Bountiful Joy

One of the best things about the Festive Season – other than the quality time spent with loved ones, the gifts, the Christmas carols and the overall joyful vibe – is all the delicious fare prepared especially for the holiday. From the generous serving of roast turkey with all the mandatory trimmings to the traditionally lush treats like Christmas stollen or the all-time favourite Yule log, these are the true culinary essence of Christmas.

In our cover story this time, we have Santa's nice list (not naughty!) comprising the most enticing dishes from the best restaurants in the region to be savoured this holiday season. This time around, our list expands from Jakarta, Bali, Singapore and Hong Kong, to add

Macau and Shanghai to the equation.

Of course it wouldn't be Exquisite Taste without getting to know the most respected chefs. We sat and talked to Vindex Tengker from Garuda Indonesia, Jocelyn Argaud from AYANA Midplaza, JAKARTA, Mathias Olsson from Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta, Rishi Naleendra from Cheek by Jowl and Daniel Wong from The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong.

The Gourmet pages see new and happening places, including Momozen and BAE by Socieaty in Jakarta, Chachara in Bali, VLV in Singapore and Operetta in Hong Kong. The feast continues with sweet delights at Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong in Exquisite Desserts, the finest wines for the holiday in Exquisite Wine Pairing and the latest liquid gold from The Macallan in Exquisite Cocktails.

There's an abundance of delights where all of the above come from, so make sure you have an appetising read and a merry season. See you next year!