Life On Lantau April/May 2024

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Happenings & Events

STUFF TO KNOW IN APRIL!

REIMAGINING MUI WO

The hardworking volunteers at Living Islands Movement (LIM) continue to monitor the “Mui Wo Facelift,” meeting regularly with the CEDD and project contractors. They are pleased to report that the project is largely on track, and they have a number of updates.

Site formation and piling works for the new buildings in front of the ferry pier (cooked food market, bicycle and car parks) will commence in April. The old parking lot and rest area are currently being cleared and will be the site of the new bus terminal, which is scheduled to open in mid-2025. In the meantime, new temporary access and exit roads for buses will open at the end of April.

Residents will want to note that the provision of a proper access path from the ferry pier to the Southern Waterfront has been delayed slightly by technical issues. Work to reduce the footprint of the roundabout has also been delayed due to the discovery of two large water mains near the surface of the road. These will have to be diverted and/ or entrenched. Due to temporary traffic arrangements, there will be no car parking in the area near McDonald’s. There will however be a few spaces for drop-offs.

Meanwhile, trees that are being preserved for replanting are being carefully unearthed to avoid damage to the roots: some will be planted at the end of the Southern Waterfront this month, others will be stored offsite. Local experts – including local horticulturalist Paul Melsom of Eagle Owl – are being consulted on the selection of additional new trees for planting in the Ferry Pier Plaza, which is scheduled for completion in 2026. Measures needed to protect the large Indian Rubber Tree in the old paid parking area are being investigated.

LIM is pleased that the CEDD is keen to pay close attention to residents’ concerns as they arise, and is requesting that information and signage boards are installed in the ferry pier area, so that residents and visitors alike can have a better understanding of the scope of the project and see what the future Mui Wo will look like. [PHOTO COURTESY OF CEDD.]

THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT

REGALA WEDDING PACKAGE

Looking to celebrate your special day in style? Regala Skycity Hotel’s 1,210-square-metre, pillar-less Grand Ballroom provides a stunning setting for either a Western, or traditional Chinese round-table wedding. The Grand Ballroom can accommodate up to 76 tables and its design allows it to transform into three smaller spaces for more intimate wedding parties. At 6.7 metres, the impressive ceiling is a stand-out feature, fitted with crystal chandeliers and LED lighting. During the day, the space is flooded with natural light and come evening, the star-like chandeliers and “spinning” LEDs create a magical interstellar effect.

The Regala Skycity wedding package comes with myriad tempting extras, including one-night’s stay in a deluxe suite, a welcome fruit punch and a 3lb cream cake. The hotel’s experienced banquet team can be relied upon to provide a seamless and memorable experience for the happy couple and their guests. To find out more, scan the QR code, call 3556 3288, email events@skycity.regala-hotels.com or visit www.regala-hotels.com/ en/ regala-skycity-hotel. [PHOTO COURTESY OF Regala Skycity Hotel.]

ACTION

TSPRINT TRAIL RUN, DBAY

he Sprints are back – since 2003 these events have been part of the Hong Kong trail running scene with fair cut-offs for all on well-marked courses that are easy to follow. Now’s the time to grab your spot in the Action Sprint Trail Run, DBay being organised by Action Asia Events on May 19. The race starts and finishes in DB Plaza, and there’s a choice of two distances -- 9km solo (3.5-hour cut-off, 14 years and up) and 12km solo (4.5-hour cut-off, 16 years and up). The DB Sprint takes competitors off the main trails on an adventure trail route, along ocean coastlines and beaches. Both courses circumvent DB Reservoir and the Trappist Monastery, and there’s a mountain climb (Lo Fu Tau) on the 12km course.

Action Asia Events is the organiser of spectacular, remote marathons and trail races in over 10 South East Asian countries. To enrol in the DB Sprint, visit www.actionasiaevents.com. [PHOTO COURTESY OF Action Asia Events.]

THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER

After 27 years in Fu Tung Plaza, Wing Fat Stationery Gift Shop is closing its doors this month, the latest casualty of rising retail rental prices islandwide. Run by three hardworking ladies, all Tung Chungers, the shop has been the local go-to for stationery and toys since March 1997. The impending closure has brought about a wave of nostalgia among Tung Chung residents, some of whom have been stopping by for school supplies and gifts since they were kids.

