 

and the West. This year 

is the Hong Kong Year 

of Food and Wine. 

http://hkfoodexpo.com 

THE CLUB 

15

CHOICE 

MAGIC CARPETS 

Rugs have been updated from merely 

utilitarian to walkable works of art 

that will leave you floored 

Bend it like Gee 

The Quilts of Gee’s Bend is a collective of 

quilt-makers in Alabama. The rugs, based on 

its powerful patchwork-quilt designs, are available 

through ABC Carpet & Home. 

www.quiltsofgeesbend.com 

www.store.abccarpet.com 

16 THE CLUB 

Flocked & frocked 

The refined sensibility of 

Australian fashion designer 

Akira Isogawa blurs the 

lines between fashion 

and art. 

www.designerrugs.com.au 

Zip code 

US designer Jim Zivic brings an 

industrial edge to his designs 

for furniture and flooring. He 

zips leather, felt and suede into 

modular rug panels. 

www.jimzivicdesign.com 

Fresh ketch 

Founded in Hong Kong, Tai Ping 

has preserved traditional 

Chinese carpet-making crafts. 

This example is from the 

Monaco Yacht collection. 

www.taipingcarpets.com 

Photos: Paul Smith rug from The Rug 

Company, courtesy of Lane Crawford

Craft work 

Stephanie Odegard rugs combine 

traditional craft techniques with 

contemporary design. Odegard 

Inc is committed to social responsibility 

in the countries in which 

production takes place. 

www.odegardinc.com 

Easy as ABC 

New York’s Madeline Weinrib 

works out of ABC Carpet & 

Home. The painter and designer 

is the great grand-daughter of 

the company’s founder. 

www.madelineweinrib.com 

Stripe search 

Paris Swirl by Paul Smith. 

Be careful wearing stripes 

when lounging on this one. 

www.therugcompany.info 

Hand movement 

Sydney-based Robyn Cosgrove 

Rugs specialises in fine and 

handmade products, using 

small weaving houses from 

around the world. 

www.robyncosgroverugs.com.au 

THE CLUB 

17

BESPOKE 

BY 

treasure 

Made-to-measure 

Stand out from the crowd with beautiful custom-made jewellery 

18 THE CLUB 

andy D’Abo, owner of 

Hong Kong’s Cat Street 

Gallery, is expert at 

uncovering the rare and 

beautiful, whether it’s 

a piece of modern art, 

groundbreaking sculpture, 

or contemporary jewellery. 

So when she was looking 

for a fabulous cocktail 

ring, she wanted a piece 

no one had seen before. 

“I am always looking for the original, the one-off , the unique. 

I knew exactly where to go because I’d known the jeweller, 

Sandrine Clayton [of CLAYTON exquisite], for several years 

– she’s extremely creative and has an amazing knowledge 

of stones.” From a selection of gems Clayton keeps in her 

workshop, D’Abo chose an extraordinary jet-black agate with 

a layer of druzy crystals shimmering on top of the stone. 

Clayton wrapped the agate into two carats of glittering 

brown and black diamonds and set it all into textured black 

TARA JENKINS & KAREN N PITTAR 

gold. “The druzy has a beautiful raw, earthy element and 

reminds me of a volcanic prehistoric rock,” says D’Abo. 

“People literally stop me in the street to ask me where I got 

it. It’s an incredibly special ring. I just love it.” 

There is nothing new about commissioning custom-made 

jewellery. The big design houses, such as Chaumet, Cartier and 

Tiff any & Co, have been creating exceptional pieces for the rich 

and famous – including Indian maharajas, European royalty 

and even Napoleon and the Empress Joséphine. A legendary 

story involves the late Mexican actress María Félix, who arrived 

at Cartier in 1975 with a bowl of baby crocodiles and asked 

the craftsmen to design a necklace to resemble her pets. The 

fi nished piece was made to exact proportions and features two 

intertwined crocodiles encrusted with emeralds and diamonds 

which wrap around the neck in a heavy 524.9 grams of gold. 

You no longer need to be a famous actress or maharaja to 

commission and wear your own custom-made piece. Of course, 

you can approach the big jewellery houses that make bespoke 

pieces, but most send the commission back to their head 

offi ces in Europe or the United States. A spokesperson from 

Tiffany & Co says all clients must deal with its design team

Glorious Peony 

diamond rings 

by Dickson Yewn 

THE 

HE CLUB 

19

BESPOKE 

20 THE CLUB 

Tayma Page 

Allies, Creative 

Director of Tayma 

Fine Jewellery 

based in the United States, that listens to the customer’s ideas 

before creating a draft. After several rounds of discussion, the 

fi nal design goes to the American jewel crafters for handmade 

production. If you prefer the more intimate approach and want 

to meet the person who will design and create your special 

piece, Hong Kong has an abundance of talented contemporary 

designers catering to everyone’s budget. 

“There is defi nitely an age-old tradition of custom-made 

jewellery across Asia, but it is very time-consuming,” says 

Tayma Page Allies, Creative Director of Tayma Fine Jewellery, 

who is renowned in Hong Kong for creating one-of-a-kind 

pieces using rare and coloured gemstones. “You must work 

with an experienced designer and gemstone setter who 

“THERE IS DEFINITELY A 

TRADITION OF CUSTOM-MADE 

JEWELLERY ACROSS ASIA” 

understand the properties of diff erent gems, and a highly 

skilled goldsmith and polisher. The actual process then has 

six phases: creating the design in wax, creating a mock-up 

in silver, creating the gold setting, polishing, specialised 

gemstone mounting and, fi nally, laser stamping to certify 

the metal and add the brand. In addition to this we need to 

check the quality at every stage and for specifi c commissions 

we will invite the customer for a fi tting before the gemstones 

are set, for example, ring size or necklace length will vary.” 

Allies says clients request a custom-made piece for several 

reasons: they want engagement or wedding rings; they 

fall in love with an unset gemstone from the store; or they 

have inherited some jewels and want to redesign them into 

something more glamorous and modern. If contemplating 

resetting an old piece, Allies says there are several things to 

consider. “We have to start again with fresh gold to ensure 

high quality and this is a cost to consider. We recommend all 

gemstones are independently tested as often the older ones 

can turn out to be paste, glass or synthetic. Redesigning an old 

piece is only really worth doing if the original gemstones are 

good quality or if it’s extremely sentimental.” 

Photos. Tayma Page Allies: Marcus Oleniuk. Jewellery, opposite and opening pages: Courtesy of Tayma Fine Jewellery, Dickson Yewn

Dickson Yewn 

Manchurian 

collection 

earrings 

(top right) 

Tayma’s Paraiba Cobweb 

Collection before, 

during and after setting 

the tourmalines 

PERSONAL ADORNMENT 

Hong Kong has an abundance of talented and creative jewellers ready to design 

beautiful bespoke pieces. 

CLAYTON exquisite 

Sandrine Clayton specialises 

in original and elegant pieces, 

especially dramatic cocktail rings. 

St George’s Building, 

2 Ice House Street, Central 

+852 6333 0758 

www.claytonx.com.hk 

Jade Markets, Hong Kong 

Markets selling jade, pearls and beads. 

Junction of Kansu and Battery 

Streets, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon 

Kai-yin Lo 

One of Asia’s pre-eminent jewellery 

designers with an expansive collection 

of outstanding Eastern-inspired pieces. 

3D, Estorial Court, 

55 Garden Road, 

Central 

+852 2773 6009 

www.kaiyinlo-design.com 

Karen Jewel 

A Hong Kong local, Karen Lee creates 

fresh, youthful designs using pearls, 

diamonds, gold and precious gems. 

17A, Dotcom House, 

128 Wellington Street, 

Central 

+852 2151 9622 

www.karenjewel.com 

Karen Prochazka 

Infl uenced by oriental themes, Karen 

is known for her handmade bespoke 

fung shui necklaces. 

www.karenprochazka.com 

Mariane Jewellery & Watches Co Ltd 

Watches, necklaces, rings, bracelets for 

everyone’s budget. 

G/F, Shop 21F, Hankow Road 

Tsim Sha Tsui, 

Kowloon 

+852 2376 1527 

Rebacca 

Modern and elegant watches, 

necklaces, rings and bracelets. 

