Christmas gift guide: for foodies

Gourmet chocolates

Got a friend who loves chocolate? Bet they’ve never tried these before. Hello Chocolate lets you make your own gift boxes filled with luxury dark chocolate bars from around the world. There’s even hard to find ones like Menakao from Madagascar that comes in flavours like combava and pink peppers.

Get it at Hello Chocolate.

Something saucy

Have friends who subsist solely on fried rice made from leftovers? Help them elevate their favourite dish by introducing them to Din Tai Fung’s Premium XO Sauce. The new sauce is made with dried scallops and shrimps, shrimp roe and flounder, and is the secret to making any home-cooked meal tastier.

Get it at selected Din Tai Fung restaurants. 

Eat local

Everything in these Better Boxes is produced by Singaporean brands, making them a great gift for foreign friends looking for a taste of the land. You won’t find these brands easily in regular supermarkets so chances are your giftee wouldn’t have tried these products before. Some picks include gourmet nougat from 3 Bites Full and Speculoos cookie butter chocolate bars from Poppy and Co.

Get it at Better Butter. 

Counting down with dram

It’s said that a dram a day helps Christmas get here quicker. This adult advent calendar is filled with different types of whiskies for you to sample including a 35-year-old Glenglassaugh Single Cask Madeira Finish from the Massandra Connection range, which retails at $1,800 per bottle. Limited sets are available so be sure to order soon for the whisky addict in your life.

Get it at Whisky Butler.

A boozy bounty 

Here’s one for the home mixologist. Brought to you by the people behind Proof and Company Spirits and 28 HongKong Street, The Proof Flat is a retail salon with stocks of fine craft spirits and tools. Its Christmas collection includes curated gifts like this bag with stuffed with Becherovka, Rowan’s Creek Bourbon, Angostura bitters and a Cocktails for the Holidays book.

Get it at The Proof Flat by EC Proof. 43A HongKong St. 

Drink and be merry

Christmas is a time to wine and dine, so gift your host a Coravin’s Wine System. It works by passing a thin medical-grade needle through the cork, pressurising the bottle with harmless argon, then pushing the wine through the needle and into your glass. Once the needle is removed, the cork reseals by itself, meaning you can savour it as and when you feel like it.

Get it at The Oaks Cellars. 

Born to fry

Give the gift of fast, healthy meals with Philips Viva Collection Airfryer. The new airfryer is packed with features including ‘TurboStar technology’, which heats up the system at a faster rate and cooks meals evenly. Despite retaining its under-one-kilogram capacity, the Viva Collection Airfryer is 20 percent smaller, and is also available in a festive glossy red finish so it’ll sit pretty on any kitchen counter.

Get it at Best.

Tantalising teas

For the colleague who always has a cup of tea in hand every morning, treat them to 1872 Clipper Tea’s 3-in-1 Christmas Gift Set. The set comprises three blends: Wake Up Happy (apple pie black tea), Day of Celebration (champagne black tea), and A Good Nightcap (peppermint and chamomile blend). Each comes in its own festive tin that will help the teas stay fresh in 2017.

Get it at The 1872 Clipper Tea Co.