Tung Chung Facebook communities have been posting about the closure in recent weeks, which has resulted in a welcome increase in sales – and has already left quite a few shelves empty. “Ever since people have been posting on Facebook about our closure, we have received more customers,” staff spokesperson Mandy Leung says. “Some people aren’t even buying things for themselves; they are sending items to friends. We are grateful for their business and continued support over the years.” [PHOTO BY Kayli Liebenberg.]

CREATE MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME

SIGN UP FOR THE DB SPRINT

LAST CHANCE TO SHOP AT WING FAT

NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY PROJECT

Pause for a Cause, the charity arm of Pause Studio in Mui Wo, provides free healing moving art classes for people who struggle to access studios and holistic health centres. In four years, the non-profit’s teaching team has brought around 1,000 hours of yoga and Pilates to over 15 charities in Hong Kong. Beneficiaries range from three to 80 years, and the reasons they could not otherwise attend studio classes include income, age, disability and medical history. The demand for classes is now growing and Pause for a Cause is looking for support from the community.

All donations make a difference, no matter the amount. Here’s an example of where your money will go: HK$100 helps provide yoga mats, blocks and straps; HK$400 pays for a one-on-one class; HK$1,500 enables one month of weekly classes for one group; HK$15,000 allows Pause for a Cause to add a new weekly class for one full year. To get involved, call 9030 7850, email alice_edinger@hotmail.com or visit www.pause.hk/for-a-cause.

SHOWS TO CATCH IN APRIL!

Be sure to catch the global tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music from April 16 to June 9 at the Grand Theatre, Xiqu Centre, West Kowloon Cultural District. The award-winning Broadway musical is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year, having won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and the Grammy for Best Show Album, for its original run. Classic songs, like Do-ReMi, Edelweiss and My Favorite Things , bring the tale of love, compassion, hope and survival to life. To book tickets, visit www.soundofmusichk.com.

Part of this year’s SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts, Memory Trace of Western Chamber is showing from April 18 to 20 at the JC Cube, Tai Kwun. In an eagerly awaited return to the stage, esteemed dance artist Elsie Chau Kam Ngai partners with choreographer Ong Yong Lock and dramaturg Mann Chan to deliver a soul-searching solo performance that reimagines personal experiences as scenes from a classic Chinese romance. To book tickets, visit www.art-mate.net. [PHOTO COURTESY OF Broadway International Group.]

TAILS NEEDS YOUR HELP

Mui Wo-based Team for Animals in Lantau South (TAILS) is almost at capacity and needs your help. As the charity does not have its own shelter, it relies on fosters to take in rescue animals prior to their adoption. More fosters are urgently needed at this time. Donations and fostering are the key to helping these animals have the chance of a long, enjoyable life. The more fosters volunteer, the more cats and dogs can be saved.

Founded in December 2018, TAILS has become a go-to for islanders hoping to adopt a pet. The charity is dedicated to helping cats and dogs find a better home, and believes that animals have the right to five freedoms: freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from preventable pain, injury or disease; freedom to express normal behaviour; and freedom from fear and distress. To home a pet, foster, volunteer or make a donation, visit www.tailslantau.org.

SUPPORT PAUSE FOR A CAUSE

ENJOY AN UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT OUT

BECOME A FOSTER: EXPAND YOUR FAMILY

Out & About!

WHAT YOU’VE BEEN UP TO!

AT THE VALENTINE’S DAY RACE

On February 4, the Trail Hub’s annual Valentine’s Day Race headed out from Treasure Island on Pui O Beach. Teams of two chose to run either the 15-kilometre Tough Love or the 9-kilometre Easy Love. [PHOTOS COURTESY OF The Trail Hub.]

CELEBRATING CNY IN DB

Good times were had in DB over Chinese New Year with a flower market on the weekend of February 3, and two lion dance parties on February 11. Attendees were treated to traditional dot-the-lion-eyes and catch-the-lettuce ceremonies, in addition to the dancing lions. [PHOTOS BY Richard Gordonwww.richardgordonphotography.com.]

AT THE DBIS INTERNATIONAL FOOD FAIR

There was live music and fun for all the famiy at DBIS International Food Fair on March 2, plus the opportunity to sample 21 different countries’ cuisines. [PHOTOS COURTESY OF DBIS.]

ALittleofBitTrivia! APRIL FOOLS’ DAY QUIZ

ARE YOU EASILY FOOLED? HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT APRIL 1, THE INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED DAY OF PRANKS AND HOAXES

BY Nicole Innocenti

You can check your score at www.lifeonlantau.com>20questions>april-fools-day-quiz.