Shop 336, 

3/F, The Marco Polo 

Hongkong Hotel, 

Canton Road, 

Tsim Sha Tsui, 

Kowloon 

+852 2730 4760 

Tayma Fine Jewellery 

Specialises in one-of-a-kind 

pieces using rare and exquisitely 

coloured gemstones. 

Shop 252, 

2/F, Prince’s Building 

10 Chater Road, Central 

+852 2525 5280 

www.taymajewellery.com 

Toni Patrizio 

Unique East-meets-West designs, 

currently available at The Mandarin 

Oriental Spa shop. 

10B, Dotcom House, 

128 Wellington Street, Central 

+852 2544 2262 

Trini Tambu 

Creates colourful bespoke pieces 

inspired by nature. 

trinitambu@gmail.com 

+ 852 6110 4646 

YEWN 

Dickson Yewn's designs refl ect the spirit 

of Chinese heritage in modern jewellery. 

Shop 303, The Landmark, 

Central 

+852 2868 3890 

Shop B12, The Peninsula Hotel, 

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon 

+852 3173 8339 

www.yewn.com 

THE CLUB 

21

22 THE CLUB 

The majority of jewellers are happy to work work with 

stones clients have provided; the process ocess of creating 

something exceptional is a collaboration between designer 

and client, although jewellers insist they work best est when given 

enough autonomy to refl ect their own design philosophy. phy. 

Dickson Yewn, founder of YEWN, is committed to 

continuing the spirit of Chinese heritage in modern jewellery 

design. “My clients usually don’t produce their own ideas, but 

will bring their own big stones. This is what they pay me for, 

my ideas. The process of producing a custom-made piece 

is the diff erence between art and design. The jeweller is an 

artist, who uses his inspiration to create something beautiful. 

When a client comes into the picture, the business of design 

comes into play. Creating a piece of jewellery on my own is 

like an instinct, an acquired technique.” 

Kai-yin Lo is credited with bringing Eastern design to the 

West and is acknowledged as one of Asia’s leading jewellery 

Dickson Yewn 

(left) and his 

Imperial Imp Lattice 

collection 

co 

(below) (be 

designers. She has been commissioned by the Hong Kong 

government to make several pieces, including a state gift 

for Liu Yong-qing (Madam Hu Jin-tao). “It is up to me to take 

the commissions on and I only accept those that give me 

creative freedom. Of course, the piece has to be in the spirit 

of the person who will wear it, but with my own direction and 

inspiration. It is more diffi cult to custom make a piece – you 

are encumbered by certain guidelines and materials but you 

often have the joy of working with beautiful and rare stones. 

Age has a patina and it is a challenge to fi nd comparative 

things to go with it; I enjoy rising to the challenge. Recently I 

was given some good quality antique emeralds, so of course 

I asked, ask how do you want to wear the fi nished piece? Will it 

be very fformal? 

She told me she wasn’t a formal person. This 

fi tted with my m philosophy, because I like special jewellery to 

be worn every every day.” 

Sandrine Cl Clayton specialises in creating dramatic 

pieces, especia especially cocktail rings. “Initially, I enquire 

as to how mmy 

client envisages wearing the piece. 

Some people p are comfortable and suit wearing 

bolder bold pieces everyday, while for others that 

same sa piece might be too dramatic and they 

need n a more discreet look. The ultimate aim is 

for fo the client to have a piece of jewellery they love 

wearing wear and which will become an heirloom.” 

But how h much will a custom-made piece cost? Clayton 

says she does not charge a premium for custom-made work 

and a her pieces range from the more aff ordable (starting from 

about HKD15,000) to the expensive. “I have recently made a 

wonderful 10-carat diamond ring set in small fancy diamonds 

of varying champagne and grey colour using my trademark 

‘beaten’, textured gold. Absolutely fabulous. Its retail value 

would be around HKD500,000.” 

But most jewellers agree the price range depends on the 

size and quality of the gems used, as well as the materials. 

Allies says that the amount of design and labour required 

Photos. Dickson Yewn: Marcus Oleniuk. Jewellery: Courtesy of Dickson Yewn, Sandrine Clayton, Kai-yin Lo

will also aff ect the price. Her most expensive commission was 

more than HKD1 million. 

If you are looking for something cheaper and less involved, 

try any one of the hundreds of Hong Kong’s local jewellery 

stores, such as Mariane Jewellery & Watches, where they will 

make designs to your specifi cations. Be warned though, unlike 

the contemporary designers, you are unlikely to get a piece that 

has the added “wow” factor. If you have a very tight budget and 

you trust your own design instincts, take a trip to Hong Kong’s 

famous jade market, Kansu Street Jade Hawker Bazaar (just west 

of Nathan Road, Yau Ma Tei). Here you can select and thread 

beautiful pieces of jade, amber, pearls, carved wood, and resin 

from dozens of tiny stalls. But remember, jewellery design is an 

art so you may be disappointed. 

“Custom-made pieces will always cost more, but you are 

paying for hand-crafted design,” says Hong Kong-based Trini 

Tambu of Trinity Gems, who creates 

colourful pieces inspired by nature. 

Her jaw-dropping Rainforest ring 

features a 30-carat lemon quartz 

stone surrounded by more than 

200 tiny red rubies, diamonds, 

orange sapphires and 

intensely green tsavorites. 

“I believe the trend towards 

bespoke jewellery is a 

growing one – people ask for custommade 

because it gives them a sense of uniqueness,” she says. 

“Everything these days is mass-produced, including jewellery, and 

while this makes it more aff ordable it can lose some of its magic. 

What is the most expensive piece I have ever made? It’s a trade secret, 

but I can tell you bespoke is more aff ordable than you think.” 

Lingzhi form and 

knots: sketch and 

final design by 

Kai-yin Lo

EXPERT ADVICE 

24 THE CLUB 

Armchair 

BY AARON PEASLEY 

Contemporary furniture has 

become a lucrative market 

as designers take the art 

world by storm 

Forget art versus design and form versus function. 

In the white-hot world of contemporary furniture 

new labels have replaced the old – and they bear 

million-dollar price tags. With its aeronautical 

curves designed to resemble “a giant blob of 

mercury”, Marc Newson’s Lockheed Lounge 

has become a potent symbol of the increasingly 

lucrative market for collectable furniture. In 2000 it 

was sold at a then lofty USD105,000. At another auction in 

early 2009, the winning bid reached USD1.5 million, making 

it the highest price paid for the work of a living designer. 

Contemporary design is no longer the diminutive, slightly 

befuddling sibling of the colossal art market. These days 

Newson, along with other designers such as Ron Arad and 

Zaha Hadid, commands as much cachet – and cash – as 

many of the art world’s biggest names. The new vanguard has 

joined blue-chip 20th-century designers such as Charles and 

Ray Eames, Le Corbusier, Jean Prouvé, Alvar Aalto and Carlo 

Mollino atop the wish lists of design collectors worldwide. 

The transition from décor to fine art has accelerated 

over the past decade, reaching a high point in the past few 

years. These days art and design are virtually interchangeable: 

designers are forgoing showrooms in favour of art

thrillers 

Fauteuil Aux Dragons (left), 

designed by the late Eileen Gray, 

fetched USD28.3 million at the 

auction of Yves Saint Laurent 

and Pierre Berge’s art collection 

in February 

Lockheed Lounge by 

Marc Newson set a 

new record for a living 

designer 

THE CLUB 

25

EXPERT ADVICE 

26 THE CLUB 

Serpentine Sofa by galleries. Infl uential satellite fairs, such as Design Art London 

Vladimir Kagan 

and Design Miami, have sprung up around established art 

events (Frieze and Art Basel Miami Beach respectively); auction 

houses such as Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips de Pury 

& Company are increasing their high-profi le furniture sales; 

and a breed of international tastemakers, such as LVMH owner 

Bernard Arnault, Coach President Reed Krakoff and Hollywood 

actor Brad Pitt, have all helped to inject the market with a 

veneer of glamour. “YOU CAN’T JUST 

Picture 

“We never came knock- 

DEA 42: 

ing on their door,” says Zesty SIT ON ANY OLD 

Meyers, co-owner of Manhattan 

gallery R 20th Century, regard- SOFA AND LOOK AT 

Group.Armchair 

ing the art world’s aggressive 

courtship. Meyers sees the boom MILLION-DOLLAR 

Design Kagan 

as part of a complete lifestyle vision, one ART ON THE WALLS” 

that includes haute couture and perhaps a 

Vladimir of 

Damien Hirst hung in the living room. “You 

Armchair 42 by 

can’t just sit on any old sofa and look at million- the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, says that 

Courtesy 

Alvar Aalto 

dollar art on the walls,” he says. “It has to be some- leading cultural institutions have also helped shift perception. 

