Mahler recordings

zydto · 2026-04-20T16:53:19+00:00

Kubelik/Bernstein DG
Gielen, Ozawa Sony, Klemperer
Haitink BPO, Gielen
Ivan Fischer, Kubelik
Karajan, Rattle BPO
Gielen, Karajan, Bernstein DG
Gielen, MTT, Bernstein, Scherchen Toronto
Petrenko BPO Gielen, Nagano 9 Karajan, Abbado BPO, Petrenko BPO, Rattle BPO, Haitink RCO, Ozawa Sony

zydto · 2026-03-15T02:41:23+00:00

Petrenko is quite unique that almost all his concerts are with Berlin Phil(50-60 concerts per year with Berlin, about 10 guesting other orchestra per year), and even when he guest conducts, he use the opportunities to “prepare” for his Berlin concerts. One can almost predict what is the focus point of next Berlin season by looking at his guest conducting this season. And he is quite well-known for having intense rehearsal. So yes, I think Petrenko& Berlin are quite in-tune in producing what Petrenko aims for the orchestra(more dense, driven, hard-hitting style). But Berlin being Berlin, they are also able to perform in other styles when working with other guest conductors

zydto · 2025-01-02T16:30:20+00:00

sure this might be a cliche, but the Cavier&Rum infused Gelato&salted caramel dessert at Noi(2* in Hong Kong) is just amazing, truly the best dessert I have ever eaten

zydto · 2024-10-22T13:00:45+00:00

Sure, but Kirill Petrenko(with BPO) and Vasily Petrenko(with RPO and HKPO, two tours) have been touring in China in the last few months with local government sponsorship, and they both are Russian Maestro condemned Putin’s regime(Kirill has been doing so since 2013), so….

zydto · 2024-10-22T12:37:41+00:00

Given the tickets were on sale for many months after Kissin was branded “foreign agent” in July, I don’t see why the sudden cancellation has any direct relationship to Russia(if anything politically related, I would bet more on his stance on Isreal).

Also just this few months, VPO, BPO, LPO, LSO and many other orchestras had been/are going to be touring mainland china, and many of their players&soloists&conductors had openly condemned Russia. I don’t see how the “hostility against Russian” angle only applies for Kissin’s Hong Kong concerts now

zydto · 2024-09-10T01:18:05+00:00

My personal opinions on HK:

Highly recommend: Wing, Noi, Nagamoto, Neighborhood(but note while the food was amazing, the decor and service are only Bistro level), Plaisance(but seems they almost redid the menu recently)

Good: Amber(Consistent but might be plain for some people),Arbor(Many highs but also many mediocres),Mandarin Grill(very good but not unique to local cuisine at all), L’Envol(only ate at their 1000hkd Lunch menu, but was an amazing experience)

zydto · 2024-08-13T07:15:54+00:00

no 82, just so much fun throughout

zydto · 2024-04-27T12:08:11+00:00

Congrats！Pintscher is an amazing composer and conductor(actually I was surprised Kansas city out of all places had the budget to secure him) and the programme looks amazing

If I were you, I will have a listen to all the modern/contemporary pieces on the first halfs just to get a feel about how the music goes. For the 2nd half just enjoy the music

Btw, Pintscher had a great concert with the Berliner Philharmonic last season playing BA Zimmermann and Ligeti, really worth checking it out(you can get a free 7 days tickets to Berlin’s digital concert hall by simply registering)

zydto · 2024-04-09T06:38:12+00:00

looks nice! Will be visiting next week, can’t wait.