THE PLAYER

ACTOR, TECH PRO AND RETURNING LANTAUER PHILIPPE JOLY HAS A TON ON HIS PLATE.

JUST THE WAY HE LIKES IT. ELIZABETH KERR REPORTS

PHOTOS BY Richard Gordon – www.richardgordonphotography.com & Karl Dominik & courtesy of Philippe Joly

Multi-hyphenate Philippe Joly is sitting outside at an Admiralty bistro, not far from the home he just gave up for Discovery Bay – again. We last spoke to Philippe for Life on Lantau in Before Times, otherwise known as 2019, when he lived in Mui Wo. And even though the RussianFrench actor-stunt performer-director-tech pro-writerfestival director didn’t get out of town much during the pandemic, he says he’s never been as busy as he was in COVID.

Philippe has plenty to tell. He speaks enthusiastically about the intervening years, his new flat, projects on the go and guerrilla filmmaking. He and his girlfriend have been back in DB for about four months, a decision born of a combination of economics and luck. “It’s been eight years since I lived in DB full time. A ton has changed,” he says. “We were looking at six months down the road but then we saw this place with a huge terrace. I wanted outdoor space with room for a pool table. I took the ferry at 10am, visited at 12pm and signed a lease at 4pm.” So far, the three of them – there’s a rabbit – are happy with the new digs. “The rabbit has a palace. It lives in every room.” And yes, there is a pool table on the terrace.

PEAK PERFORMANCE

Time has been good to Philippe, who barely looks like five years have passed. He’s still got a salt-and-pepper beard that serves him well for his work as Hong Kong’s premier movie bad guy who always dies – an SAR Sean Bean as it were.

“They need a bad guy in every movie, he’s often nonChinese, and he almost always dies,” Philippe says gleefully, about his path to cornering the market on movie villains – often Russian or Italian mafia types. His first role in Lawrence Gray’s Lust and Found , quickly led to From Vegas to Macau with Chow Yun-fat, and Pound of Flesh with childhood idol Jean-Claude Van Damme. Over the years, he’s worked with the likes of Jackie Chan, John Cusack and Adrien Brody; Andy Lau, Tony Leung ka-fai, Lau ching-wan and Louis Koo.

Philippe’s sanguine about the downtime that came with COVID but argues that at the same time a lot of other things were possible. He couldn’t hop a plane to China for feature film roles, but there was nothing stopping him from creating his own. Which he did with friends every weekend. “There’s no reason we shouldn’t have been making short films every single week. It was like practice. Go three years without doing something and you ‘forget’ how,” he recalls. “They were various levels of quality but a couple were really good. And it was fun.”

Philippe’s on-screen whirlwind continued after lockdown. He and a skeleton crew shot a rash of shorts (find him on YouTube), like Family Business , a six-minute

gangster comedy about the notorious toilet paper crisis of 2020. Then there was an indie starring Byron Mann ( The Modelizer ), a segment in The Goldfinger as a leader of the KGB, and a role in TVB’s Flying Tiger as Russian villain Ivan. “I beat up Michael Wong and then gave a very hard time to the leads Bosco Wong and Oscar Leung,” he says with a smile.

Philippe faced Andy On in Abduction , played a part in Herman Yau’s The White Storm 2: Drug Lords , and appeared in Battle of Defense 2 , starring Robert Knepper. Meanwhile, City Intruder heads to mainland screens this year, and though 2021’s Ultimate Code got eaten by four huge blockbusters, he’ll get another chance when the same crew reunites for a sequel. Philippe’s most famous roles, though remain unseen: Juno Mak’s now mythic Sons of the Neon Night is in production limbo, and the Chinese sci-fi behemoth Variant vanished into thin air.

“The Friday of the release comes, Variant is supposed to be out and I don’t even see it on the box office list,” Philippe says, throwing up his hands. Variant’s release was cancelled abruptly due to COVID and Philippe hopes it will be out this summer. “It’s a riff on the greatest sci-fi ever. I cut off someone’s head with a light sabre and get eaten by a monster! It’s my most original

ULTIMATE CODE 2021, DIRECTED BY WU ZHITING

death so far,” he declares with a chuckle. “And I hope Sons comes out eventually. All my scenes are with Lau Ching-wan and Tony Leung Ka-fai. It’s the biggest role I’ve ever had in terms of who I’m working with and it’s frustrating no one has seen it.”

