Much like Norm in the classic sitcom “Cheers” every bloke should have a “local.” Especially in a city like Hong Kong where life can get rather hectic at times.

Mine is BullDogs Bar & Grill in the Tsim Sha Tsui East alfresco dining area next to the Kowloon Shangrila Hotel.

Not only is it within walking distance of our apartment in Hung Hom, but I’ve come to know the staff over the past few years, so much so that the barman pours my drink as I walk into the place! (don’t tell me Mom!)

We joined the hundreds of party-goers who crammed into BullDogs, La Villa, McLovin’s Tavern and Wooloomooloo on the strip to usher in 2011.

Needless to say… a great time was had by all!

Here are some more images from last night:

Meanwhile, over the world-famous Hong Kong (Central) skyline, this is what happened:

Click here to see how to get to the TST East alfresco dining strip.

Here at Howzit-HongKong HQ we LUV our sushi!  However, when it comes to sashimi (despite having been a resident in Asia for ten years) I’m not so sure.  Be that as it may, HongKongers for sure LUV eating.  You name it, they eat it.  I lived in Ma On Shan in Hong Kong’s New Territories for just over a year and in that part of the SAR, snake soup is the meal most ordered during the current winter because in Chinese culture it is considered to be a ‘warming’ dish.

The headline story in the local papers (South China Morning Post/SCMP story below) over the last two days is surely the record price paid by a ‘consortium’ of a Hong Kong sushi outlet and it’s Japanese partners for a single blue-fin tuna.  A whopping 16.3 million Yen/ US$166,000/ HK$1.3 million was paid for what the WWF calls an endangered species.

(Click to read to SCMP story)

Needless to say, the local office of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has been up in arms about the issue, launching an animated and colourful protest at outlets of the local sushi chain in question yesterday:

If you add in the US$250,000 Stanley Ho recently paid for a single Italian white truffle, Hong Kong’s rich and famous will surely leave no stone (or tuna) unturned to pay premium moola for the best of the best.  Endangered or not.

Kampai!