Beijing

Black-truffle time

Three-star chef Umberto Bombana hosts a special weekend with his favorite fungi in mid-July. The five-course menu, created by Bombana and the Beijing restaurant's executive chef Marino D-Antonio, features black winter truffles shipped from Australia, 1,088 yuan ($174) per person or 1,588 with wine-pairing. Don't forget to stop by the bakery for some breakfast takeaway.

Evenings only, July 11 and 12. Opera Bombana, LG2-21 Parkview Green (Fangcaodi), 9 Dongdaqiao Lu (Road), Chaoyang district. 010-5690-7177.

- Mike Peters

Hong Kong

M&S comes to Central

Marks & Spencer has unveiled its largest Food store in Hong Kong at the Kinwick Centre. The new standalone 280-square-meter outlet offers a choice of fresh, chilled food, alongside its popular ambient food and wines.

The move complements M&S's existing standalone Food stores in Hong Kong at Wan Chai and the Shun Tak Centre. The store also features M&S's popular in-store bakery and coffee bar, providing a selection of coffee and teas alongside breads baked on-site every day, as well as a choice of pastries, shortbreads, scones, pies and cookies.

Marks & Spencer Food, 1/F Kinwick Centre, 32 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong. 852-2921-8552.

Ramsay heading to Asia

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is set to bring his relaxed dining and bar experience, Bread Street Kitchen, to Hong Kong in September. The restaurant will serve British European, featuring dishes from its London counterpart for all-day dining in the heart of Hong Kong's bar and dining precinct, Lan Kwai Fong in Central. This will be Ramsay's first restaurant in Asia.

Sweet bites of summer

Beat the summer heat with sweet treats from The Peninsula Boutique. Meticulously handmade by The Peninsula's team of talented pastry chefs and in-house chocolatiers, try the light and refreshing lemon eclair; apricot-thyme jelly roulade; Brazil praline and homemade hazelnut spread, and a host of cocoa snacks including chocolate-coated potato chips, marshmallows and pretzels - just in time for summer parties. For gift-giving, there is the sweet collection of six Peninsula chocolate bears in different costumes for HK$180 ($23) per box, or the Peninsula Bear Suitcase, packed with a cuddly stuffed Peninsula bear, an activity book and a box of chocolate chip cookies - perfect for traveling - HK$450 each.

The Peninsula Boutique, The Peninsula Arcade, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. 852-2696-6969.

- Donna Mah

(China Daily 06/29/2014 page8)