MATTERS IN HAND

Philippe may be resigned to things beyond his control, but he’s not one to sit idle. His considerable energy is going into honing his filmmaking skills and entering events like the Nikon Film Festival (in France) and working on a feature-length documentary about submarine tourism and wine (coming soon). That took him to Curaçao, and on the way home he stopped to see his daughters in Los Angeles. He’d never been to the US. Philippe also decided to rework The Art of Dying for a Living , his pseudo-memoir backburnered in 2019. He took out 100 pages and is confident he’s got a winner.

“Originally The Art of Dying focused on working as an action and stunt performer, and on safety, but then I thought why not just write a guide to acting as a foreigner in this region,” he asks, shaking his head like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s very different from Hollywood or Europe, and there’s lots I can talk about. I hope to have it out by summer.” That’s assuming he can find the time for a final polish while he organises the Aotearoa International Film Festival (in Hong Kong, aotearoaiff.com), a rollicking community event aimed at celebrating New Zealand and Hong Kong cinema. “There’s about 3,000 Kiwis in Hong Kong, and I think plenty of Hongkongers will like it too. Both cultures are heavily influenced by the movies. I hope we’ll get a haka onstage. Go big or go home, right?”

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

"The final iron in the fire is the app and NFC-powered BLK Cards (www.blkcards.com). “You come up with solutions for problems that you have, and a business comes from it,” Philippe explains of the genesis of the all-in-one name card that brings together your most frequently referenced digital information on a single platform. It’s ideal for anyone with multiple jobs, job titles and businesses – like Philippe. “Traditional business cards still have a place in Asia, but I need more than one. With this I’ve reduced costs and it’s more sustainable. I print less.”

BLK Cards is a personalised, contactless tool that brings together multiple functions in one app allowing users to share their information as they see fit. Philippe’s biggest market is the US right now, but given the brandnew, wearable option, it’s likely to gain more traction everywhere. As if on cue, the cash register “ka-ching” notification sounds on Philippe’s phone. “There’s

“ALL MY SCENES IN SONS OF THE NEON NIGHT ARE WITH LAU CHING-WAN AND TONY LEUNG KA-FAI. IT’S THE BIGGEST ROLE I’VE EVER HAD IN TERMS OF WHO I’M WORKING WITH

– PHILIPPE JOLY

definitely a travel opportunity to this,” he says. “When you’re travelling, you don’t take business cards with you. When you’re surfing or by the pool, you don’t want a bunch of stuff. This is waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about it. Everything you need is with you.”

Given he’s been letting his entrepreneurial flag fly for the last 20 -odd years, and that acting, which started as a hobby, has become another arm of his career, what does Philippe call himself? An actor? A filmmaker? A tech pro?

“Both. All. I’m like Batman,” he finishes. “You can’t have just one basket, because if something happens, you don’t eat for three years. And I’d rather just do it, whatever it is, than not. The worst that happens is you try and it doesn’t work out. I like being busy. I don’t like being bored.” You don’t say?"

•

PRESERVING THE PAST

Tucked away in the south-western corner of Lantau, Tai O is at once a bustling and vibrant community hub, and somewhere you can immerse yourself in times past. Having developed as a fishing harbour and saltern over the past 200 years, it is rich in history and local colour, and a fantastic place to observe traditional village life.

Fisherman still live in squatter huts and brightly coloured stilt houses, built above the matrix of waterways, and as recently as the 1960s, villagers caught 30% of all seafood sold in Hong Kong. While the fishing industry has dwindled, salted-fish and shrimp-paste vendors still eke out a living.

It is here in Hong Kong’s “Little Venice,” that you can soak up Tai O’s maritime heritage and fishing lore.

There are no malls or franchised businesses in Tai O. You get to interact with the local business owners, and their shops cater to both residents and tourists. Tai O “central” – where you find restaurants, shophouses and market stalls – lies in and around Tai Ping Street on the banks of Tai O River, just south of Little Venice. Be sure to get your fill of traditional Cantonese street food – egg waffles, shrimp paste “husband rolls,” dried fish, seafood skewers, deepfried doughnuts – as you explore this area.

Venture north-west beyond the central village and you find yourself in unspoilt, virtually uninhabited countryside. On your walk, you spot Tseung Kwan Shek – the locals say this rock ( shek ) looks like a general ( tseung kwan ) taking a rest. Continue on, and you find yourself at the island’s end, Shek Tsai Po Street – and what is now a gem of a hotel.