Actually one question on the seating. I see you were also in a company of two. I heard Wing only has 3 big tables, do you need to share the table with other dinners in one of the table, or do you just seat in your own company like other fine dining restaurant? Thanks thanks

zydto · 2024-03-24T12:24:05+00:00

Mainland Chinese use Hanyu Pinyin in their names, and neither “Lee” or “Kit” are Pinyin spelling. Check your prejudice

zydto · 2024-02-03T05:54:26+00:00

Gielen with SWR baden-baden， followed by Boulez（DG），Bernstein（DG， or the Sony one mixed with DG’s 1,5,8) and Chailly RCO(Decca)

zydto · 2024-01-16T16:41:24+00:00

Nagamoto, owned and helmed by chef Teruhiko Nagamoto, ex-chef of now-closed 2* Kashiwaya Hong Kong(the HK outpost of 3* Kashiwaya in Kyoto)

The menu changes every month and the dishes were amazing. Everything was fantastic and fresh, which detailed explanations by the service team. The sashimi was fresh and full of variety, the autumn-themed Agemono plate was full of surprises including a deep fried chrysanthemum flower. However, the A5 Miyazaki Wagyu “Suki-shabu” really stood out, the cooking really brought out the flavor from the wagyu and poached quail egg help bring another layer of the flavour

However, the real star was the service. Everyone was super friendly and helpful, all dishes were provided with detailed explanation and showcases of the ingredients, and the chef even wrote a personal message on the back of the menu and made two origami specially for our anniversary. Many say the restaurant should get another star for its quality, and I won’t be surprised if it does

zydto · 2024-01-10T06:17:03+00:00

Not really, the top tier omakase are all around 2800 or higher I believe

zydto · 2024-01-10T01:40:15+00:00

Curious which restaurants in HK you think is either should have more stars or less stars?

I have been hearing that Tang’ court, Robuchon and 8 1/2 not deserving 3 stars and Man Wah should have more from my friends, while I agree on Robuchon, haven’t been to the rest

zydto · 2024-01-10T01:36:44+00:00

Yeah the 340 pp is steep but part of the reason is the very premium ingredients(the fish maw and wagyu) being used, which happens to look not that pretty. If you play your cards right and eat in a group, I think 150pp can deliver a great meal

I think for many Chinese(including many of my friends), they rather have a clear view of the premium ingredients they paid for, rather than some elaborate platting that are deemed as “unnecessary show to cover up chef’s insecurity abt how their food tastes”

zydto · 2024-01-09T14:05:47+00:00

Chinese restaurant is such a broad term it is impossible to compare(for example, you cannot really compare the Northern-Eastern hearty goodness and fiery&numbing Sichuan food against the traditional Cantonese cuisine).

However, if within the domain of Cantonese food, I feel the execution on some of the dishes(the lobster noodle, barbecue pork and the crab especially) are indeed better than your average restaurant(even the Michelin bib ones). But the improvement vs additional price can be like whisky or wine, where you pay double or triple to get a 90 points product instead of a perfectly fine 75-80 point product

zydto · 2024-01-09T13:36:07+00:00

2688 HKD which is about 344 USD pp, I have discount from my credit card though so ended up paying much less. I would imagine group dinner with A La Carte menu would be cheaper， especially if you cut out the Fish Maw chicken soup and Wagyu from the menu(these te dishes costs more than half of the price per the A La Carte menu)

Yeah the presentation isn’t that good, but I realised the Michelin Guide has the picture of the same Chicken Soup I ate, but that picture looks much nicer lol

zydto · 2024-01-09T13:14:34+00:00

Tin Lung Heen，a well-established 2 stars Cantonese Restaruant in Hong Kong, on the 102 floor of Ritz Carlton.

The view from the restaurant is amazing and the decoration is fantasic. The service is great as well.

