Hong Kong Cheese Festival: A Delightful Feast of Cheese and Fine Wines

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin

 

Aqua Restaurant Group’s award-winning restaurants — Hullett House and Armani/Aqua will co-host the Hong Kong International Cheese Festival from April 18 to 21, 2013. This year’s event will feature a series of cheese dinners, tasting sessions, masterclasses, and a traditional European-style cheese market showcasing over 120 varieties of specialty cheeses. Renowned cheese affineurs from France, Italy, and for the first time in Hong Kong, Scotland and the Netherlands, will join in this unique cheese celebration.

The European-style cheese market at Hullett House offers guests a lively marketplace filled with European charm, where they can sample and purchase over 120 types of cheese. They can also visit the elegant Tea Room or outdoor garden to pair the cheeses with freshly baked bread, pastries, and jams. Guests can even bring these delightful flavors home or share them with family and friends who love cheese. The market is open daily from noon to 9:00 PM at Mariners’ Rest and admission is free. This year, a “VIP Early Access Experience” is introduced for the first time, allowing cheese enthusiasts to explore the market ahead of others. Priced at HK$300, the VIP fee can be used for purchases within the market, and participants can enter as early as 11:00 AM.

 

Additionally, at Hullett House, the talented Executive Chef Philippe Orrico will collaborate with cheese experts to present a selection of unique dishes paired with whiskey and wine. Chef Orrico’s culinary creations include “Cheese-roasted Rosemary and Almonds with Black Truffle Vegetable Salad,” “Artichoke Vegetable Roll with French Comté Mornay Sauce,” and “Chocolate Cake with Sheep’s Milk Cheese Ice Cream.”

 

The thoughtfully curated dinner events also include the highly recommended “Luxury Whiskey & Cheese Dinner,” featuring Johnnie Walker Scotch whiskies such as Odyssey, George V Commemorative Edition, and Blue Label. Another highlight, the “Counterclockwise Wine & Cheese Dinner,” guides diners to start from dessert and work backward through each course, pairing them with Chablis wines from the Burgundy region.

As for the dinner at Armani/Aqua, it will feature Italian cheeses paired with premium Italian wines, including iconic labels such as Amarone, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, and D’Abruzzo. In addition, the restaurant will showcase exquisite Japanese culinary skills through luxurious dinners, allowing guests to enjoy top-quality Japanese sake alongside Japanese-style dishes made with cheeses from around the world.

 

The “Cheese Tasting” events at Hullett House and Armani/Aqua will offer an array of pairing beverages, ranging from traditional wines and fine wines from both the Old and New Worlds to Chinese liquors, as well as champagne, whiskey, x5 liquor, Madeira, and fruit wines. Among them, the “World’s Oldest Vintage Champagne” tasting pairs Ruinart champagne with French cheeses; the “Eight Ways to Enjoy Parmigiano Reggiano” lets guests savor the authentic taste of this perfectly aged cheese, as well as its use in risotto and other delicate bites, all accompanied by award-winning Italian sparkling wine.

 

Finally, cheese affineurs will share their expertise in masterclasses led by top figures in the cheese industry, also held at Hullett House. In addition to introducing cheeses from France and Italy, a blind tasting competition — “The Great International Cheese Knockout” — will take place. During the masterclasses, four affineurs — France’s Philippe Marchand, Italy’s Pierre Gay, the Netherlands’ René Koelman, and Scotland’s Tricia Bey — will each present two products from their respective countries, competing for the title of the world’s best cheese. The final decision will be made by participants through blind tastings.

 

Excessive drinking is harmful to health.

 

 

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