THE HERITAGE HOTEL – COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Perched high on a lush hillside, Tai O Heritage Hotel, formerly Tai O Marine Police Station, has weathered centuries and stands majestic. Built in 1902, the property was restored by the Hong Kong Heritage Conservation Foundation (HKHCF) in 2009, listed as a Grade II historic building by the Antiquities Advisory Board in 2010, and given the UNESCO Award of Merit for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2013. Opened in 2012, the nine-room boutique hotel is managed as a non-profit, with the aim being to preserve its heritage and help promote Tai O’s famous landmarks and traditions.

Since the hotel’s opening, HKHCF has prioritised community engagement, working in conjunction with local stakeholders such as Tai O Rural Committee, Hong Kong Family Welfare Society (Tai O) and YWCA Tai O. HKHCF launched Tai O Stilt Houses Rehabilitation Programme in 2018 and Tai O Community Music Programme in 2019. It’s Hospitality Young Leaders Programme prepares local youth for work in the industry and, at the hotel, over half of the staff are Lantau/ Tai O residents.

While hotel staff regularly take part in community-led activities, such as Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade, Tai O Water Marriage Parade, beach clean-ups and mural paintings, numerous events and activities are provided at the hotel for villagers. Free guided hotel tours are offered daily, and Tai O Villagers’ Family Photography Service gives locals the opportunity to retake their wedding photos at the hotel.

(CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) SAMPAN RIDES ON THE WATERWAYS GUIDED TOURS AT TAI O HERITAGE HOTEL

THE HOTEL’S CLASSICALLY COLONIAL FAÇADE STILT HOUSES IN LITTLE VENICE

Tai O Heritage Hotel’s two-day Open House is held annually over CNY, and this year, more than 2,200 visitors were invited to ring in the Year of the Dragon. An art installation, Inspiring Dragon Dance , created by Tai O-based artist Stanley Wong and a group of local volunteers took pride of place.

During the Open House, 30 local students, trained by Tai O Heritage Hotel and Walk in Hong Kong, provided guided tours for visitors, sharing stories about the historic building. Visitors were treated to an immersive experience, learning about the hotel’s rejuvenation from the old Tai O Marine Police Station and the role it plays in preserving Tai O’s cultural heritage.

Tai O Heritage Hotel also partnered with Tai O Cultural Association to provide man-powered sampan rides for visitors, once the main means of transportation in the village. Participants got to celebrate the fishing village’s maritime traditions, while appreciating Tai O’s charms from a new perspective.

The Open House was rounded off by a CNY feast at the hotel’s destination restaurant Tai O Lookout, where guests were treated to a smorgasbord of local dishes.

THE MARINE POLICE STATION – STEPPING BACK IN TIME

But what of the property’s early days, way back in the 1900s? How would it have felt to be a young officer stationed at such a wild and remote outpost?

As one of the earliest police depots on the outlying islands, Tai O Marine Police Station was originally established as a garrison to combat pirates prevalent in the neighbouring waters. The marine police, who patrolled by sampan, also had a community role in resolving family disputes and arguments between villagers. The Old Tai O Marine Police Station book is full of interesting photos and anecdotes about colonial life at the station. There are pictures of young operators at the radio, makeshift football teams and sweaty gweilo officers.

For a firsthand account of life at Tai O Marine Police Station in the late 1970s, you can pick up Les Bird’s A Small Band of Men: An Englishman’s Adventures in Hong Kong’s Marine Police (2019). In his memoir, Les recounts his experiences as marine police inspector at the station, in charge of the Western half of Lantau. His tales of shambolic nightly foot patrols, mosquito-infested lookout towers and miscommunications with HQ over in Central make it all seem a bit Blackadder in the trenches in World War 1.

Touring the hotel, it is easy to visualise the property as it was in Les’ day. Restorations (the most recent during COVID) have been delicately handled to maintain historic details, such as the cannons, searchlight, corner turrets, dry goods

store and cells. The basic structure also remains in place: a two-storey main building, a two-storey outhouse and a one-storey extension added in the 1960s. Classic colonial features include the arched façade, Chinese tiled roof, wooden casement windows, granite steps, French windows and fireplaces.

For more on the station’s history, you can look to John Saeki’s The Tiger Hunters of Tai O (2017). John chose to base his novel in Tai O, after visiting Tai O Heritage Hotel. His main protagonist, Eurasian police officer Simon Lee, is banished from the comforts of Central to a wild and rugged Tai O Marine Police Station, for having an affair with the police commissioner’s daughter. Though based in the 1950s, the novel references many dramatic historical events – the march of the British colonialists, the opium wars, China in transition, World War 2 – and their impact on Tai O’s cultural heritage.

