The Peninsula Hong Kong Pays Tribute to China S Artistic Traditions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 2016

THE PENINSULA HONG KONG PAYS TRIBUTE TO CHINA’S ARTISTIC TRADITIONS AS SPRING MOON UNVEILS ITS FIRST EVER ART-INSPIRED MENU IN HONOUR OF ART BASEL

As Art Basel Hong Kong prepares to return for its fourth edition, along with a kaleidoscope of other notable art and cultural events this spring, The Peninsula Hong Kong is once again making its own contribution to raising the city’s creative consciousness. As part of “Love Art at The Peninsula”, an ongoing programme of art-inspired events, exhibitions and gastronomic surprises at the iconic hotel, renowned Cantonese fine dining restaurant Spring Moon will, for the first time, offer an art-inspired menu that pays tribute to Chinese art and its many traditions.

Frankie Tang, Spring Moon's Executive Chef, is a man steeped in the art of Chinese gastronomic excellence, and he has brought his considerable creative powers to bear on crafting dishes that reference Chinese painting, pottery, sculpture and carvings, weaving, calligraphy and even opera masks. Served amid Spring Moon’s timelessly elegant Art Deco interiors, the six-course menu is available from 6:00 pm nightly from 22 March until 17 April 2016, priced at HK$ 1,688* per person (for a minimum of 4 people). A two-day advance reservation is required.

To start, Chef Tang serves up a playful take on Chinese brush paintings. Presented in the shape of a goldfish, his water shrimp with tomato salad offers a clever three-dimensional effect that is sure to have cameras snapping.

Next up is double-boiled teal and cordyceps soup served in a clay teapot that pays homage to the ancient art and traditions of Chinese tea. Visually striking though it may be, the teapot is not only for presentation: it is believed the clay enhances both the aromas and flavours of the contents.

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For the third course, Chef Tang incorporates the age-old art of weaving into an elaborate creation packed with both sweet and earthy flavours. His woven abalone rolls contain Matsuba crab leg, shrimp paste and black truffle sauce, and are presented with the chef’s signature visual élan.

Sculpture and carving go back millennia in Chinese history and the menu makes a subtle nod to the sculptor's art by placing a miniature sculpture of a bull – carved from fruit or vegetables – onto plates as an accompaniment to a course of wok-friend Wagyu beef fillet with yam and X.O. sauce. As a personal touch, each bull has its own unique pose.

No tribute to Chinese artistic endeavour would be complete without calligraphy, and for the fifth course, Chef Tang excels himself in both gustatory and aesthetic finesse. Substituting the lampblack and binders used in traditional ink-painting for squid ink, the chef paints the Chinese character for “Zen” on each plate, to the right of his exquisite stewed squid ink noodles with fish maw, conpoy and onions.

Last but not least, Chef Tang draws inspiration from the Chinese performance arts with a striking opera mask made from icing. This creation is then sliced in half and plated with a trio of small Chinese desserts, including a mango flavoured egg custard pastry, a bird’s nest pudding and an avocado panna cotta.

Chef Tang commented: “Authenticity is key to my approach to Cantonese cuisine and so it has been a challenge and a pleasure to come up with dishes that emphasise the cultural connections of the food while tapping into other great Chinese traditions such as painting, sculpture and opera. I hope this menu will give diners an added appreciation of the aesthetic attention to detail that makes Cantonese fine dining so distinctive.”

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Spring Moon presents Chinese cuisine in its purest form, with the restaurant's dark wood interiors, porcelain antiques and Art Deco stained glass conferring a sophisticated hint of nostalgia for Jazz Age Shanghai. Specialities include an array of seafood, dim sum favourites with a refined twist and an acclaimed X.O. sauce made to a secret recipe.

Born into a family of chefs, Chef Frankie Tang has more than 35 years of experience in the kitchen and in restaurant management under his belt, having woven his culinary magic in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Macau. He took the helm as Executive Chef of Spring Moon in 2011 following a spell spearheading The Peninsula Tokyo’s fêted Hei Fung Terrace.

Chef Tang’s eye for detail and passion for authenticity is built on the skills and techniques of the Cantonese culinary masters who came before him, while he also brings new expression to storied traditions with an ingenuity that reflects his relentless pursuit of culinary perfection.

Water shrimp and tomato salad in a goldfish pattern Abalone rolls with Matsuba crab

Double-boiled teal and cordyceps in a clay teapot Wok-fried Wagyu beef fillet with yam and X.O. sauce THE PENINSULA HONG KONG PAYS TRIBUTE TO CHINA’S ARTISTIC TRADITIONS AS SPRING MOON UNVEILS ITS FIRST EVER ART-INSPIRED MENU - 4

Stewed squid ink noodles with fish maw, conpoy and Chef’s dramatic trio of desserts onions

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About The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited (HSH)

Incorporated in 1866 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00045), The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited is the holding company of a Group which is engaged in the ownership, development, and management of prestigious hotels and commercial and residential properties in key locations in Asia, the United States and Europe, as well as the provision of tourism and leisure, club management and other services. The Peninsula Hotels portfolio comprises The Peninsula Hong Kong, The Peninsula Shanghai, The Peninsula Beijing, The Peninsula Tokyo, The Peninsula Bangkok, The Peninsula Manila, The Peninsula New York, The Peninsula Chicago, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, and The Peninsula Paris. Projects under development include The Peninsula London and The Peninsula Yangon. The property portfolio of the Group includes The Repulse Bay Complex, The Peak Tower and St. John’s Building in Hong Kong; The Landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 1-5 Grosvenor Place in London, UK, and 21 avenue Kléber in Paris, France. The clubs and services portfolio of the Group includes The Peak Tram in Hong Kong; Thai Country Club in Bangkok, Thailand; Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, California; Peninsula Clubs and Consultancy Services, Peninsula Merchandising, and Tai Pan Laundry in Hong Kong.

For further information on The Peninsula Hong Kong, please contact: Ms Winvy Lung Director of Public Relations The Peninsula Hong Kong Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Telephone : +852 2696 6608 Fax : +852 2696 6633 E-mail : [email protected] Website : www.peninsula.com

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