it's free! Come wine walk with us, p.5
HK M AGA ZINE NO. 1092 FRIDAY, A pril 17, 2015 w w w.hk-magazine.com
hk-magazine.com /hktablet
IllustrationďźšWilson Shieh (HKS Artist Associate)
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PAGE 3 8 COVER STORY
A Hong Kong staycation, population: you Permanent residents of Shenzhen have been
Parallel Approaches
limited to one visit a week to Hong Kong, as part of the government’s efforts to deter parallel traders. We’ve got some alternative strategies for all those parallel traders who don’t want to get held up at the border.
HALO drop.
Incorporate, incorporate, incorporate.
Enlist the assistance of the People’s Liberation Army to provide you with an aircraft and equipment to execute a High Altitude, Low Opening parachute drop over the Chinese border. Not only will this allow you to escape detection when sneaking in vast sums of Hong Kong goods, it also looks SUPER cool in the movies.
Instead of running individual arbitrage trading rackets to capitalize on Hong Kong’s tax-free goods, get together with your friends and go into business running an import-export company. Like all the best companies, you can set up complicated offshore structures to guarantee that you don’t pay tax on anything anyway. Also, you get business cards.
Pokémon cards. There’s still a market for these babies. Raid the houses of parents with grown-up kids for a guaranteed haul: Tape stacks of ‘em to your thighs and waddle straight through customs. If you get strip-searched just tell them you have a fetish for cardboard avatars of imaginary creatures. Go into disturbing levels of detail.
Smuggling boats. Why are traders hauling ass across the border in poky little trains? Do it “Miami Vice” style with a totally sweet cigarette boat instead, packed to the gunwales with Cow & Gate, Xanax and finest imported durian. Keep an eye out for a couple of flashy guys wearing poorly fitting Chungking Mansions suits. They’re cops.
Abolish the very concept of nationhood. Hong Kong has had trouble with its place in the world. Is the SAR part of China? Does it somehow stand apart? This has given rise to greivances against parallel traders. There’s one easy solution: If you work to smash the social-industrial complex through direct action and forge a true global anarchy, then stateless societies will inevitably follow, as well as world peace, general happiness and increased availability of milk powder for everyone. It’s win-win!
15 shopping
Bangin’ bags for spring
17 escape routes
Log in to a high-tech hotel stay
18
Who’s in charge? Editor-in-Chief Luisa Tam Managing Editor Daniel Creffield Editor Adam White Features Editor Kate Springer Senior Associate Editor Adele Wong Online & Social Media Manager Katie Kenny Staff Writers Andrea Lo, Charlotte Mulliner,
Evelyn Lok, Isabelle Hon Contributing Photographer Kirk Kenny
Director of Sales Gary Wong Strategic Sales Director Jan Cheng Senior Sales Manager Joyce Wu Senior Advertising Manager Kent Ma Advertising Managers Dominic Lucien Brettell Advertising Executives Bonita Yung, Celia Wong,
Harriette Cheung, Lamy Lam Advertising & Marketing Coordinator Yan Man Marketing & PR Manager James Gannaban
Production Manager Blackie Hui Art Director Pierre Pang Senior Graphic Designer Mike Hung Graphic Designers Elaine Tang,
dish
Finance Manager Karen Tsang Senior Accountant Alex Fung, Freda Chau Internal Compliance Officer Lucy Wong Accountant Winson Yip Assistant Accountant Coa Wong, Edwin Lee Administrator Olivia Ma I.T. Manager Derek Wong Web Developer Timothy Cheng Messenger Li Sau-king
Take it alfresco before it gets too sweaty to think
23
Cover by Pierre Pang
upclose
Seeking the Dutch look with Ewin Olaf
Ryan Chan, Tammy Tan Production Supervisor Kelly Cheung
Where to find us! HK Magazine Media Ltd. 302 Hollywood Centre 233 Hollywood Road, Hong Kong Tel: 852-2850-5065 Fax: 852-2543-1880 E-mail: hk@hkmagmedia.com Before you decide to purchase or use the products and/or services that our magazine introduces, you should gather further information about the same in addition to the representations or advertising content in our magazine. The content in articles by guest authors are the author’s personal views only and do not represent the position of our magazine or our company. Please gather further information about the products and/or services before you decide to purchase or use the same.
HK Magazine is published 52 times a year by HK Magazine Media Ltd., GPO Box 12618, Hong Kong. Copyright 2015 HK Magazine Media Ltd. The title “HK Magazine,” its associated logos or devices, and the content of HK Magazine are the property of HK Magazine Media Ltd. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is strictly prohibited. Article reprints are available for HK$30 each. HK Magazine may not be distributed without the express written consent of HK Magazine Media Ltd. Contact the Advertising Director for ad rates and specifications. All advertising in HK Magazine must comply with the Publisher’s terms of business, copies of which are available upon request. Printed by Apex Print Limited, 11-13 Dai Kwai Street, Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Po, N.T.
