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.

Ross Lovegrove never ceases to amaze us with his serious industrial design talent. We assume that it’s his knack for combining that which is visually stunning with an absurd amount of practicality that drew the folks at Biomega into his collaborative arms for what amounts to a stunning addition to their ever growing line of “furniture for locomotion,” or what in layman’s terms could be called a pretty sweet bike. The Biomega Bamboo utilizes a natural material that when properly prepared, is stronger than steel. The result is an eye-catching fusion of nature and innovation on two wheels. To catch a sneak peek at this cycling sight to behold, head over to Milan’s Design Library at Via Savona between the 22nd to 27th of April, where it will be on display from 10am to 10pm. Congrats JMS!

Bike culture really interests me. What started as a utilitarian exercise (cycling), has permeated into every facet of our lives from the apparel we wear, the environment, and even politics. Cyclelogical, a small company formed just last year, focuses on bringing unique travel and commuter gear to the masses. Besides their organic cotton/bamboo tees designed by artists nationwide, their real specialty are their packs. Panniers, commuter messenger and backpacks, and even shopping bags so you can answer “neither” next time they ask you “paper or plastic?” Most of their tees and all of their bags are incorporate reflective panels and threading which means you will be noticed by motorists. From the special gear equipment pocket in the bags (think toolkit, extra tube, instapumps) to the being able to order any bag in recycled sail cloth material, the team at Cyclelogical have clearly set themselves apart. Check out their website and subscribe to their blog; lots of new products are around the corner.

Ken Tomita wanted to create an affordable piece of quality furniture that didn’t skimp on design. From this idea, the Chaboo was born. The name originates from the Japanese word “chabudai,” which means “low table.” Ken changed the spelling to reflect his use of bamboo materials, and also allow the user to define its purpose: Is it a table or is it a bench? An original Chaboo in light or dark wood goes for $250, but in less than a week you’ll be treated to a bevy of artist interpretations. Over 50 designers were invited to customize a Chaboo with their signature styles. The artists worked with watercolors, acrylics, oils, inks, silkscreen, vinyl, metal, wood, felt, laser, glass, concrete and even recycled skateboards. There will be an opening reception for Project Chaboo on March 4th from 6-10 p.m. at galleryHOMELAND in Portland and will be on display through March 7th. Shown here is a Chaboo by adorable husband/wife art team APAK.

The Gift: Two super lightweight (and super expensive) bamboo/cotton blended shirts from Bumboo.

The Rules: Another chance for Lady Luck to smile upon you. It’s a random drawing people, just fill out your name and e-mail in fields in the COMMENTS section. Only one entry per reader. Duplicate entries will be discarded.

The Deadline: Contest runs now through midnight on 12/9.

Alex & Chloe: Fork You Necklace: Read JS Review | Buy It ($50)
Because sometime you just can’t say it out loud — especially in the same breath as “Happy Holidays.”

Bumboo Tees: Read JS Review | Buy It ($58 – $68)
Bamboo tees are worth their weight in … oh, that’s right, they don’t weigh anything. Awesome.

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac x JC in the Sky with Diamonds Collection: Read JS Review | Buy It
Wearable … nah. But I have no doubt of this collection’s historical and artistic significance, so buy something before it winds up at Christie’s, even if it’s just a minifig.

Reebok Bowery Pop-Up Shop: Read JS Review
You only have until Dec 14th to make it to Reebok’s NYC Pop-Up, but shopping after then sucks a big, fat Santa anyway — and also makes you a slacker. Get thee to the Eighties (eh, 169 Bowery).

Richard Haines Sketches: Read JS Review | Buy It
We didn’t think to ask Richard if this gift was even a possibility (oops), but a stylee friend would love a Haines sketch … or better yet, a sketch of him/herself by Haines.

Saint Augustine Academy Reverence Tee: Read JS Review | Buy It ($75)
Look close enough at this tee and you’ll find God. And you thought it was just fashion.