Sofa: 

thing totally special.” 

“Design in general has a much higher value these days,” Hodge 

Brooke Hodge, Curator of says. “When we have design-focused exhibitions they attract 

Serpentine 

Architecture and Design at enormous audiences. I think Newson’s Lockheed Lounge, which 

Photos. 

Library/Getty Images. Eames chair: Robert Levin – Corbis

Photos. Project No 1 of 2004: Shao Fan. Aqua table: David Sykes. Previous pages. Lockheed Lounge: 

Christie’s Images Ltd 2009. Eileen Gray armchair: Polaris 

Project No. 1 of 2004 

by Shao Fan: a horseshoe 

chair is taken 

apart and embedded 

into acrylic (above) 

La Chaise designed by 

Charles and Ray Eames 

in 1948 (left) 

was fi rst exhibited in an art gallery, really 

pushed design into the stratosphere.” 

The design/art synergy is most evident in 

the market for exclusive or very limited-edition 

pieces, most of which are produced to be sold at art 

galleries and auction houses. Rather than their pieces 

attaining icon status over time like, say, an Eames or Prouvé, 

new furniture items by renowned designers are commanding 

extraordinary prices. 

Often wildly experimental and highly innovative, these 

pieces tend to reject the form-follows-function mantra. 

Hadid’s Aqua Table, a prototype of which fetched USD296,000 

at Phillips de Pury in 2005, is perhaps best thought of as sculpture 

rather than somewhere to have one’s morning cereal. The 

same applies to Chinese artist Shao Fan, whose hybridisations 

of furniture and art are now part of London’s Victoria & Albert 

Museum collection and diffi cult to envision in a regular room. 

Most experts say collectors should approach furniture collecting 

as if it were art. “There is no diff erence,” says New York-based 

furniture dealer Ralph Pucci, one of the industry’s pioneers and 

leading tastemakers. “They are both great investments and both 

give the collector tremendous aesthetic pleasure.” 

Of course, the contemporary-furniture market has not been 

immune to the economic downturn, with a disappointing 

NAMES TO COLLECT 

Aqua Table by Zaha Hadid 

winter round of North American sales. Meyer says 

that’s a good thing for those who wish to begin collecting. 

“Now is definitely the time to buy,” he says, 

noting the infancy of the market and the comparative 

bargain that furniture off ers. “The prices that you can get 

design for are still incredibly insignifi cant compared to 

The modern masters 

Le Corbusier, Eileen Gray, Jean-Michel Frank, Jens Risom, 

Vladimir Kagan, Carlo Mollino, Gio Ponti 

The design vanguard 

Marc Newson, Zaha Hadid, Ron Arad, Andrée Putman, 

The Campana Brothers, Tom Dixon 

The up-and-coming 

David Weeks, India Mahdavi, Julia Krantz, Patrick Naggar, 

Kevin Waltz, Martino Gamper 

THE CLUB 

27

EXPERT ADVICE 

28 THE CLUB 

art produced at the same time,” he says. Indeed, USD105,000 

for an iconic chair seems like a steal when you compare it to 

a USD72-million Warhol. 

With the jittery economy in mind, Pucci advises collectors to 

“stay blue chip in order to minimise risk”, suggesting the hottest 

end of the market may be the fi rst to cool, as collectors 

lean towards established names with proven track records. 

MoCA’s Hodge says collectors should think of the big picture 

when buying. “I would say don’t follow the market as it is right 

now but give more thought to what is going to have enduring 

value in the long-term,” she says. One thing is for sure, with an 

ASIA'S GRAND DESIGNS BY TAMSIN BONYTHON 

Asia is fast developing a fascination 

for contemporary furniture. 

Collectibles from the world’s most 

coveted designers are increasingly 

available and Asian designers are set 

to be the next big thing. 

Hong Kong 

Manks 

“There is a big movement on Scandinavian 

furniture from the early 1930s 

through to modern n 

day,” says Lucie McCulCullough, a Hong Konggbased 

interior designer. gner. “A capsule 

collection of these designers can be 

found at Manks.” Manks anks stocks everything 

from tables by y Ilmari Tapiovaara 

to lights by Verner Panton. 

www.manks.com 

OVO home 

Created by Ed Ng and Thomas Ma, 

OVO home combines stunning 

in-house designs with international 

names such as Kenneth Cobonpue. 

Both artist and designer, Cobonpue 

creates striking pieces using indigenous 

materials from the Philippines. 

www.ovohome.com.hk 

Brim by Ed Ng and Thomas Ma 

Eileen Gray armchair fetching an astonishing USD28.3 million at 

the recent Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge auction, there’s 

defi nitely a lot of money still fl oating around. 

With lower prices across much of the market, now is the time 

to start a collection. Apart from attending fairs and auctions, 

Pucci suggests collectors keep abreast of what the leading 

museums are buying. “There’s no doubt that being in a collection 

puts the stamp of approval on a designer’s aesthetic,” 

he says. 

But before collectors dive into auctions, Meyer suggests 

fi nding a dealer you can trust. “Having a personal relationship 

aluminium 

Here, you’ll fi nd standout pieces such 

as the Plywood Group Chair by Charles 

and Ray Eames, and collectibles such as 

the Eames lounge and ottoman. 

www.hk-aluminium.com 

Designlink 

Designlink introduces edgy European 

designers to Asia, including Spaniard 

Jaime Hayòn whose work blurs the 

lines 

between art 

and ddesign. 

+852 22868 

0991 

Louvre Gallery 

Find products from Cappellini, Ca 

featuring Jasper Morriso Morrison’s Hi Pad 

Stool and pieces from Tom T Dixon. 

+852 2526 8400 

Ron Arad’s 

Rover Chair 

from 1981

Photos. Rover Chair: Courtesy of Ron Arad Associates. Felt stool: Courtesy of CIBONE 

Lane Crawford Home 

Store, Pacific Place 

Design duo Yabu Pushelberg, responsible 

for the interior design for the 

Louis Vuitton fl agship store in Hong 

Kong, is behind this project. “The 

furniture is set in stylistic spaces that 

are both inspirational and attainable,” 

they say. 

www.lanecrawford.com 

Shanghai 

Design Republic ic 

One of the fi rst to off ff er 

an impressive array 

of pieces from international 

designers to o 

Chinese customers. The 

likes of Alvar Aalto and nd 

Cappellini favourites s 

with a dealer is going to be educational as well as make things go 

much smoother,” he says. 

A region collectors might want to consider is South America. 

“Brazilian design is the last great discovery of the 20th century,” 

says Meyer. “They are really starting to collect their national treasure 

and I can see this travelling the world pretty quickly.” 

Even though market considerations are a factor for serious investors, 

most experts say collectors should fi nd the furniture personally 

engaging in some way. After all, furniture is designed to be used 

rather than admired from afar. “Always invest in what turns you on,” 

Pucci says. “Pleasure should come fi rst, investment second.” 

Jasper Morrison and Tom Dixon are 

available here. 

www.thedesignrepublic.com 

Hothouse Design 

Founded by Danish designers Mater 

Design, Hothouse produces tables, 

chairs, sofas, textiles and fi ttings, often 

using nu-bu, a form of sustainable 

bamboo fi bre, in its creations. The 

design studio has its own line and has 

partnerships with well-known names 

as well as less-established 

designers. 

http://hothouse. 

h 

avenit.com.cn 

a 

Alvar Aalto 

Vase Opal 

Tokyo 

CIBONE 

“A good store to watch for 

new and up-and-coming 

designers,” says Nicole Fall 

of Bespoke Tokyo. It has its 

own collection and carries 

pieces by Piet Hein Eek, 

Maarten Bass and eclectic 

European design studio moooi. 

www.cibone.com 

IDÉE 

Stocks chairs and tables in clean lines, 

sofas in bright colours and other 

products for the home. 

www.idee.co.jp 

Felt Stool by 

Maarten Bass 

THE CLUB 

29


24 HOURS Rome 

Do as the Romans do and spend a stylish day exploring the old 

and the new, the food and wine, and la dolce vita in the Eternal City 

30 THE CLUB 

7am 

AS THE SUN RISES over Rome there 

is a touch of crimson in the sky and as 

you drive from the airport you can see 

how the Eternal City earned its name. 

