A couple good looking shirts from the new Merci Beacoup line by Cookies N Cream. Nice.

The Ice Cream Sandwich Bench. Need I say more? This, and more new from Jellio.

Asking a seasoned traveler for the name of a good Chinese restaurant is like searching online for a custom made shirt. With no chance to feel the hand of the fabric or compare that particular shade of blue you like with your skin tone, the search for right tastes and a healthy blend of ingredients is elusive at best and can often lead to a major disappointment if not a sour stomach. So, it was a rare and welcome discovery to sit down to the five-course near perfection offered up by Chef Chan Yan Tak at Lung King Heen in Hong Kong. Situated in the spectacular Four Seasons Hotel (the largest Four on the planet), this three star Michelin master holds court daily for diners whose adoration for dim sum bring them to the ongoing power lunch scene around the peaceful, spacious and beautifully arranged tables of this stellar restaurant. We passed up the initial invite for lunch so as to be able instead to savor a delicious dinner we will lovingly remember.

Well prepared to feast on a variety of Chef Chan's Cantonese signature dishes, we passed over the objectionable but requisite opening page of twelve shark's fin this and that to make our selection from the not-so-obvious fish and seafood, tofu, vegetable, rice and noodle offerings many diners consider side dishes. Carnivorous reviewers of Lung King Heen have already waxed eloquent about the numerous beef and pork entrees which are a standard in Hong Kong; however, our intention was to ascertain whether or not a globe-trotting vegetarian, vegan or macrobiotic diner could leave feeling healthy and sated without exceeding the credit card limit. Following the complimentary opener – a nibble of bean curd floating atop three straight, bright string beans cleverly arranged to reflect the I Ching hexagram for Heaven, a platter of eight small servings of “Crispy Scallops with Fresh Pear” (pictured below) started the meal with sweet slices of fruit bonded to the tender seafood by a thin layer of rich shrimp pâté. Numbers play a big role in all of Hong Kong, the land of feng shui and good fortune, where three and eight carry promising significance. The scallop-pair combination was like a fine French pastry and made us giddy with anticipation.

“Fried Rice with Lobster and Seafood” was equally divine; the rich taste of the rice combined well with sweet peas, tiny slivers of carrot delicately mixed with small bites of succulent lobster, prawn and crab. The result was tasty without being too filling, as much a light vegetable dish as one with seafood. From the page entitled “Organic, Vegetarian” we selected the “Five Grain Noodles and Assorted Vegetables”, abandoning our gluten-free preference for this special occasion. Both full of flavor and rich, this was as fine a noodle dish as any we'd ever had, the accent on the organic solidly noticeable with each bite. Since most noodle dishes in lesser establishments are often buoyed by water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and Chinese cabbage, the absence of these staple fillers has to be acknowledged.

More familiar with tofu than most other patrons (my family has made our own for four decades), we were eager to try the “Crispy Tofu Sheet Rolls with Vegetables.” We'd happily devour this dish, with a bowl of brown rice (not served here) and steamed greens, on a daily basis – that is if we could prepare it as well as Chef Chan did. It was exceptionally appetizing and totally enjoyable.

Despite our sense that we'd ordered the right amount to share, we soon realized our dinner would pack well for a four-hour plane ride the next day. Our wish would be graciously granted as the remaining food was taken to the kitchen and boxed for travel. This gave us a chance to sample one of the eight dessert bean or fruit puddings and one of the eight innovative pastries offered on the menu. Accompanied by Fuding Silver Needle Tea, a surprising twist awaited us as we sampled the “Chilled Coconut Pudding with Hasma and Longan.” While the “Red Bean Cream with Lotus Seed” was pleasant enough, the Coconut Pudding was truly unusual. It was a wholly unrecognizable taste: a sweet, light custardy soufflé layered between cool agar, somewhere between sparkling aspic and Japanese kanten.