Atmos x K-Swiss: Read JS Review | Buy It
You have to hand it to K-Swiss, the often forgotten brand is being “reborn” and what better way to make a mark than to collaborate with Japanese powerhouse Atmos? Great attention to detail and subtle but distinctive colorways make these kicks a sure bet.

Ospop Shoes: Read JS Review | Buy It ($76)
I know they didn’t originate it but for me the whole clothing with a story concept started with Trovata. Since then, brands like Ospop have put their own spin on things. These shoes are modeled after the same ones used by Chinese blue-collar workers. Needless to say they are updated for durability and comfort. Check them out!

Gram Designs Shoes: Read JS Review | Buy It ($122)
Hailing from Sweden, Gram shoes has been a perennial SuFu (Superfuture) favorite. The interesting materials, most notably waxed cotton, give the shoes a uniqueness and sense of character, not unlike raw denim.

JackThreads: Read JS Review | Buy It
If you’re still wandering up and down the aisles at Macy’s like someone in home furnishings lobotomized you, try JackThreads. If you still can’t find a decent fashion statement, we throw our hands up. Or just throw up. Or both.

We’ve reviewed our share of bamboo goods on this blog, but I think the T-shirts from Bumboo truly take the cake. Described as addictively comfortable (I can personally attest), the super lightweight shirts are made in the U.S. of A. from 70% premium bamboo and 30% cotton. Only downside? They’re a bit pricey– Long sleeves are $68, and short sleeves are $58, but the quality is fantastic. Hey, maybe we can convince them to knock the price down for JoshSpear.com readers. I’ll report back!

Update: 20% discount code at checkout is: UNBUSY

Designer Jamie Lim has found a way to combine two of ’08’s big themes, social enterprise and large specs, with her creation of the sustainable sunglasses company KAYU. Frustrated in her role as an IT consultant, she wanted work with a triple bottom line focus and broke off on her own. Her first frames are light yellow and made of bamboo, creating a nice break from the seemingly unending stream of Tom Fords. Additional KAYU styles and colors will be available by the end of the year, and the best part is that each pair sold pays for sight-restoring surgery in Ghana and India through Unite for Sight. Looks good, does good.

It may be no longer be summer, but that doesn’t mean you have to put that sweater on just yet. You can still squeeze out a few more weeks of T-shirt time (it’s 75 degrees out today people!). You’re a unique individual and you should have a shirt that reflects that. The folks at Frustone are believe the wearer makes the apparel and so they’ve come up with several designs for their ever so soft bamboo cotton tees. The inventive company is the result of the travels of an Italian director/editor and his Aussie ladyfriend who decided to cultivate their own creative universe based on the people they met whilst traveling.The collaboration resulted in a number of tees with a varying number of cultural themes ranging from music to literature and language that never fail to entreat your artistic and fashion sensibilities. Check them out in the Frustone online shop.

You can look at it one of two ways: Method was ahead of their time, or right on time. I tend to lean towards the former, because with a clear mission, a clear conscious, and a clearly obsessive attitude towards branding and design, the environmentally amicable cleaning products were progressive in nearly every way. They didn't smell like future bouts with cancer, they didn't scream “Earth Mother,” and — whaddaya know — they worked. Additionally, were one to “absentmindedly” leave ones cleaning products out, maybe in effort to say, “That's right, I clean, and I'm so eco.” and “How jealous are you of my supreme perfection,” it suddenly seemed kind of sexy to do so. Rain drop-shaped, Sweet Water-scented sexy.

We love Method for their environmentally responsible approach, their non-gag inducing aromas, and their effectiveness. But most of all, we love them for making us feel good about buying them. We wanted to share our love with Danny Alexander, an industrial designer at Method, but he seemed apprehensive about letting us stick our tongues down his throat (obsessively clean, Danny?). So we just settled for a heart-to-heart.