From the Colosseum to the Vatican, 

Rome simply aches with history. But 

there are still plenty of new things to 

discover in the Italian capital whether 

it’s restored ruins, a new museum, a hip 

restaurant or a luxury spa. 

Check into a fabulous hotel such as 

the sleek St. George Roma in Via Giulia, 

one of the city’s most elegant streets. 

The hotel had a minimalist makeover 

two years ago. The street was the 

centre of a Renaissance construction 

boom in the 16th century that has 

left it lined with palaces and churches 

from that era. 

Before you shower, drop your bags 

and jog down the cobble-stoned 

street, across the Tiber River and up 

to Gianicolo Hill. Rome is a city of 

breathtaking views and this is one 

that shouldn’t be missed. On a clear 

day you can see from the dome of St. 

Peter’s Basilica to the snow-covered 

Appenine mountains. 

9am 

A FIVE-MINUTE stroll from your hotel 

is Campo de’ Fiori, or fi eld of fl owers, 

named after the meadow that once 

covered the area. These days you can 

still fi nd daff odils and tulips on sale but 

BY JO MCKENNA 

this vibrant piazza is better known for 

the fresh fruit and vegetable stalls that 

fi ll it every morning, except Sundays. 

Look for lush local produce such as 

broccoletti and cicoria (chicory) as well 

as seasonal fruits and the tiny fragrant 

strawberries known as fragoline. You 

can wash them at the water fountain 

and eat them on the spot. 

There’s only one place for breakfast: 

Caff è Farnese. It sits behind the market 

on a piazza that frames Palazzo Farnese, 

an imposing 16th-century palace that’s 

now home to the French Embassy. Gaze 

Images 

at the palace exterior, partly designed 

by Michelangelo, while you enjoy a 

cappuccino and check out well-heeled 

Alamy/Getty 

Romans out to impress. 

Right: 

While it is still early, you may want Photo.

The panoramic 

views of Rome from 

Gianicolo Hill includes 

the twin cupolas 

and tower of Santa 

Maria Maggiore 

(background)


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From 16 May to 31 August 2009, stay in a suite at the 

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limousine between Rome Airport and the hotel. 

Located in Rome’s most prestigious district, 

only minutes from the city’s great monuments, 

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For reservations contact the Rome Cavalieri 

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Terms and conditions 

The Rolls-Royce limousine service 

is subject to availability and may be 

replaced with another limousine 

service, if necessary. 

32 THE CLUB 

to rent a bike or a Vespa and tour the 

major sites with a group of motorcycle 

fanatics, or even on your own. A valid 

driver’s licence and courage is all you 

need as you hit the city’s ridiculous 

traffi c, but it may pay to check your 

insurance before you set off . If you’re 

looking for a slower pace, stroll across 

to the Pantheon, the former pagan 

temple and best-preserved piece of 

Roman architecture that was built 

in 27BC and later reconstructed by 

Emperor Hadrian in 120AD. 

For a Medieval masterpiece, slip 

inside the nearby San Luigi dei 

Francesi church where you can see 

the paintings of the Baroque master 

Caravaggio, or check out ut the 15thcentury 

frescoes of Filippino pino Lippi in 

the nearby Church of Santa 

Maria Sopra Minerva. 

11am 

UNLIKE PARIS or New 

York, the historic centre of f 

Rome is surprisingly calm m 

despite plenty of tourists sts 

and stylish locals. But many ny 

of the streets are closed ed 

to traffi c and here you can an 

fi nd many tiny boutiques ues 

fi lled with designer clothes, es, 

jewellery or custom-made e 

shirts and shoes. 

Some of Italy’s most renowned 

design houses, 

Handbags 

galore at 

Halaby 

Accessorized by 

Le Tartarughe 

from Prada and an Versace to Armani and 

Bulgari, are located close to the 

Spanish 

Steps. Smaller stores off er 

someth something unique – go to Fausto 

Santini 

for superb leather shoes 

and lam lambskin handbags on Via 

Frattina 

and Galassi on the same 

street for 

the latest couture. 

On the ot other side of Piazza Navona, 

Via del Gov Governo Vecchio is currently 

the hottes hottest shopping street in the 

city centre centre. Here, Josephine de 

Huertas ha has three small stores that 

cater to diff 

erent budgets. Just a few 

streets aw away is Le Tartarughe, which 

carries yyoung 

Italian designers, 

Materie, with a range of funky 

jewellery jeweller and Halaby, a quaint

Photos. La Tartarughe, Halaby and Grano: Giorgio Cosulich 

store fi lled with suede handbags, gifts 

and jewellery. 

Italy is rather proud of its reputation 

for fi ne tailoring and craftsmanship. At 

FG Albertelli, men’s shirts are made to 

measure with the fi nest fabrics while 

Petrocchi makes bespoke shoes for 

men and women that can cost up to 

EUR1,500 (about HKD15,500). You can 

even watch the shoemaker at work in 

the store. 

1pm 

IF YOU WANT more than a pizza or 

panino for lunch, try Grano on Piazza 

Rondanini, a smart restaurant run by 

a creative team that favours modern 

Italian cuisine. Open every day for lunch 

and dinner, here you can nibble ricotta 

and spinach ravioli or tender braised 

lamb with a glass of wine or two. And 

there is plenty of street action to be 

viewed from the balcony outside. 

After lunch try a rejuvenating massage 

or facial. Acanto Day Spa is one 

of the most elegant in town offering 

ayurvedic and Thai massages, while 

the recently opened Kamispa, near 

the city’s famous Trevi Fountain, has 

stunning Asian-style interiors with its 

Enjoy modern 

Italian cuisine 

and people 

watching at 

Grano; the 

restaurant’s 

ravioli with 

tomato sauce 

and basil 

PARTNER OFFER 

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From 16 May to 15 August 2009, rent a minimum of 

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To enjoy the offer, simply make your reservation at 

least 24 hours prior to departure. Quote CDP#708713 

during reservation and present your membership 

card at the rental counter. 

For reservations, book online or contact the Hertz 

Reservation Centre. 

Telephone: +852 2525 2838 

Email: reshertz@hertz-gsa.com.hk 

Website: www.hertz.com 


1. This offer is valid on Affordable Rates at 

participating Hertz locations in Italy. 

2. Standard Hertz terms and conditions apply. 

THE CLUB 

33


34 THE CLUB 

own onsen thermal bath and a range 

of massages and body treatments. 

4pm 

FOR A FRESH look at this ancient 

city, it pays to ask a local. Art historian 

Ginevra Lovatelli provides individually 

Enjoy cocktails and la 

dolce vita at Salotto 42 

PARTNER OFFER 

tailored tours that take you inside her 

friends’ palaces, hidden courtyards or 

Roman ruins that most people never 

see. She also has written a book called 

Secret Rome. 

Vincenzo De Michelis grew up in the 

heart of Rome and his history tours of 

the city have plenty of anecdotes about 

the romantic obsessions of various 

emperors and where early baroque 

artist Caravaggio met the young men 

featured in his paintings. 

Rome has also found new ways to 

celebrate the past with exciting new 

museums. Trajan’s Market, created by 

the emperor of the same name, was 

Rome’s fi rst shopping mall and is now 

surrounded by a museum. It is one of 

the few in the city that merges multi- 

media presentations with history and 

showcases ancient fragments in a 

dynamic way. Close by is the recently 

renovated Palazzo delle Esposizioni, 

which features temporary exhibitions 

on culture and art. From May until 

September the Palazzo will host a 

fabulous exhibition on the 125-year 

history of the Italian jeweller, Bulgari. 

