I have an unwavering yet untested belief, almost strong enough to be called a prejudice, that all Mexican food sort of tastes the same (but no, I’m still not the reviewer who did Izote’s review). Before anyone thinks this is a somehow racist comment, I also think this about vegetarian restaurants. However, I like to be proved wrong every now and then so this Sunday, I might just go down to Tribute to take Chef Ashton’s Mexican Cooking Class for novice chefs ($698 per person) He plans to demonstrate how to make crab quesadillas, refried beans, prawn tacos, crab tostadas, etc, etc. The fiesta starts at seven and the demo is followed by a three-course dinner featuring the dishes shown. Who knows, maybe all the dishes will taste so different I'll actually know which course I'm on.13 Elgin Street, Soho, 2135-6645.

While Olympic fever and high-pitched patriotic fervour have been the emotion de rigeur for the past two weeks, you may have noticed that over here at HK Mag, our coverage of the Olympics has been somewhat more muted. We may have been playing off like we were too cool for school, but we’ve finally decided to join the party, and just in time for the closing ceremonies, too. Hey, better late than never! This Sunday, you’ll find us at Element’s Civic Square watching the show on the big-screen TV. Why would we do that in a mall rather than the comfort of our own couch, you ask? All day Saturday and Sunday, the snazzy mall is launching their ‘Gourmet Take-Away’: for $85 only, you can have a set lunch from five different restaurants that normally cost at least $150. FINDS is offering up their smoked salmon salad wrap; Joia has a Caesar salad on offer; Malouf’s is going all out and offering  tsatziki,  babaganoush,  grilled pita bread, chicken souvlaki roll, felafel, merguez sausage and vine leaf dolmades; Megu has two rice balls, four appetizers, chicken thighs, egg omlet, pickles and grilled fish; and Stormies is offering their grilled chicken quesadilla. All of the above are served with a drink. With so many different options to sample, here’s hoping the closing ceremonies are at least half as long as the opening ones. Elements, 1 Austin Rd. West, Kowloon.

We have some good news and some bad news: the bad news is that SohoSoho, one of our favourites, is closing its doors on the 24th August. The good news (well there are two pieces, actually) is that they’re not closing permanently. They’re only closing for a month or two in order to replace all their floor-to-ceiling windows and good news piece number two is that from now until the 24th, they’ll be giving a 20% off on all their wines. Their press person told us they’re trying to drink their cellars dry: we’re not quite sure what this has to do with windows being replaced, but hey, no point in looking a gift horse in the mouth, especially if it’s got a couple of bottles of wine in it! 1/F, 4-8 Arbuthnot Rd., Central, 2147-2618.

In our Cooking Issue a couple of weeks ago, we did a dining feature on where to get the freshest seafood in town and for one reason or another, there was an error in our reporting:  The Marriott JW’s California and not Fish Bar is serving the Alaskan six-course dinner; similarly, Christopher Smith is the Chef de Cuisine at JW’s California, not at Fish Bar. Apologies, I blame mild mercury poisioning for addling my brain.

Except for mole sauce in Mexican cooking, it’s quite rare to find chocolate used in savoury food preparation.   Which is just one more reason to attend this Thursday’s chocolate-lovers wine dinner at One Bar in Exchange Square.  Like the magical chocolate waterfall in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this five-course menu is every chocolate aficionado’s dream come true. Arrive at 7.30pm sharp to make sure you don’t miss out on the canapés: smoked swordfish in mini chocolate rolls; chocolate cookie with gorgonzola and parmesan chocolate tuille- all paired with a welcoming glass of Pinot Grigio. The sit-down dinner includes exotic combinations such as Tasmanian rock oyster with chocolate jelly; chestnut and goat cheese tortelli with chocolate coulis; and a pidgeon and white polenta with chocolate-scented smoked chili negro sauce. $698 + 10% per person.  Level 3, One Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central, 2522-2246.

There’s an urban legend in Singapore about a fat Hainanese man who used to sell a curry rice dish made with rice, gravy, pork, eggs and cabbages. He sold hundreds everyday for a dollar each and the dish was called Scissors Rice because he supposedly cut the pork chops with scissors. The old man passed away in the 80’s and although his wife valiantly tried to keep the business going, it failed in location after location. Now, there is a stall in Singapore called Tien Seng Mixed Curry Rice and insiders and gourmands insist that it must be opened by ex-employees since it tastes exactly the same as the original. None of this has anything to do with us living in HK, unless we’re planning a trip to Singapore soon, of course. Bar of Soup, however, are taking on the challenge and is serving their version of Scissors Rice this Sunday (3rd Aug) starting from noon onwards. Go have a try and may the memory of the nameless fat Hainanese man live on. 37 Staunton St., Soho, 2522-2595.

