Pathetic But True
Did you know that in the USA, restaurant employees can now get arrested and thrown in jail for over-salting a meal? A McDonalds worker in Union City, Georgia was arrested and spent the night in jail when a police officer arrested her for over-salting his burger. The officer went threw the drive-thru, placed and received his order before leaving. He returned later and accused the cook, Kendra Bull, of over-salting his food. He then radioed for backup and arrested the cook, leading her away in handcuffs. The cook had earlier reported to her supervisor that she over-salted some of the meat by accident, and even ate one the over-salted burgers on her meal break. The Union City police officer said in his report that the burger made him sick and that he believed the meat had been intentionally over-salted. The officer, along with 2 other police officers, took pictures of the “salty burger”. Bull spent the night in jail before being released on a US$1,000 signature bond. The public defender asked that the charges be dismissed. The judge denied his request, stating that Bull might not have over salted the food on purpose but that it was with reckless disregard that she allowed the excess salt and pepper to be added to the food. Bull will face a trial by jury.

Chocolate Delight
Okay, we admit it: we’re chocolate lovers, and if there’s one thing that beats eating chocolate on your own, it’s sharing it with friends or lovers. The chocolate fondue is a variation on the popular Swiss communal dish where fruit and cake are dipped into a luscious, hot, melty chocolate sauce. You can indulge yourself at Cafe Deco (Peak Galleria, The Peak, 2849 5111) throughout October - It’s $168 per set, plus 10%, and one set is good for 2-4 people.

Heard Street
It’s not one of Wanchai’s best known streets, but that is probably about to change. The short side street off Hennessy Road is where several quite reasonable cha chaan tengs and Chinese restaurants can be found. It’s also home to the newly-opened 5,500 square foot El Mundo (9-13 Heard Street, Wanchai, 2838 2836), the second restaurant from Chef de Cuisine Ricky Cheung and the Give Me Five group – owners of Le Mieux Bistro (407-8 Block B, MP Industrial Centre, 18 Ka Yip Street, Chai Wan, 2558 2877) which has been drawing diners to Chai Wan. El Mundo offers tapas and modern Spanish cuisine. With a massive open kitchen, the food is tasty and well-presented. The set lunch includes two tapas – from a choice of twelve including tomato filled with apple and tuna, beef rib, pork shoulder with olive paste – and a main course – whose options include pan-fried lemon sole fillet ($68) and roasted pork loin ($78) – plus tea or coffee. The a la carte menu features hot and cold appetizers like roasted pimiento filled with seafood ($40), white bean lamb stew ($50), and smoked salmon and truffle scrambled egg on toast ($45). There also is a range of paellas to share with a friend – the chicken and chorizo ($240) and the mushroom and asparagus ($220) options are excellent – and a diverse selection of meat dishes including roasted suckling pig ($165), baked turbot with clams and chorizo ($180)... And to compliment it all there’s a solid and reasonably priced wine list.