6pm 

SINCE FEDERICO FELLINI’S 

1960 fi lm La Dolce Vita, Rome 

has been synonymous 

with the good life. For 

locals, that begins with 

a quiet aperitivo in a 

sophisticated bar such 

Enjoy extra benefits at Hotel Eden Rome 

Stay at Hotel Eden from 26 May to 15 August 2009, at 

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When in Rome: 

scoot around 

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Conveniently located in the heart of Rome, Hotel 

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For reservations, contact Hotel Eden directly, quote 

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Telephone: +39 06 478121 

Email: 1872.reservations@lemeridien.com

Photos. Salotto 42: Giorgio Cosulich. Scooter-bike sign: Martin Moos – Lonely 

Planet Images. Palazzo delli Esposizioni 

The newly 

renovated 

Palazzo delle 

Esposizioni 

features a 

wide range of 

exhibitions 

as Salotto 42, where stockbrokers and 

lawyers kick back with a cocktail as 

they stare at the 2nd-century Roman 

temple out the front. These drinks 

don’t come cheap but for this view you 

won’t think twice. 

If the budget is tight, a few streets 

away is Crudo, a hip bar that serves 

a delicious buffet with a glass of fine 

wine for less than EUR10. 

8pm 

PERHAPS YOU WANT to grab a pizza 

slice on the street and catch a classical 

concert at the Auditorium Parco della 

Musica. Designed by architect Renzo 

Piano, it showcases the best in classical 

music and theatre and is home to the 

Rome Film Festival in October. 

But on a balmy summer’s night the 

best place for opera is the Terme di 

Caracalla, the vast ruins of the Roman 

baths built by the emperor Caracalla in 

about 212AD. Nine thousand workers 

toiled for fi ve years to build this amazing 

complex. 

The remnants are the perfect backdrop 

for a performance this July and 

August of Tosca, the opera by Italian 

composer Giacomo Puccini that is 

dramatically set in Rome. 

Romans are passionate about food 

and will happily talk for hours about 

their favourite dishes and how to cook 

them. If you would rather let someone 

else do it for you, jump in a taxi and head 

to Primo al Pigneto, a vibrant restaurant 

that is a mix between a brasserie and 

a tapas bar in the once working-class 

neighbourhood of Pigneto. What used 

to be one of the city’s grungiest areas is 

now home to the artistic cutting edge 

and the young chef of Primo al Pigneto, 

Marco Gallotta, is leading the way. 

THE CLUB 

35


36 THE CLUB 

Midnight 

THE STREETS of the city may be full 

of action during the day but Rome 

was made for night owls. Big Mama 

jazz and blues club is now celebrating 

its 25th year and is still hosting the 

best music from home and abroad. 

If you prefer to hit the dance fl oor, 

La Maison disco-lounge near Piazza 

Navona is popular with the younger 

crowd, while La Cabala attracts a more 

sophisticated, older clientele and is 

only open on Fridays and Saturdays – 

DINE 

Caff è Chiostro del Bramante 

Via della Pace, 26 

+39 06 6880 9035, ext. 26 

www.chiostrodelbramante.it 

Caff è Farnese 

Piazza Farnese, 106, +39 06 6880 2125 

Crudo Wine Bar & Restaurant 

Via degli Specchi, 6, +39 06 683 8989 

www.crudoroma.it 

Gelateria del Teatro 

Via de San Simone, 70, +39 06 4547 4880 

Grano Restaurant 

Piazza Rondanini, 53 

+39 06 6819 2096 

www.ristorantegrano.it 

Primo al Pigneto 

Via del Pigneto, 46, +39 06 701 3827 

www.primoalpigneto.it 

and it’s best to book ahead. And if the 

jet lag starts to hit, simply grab your 

umpteenth espresso of the day like 

everyone else and keep dancing. 

4am 

Enjoy alfresco dining 

on the rooftop of the 

St. George Roma Hotel 

BEFORE YOU FINALLY drag yourself 

back to the hotel, take one last look 

at the Colosseum or the Pantheon 

before dawn when there is no one 

else in sight. The view will be the best 

souvenir you can have of this city and 

one you will never forget. 

Roscioli 

Via dei Giubbonari, 21, +39 06 687 5287 

www.anticofornoroscioli.com 

Salotto 42 

Piazza di Pietra, 42, +39 06 678 5804 

www.salotto42.it 

Trattoria Al Galletto 

Vicolo del Gallo, 1, +39 06 686 1714 

SHOP 

Fausto Santini 

Via Frattina, 120-122, +39 06 678 4114 

www.faustosantini.it 

FG Albertelli 

Via dei Prefetti, 11, +39 06 687 3793 

www.fl anellagrigia.com 

Galassia 

Via Frattina, 21, +39 06 679 7896 

www.galassiaroma.com 

Halaby 

Via del Seminario, 117, +39 06 9970 1677 

www.halaby.it 

Josephine de Huertas & Co 

Via del Governo Vecchio, 68, +39 06 687 6586 

www.josephinedehuertas.com 

Le Tartarughe 

Via Pie’ di Marmo, 17, +39 06 679 2240 

www.susannalisoperletartarughe.it 

Le Tele di Carlotta 

Via dei Coronari, 228, +39 06 689 2585 

Lo Scrittoio 

Via dei Coronari, 102, +39 06 687 5536 

Materie 

Via del Gesù, 73, +39 06 679 3199 

www.materieshop.com 

Petrocchi Shoes 

Via dell’Orso, 25, +39 06 687 6289 

www.calzoleriapetrocchi.it

Silvia Tagliaferri 

Cathay Pacific Sales & Marketing Manager, Italy 

I am based in Milan but I go to Rome very 

often, sometimes every week, so this allows 

me to live Rome like the Romans do. 

I prefer smaller boutique hotels and my 

favourite is the Hotel Locarno. It is stylish, 

romantic and intimate, strategically located 

near the Piazza del Popolo. The hotel is 

adjacent to a delightful garden, the best 

place for an aperitivo. 

Another beautiful place to stay is the 

Hotel Piranesi at Palazzo Nainer, also close to 

Piazza del Popolo, in Via del Babuino, in front 

of the Hotel de Russie where in summer you 

can breakfast on the breathtaking rooftop. 

STAY 

Hotel de Russie 

Via del Babuino, 9, +39 06 328881 

www.hotelderussie.it 

Hotel Locarno 

Via della Penna, 22 

+39 06 361 0841 

www.hotellocarno.com 

Hotel Piranesi 

Via del Babuino, 196 

+39 06 328041 

www.hotelpiranesi.com 

Radisson SAS es. Hotel 

Via Filippo Turati, 171 

+39 06 444841 

www.rome.radissonsas.com 

St. George Roma Hotel 

Via Giulia, 62, +39 06 686611 

www.stgeorgehotel.it 

The area is the ideal place to stroll around 

antique shops, art galleries, cafés and stores. 

The best street for treasure-hunting antiques 

is Via de’ Coronari. This old, narrow street 

originally sold religious articles to pilgrims. 

Visit Lo Scrittoio for Art Deco items and 

Le Tele di Carlotta for hand-embroidered 

linens. Don’t miss an ice cream at Gelateria 

del Teatro in Via San Simone. 

A favourite restaurant is Roscioli. Everything 

is special, from the cheese to the wine 

list. Situated near Campo de’ Fiori, it is just 20 

metres from the bakery. 

For a Roman experience, try Trattoria Al 

VISIT 

Acanto Day Spa 

Piazza Rondanini, 30, +39 06 6813 6602 

www.acantospa.it 

Auditorium Parco della Musica 

Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30 

+39 06 8024 1281, www.auditorium.com 

Big Mama 

Vicolo San Francesco a Ripa, 18 

+39 06 581 2551, www.bigmama.it 

Kami Spa 

Via Degli Avignonesi, 12, +39 06 4201 0039 

www.kamispa.it 

La Cabala Discotecque 

Hostaria dell’Orso, Via dei Soldati, 25C 

+39 06 6830 1192, www.hdo.it 

La Maison Discoteque 

Vicolo dei Granari, 3, +39 06 683 3312 

www.lamaisonroma.it 

Galletto for some of the best 

carbonara in town. It is located 

by the Palazzo Farnese, one 

of Rome’s wonders, which is 

now the French Embassy. 