Vegans, vegetarians and macros take note: don't settle for ordinary rice and bean curd just to save money in the great city of Hong Kong. Assuming they sample the beef, pork and shark's fin items on the menu, most people pay $150 – $200 each at Lung King Heen. Calculating that our meal served three people generously, the tab was $50 US per person, and we dined at the only three star Michelin Chinese restaurant in Asia. If that's not great value for money, then my tai chi is full of hungry ghosts.

The surprise ending? Hasma, known for its health-giving properties, are moist, chewy morsels with almost no taste. Hasma is said to be very good for the kidneys, lungs and women's skin as it contains many hormones and has a high lipid content. This is because it is a combination of fat and part of the reproductive area of a white-bellied frog from the north of China. Thus, as the meal ended, we conceded that when searching for healthy food, it just might not be essential to avoid all four-legged creatures that evolution moved out of the water. Astonished that we'd ingested our first amphibious body part, we both left of the same mind, feeling blessed that dinner at Lung King Heen was the best Chinese meal we'd ever had.

If you had to compile a list of the top body parts that we human beings tend to listen to, the first two slots on that list would undoubtedly belong to our heads and our hearts with our bladders and stomachs rounding out the third and fourth spot. The folks behind the Baileys Irish Cream brand are hoping their new ad campaign will allow “your lips” to ease into one of those top spots. To show off how they might just change the order of organs we so trust, Baileys invited us along to get an exclusive look at the filming of their new spots helmed by Icelandic director Borkur, in London last week.

The “Listen To Your Lips” campaign created in concert with JWT’s London Office is an attempt to change the way the public views the Bailey's brand. According to JWT's Creative Director Hugh Todd, current drinkers have long thought of the tasty liqueur in terms of both Christmas-time or coffee-time, rather than an enjoyable anytime beverage for the of age. While not an attempt to change the culture of their drink altogether, the idea behind their new set of adverts is to encourage flavorful alcohol enthusiasts that it's okay to get an urge for Bailey's even when there's no java or Douglas fir around.

So just how did they attempt to get that point across? Well, the miracle of the pop hook plays a big role. The three ads bring us to the three distinct settings of a bar, an apartment, and a rooftop. Each situation is beautifully paired with it's own impossibly infectious tune getting the sing-along treatment from a sufficiently sexy set of smackers. The idea ultimately equates the sudden thought of drinking a Bailey's Irish Cream with the undeniable impulse one gets to sing along with the chorus of their favorite ditty. The idea of drinking a Bailey's on ice or in any form becomes catchy rather than seasonal. The campaign also eschews the traditional sense of narrative to allow the viewer to fill in their own blanks and figure out how the spots relate to them instead of forcing a situation where
they find little to no common ground.

Judging by the action we surveyed on set with close ups on luscious lips karaoke-ing in unison with incredibly addictive tunes, JWT and commercials on their hands. We expect that they'll soon have lips around the world humming their tune and drinking their kool-aid…or Irish Cream. The ads in question are set to start making waves internationally in late July. Hopefully, we’ll be able give you an exclusive sneak peak before that to whet your appetite. If you’re interested check out some more pictures after the jump…

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Vancouver is a fantastic city to explore and discover new restaurants – especially if you like seafood as much as I do. The access to quality ingredients would make any food connoisseur drool. It certainly had me blissed the whole week I was there.

I didn't need to go far from my hotel for my first big dinner, and the experience at Yew Restaurant was certainly worth celebrating. After undergoing a massive renovation in the lobby of The Four Seasons ($4 million Canadian dollars for the restaurant alone, I'm told), a dramatic space was born, seating more than 128 guests. You're dazzled in this gorgeous space by its massive 40 foot ceilings, a floor to ceiling fireplace, and a communal table formed from a single piece of western maple.

The Executive Chef, Oliver Beckert launched a dinner menu he calls No Passport Required, a way to lead his guests on an enticing culinary journey to far away destinations — all without the need to leave their comfortable downtown Vancouver seats. April was “Japan” month (my favorite, of course) so I gave up the reins and went for it.

