Most people love delicious food and appreciate having a good meal. We have to fill our stomachs anyway, so, whenever possible, I would give myself a "treat". To me, having an enjoyable and delicious meal not necessarily means an expensive one. More importantly, I would choose to eat healthily with satiation, filling both my physical and psychological desires.

A heart-warming meal is an important drive for living too. If at that particular moment, my appetite is signaling me to have a fishball noodle, a cup of local milk tea, a green salad, a double-boiled soup or simply a bowl of warm, plain rice, I would strive to find it. If I could eat what I want, I would be happy and satisfy. I believe this is the "thinking" of Chinese proverb "sui xin" (to follow one's inclinations). "Sui xin" sounds easy, but in fact it's not. True that "delicacies" are not easy to find, but it is also about our attitude and views about the definition of "delicacies".

Living in the city with a busy work-life, many people treat their stomach as "petro tank" in cars. They filled the tank whenever it became empty regularly without thinking. To hurry back to the office in the morning, many people skip breakfast; and during lunch, they prefer fastfood to catch up with work. By the time leaving the office, restaurants are closed and they are too tired to eat. Seemed most people living in the city are eating junks in extreme fast pace everyday without fun or enjoyment. During weekends, even though one might have a chance to take a good rest, they need to meet with families for dim sum or buffet without choices. Sometimes, they even have to fight for seats at restaurants using coupons or offering special discounts. I think no one could really enjoy a meal with stress or under high pressure.

All depends on your attitude, treating each meal seriously not necessarily mean you have to be a big spender. Picking the right restaurant, ordering the right food, eating with a good friend, all would lead you to spend smartly. Readings about cuisine and restaurant guides are important, experience and recommendations from friends are also useful.

Whether it's a business event, social gathering among friends and colleagues, celebration party with relatives or festive gathering, no matter you are in Hong Kong or overseas, please take every meal seriously.

I am lucky that in past years, I met business counterparts who also enjoy eating. Many of them are now my good friends and we will get together sharing good food and dining experience or checking out new restaurants regularly.

Hereon, I will share my dining experience and gourmet trips in this Visa Commercial Directory website. I hope that my experience on good restaurants, professional chefs and special ingredients would be memorable for you too. May be one day, when you are looking for a romantic French restaurant at the Shanghai bund or searching for a hot bowl of Japanese ramen noodle in Paris, you will recall my stories in this column.

The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Visa or any other individuals. They do not express the views, opinions or beliefs of any organization or individual other than the author's, nor do they represent Visa in any respect nor are they endorsed by Visa.
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