READ MORE…

Most wood shelving units aren’t very flexible when it comes to storing your stuff; they’re boxy and the shelves usually only fit things within one height range. Sometimes you have to cram things in sideways just so you can store the Joy of Cooking next to your copy of Catcher In The Rye. It all looks very messy and is not good for your Feng Shui. However, there is hope, thanks to IOLA Design. The Family owned and operated design and manufacturing company has come up with quite the innovative shelving unit with their beautiful bookshelf made from bamboo and maple, the Kumiko. The impressive free-standing furnishing allows for books, pottery, glassworks, knick-knacks and A-Team action figures of varying sizes to co-exist in one place, thanks to a thoughtfully flexible design that gives you more space than your wonderful ex-girlfriend (maybe too much space) by keeping the actual shelves from extending the entire width of the frame. If all that space doesn’t make you feel good, there’s always the fact that the fine people at IOLA will donate a minimum of 1% of all after costs profit to Us Doctors for Africa.

Via Design Milk

Plenty of people love to showoff their chopstick chops while chowing down on Chinese food. They'll specifically ask for the troublesome utensils in order to impress their friends as soon as they reach the table…and sometimes, if you look over at those same folks at any given moment during the meal, they're the ones sneaking stray grains of rice onto their spoon because they don't exactly have the hang of chopstick handling they wanted to exhibit. Well, thanks to Choplery, they don't have to fake it anymore. The cutlery/chopstick hybrid from DesignGO! Studio made from 100% bamboo and presented in the three basic utensils (fork, knife, and spoon) gives eater's a fighting chance of conquering their meal by giving them the choice, cutlery or chopsticks? Ease or struggle? The decision is at your fingertips.

We have always been of the firm belief that a coffee table is not a suitable home base for one's backside, be it clothed or unclothed (preferably clothed). However, after seeing. Designer Akemi Tanaka's line of transformative wooden furnishings we may just soften our initial stance. There is more than meets the eye to the Tagei Coffee Table and the Futaba. While both are constructed of a sturdy Bamboo base, the former pulls out to mutate into a bench, while the latter unfolds from a table into a loveseat. Not only do these two eco-friendly, multi-faceted fixtures save you space, but their design is downright sleek. Just about the only downside to these living room transformers is that they don't turn into wooden friends who help fight other evil transformative wood furniture pieces. However, feel free to rename either one of these fellas “Optimus Table.”

David Larabee and Dexter Thornton are DoubleButter. You may remember them from a post we wrote not too long ago, in which two men bombed Denver's newest art museums with a little bit of well constructed furniture graffiti. While that antic certainly grabbed our attention, it was the rest of the pair's modern and beautiful craftsmanship that held it. Their designs made us so weak at the knees that – had those two graffiti benches not been promptly removed, and were we standing in front of either the new DAM or MCA – we would probably have needed their services to regain equilibrium. Read on to see why we think DoubleButter has all the street cred they need make it big in the wide world of furniture.

JoshSpear.com: DoubleButter is fairly new on the furniture scene, yet your pieces look like the work of experienced furniture designers. What are your personal backgrounds?

DoubleButter: We’ve both been designing and building pieces professionally for a few years now. We only started working together a little over a year ago and now we make out almost every day. READ MORE…

It’s been almost two years since I first got my hands on a few of Sameunderneath’s sustainably developed tshirts, and I’m happy to report that the Portland-based company has since been on the fast track to a full selection of earth-friendly designs. The Fall 2007 men’s and women’s collections now feature the bamboo-fiber fabric in a wide variety of interpretations, as well as a new line of cashmere garments developed under the same strict eco-conscious guidelines as their buttery-soft originals. The guys side is looking particularly strong this season, with an even bigger selection of perfectly-cut tees and some surprisingly mod-looking jackets and zip-ups. As far as a clothing company goes, Sameunderneath has one of the the most admirable visions around, so be sure to check them out if you’ve yet to do so.