My Japanese adventure started with King Crab Soup, a Sake based broth with Daikon and Shiso. Very simple, light, and tasty. Large chunks of King Crab which tasted like they’d been lifted out of the sea a few hours earlier. Soup was followed by a Miso-Marinated Black Cod served with Asparagus, Edamame and a Kombu Broth — a classic. Dessert was a Pink Grapefruit Parfait with Ginger and Vanilla Consomme and Almond Milk Caviar.

My guest loved his dish from the daily menu– the fresh wild Salmon, miso-broiled with Chinese Broccoli, Baby Shiitake Mushrooms, Squash and a Plum Puree. If you're not up for food from the sea, they offer Wild Boar, Venison, or a pasta dish for the vegetarians.

There's also an impressive wine selection with more than 150 bottles available by the glass– (yes, one hundred and fifty) and they'll open nearly any selection you might want to sample.

Our Parfait was an ideal ending for us, but if you’re feeling especially brave, finish off with a selection of their Homemade Ice Cream and Sorbet's – Nutella, Carmel Honeycomb, S'more Ice Cream — and then call the cardiologist! Delicious.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit of a coffee fanatic. I’ve spent countless hours on the CoffeeGeek.com forums and invested in a bunch of home equipment, all with the goal of making the perfect cup of coffee. The more time you spend in the world of coffee, the more you realize that the perfect cup is an elusive thing. The beans, the water, the grind, the temperature, the machine, the pressure, the tamp … they all make a difference. I'd say my one greatest learning is that the true coffee fanatic is really seeking consistency which leads to good coffee.

When I was asked to test out a Nespresso machine I was inherently skeptical. All of the manual factors I just talked about disappeared and I was convinced that something so easy couldn't produce a cup of coffee worth drinking. I've had previous experiences with systems from Keurig, Flavia, and Senseo, all of which were fairly lackluster. Why should Nespresso be any different?

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I love collaborations. There’s no denying it; when two brands I admire come together, the result is something that is bound to land on my wishlist. Though a far stretch in terms of brand identity contrast, the second in a series of collabs between streetwear brand Lemar & Dauley and skate brand DC have yielded some interesting results. Based on the DC Admiral, the guys at L&D brought a nautical theme to the design, in both a regal and casual sense. Fabrics and materials found on sails were used as inspiration, yet the hi-top silhouettes and contrasting patterns and materials definitely scream beach city. Perhaps, something you’d might see on the boardwalk in Venice or New Jersey. Other interesting touches include a plate engraved with Braille as well as reflective tape. The shoes dropped on February 1st and retail for $150.

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Creamous was created by artisan, collector and all-around Funkbuilder, Alan Leong, to fill the void in that forgotten lovechild of Fashion, Art and Design (F.A.D.). Creamous represents the “melding of quirky art infusions, retro-fitted subcultural leanings, pop surrealism and post-punk sensibilities.” Alan’s latest endeavor is The Littles, an ultra-limited series of highly detailed handmade toys with hand-sewn bags. Each 3.3-inch figure comes with a backstory, including interests and hobbies. There are only three pieces of each colorway (purple, yellow and black), for a total of nine Littles worldwide. The Littles won’t ship until March, and have a steep-for-the-size price tag of $94, but don’t sleep on these clever toys if you want them: purple is already sold out.

Social Revolution. The thought of it has been woven into 2008 like an election campaign narrative. Change, equality, sustainability — all huge ideas in need of huge effort to bring them to life, and even bigger efforts to make them succeed.

Hector Estrada, an established streetwear innovator, head of triko, and the man behind the newly emerging Amivectio, believes in this revolution. According to Hector, it’s a literal revolution, set to change the industry, change the conformity, and most importantly changing the shirt on your back. He might not have the answers yet, but he's trying hard to find it.