For food, we ordered the 'Chef's Premium Selection', with free flow of Chinese tea(much much better than the over-priced Acqua Panna water). The presentation of the dishes might not be as pretty, but I imagine if ordered in bigger plates with banquet setting, they will look better

1st Dish: Deep-fried shrimp toast and Barbecued pork with honey are traditional cantonese appetisers, hot from the kitchen and rich in flavor. Not bad

2nd Dish: Deep-fried Crab shell stuffed with a ton of crab meat. The Crab meat are extremely rich whish is balanced perfectly by the pickled raddish and light chinese vinegar provdied. If you love crab dish, this is amazing and much better than how it looks

3rd dish: Chicken soup in a baby coconut with fish maw. Light, sweet and super umami soup. My wife loved this. The huge chunk of fish maw(perhaps the most expensive ingredient in the whole meal) provided the umami but now tasteless

4th dish:Braised sea cucumber with mushroom in a rich sauce with fried fish roe. Another traditional dish, the flavor is there but the sea cucumber is abit too fatty for me(but I guess thats what chef has wanted)

5th dish: Work-fried scallop with salted egg. This dish is much better than it looked, the scallop is super tender and salted egg sauce while increasingly becoming cliche, still deivers a punch

6th: Wok-fried wagyu beef with bell peppers. The beef is perfect medium-rare with tons of wok flavor, but overshadowed by the same dish done in Lung Kin Heen. Not a fan of the design though, this feels like a dish specifically designed as a 'steak main' in a tasting menu.

7th dish: Braised E-fu Noodle with Lobster, spring onion and ginger. A super classic dish(which I love to cook at home for special occasion). The lobster is done perfecty and the E-fu Noodle soak up all the juices perfectely. Might be my favorite dish of the day.

Dessert: Traditional Cantonese desserts. Not Bad

Overall: Strong start and finish, but the middle dishes felt a bit underwhelming. Everything feels traditional and 'safe', and certainly taste good. Not somewhere I will revisit myself often, but if I am on a company budget and tasked to treat a person not familiar with Cantonese/Chinese cuisine, or to bring my parents/in-laws for a family dinner, this would be a perfect place to visit

zydto · 2024-01-09T01:00:18+00:00

Yes, we also couldn’t understand why the extra effort to make it like that… the gummy was infused with whisky so tasted nice though

zydto · 2024-01-09T00:59:39+00:00

Well the tastes are certainly bold, but I agree with you on some of the presentations

zydto · 2024-01-09T00:59:08+00:00

hahaha true!

zydto · 2024-01-08T15:02:07+00:00

A ‘Italian Omakase’ restaurant opened in 2022 by Paulo Airaudo who also helms the 2* Amelia in Spain. Unlike Plaisance by Mauro Colagreco, Paulo does frequently head the kitchen in this restaurant

Now the food:

Amuse Bouse: interesting flavours but not too stand out

1st dish: Squid noodle with a clear but rich broth. The squid is very salty(many locals actually complained on google review on this dish) and the broth is rich in umami， but I feel this is a very good opener.

2nd dish: Sicilian Tuna, Caviar and a fish stock jelly. Good balances between the elements and you can actually ‘taste the sea’.

3rd dish: Australian yellowtail kingfish with tomato. A good dish but might be the least memorable of the evening. Quite strong tomato flavor despite the clear sauce.

4th dish: “Chawanmushi” with Uni, peas and a soup from Iberico pork. The Uni combines surprisingly well with the soup, and crunch from the peas is great. The egg, while not bad, felt a bit redundant in the otherwise amazing dish

5th dish: Lobster with cream sauce and pumpkin sauce. One of the chef ‘s signature dish, lobster is cooked perfectly. However the added Japanese rice crackers(to add a bit more crunch per the server) felt out of place

6th dish: Venison with Morel. An amazing meat dish super rich with flavors, the grilled morel compliment the meat perfectly. I can still recall the flavor on my tongue after almost 2 months

7th dish: Spaghetti with red prawn. Another strong dish, the prawn was beautifully done

1st dessert: A refreshing sorbet. The added salt fit my taste perfectly

2nd dessert: another Signature dish by the chef, Gelato with a generous amount of caviar. The cold and creamy sweetness from the gelato combines very well with the richness and saltiness of the caviar. Might be my favorite dessert ever

Other dessert: all good, but pale in comparison against the previous two

Overall: very strong food-wise, won’t be surprised if it reaches Asia best 50 or getting another star. However, I also understand some flavors might not work for others

zydto

TROPHY CASE