One of our favourite inside-a-mall restaurants, Lian, (the others, in case you were wondering, include Zen, Crystal Jade and Dan Ryan’s) has recently launched a summer menu. In case their beautiful floating pond of flowers that also serves as their central dining table wasn’t beguiling enough, now they are adding some delicious dishes to entice us further. Plain old Australian or US beef so doesn’t make the grade anymore: everyone, but everyone (actually Pho 26 is the only other place as far as we know, but surely it’s only a matter of time) is serving wagyu pho nowadays. Lian is serving wagyu beef from Saga for $198; you tell us if it’s worth it. Other noteworthy additions include an authentic Vietnamese “da-lat” beef shin in thick spicy sauce (HK$165) while their Thai kitchen is also launching new dishes such as a Thai stir-fried mud crab curry (HK$380) and a spicy Thai-inspired New Zealand mussels in green tomato curry served with French bread (HK$185). Shop 2004, Podium Level 2, ifc mall, Central, 2521-1117.

We received a press e-mail from Lotus, informing us that they are hosting a new guest chef, Bobby Chainarong  “straight in from Phuket” who will be bringing with him “his impressive pedigree and fresh ingredients” this summer.  Ignorant as charged, we had no idea who Bobby Chainarong was, and a quick Google search gave us nothing, except there seems to be a police colonel named Samarn Chainarong in Phuket who appears to rather enjoy giving out quotes to newspapers. Our friendly PR contact informed us that her agency is no longer representing Lotus and she had no idea who might be. We admit it, our curiosity has been duly aroused and now we’re going to have to go and sample Chef Bobby’s salad of banana blossom with chicken or shallots with peanut dressing and tempura of Vietnamese black pepper soft shell crab to see what this Chef Bobby business is all about. 37-43 Pottinger St., Soho, 2543-6290.

Austrian chef Roland Schuller has a long history in HK. He gave us Chez Roland in Causeway Bay and Roland’s Terrace in Wanchai, both very high-ranked restaurants, as well as Alfred’s Deli in Happy Valley. In 2001, he decamped rather abruptly, citing work pressures and went on to work at a Michelin-starred restaurant, Don Alfonso, near Naples, as well as becoming executive chef at the ocean-liner Christina O.  After his stint at sea, Schuller came back to HK, engaging in small projects here and there, including opening a small catering business based in Ap Lei Chau, catering to a very select clientele.  He also did a menu for Gaia about two years ago, and now, Aspasia is the latest location hosting this somewhat elusive chef. His new summer menu showcases seafood paired with some of the finest Italian seasonal summer produce such as an Italian Riviera summer specialty, pan-fried scallop topped by crispy foie gras, served with pumpkin and red onion (HK$178) and a Japanese-style bouillabaise seafood broth with local monkfish, gurnard, Italian lobster and Mediterranean red prawn (HK$278). For landlubbers, there’s also a new pasta dish of mascarpone ravioli with duck ragout and delicate red wine reduction (HK$178) and a double veal chop with Jerusalem artichoke and an inspired Arabic coffee sauce (HK$358). 1/F, The Luxe Manor, 39 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 3763-8800.

There was a time when New Orleans conjured up more than images of hurricanes and ineffectual levees. Home to jazz, blues and Emeril, New Orleans remains a major player on the culinary map, Katrina be damned. Apart from Magnolia, it’s not too easy to find authentic Creole or Cajun cuisine in this town but Langham Place comes to the rescue this month with their New Orleans buffet. Featuring such Southern classics as, gumbo, jambalaya, and turducken (turkey, duck and chicken all in one. God bless America!), there’s even a ragtime jazz quartet on weeknights and weekends to really make you feel you’re on Bourbon Street. Lunch is $198 Mon-Fri, $208 on Saturdays and $228 Sundays and public holidays. Dinner is $358 Mon-Thurs and Fri-Sun and public holidays. The Place, 555 Shanghai St., Mongkok, 3552-3200.