Acclaimed harbourside fine dining restaurant Harlan’s at IFC, Hong Kong, is celebrating its 5th anniversary with a HK$555 tasting menu of favourite signature dishes since opening in 2004.

The 5-course gastronomic showcase is being served from Aug 1- Sep 30.

It also includes a 50% discount on specially-selected premium wines and champagnes from the vintage years between 2000 to 2006.

Italian authorities have shut down a historic Roman restaurant days after it charged a Japanese couple $987 for a seafood lunch.

The tourists filed a fraud complaint with police after being surprised with a bill for pasta and lobster with wine and gelato at the Il Passetto restaurant, just off the popular Piazza Navona square.

Health inspectors arrived within days to shut down the 149-year old restaurant – which has served stars ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Grace Kelly – citing hygiene reasons.

Chic new restaurant ZENSE Gourmet Deck & Lounge Panorama has opened in Bangkok, featuring a giant outdoor terrace overlooking downtown Bangkok and an army of chefs serving four international cuisines from major name restaurants in the city.

Developed by Central Retail Corporation, the 130-million baht ($3.6 million) concept is the flagship first phase of four levels of rooftop restaurants and bars atop Bangkok’s leading lifestyle mall, Zen World.

The entire project is called Destiny, inspired by the four elements of earth, water, air and fire.

North Korea has opened its first “authentic” Italian restaurant on the orders of its leader, Kim Jong-Il, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper said Saturday.

The Chosun Sinbo, often seen as a mouthpiece for North Korea’s communist regime, said the restaurant had proved to be a major hit after it opened in the capital Pyongyang in December.

“I’ve learned through TV and books that pizza and spaghetti are among the world’s famous dishes, but this is the first time that I’ve tasted it,” Jung Un-Suk, 42, told the newspaper, which is published in Japan.

A London restaurant has come up with a novel idea to drum up custom in the economic downturn: letting customers decide how much they want to pay for their meal.

The Little Bay restaurant in Farringdon is offering the all-you-can-eat deal for the rest of this month, to cater for credit crunch hit workers from the nearby City financial district.

“It’s entirely up to each customer whether they give 100 pounds or a penny,” said owner Peter Ilic. “All I’m asking is they pay me what they think the food and service is worth.

As part of the launch of the inaugural edition of The Miele Guide, the much anticipated first-ever ranked list of Asia’s Top 20 Restaurants was announced at The Miele Guide Dinner on October 31, 2008.

This year, Hong Kong has emerged as the best city in Asia to dine in. Eight restaurants in The Miele Guide’s Top 20 are in Hong Kong.

It is also worth noting that one chef-restaurateur has three restaurants in The Miele Guide’s Top 20. Joel Robuchon (the French chief), once heralded as the world’s greatest chef, is undoubtedly helping to transform Asia’s culinary scene through his restaurants in Hong Kong, Macau and Tokyo.