The torture of travel.

Travel- is an English word that is derived from the French equivalent as per the below….

Main Entry: tra·vail

Pronunciation: \trə-ˈvāl, ˈtra-ˌvāl\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from travailler to torment, labor, journey, from Vulgar Latin *trepaliare to torture, from Late Latin trepalium instrument of torture, from Latin tripalis having three stakes.

Indeed as I write this, several hundred travelers are stranded in the UK as a result of yet another tour operator going bust, in this case “Golden Trails”. Passengers holding tickets and hotel bookings from this firm find they are not worth the paper they are written on. So to the point, why do we travel when indeed for some it is possibly a paid form of self induced torture?

Speaking of induced torture, earlier in June I found myself rushing to leave the safe and embracing confines of the Dalian Shangri-La Hotel to get to the airport in time for my much anticipated flight back to Shanghai to connect onwards to Hong Kong after several grueling weeks on the road throughout China. Sadly no one at the hotel bothered to advise me that both in and outbound flights had in fact been suspended. Without boring all and sundry with the details, I then spent 7 laborious hours in Dalian Airport waiting for fog to lift (yes fog in summer!!!)

So again we beg the question of travel? The writer Paul Theroux boldly goes against the grain and is more than forthright on his thoughts on places and faces he encounters abroad. Similarly so I often leave people aghast with my candid views on places afar for example:

India – When asked on my thoughts on India I advise that the best part is leaving. Need I say more?

Singapore – Love the place…. especially the departure lounge.

Beijing – I can’t find a bad word that would suitably express my negative thoughts, so I guess I have nothing bad to say?

So I am being too negative you may say? There are divine places however, Thailand, Bali and Sicily, spring to mind. As does my adopted home city of Hong Kong. But when people with considerable un-contained glee tell me they are travelling, I express to them my sincere commiserations. To the average traveler, not as blessed as I with elite levels of frequent traveler memberships or an APEC travel card, the normal traveler faces long queues at the airport and immigration leaving and entering any country they visit. The same for boarding any aircraft. So with so much time taken up by these activities alone does the average traveler simply have too much time on their hands?

Personally, I adore, fast check-in, quick immigration clearance and equally speedy priority boarding. This leaves more time for the fun things in life, such as duty free shopping or simply extra time in the airline lounge to enjoy more champagne.

So whether it’s self induced torture for a quick trip away or a much needed business trip to meet up with clients, travel is here to stay. I will leave you with this thought, note that one airline is actually touting standing only flights, it makes regular economy suddenly seem appealing.

So wherever your travels may take you, on a wing and a prayer wishing you a safe trip.

Anthony Arrigo is an exasperated traveler living in Hong Kong.

Divine Dining - Cafe Gray Deluxe

Divine Dining – Hong Kong

The Restaurant

The city of Hong Kong certainly has no shortage of divine dining options; from cheap and cheerful to stratospheric on the wallet, the choice even beguiles the best buffet.

It’s a tough call out there with so many new restaurants opening and so many going by the wayside, but once in a while something special comes along, truly special, that elevates a meal from just eating out to an experience. Once such place opened not too long ago. That place is Café Gray Deluxe. Master minded by renowned Chef Gray Kunz, this unique venue offers substance along with style.

Location

In the heart of Pacific Place, lies the Upper House Hotel, being the inaugural Hong Kong Hotel for the Swire group. Just getting to the restaurant is an experience in itself; certainly in the evening the ambiance sets the tone for what’s in store. While modern minimalism is a feature of the Hotel, making ones way up the long sleek escalator with warm teak wood hues gives way to a lift lobby that then takes you to the top floor of the Hotel wherein lies on the 49^th Floor Café Gray Deluxe. A short candle lit hall leads to the interior. With the bar and cosy semi private booths on the right and the main dining area straight ahead, the inimitable style and refined aesthetics are both soothing and sophisticated.

Service

It’s not that hard to build and create a great looking restaurant, however, while one can build and create the most amazing places on earth it takes people to make them a reality. This is where Café Gray Deluxe exceeds expectations. Quality service should always be unobtrusive yet professional and efficient. Café Gray Deluxe is both. More than that, it’s carried out in a genuinely caring manner. Making this a place where casual meets sheik with attention to service. On our visit our service was superb and again proves that in Hong Kong, it is indeed the five star hotels that can attract and retain quality people.

Food

While there has been “mixed” reports in the media on the food, on our visit we ordered a variety of dishes, all of which were both enticing and delicious. Mixed Oysters with Crab legs (the latter already carefully slice open for easy access) being tastefully presented on a bed of ice, both the Oysters and the Crab were of the freshest and finest. Other dishes to follow where: Pork Chops tenderly cooked with a nice selection of vegetables, a whole Lemon Sole cooked to perfection with a tangy light lemon sauce, and Beef Cheeks, being tender and gelatinous accompanied by a light sauce and medley of vegetables. Now this is were some other reviews had differing thoughts, but my point is this. Good food done well, prepared fresh and with attention to detail is the key to success. It is a simple as that, and while some diners may have different conceptions or follow other fads in reality there is no need for food to be convoluted or complicated. This is where Café Gray Deluxe excels, with quality produce and a traditional approach, neither will never go out of style.

Overall it further elevates the dining status for which Hong Kong is famous. Dining at Café Gray Deluxe can be like dining anywhere else in the world and certainly comparable to, Tokyo, London, Paris and New York. No doubt the fact the Chef Gray Kunz, spent sometime at a very successful establishment in New York, evokes a major influence in this dining venue.

Personally I can’t wait to go back there!

http://www.cafegrayhk.com/

(This is an unbiased independent review, the visit was unannounced and the meal paid for)