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We talk a lot about artist on joshspear.com, but when we get to talk with artist its like peaking inside their head full of amazing visions. Sickboy’s Stay Free is full of scary, amazing, funny and just wacky visions. The show is best described as an art playground. He took over a building (not a gallery) and put up paintings but also a sweet factory, weird girls in mask walking around, paintings planted in pots, a house to walk through (check out our exclusive pictures of the opening night for a better idea) and of course his iconic temples. Sickboy’s Stay Free is an entire world and in this interview we walk hand in hand through that world.

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The first time I met Ray Young Chu he talked a lot of shit about my eyebrows.

This threw me initially, but once the topic of conversation turned to ice cream, then back to eyebrows (a friend's this time), then to PBR, I figured that Chu wasn't really talking shit, he was just full of shit — the really, really weird kind that helps people make amazing art.

It's been just over a year since Ray slammed my facial features, but in that short time he's made some serious headway. Read on as Ray slows down long enough for us to catch up.

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Shorties were climbing on chairs and resorting to dowels to get their stickers as high up on the wall as possible outside Eastpak’s Aquario space last weekend at its Sticker Exhibition show, the latest fun partnership between Eastpak and street artists. After Brazilian collectors Jair Cordeiro, Joao Correia and Alejandro Akira had received stickers from 170 artists in 25 countries, they figured it’d only be fitting to mount an exhibit, so they gathered their collections for display, but added another element: Everyone was invited to also bring their own stickers and get stickering in between all the free ice cream and beer served at the event (thinking about that now, those two would have made some great beer floats). Drunken stickering? The results were pretty rad, even if this photo I took came out a little blurry (full size after the jump). Check out more photos here. The show moves on to Rio de Janeiro after Nov. 15.

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Josh Keyes is a tough artist to put into words.

Initially, “painstaking” seems like the most appropriate term to describe his hyper-realistic paintings– after all, the detail is above the average human being’s level of artistic devotion. What else would describe the process? Focused? Acute? Zoinks? No matter. When words fail in an introduction, we always have the rest of the interview to suss it out.

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If there was any doubt that in the 21st century toys = bonafide art, Christie’s recent pop culture auction — including $625 vinyl figures from Huck Gee and Joe Ledbetter –settled it. Now, Phillips de Pury & Company is following suit with an urban art auction to be held in London on September 6th and in New York on October 25th. The selection of original works includes paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, mosaics, record covers and yes, toys, by urban street artists like Bansky, Blek le Rat, DFace, Faile, Shepard Fairey, KAWS, Dave Kinsey, Adam Neate, Barry Mcgee and Swoon.

While the full catalog won’t be made available until a week before the auction, PdP and Co. did drop a teaser: New York City-based Suckadelic created DJ Stormtrooper, an exclusive 12-inch Star Wars-based figure for the sale. The iconic mashup is 1:6 scale, wears a custom track suit, mini-headphones and spins his collection of records on a double turntable stand. DJ Stormtrooper is estimated to go for between £750 – 1000. This is on the low-end as compared to works from Brooklyn collective, Faile, which have estimates of £10,000 – 25,000.

Finally, this one goes out to all the elitists who like to debate “What is art?” Los Angeles’ Buff Monster, who has slapped his signature style of pink monsters, ice cream and squirting breasts on many toys, will be introduced to auction (eBay not inclusive) by PdP for the very first time.

What is the perfect addition to a day walking around South Kensington feeling very posh with fancy restaurants and art museums at your disposal? A good frozen snog! No I'm not talking about kissing (snog is British English for making out), I'm talking about frozen yogurt. Aside from the obvious jokes that fly around the restaurant, “fancy a snog?”, “give me a snog please?”, or the always popular “wanna have a snog?” the frozen yogurt is really good and good for you. The yogurt is made with hardly any fat and no added sugar, so your dessert (or pudding if you prefer British English) is basically calorie free. The branding and store were designed with Cinimod Studios, a group mostly know for their public art works and they delivered a really fun and fresh approach to a tasty treat.