Visitors to Vinexpo 2015 in Bordeaux explore pairing fine French wine with Chinese haute cuisine (English only) (with photo)
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     With the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels (HKETO, Brussels), a dedicated Hong Kong restaurant is being featured at the 2015 edition of Vinexpo, the world's biggest international wine and spirits exhibition, taking place in Bordeaux, France, from June 14 to 18.

     The initiative is co-sponsored by HKETO, Brussels and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited (HML).

     For its 18th edition, Vinexpo has unveiled a new format that combines business with entertainment. The food stall and restaurant area, in a pleasant location facing a lake, has been expanded. It includes a range of offerings ranging from gourmet restaurants to food trucks.

     The Hong Kong restaurant is supervised by HML's Executive Chef - Chinese Kitchen, Mr Tam Kwok-sing, who tailor-made the menu for Vinexpo visitors and is a consultant for the Hong Kong restaurant. With 30 years of experience, Mr Tam is a Chinese cuisine veteran and a master of gastronomic traditions. He oversees all the Chinese kitchens at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), which holds more than 1 000 events and welcomed almost 5.9 million visitors from around the world in the 2013-14 fiscal year. In the same fiscal year, a phenomenal 2.4 million guests enjoyed food at the HKCEC's 395 banquets and seven restaurants.

     Bordeaux diners at the Hong Kong restaurant will enjoy expert food and wine pairing and get a taste of what they can look forward to at Vinexpo Asia-Pacific 2016 in Hong Kong.

     The Acting Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the European Union, Miss Drew Lai, who attended the 2015 Vinexpo and the opening of the Hong Kong restaurant on June 14 (Bordeaux time), said that while French wine is hugely popular in Hong Kong, there is still ample room to explore the versatility of pairing fine French red wine with Chinese haute cuisine. She pointed out that finding success in this area would help boost wine trading, tourism interest and cultural exchange.

     The Hong Kong restaurant at the 2015 Vinexpo aims to do exactly that. The menu of the restaurant includes four starters and four main courses, with dishes including dim sum, Chiu Chow-style marinated duck breast and a dish certain to intrigue French diners: braised beef brisket Hong Kong-style - Hong Kong's answer to Burgundy's traditional dish, boeuf bourguignon.

About Vinexpo

     Founded in 1981 under the auspices of the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Vinexpo exhibition has grown over the years to become the leading gathering for wine and spirits professionals. Held in Bordeaux in odd-numbered years, it brings together 48 000 trade visitors from 150 countries and 2 400 exhibitors representing 45 producer countries. The Vinexpo Asia-Pacific exhibition, first held in Hong Kong in 1998, has taken place in Hong Kong every two years since 2006 and has become the key exhibition of the industry in Asia.

Mr Tam Kwok-sing

     Mr Tam Kwok-sing, the Executive Chef - Chinese Kitchen of HML since January 2014, started his culinary career at the age of 16 and is now a master of Chinese cooking skills and gastronomic traditions. Mr Tam is responsible for the operations of all of the Chinese kitchens at the HKCEC. This includes overseeing Chinese banquets held at the HKCEC, along with the HKCEC's two Chinese restaurants, the Golden Bauhinia Cantonese Restaurant and New Shanghai. Mr Tam has held a number of senior positions in renowned hotel and restaurant groups in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Shenyang, Guangzhou, the Philippines and Dubai.

Ends/Monday, June 15, 2015
Issued at HKT 21:52

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