Caff è Chiostro del Bramante 

is a magic place for a light lunch or Sunday 

brunch in the cloister of Church of Santa 

Maria della Pace (Via della Pace, 26). 

Enjoy a massage at Acanto Day Spa close to 

the Pantheon, or relax on top of the Radisson 

SAS es. Hotel. Don’t miss secret gardens such 

as those of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. To 

book, visit www.secretgardensitaly.com. 

On Road Scooter Hire and Bike Rental 

www.scooterhire.it 

Opera at the Termi di Caracalla Baths 

Piazza Beniamino Gigli, 1 

+39 06 4816 0255, www.amitsrl.it 

Palazzo delle Esposizioni 

Via Nazionale, 194, +39 06 3996 7500 

www.palazzoesposizioni.it 

Secret Rome 

Ginevra Lovatelli, +39 347 111 1473 

www.secretrome.it 

Trajan’s Market/Imperial 

Forums Museum 

Via IV Novembre, 94, +39 06 0608 (Info line 

for Rome museums), www.mercatiditraiano.it 

Vincenzo De Michelis Tours 

and Concierge 

Via Luciano Manara, 15/ 2B 

+39 331 285 5374 

THE CLUB 

37

TRAVEL 

38 THE CLUB

More than 33,000 

performers are 

expected at the 

Yosakoi Soran Festival 

BY GAVIN BLAIR 

Festive season 

Sapporo’s youth brings an energetic edge to the city’s 

festivals – and the party is going to last all summer 

wo rules apply to participants at Sapporo’s 

Yosakoi Soran Festival – everyone must 

carry naruko (small percussive instruments 

originally used to keep birds off crops) and 

the music must include some element of the Japanese 

folk song, the Soran Bushi Song. “This folk song is used 

for festivals all around Japan but it originated from 

Hokkaido fi shermen so it makes particular sense for 

Yosakoi in Sapporo,” explains organiser Michi Shiratori. 

No one seems to mind the rules. At the fi rst Yosakoi 

Soran Festival in 1992 there were about 1,000 dancers 

watched by 200,000 people on the city’s streets. This 

year more than 33,000 performers are scheduled to take 

part, says Shiratori, whose company Yosanet organises 

the festival. “It’s diffi cult to gauge how many people come to 

watch, but the crowds are estimated at around 2 million.” 

This is no surprise. Sapporo is a young city – and its young 

people have been a creative force behind the range of festivals 

attended by huge crowds all year round. The Sapporo Snow 

Festival began when six high-school students created six snow 

sculptures at Odori Park in 1950. Today it is an internationally 

acclaimed spectacle attracting 2 million visitors every February. 

The Yosakoi Soran Festival was started in 1992 by Hokkaido 

Festival participants play the naruko 

THE CLUB 

39

TRAVEL 

PARTNER OFFER 

Discover the beauty of Sapporo 

with Cathay Pacific Holidays 

Explore the wonders of Sapporo with this 

4-day/3-night Cathay Pacific Holidays 

package from HKD5,999. And members of 

The Marco Polo Club can enjoy a complimentary 

crab dinner for two, per stay, in the hotel. 

Book between 16 May and 15 August 2009, and travel 

between 23 May and 28 August 2009, to receive: 

• A round-trip Economy Class direct flight on 

Cathay Pacific between Hong Kong and Sapporo 

• Three consecutive nights’ accommodation at the 

Sheraton Sapporo Hotel with daily breakfast 

• One-day bus tour to Asahiyama Zoo and Furano 

• Travel insurance. 

For reservations, contact Cathay Holidays Limited: 

Telephone: +852 2747 4388 

Website: www.cxholidays.com 


1. Prices are quoted per person and are based on two adults sharing 

one room, checking in and travelling together on the entire journey. 

2. This offer is only valid for packages booked and paid for between 16 

May and 15 August 2009. 

3. Cathay Holidays Limited terms and 

conditions apply. 

40 THE CLUB 

Sapporo’s youths have 

brought more liberal 

interpretations to the 

folk song at the heart of 

Yosakoi dances 

“THE MUSIC 

IS OFTEN PUT 

TO DANCE 

OR HIP-HOP 

BEATS” 

University undergraduates inspired by a trip to the original Yosakoi 

Festival in Kochi on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s main islands. 

All this seems a world away from the city’s modest beginnings. 

Sapporo was once just a small group of settlements 

belonging to the indigenous Ainu people of Hokkaido. It was 

established in 1868 by the new Meiji government as part of a 

Images. 

concerted eff ort to develop Japan’s northern island. Since then 

Planet 

it has grown to become the fi fth-largest city in Japan with a 

Lonely – 

population of nearly 2 million and attracts about 14 million 

tourists a year from around Japan and overseas, many of them 

Dymond 

attending the series of festivals held throughout summer. 

Paul line: 

The Yosakoi – meaning “come at night” in the Kochi dialect 

– is a modern version of the traditional Awa Odori summer 

Dance 

festival dances. The Hokkaido students gave the concept a 

Images. 

youthful revamp with outlandish costumes, funkier dance 

TPG 

moves and even more liberal interpretations of the folk song 

picture): 

at the heart of all Yosakoi dances. 

(main 

The reach of the festival, which includes a fi ercely contested 

dance competition, has spread domestically and globally. Teams 

Dancers 

from Hokkaido are invited to various countries to dance, says Photos. 

Beer: Alamy/Argus Photo. Previous page. Main: Paul Dymond. Naruko: TPG Images

Shiratori. “Dancers from more and more places around the world 

are also coming to the festival,” she says. “Last year we had teams 

from Taiwan, America, Kenya, Brazil and New Zealand.” 

The originality and vibrancy of Yosakoi has also garnered 

interest within Japan, including from the Disney organisation. 

“We sent groups of performers to festivals all around Japan 

back in 1998 for the 15th anniversary of the opening of Tokyo 

Disney,” says Brian Magruder, Manager of Entertainments for 

Walt Disney Attractions Japan. ”What makes the spirit of Yosakoi 

Soran diff erent to other Japanese festivals is the way it has taken 

the traditional aspects and updated them with a very youthful 

and edgy approach. The music is often put to dance or hiphop 

beats and you have to see the energy and enthusiasm to 

believe it. They really go out of their way to be over-the-top and 

theatrical. If they do Japanese costumes, then it’s hugely exaggerated 

with enormous sleeves and vivid colours. But you’ll also 

see entire troupes decked out in leather and pompadours.” 

This summer’s events kick off with the 51st Lilac Festival at 

Odori Park. Seedlings of lilacs, the offi cial tree of Sapporo, are 

given to guests at the opening of the festival, which has live 

music for fi ve days. “There are also origami classes where people 

can learn how to make lilac fl owers, and much more besides, 

available free to tourists,” says Masaki Abe from the Sapporo 

City Government summer festival promotion division. 

Line dance: 

competitors 

at the Yosakoi 

Soran Festival 

Beer we go: sup 

up in Sapporo 

I’LL DRINK TO THAT… 

The history of beer in Japan is deeply entwined with 

Sapporo. The Kaitakushi (Hokkaido Development 

Commission) Beer Company was formed with government 

assistance more than 130 years ago and was the 

fi rst in Japan to brew authentic German-style beer. Its 

Sapporo Lager went on sale in 1877. The company later 

adopted the name of the city, so it’s little surprise that 

Sapporo hosts one of Japan’s premier beer events. 

The Sapporo Summer Festival sees six of the 

Odori Park chome (blocks), each measuring more 

than 7,000 square metres, converted into enormous 

beer gardens. “5-chome is Suntory Beer, 6-chome 

is Asahi Beer, 7-chome is Kirin, 8-chome is Sapporo 

Beer, 10-chome is world beers, and 11-chome is German 

beer,” explains Masaki Abe from the Sapporo 

City Government summer festival promotion division. 

Food is available and can be washed down with 

beer from the six-litre beer jugs that stand more 

than a metre tall on tables around the gardens. The 

55th festival runs from 21 July to 15 August; there 

will be concerts, games and children’s attractions as 

well as a market from 14-20 August. 