ART INSTALLATION BY STANLEY WONG TRADITIONAL VILLAGE LIFE

SABEI CHIANG MAI

DISCOVER A TOTALLY DIFFERENT SIDE TO THE LAND OF SMILES

RICH IN HISTORY AND TRADITION ,

Chiang Mai is northern Thailand’s most culturally significant province and arguably the nation’s best vehicle for educating and entertaining visitors. Rich in mountains, forests and rice fields, it’s still the home of a complex web of tribal groups, who began migrating there over 1,000 years ago from China.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF Pexels & Unsplash

SAVE ELEPHANT FOUNDATION’S

Elephant Nature Park (www.saveelephant.org), founded and run by Lek Chailert, is arguably the most ethical elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai. You can observe and feed the herds, and help bathe them in the river every afternoon. Long stays are an option as well as day visits –the food is fantastic and the valley beautiful.

WAT PHRA THAT DOI SUTHEP

is just a half-hour drive from the city: some 300 steps lead up to the main temple, where elaborate murals depict the life and teachings of Buddha. At the centre, the gold-covered stupa is encircled by sacred, gilded, Myanmaresestyle parasols.

THE OLD TOWN OOZES A BOHEMIAN FEEL

and it’s packed with artisans from all over Thailand, many of whom champion traditional arts and crafts. Like Ubud in Bali, it’s somewhere to watch craftsmen at work – producing everything from handwoven textiles and baskets to intricately wrought silverware – and shop ‘til you drop.

EVERYONE HEADS TO THE WALKING STREET

on Sunday afternoon, which stretches from one side of town to the other. The whole area is blocked off to traffic and filled with stalls, where you find irresistible silks, parasols, silver- and lacquerware, pottery, hill-tribe treasures and, of course, Thai street food.

THAI PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU

that you haven’t tasted khao soi until you’ve eaten it in Chiang Mai. The soup is a little like masaman in that it’s nutty, but khao soi is richer in coconut milk and topped with crispy flash-fried noodles. You also get to add your own garnishes –chopped coriander, shallots, chilies, pickled cabbage, lime juice – so every mouthful is slightly different from the last.

THERE ARE STUNNING BUDDHIST WATS

(temples) at every turn in the old town. One of the most popular is Wat Phra Singh, which takes its name from the important Buddha statue of a singh (lion) it houses. Just a few blocks away, at Wat Chedi Luang temple complex, the 60-metre stupa is guarded by ferocious-looking stone nagas (divine serpent-people).

Mother’s Day Surprise

SHOW YOUR MUM HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HER BY RUSTLING UP A HOME-COOKED SUPPER ON MAY 12. SURPRISE HER BY SERVING UP HER TWO FAVOURITE DISHES, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE

BY Nicole Innocenti PHOTOS COURTESY OF Adobe Stock

TANDOORI CHICKEN

Serves 4

2 lemons, juice only

4tsp paprika

2 red onions, finely chopped

16 skinless chicken thighs

300ml Greek yogurt

large piece ginger, grated

4 garlic cloves, crushed ¾tsp garam masala

¾tsp ground cumin

½tsp chilli powder

¼tsp turmeric

Mix the lemon juice with the paprika and red onions in a large shallow dish. Slash each chicken thigh three times, then turn them in the juice and set aside for 10 minutes. Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Give everything a good mix, then cover and chill for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.

Preheat the grill to high. Lift the chicken pieces onto a rack. Brush over a little oil and grill for 8 minutes on each side or until lightly charred and completely cooked through.

STICKY TOFFEE PUDDINGS

Serves 4

75g dates, chopped

75g butter, softened

50g light brown soft sugar

2 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

140g self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

Put the dates in a small saucepan and pour over 75ml water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes until the dates are mushy and have absorbed the water. Gently stir to blend. Heat the oven to 180˚C/ fan. Prepare 4 x 150ml pudding moulds. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla extract, then fold in the flour and baking powder. Mix in the date purée and divide between the moulds.

Transfer to a roasting tin and pour enough boiling water in to reach halfway up the moulds. Cover the tin with foil and cook for 25 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Serve with caramel sauce or double cream.

COMMUNITY SNAPS

FAMILIAR FACES FROM ACROSS LANTAU

PHOTOS COMPILED BY Kayli Liebenberg

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Finless Propoise

Yellowtail Clownfish

Barking Deer

Fruit Bat

Birdwing Butte

Atlas Moth Fireworm