Monthly Archives: April 2011

Huainan Olympic Park

China plans ping-pong hotel

Huainan Olympic Park

Sports fans are well catered for by a new hotel design which popped up in China this month — shaped like a ping-pong racket.

The wacky design, which will reportedly be built in the city of Huainan, in East China’s Anhui province, is perfectly modelled on an upside down table tennis racket and is designed to be built in a planned Olympic park.

The detail of the 150-meter design is impressive — even down to the handle at the top (designed for sightseeing) and the rounded windows of the guestrooms which resemble the rubber surface of the racquet.
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the most expensive hot dog

Most Expensive Hot Dog in the World

the most expensive hot dog

What was created as a novelty item last year has now been added to a popular New York restaurant menu permanently.

The ‘Serendipity Foot Long Haute Dog’ was admitted into the Guinness World Records last year for being the most expensive hot dog in the world, at $69.

Months after its creation, Serendipity 3, has now put the luxurious ‘haute’ dog on their menu for the deep-pocketed, hot dog aficionado.

The foot-long hot dog (30 cm) is made from pure beef, grilled in white truffle oil, sandwiched in a pretzel bun from Germany, and toasted with white truffle butter.
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Obama eating

The US President’s $30,800 dinner menu

Barack Obama Red Rooster

Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson hosted a dinner for President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama this week at his newest restaurant Red Rooster in Harlem.

The small dinner party of 50 shelled out $30,800 (€27,710) per plate for the party fundraiser.

Samuelsson is one of the president’s favorite chefs and has been called upon to cook a handful of state dinners for him in the past.
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Hublot Diamond Big Bang Watch

Hublot €2 million Big Bang watch

Hublot Diamond Big Bang Watch

Swiss watchmaker Hublot has launched a new diamond-covered 18k white gold Big Bang tourbillon watch, which costs a whopping €2 million ($2.8 million).

The new Hublot Big Bang Watch set in 18 carat gold with a gold Big Bang tourbillion comes studded with as many as 142 carats worth of baguette diamonds, which covers the case, dial, and bracelet.

A total of 637 baguette diamonds along with one rose cut diamond on the crown dress up this masterpiece.
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French cooking guru Bocuse is ‘chef of century’

Chef paul bocuse

Frenchman Paul Bocuse, credited as the father of “nouvelle cuisine” and the first of the celebrity chefs, was named “chef of the century” by America’s leading cooking school on Wednesday.

The Culinary Institute of America named Bocuse the top chef of the 20th century, citing the 85-year-old’s legendary career in which he transformed both food on plates and the lives of the people who cooked.

“He is one of the greatest, most significant chefs of all time,” Tim Ryan, president of the institute said at an event with Bocuse in New York prior to the awards ceremony.
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Marriott Renaissance Sanya resort

China opening up Hainan Island to the world

Marriott Renaissance Sanya resort

The marketing spin has been that Hainan Island is the “Hawaii of China” but up until the past 12 months the reality has not quite matched the hype.

Times, though, are fast changing on China’s southernmost territory with the local government this year adding duty-free shopping and opening up its pristine waters to the international yachting community in an effort to lure more tourists to the island.

Hainan, which boasts a tropical climate, is also undergoing a resort-building boom with the Hilton and Marriott chains already this year becoming the latest to develop sites on the island which only saw its first “international-style” resort built in 1999.
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Maserati cufflinks

Damiani For Maserati

Maserati cufflinks

Italian jeweler Damiani have released in collaboration with Maserati a unique collection of accessories to complement Maserati’s cars.

The Circle collection, first of a series of product lines created by Damiani for Maserati, proposes a range of accessories in silver entirely dedicated to men.

Cufflinks, key-rings and necklaces are characterised by an elegant design playing with the circular shape and with the Maserati Trident logo engraved on the front.
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