THE CLUB 

41

TRAVEL 

PARTNER OFFER 

Enjoy a complimentary 

third night’s stay at the 

Renaissance Sapporo Hotel 

From 16 May to 15 August 2009, you’ll receive 

a complimentary third night’s stay at the 

Renaissance Sapporo Hotel when you book and stay 

two consecutive nights at the Best Available Rate. 

Your third night can be a consecutive stay or within 

one week of the two-night stay. 

Enjoy a high level of comfort, personal service and 

the Renaissance difference from the moment you 

arrive at the Renaissance Sapporo Hotel. 

Quote your membership number and the rate code 

CJ8 when making your reservation, and present your 

membership card when you check in. 

Telephone: +800 968328 (Hong Kong toll-free) 

Email: asia.reservations@marriott.com 

42 THE CLUB 

Classical music is the focus of the Pacific Music Festival 

at Sapporo Art Park 

HOT DATES 

Lilac Festival 

20-24 May 

Yosakoi Festival 

10-14 June 

Hokkaido Shrine Festival 

14-16 June 

Pacific Music Festival 

4-29 July 

Sapporo City Jazz Festival 

13 July-9 August 

Toyohira Raft Festival 

19 July 

Sapporo Summer Festival 

21 July-15 August 

Toyohira River Fireworks 

Festival 

24 and 31 July 

Susukino Festival 

6-8 August 

Just outside Sapporo, the 

observation platform on Mount 

Moiwa aff ords spectacular views 

over the city, Ishikari Bay, nearby 

forests and, on clear days, many of 

Hokkaido’s other mountains. On 

the last day of May, Mount Moiwa 

Day, visitors can ride the gondola to the 1,200-metre summit 

for free and enjoy the spectacular 360-degree panorama. 

“The ropeway usually stays open until 10.30 at night on Mount 

Moiwa Day and the beautiful night view of the city attracts a 

lot of locals as well as tourists,” explains Shunsuke Ito, also from 

the city’s festival promotion division. 

Back in the city, shortly after Yosakoi, comes the Hokkaido 

Shrine Festival, known locally simply as Sapporo Festival. Dating 

back more than a century, this is a traditional Japanese festival 

with omikoshi (portable shrines) carried through the city streets 

by residents in Heian Era costumes, as worn across Japan a 

millennium ago. Nakajima Park and the surrounding streets 

will be full of the smells of typical festival fare such as takoyaki 

(grilled octopus in batter). 

Music is an essential part of every Japanese festival and the 

Photos. Shrine festival x 2: Paul Dymond – Lonely Planet Images

Road shows: Float at the Hokkaido Shrine Festival (above), when shrines are carried through the streets (left) 

Pacifi c Music Festival (PMF), founded in 1990 by conductor 

Leonard Bernstein, attracts young classical musicians from 

across the globe for a month-long series of concerts attended 

by almost 50,000 people. 

“There are auditions in 21 cities around the world, including 

Hong Kong, and 100 young musicians are chosen to come to 

the PMF Academy for a month to prepare for the concerts,” says 

PMF’s spokesperson Fumiko Watanabe. “This year is the 20th 

anniversary so we’re also having a special series of concerts 

featuring 60 PMF alumni.” PMF 2009 concerts take place at 

Sapporo Concert Hall and Sapporo Art Park. 

Sapporo City Jazz 2009 takes place at numerous venues, 

including Odori Park and Sapporo Art Park, with every style of 

jazz as well as musical workshops on off er. Other events include 

the Susukino Festival in early August, featuring the Oiran Dochu 

(courtesan parade) through the entertainment district, and 

before that the huge Toyohira River Fireworks in late July. 

Also on the river is the Toyohira Raft Festival when locals 

dress up in colourful costumes and race down the Toyohira 

on hand-built crafts. 

There are a host of smaller local festivals in Sapporo 

throughout the summer. Simply follow the distinctive sights, 

sounds and smells of people in yukata (summer kimono), 

Bon-dance music and the grilled-food stalls. 

THE CLUB 

43

INSIDE CX 

vineyard 

The world is their 

Selecting wines to drink infl ight is a complex but rewarding process, 

and the Cathay Pacifi c wine panel searches the world to fi nd the right ones 

44 THE CLUB 

he Médoc, Tuscany, McLaren Vale and Napa Valley 

are just some of the wine-producing regions 

that supply Cathay Pacifi c with the high quality 

wines served onboard. The Cathay Pacifi c wine 

consultants – who include Hong Kong’s Lau Chi-sun, Australia’s 

Roy Moorfi eld and New Zealand’s Vic Williams – visit these, and 

many other regions, in their pursuit of 

the right wines to drink in the air. 

“Six years ago we were asked to 

find a new wine for the First Class 

cabin, to sit alongside the iconic 

Chateau Lynch Bages,” says Moorfield. 

“Lau Chi-sun and I flew to 

Bordeaux and spent four days tasting 

wines. Cathay Pacific shortlisted 20 

chateaux and developed a matrix scoring 

system of 10 vintages for each one. 

The team was looking for the chateau 

with a trend line going up and up.” 

The result was the discovery of the 

relatively unknown Chateau Branaire- 

BY TARA JENKINS & KAREN PITTAR 

PHOTOS BY ALAN HINDLE 

Ducru, a wine that is today rated as one to watch by the 

world’s wine critics. 

It’s a recurring theme when it comes to Cathay Pacific’s 

wine selection: many of their chosen wines have won prestigious 

awards – after the rigorous selection process by the 

Cathay Pacific expert panel. For instance, New Zealand’s Palliser 

Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2005 – a 

Cathay Pacifi c stalwart – won Best Business Class 

Red Wine in the Cellars in the Sky 2008 Awards. 

It’s not just the critics who appreciate these 

wines, the passengers are equally enthusiastic. 

“We once off ered a high-quality Australian 

wine made of 100 percent Petit Verdot 

grapes [the Pirramimma McLaren Vale Petit 

Verdot] that was no longer available the 

following year despite its popularity on 

board,” says Clara Yip, Cathay Pacific’s 

Popular flying wines: Château Lynch- 

Bages, Deutz Champagne and 

Grace Vineyard 2006 Deep Blue

Assistant Manager, Beverage and Catering Supplies. “When I 

made inquiries, I was told passengers had pre-bought so much 

none was available.” 

Moorfi eld laughingly agrees it’s wonderful to make a wine 

famous to the extent where there’s none left to buy. Despite 

their ongoing success, the consultants shy away from describing 

themselves as trendsetters. The panel members describe 

themselves as commentators with a broad overview of the 

market. So any tip they have to give is well worth taking 

onboard: “When you’re next sitting on a plane, take advantage 

of the time to educate your palate!” A red wine from Shanxi 

Province, China, is currently onboard, the Grace Vineyard 

2006 Deep Blue, one of the few vineyards in China that has 

adopted French winemaking traditions. This is relatively an 

adventurous approach for Cathay Pacifi c as far as the image 

of the origin of the wine is concerned. 

Have palate, 

will travel: 

Lau Chi-sun 

(left) and Roy 

Moorfield, wine 

consultants for 

Cathay Pacific 

THE CLUB 

45

INSIDE CX 

“A good mix 

of classic and 

New World 

wines,” says 

Charles 

Grossrieder, 

Manager 

Catering 

Services 

46 THE CLUB 

Selecting wines that “fl y” well poses unique challenges. 

The cabin atmosphere is relatively drier than normal, so it 

typically aff ects sense of smell, drying out the nose and muting 

taste. “We are expert in picking up wine faults – volatility, 

mercaptans, and brett character, to name a few – that will be 

exaggerated in the dry humidity of the cabin,” says Moorfi eld. 

“Some in minute parts can add to complexity in a wine, but if 

they are evident in large parts they produce a wine that isn’t 

going anywhere. We have to make sure the onboard wines 

are sound. We also have to predict how the wine is going to 

age because we taste six months and, most of the time, up to 

a year before they are in the cabins and we know the wines 

will then be onboard for some time.” 

Williams says that wines served in the air tend to taste a 

littler sharper. “We have to be careful to choose wines with a 

little more mid-palate depth than the average.” 

