Beijing

French soccer fare

With the UEFA Euro 2016 on in France through July 10, Xiu Bar on the sixth floor at Beijing's Yintai Center will offer customers special alcohol, fare and sport entertainment. Expect appealing French cuisine and wine－and a dozen screens to watch the games, including an open-air giant screen. The bar will also hold a petanque tournament on June 15, for customers enjoy this French form of boules, and there will be prizes for winners.

IN01-6, Yintai Center, 2 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang district. 8 pm to midnight, June 15. 80 yuan per head. 010-8567-1108.

Hong Kong

Spain in the air

Cathay Pacific is teaming up with Pedro Samper, head chef at The Langham, Hong Kong hotel to launch a new in-flight menu for its new Hong Kong-Madrid service. A range of authentic Spanish dishes have been designed by Samper for business-class passengers flying from Hong Kong from now until the end of August. One of the signature dishes, "traditional braised Basque-style cod fish with clams in a salsa verde sauce", originates from Samper's hometown village of San Sebastian, a coastal city and tourist favorite. "There are many regional cooking styles throughout Spain, all packed with flavor and character," Samper says.

Deal for Dad

A great meal and a facial might seem an odd pairing, but for Father's Day it makes perfect sense. Diners at Gaucho through June 26 can get a pre-facial voucher (value HK$175, or $23) for every purchase of a wet shave ($375) at Gentlemen's Tonic. Conversely, GT customers who spend HK$375 can claim a bottle of wine (value HK$680) with a meal at Gaucho.

Gaucho, 5/F, LHT Tower 31 Queen's Road Central; Gentlemen's Tonic, 43-49 Wellington Street, Central; 852-2525-2455.

Bangkok

'Flexitarians'

Organizers of the recent trade show THAIFEX-World of Food Asia 2016 have announced that the 13th annual trade show in late May was the biggest ever, attracting 42,528 visitors－a 21-percent increase from 35,205 in 2015 and 1,919 exhibitors from 40 countries. Seminars featured top consumer trends driving the food-and-beverage industry like "clean label", "free-from movements" and the "flexitarian effect", a term that describes those who eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but occasionally eat meat as a protein supplement. Many who call themselves "flexitarian" or "semi-vegetarian" have given up red meat for health reasons; while others are driven by environmental concerns, eating only free-range or organic animals and animal products.

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