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City life returns

Hong Kong—I came here 15 years ago and for only 36 hours so my previous impressions of the city are barely a memory. My new first impression—Chinatown has overtaken Manhattan.

I’ve done some vigorous sightseeing since arriving on Tuesday. From Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, and within Hong Kong Island from the west to east side, this city occupies a small land mass but there’s much diversity within. The density of people and buildings are in such stark contrast from where I just came from, but it’s incredibly easy to escape to greener pastures on the outskirts of the metropolis.

My memories of Hong Kong will stick this time around.

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Mbok Crystal

The first leg of my travels have officially concluded.

It’s unbelievable that after two months I could be so attached to a kitchen staff, but that’s the nature of a professional kitchen. When working under pressure with a group of people for ten hours a day, six days a week, a family forms. There’s no option but to be close to one another.

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What lies beyond the kitchen

Gaya Ceramics. Started by an Italian husband and wife team 13 years ago. The majority of R4D’s plates come from them.
Underneath Gaya’s production tent. The natural light that filters through is beautiful. What a place to work in.
Ceramic artisan at work. Their skill and proficiency is incredible.
The craftmanship is stunning. They supply to clients all over the world.
Big Tree farms. What started as a small, organic farm has exploded into an immensely successful company supporting the local community and economy. R4D uses their cocoa butter and palm sugar nectar.
Its entire factory is constructed entirely of bamboo.
Inside a fresh cocoa pod. The white pulp is edible and tastes quite delicate. The seeds inside are what make chocolate.
The stages of chocolate making.
Salt crystals. If you look closely enough, you can see they’re shaped like pyramids.
Visiting Pepe Vesdacchi’s home and business of bread and chocolate making. He moved to Bali over 20 years ago.
Pepe’s handmade wood burning oven.
Fresh grissinis.
Pepe talking about his baby, a cocoa bean grinder, also self-constructed.
R4D uses Pepe’s cocoa paste.
Potato Head Beach Club. Where people go to drink and be looked at.
The Bali you imagine.
View of the beach from Kudeta, one of the oldest and most popular beachfront resorts in Seminyak.
The open kitchen at Mejekawi in Kudeta. Look at the view!
Is this a kitchen lab or what? Mejekawi’s science lab—brainchild of Chef Will.
Willpowder—Chef’s additional business on the side.
Executive Chef Ben Cross of Mejekawi preparing our tasting menu. One of the most flavorful and well-thought out food I’ve had in a long time.
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Bathroom or bottom?

The first day at a stage is undoubtably the hardest. You’re always in the way because there’s never enough room, you never know where to find anything, and no one knows you. Mentally it’s a lonely day.

Now compound this with being in a foreign country where there are language and cultural barriers. I was treading new territory and feeling a bit of trepidation.

I should have known better in Bali.

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