Wines are changed every three to 12 months and the 

tasting panel meets four to five times a year. Clara says 

Cathay Pacific’s passengers like to see frequent changes: 

“Our objective is to be the market leader, to be perceived as 

the best cellar in the air. We try to off er our passengers more 

adventurous wines, we want to be more colourful. Usually the 

Old World wine is from France because this is what people 

expect, but there are always new developments in the market. 

If we see a new wine-producing region coming up, we like to 

explore and try their wine.” 

Charles Grossrieder, Manager Catering Services, says that 

Cathay Pacifi c makes a particular eff ort to off er more choice: 

“ULTIMATELY WE ARE LOOKING FOR WINES 

THAT HAVE A SHOW, THAT HAVE A FINISH”

“We are looking for diff erent wine styles for each class. In 

Economy Class, for instance, we are looking for fresh, easy 

to drink, fruity wines. Business Class travellers are generally 

looking for more complexity, so we have a good mix of classic 

and New World, trendy wines.” 

Cathay Pacifi c puts as much eff ort into selecting Economy 

Class as into their First or Business Class wine. Tenders are 

sent out to wineries and wine merchants that fi t the airline’s 

criteria. The participants send back their proposals, prices and 

two bottles each of the proposed wine to Hong Kong. Up to 

several hundred bottles of samples could be in a tender. 

“We could taste around 200 wines a day to select just one,” 

says Lau Chi-sun. “But we very quickly narrow the numbers 

down – we can see the colour’s not right, or perhaps at fi rst 

smell the nose isn’t right. Ultimately we are looking for wines 

that have a show, that have a fi nish.” 

The wine experts explain that when tasting they have no idea 

which wine they are sampling – it could be Spanish or Italian, 

Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Their job purely is to fi nd the best 

wine that is suitable for drinking in the infl ight environment. 

A vital consideration is marrying the wine to the menu. 

“One can argue most wine can fi t with lots of things, but 

there are many diff erences between the wines you can have 

with seafood, or the red wines you can have with Chinese 

food. Pinot Noir is very good with soya sauce-based foods, 

for example,” explains Charles. Moorfi eld agrees the key is 

matching wines to fl avours rather than food. 

When asked for their most memorable wine, the consultants 

refuse to be pinned down. Moorfi eld explains: “When I’m 

in Paris, I like Paris. When I’m in London, I love London. Wine 

is not about having a favourite, it’s the background music to 

life. If you’re enjoying it, it doesn’t matter if it’s a Shiraz or a 

Cabernet. My advice to passengers is that they should keep 

an open mind when enjoying wine.” 

"We try to off er 

more adventurous 

wines," says Clara 

Yip, Assistant 

Manager, 

Beverage and 

Catering Supplies 

AWARD-WINNING WINES 

Cathay Pacific Airways recently won the 

Best Business Class Red Wine in the 

Cellars in the Sky 2008 Awards for the 

Palliser Estate Martinborough Pinor Noir 2005. 

Here are some of the award-winning wines 

served onboard. 

Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2007, 

Central Otago, New Zealand 

Brown Brothers Patricia Shiraz 2002, 

Victoria, Australia 

Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2008, 

New Zealand 

Helen’s Hill Chardonnay 2006, 

Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia 

Spy Valley Pinot Noir Marlborough 2007, 

New Zealand 

Soberana Tinto 2004, 

Portugal 

THE CLUB 

47

CX NEWS 

48 THE CLUB 

Comfort zone 

The Penang lounge has been 

renovated and the décor echoes 

themes from our award-winning 

lounges, The Wing and The 

Pier, at Hong Kong International 

Airport. The lounge provides 

a stylish, calm and relaxing 

environment for First and 

Business Class passengers as 

well as Silver members and 

above of The Marco Polo Club. 

A wide variety of Western and 

Asian dishes including dim sum is 

on offer and the menu is changed 

regularly. New Personal Living 

Spaces, equipped with individual 

desks and personal computers, 

allow you to work in comfort 

and privacy. 

The Penang lounge 

has a new look 

Credit where it’s due 

The Philippines joins Hong Kong 

and Taiwan with the launch of a 

new co-branded credit card. 

Cathay Pacific has partnered with 

American Express and Banco De 

Oro Unibank Inc to launch the 

Cathay Pacific American Express 

Elite Credit Card and the 

Cathay Pacific American Express 

Credit Card in the Philippines. 

The co-branded cards are the 

Alex McGowan, 

Manager Product 

(right), accepts the 

awards on behalf 

of Cathay Pacific 

Cathay Pacific named Airline of the Year 2009 

Cathay Pacific has been voted Airline of the Year in the World Airline 

Survey run by SKYTRAX, which was conducted between August 

2008 and March 2009. This is the third time the airline has taken the 

honour in the past 10 years. Cathay Pacific was also named 

Best Airline Asia 2009. 

More than 16.2 million travellers comprising 97 nationalities cast 

their votes, making the SKYTRAX survey the biggest of its kind in the 

world. The Airline of the Year award is a tribute to the dedication and 

professionalism shown by the whole Cathay Pacific team. 

only credit cards that allow members 

to automatically transfer their 

card spending into Asia Miles and 

earn exclusive bonus Asia Miles as 

well as offering discounted fees 

for various Cathay Pacific and 

Asia Miles services. For more 

information on the card features, 

visit www.cathaypacifi c.com 

Taste of success 

First and Business Class passengers 

can sample dishes prepared by 

members of the Hong Kong Chefs 

Association’s National Culinary Team. 

From May to October a selection 

of Western appetisers, entrées and 

desserts prepared by the culinary 

team will be off ered on selected 

Cathay Pacifi c fl ights. The team that 

helped prepare the menu competed 

at the 22nd IKA International 

Culinary Olympics in Germany in 

October last year, bringing home 

gold and silver medals. 

Cathay Pacifi c is always looking 

for ways to keep the inflight menu 

fresh with diff erent promotions and 

themes that aim to make your flight 

a truly unforgettable experience.

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts Park Hyatt Hotels 

Grand Hyatt Hotels Hyatt Regency Hotels 

Hyatt Place Hyatt Summerfield Suites 

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group 

Marriott International Hotels 

Marriott® Hotels & Resorts 

JW Marriott® Hotels & Resorts 

Renaissance® Hotels & Resorts 

Meals worth 

travelling for from 

the award-winning 

chefs’ team (left) 

Best Frequent Flyer 

award – again 

Asia Miles has been named 

Asia’s Best Frequent Flyer 

Programme in the Asiamoney 

Travel Poll for the eighth consecutive 

year. The award recognises 

the effort to provide the best 

products and services to its 

members. 

The Asiamoney Travel Poll 2009 

was the largest in the survey’s 

17-year history with participation 

from more than 460 business 

travellers from 25 countries, 

representing the region’s elite 

business clientele. 

CLUB PARTNERS : For exclusive Club partner offers, please visit the member’s area of www.cathaypacific.com 

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts 

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts 

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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide 

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts® Four Points® by Sheraton 

St. Regis® Hotels & Resorts The Luxury Collection® 

Le Méridien W Hotels® Westin Hotels & Resorts® 

Swire Hotels 

The Hilton Family Hilton® Conrad® Hotels & 

Resorts Doubletree® Embassy Suites Hotels® 

Hilton Garden Inn® Hilton Grand Vacations 

The Waldorf Astoria Collection 

The Peninsula Hotels 

Avis 

Hertz 

SIXT rent a car 

For all partner offers, prices quoted are subject to change without prior notice. Peak season surcharges apply. Advance reservation is required. Rooms and offers are subject to availability. 

Blackout dates apply. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer or membership benefit. 

Smoother travel 

Cathay Pacific and Dragonair 

strive to provide members of 

The Marco Polo Club with a 

seamless travel experience. 

You can check details and 

updates to your itinerary via the 

“Manage My Booking” function on 

the Cathay Pacific and Dragonair 

websites. Information about flight 

status, special needs and travel 

advisories are updated in real time 

on the websites. 

If there is typhoon disruption, 

you are advised to check online 

for an updated flight status before 

leaving for the airport. At the 

airport, special queuing procedures 

will continue the dedicated services 

you are accustomed to. 

THE CLUB 

49

2 

QUARTER 2009

24 HOURS IN ROME

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