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Actor, MC and Buzz Lightyearalike Patrick Dunn HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 3
mailbag Mr. Know-It-All’s Guide to Life Dear Mr. Know-It-All, We all know that gamblers in Asia love baccarat. What’s a lesser known game to look out for? — Gambling Man The next time you’re in the Lisboa casino,
by carrier pigeon, to ensure that everyone
you might sit down to play a round of
heard about the results. Another origin tale
“keno.” In this game, 20 balls are picked out
says that 80 homing pigeons were released
of a pool of 80. Players pay to pick their own
across the country, each with a character
numbers, and if the numbers match up, you
tied to its leg. The first 20 to return home
win. It’s a straightforward lottery, and the
were the 20 words that were picked.
odds of winning are very, very poor. So why talk about it? Well, this form
The white pigeon lottery was legalized in 1847 in Macau, introduced in an attempt
of lottery game has a fascinating origin.
to raise funds after business fled to the
Keno, as we know it today, started life a few
brand new but already growing Hong
hundred years ago in China as pak kop piu
Kong. In the territory itself, the government
(白鴿票)—the “white pigeon lottery.”
licensed gambling houses in 1867 and the
Instead of using anything so crass as
Our tablet app: Out Now!
lottery’s popularity grew hugely—to such
numbered balls, the white pigeon lottery
an extent that they had to outlaw it less
had more aesthetic beginnings. Forget mere
than a decade later.
numerals: gambling houses used the first
Know your hotels
But it’s not really to Hong Kong or
Your sadness, madness, badness:
80 characters taken from the “Thousand
Macau that the pigeon lottery owes its
Character Classic,” the Chinese poem that
fame: It’s to that most world-changing
was used to teach Chinese characters to
of trends, immigration. The game was
children. Each character in the poem is
introduced to the United States by Chinese
unique, making it ideal for teaching kids
sailors and workers who came to San
their words—but even more ideal for an
Francisco in the early 1900s. The game
Market Collapse
Food for Thought
elegant lottery system.
promised to make poor workers rich
After 140 years, the last of Graham Street
We talked to Robin Hwang, the executive
overnight, and of course it flourished. Over
Market’s wet market stalls finally closed down
director of the Foodlink Foundation [April 10,
down and sealed away in the gambling
time, Chinese characters were replaced by
in early April. Here’s how our Facebook readers
issue 1091] about food waste and fighting
house, and buying one lottery ticket
numerals to make it more accessible to all
are taking the news.
poverty. Her story inspired some of our
allowed you to pick 10 characters. When
nationalities—after all, a gambler is
20 characters were drawn, your winnings
a gambler, no matter where he’s from.
These 80 characters would be written
depended on how many you had matched
The name was sanitized with a more
with your ticket. Sure, the odds of winning
western name—“keno” has roots in French
are equally poor as they are in modern-day
“quine,” meaning “five winning numbers,”
keno—but at least there was an elegance
and soon enough the casinos made it their
to the thing.
own. But don’t forget the next time you tear
Legends vary on the origins of the
up a keno betting slip: Somewhere out there
name “white pigeon lottery.” One story has
you’ve got a Chinese white pigeon to thank
it that the results of the lottery draw were
for your losses.
“Ahh, the good ol’ URA…”
Facebook readers. Oh no, that’s so, so sad. I worked on this street in 1996! STOP f*cking over small businesses
I read the interview and will share her stories
Hong Kong!!!!!
with the privileged children I’m teaching.
Yin Yee Shing
Igcse French
Ahh, the good ol’ URA...
Did you know that it costs the Foodlink
Fi Murphy Time to move out of Hong Kong… as the
once spread across the villages of the area
locals who work their bums off are no longer appreciated. Mr. Know-It-All answers your questions and quells your urban concerns. Send queries, troubles or problems to mrkia@hkmagmedia.com.
#PrivateEyeHK
Puja Rajwani
Foundation just under $6 to deliver each hot meal. For a donation of as a little as $200, you could help feed one person in need for a whole month! Get donating now. The hungry need YOU! Empire HK
Central is slowly losing its unique beauty.
Meat Your Maker
Hilda Ziembinska
In a recent column [April 3, issue 1090], Adele Wong covers some carnivorous treats, including
This government is destroying the traces
new Brazilian churrascaria Braza and Peruvian
of history.
restaurant Chicha. One Facebook reader takes
Sharyn Ng
issue with the meaty news. More vegetarian food enough meat! Paola Dindo
Write in and Win!
Mahjong Hands
Photo by José Somolinos (josesomolinos.com)
4 HK MAGAZINE
FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015
Got something to say? Write us! Our letter of the week gets an HK Magazine notebook, umbrella (pictured) and copy of “Historical Hong Kong Hikes,” total value $470.
THE WEEK sat 4/18
fri 4/24
sun 4/19
Friday 4/17
Monday 4/20
Thursday 4/23
Veuve Clicquot is hosting a cherry blossom-themed “Sakura” party at Kee Club. What’s in store? A geisha champagne ritual, erotic photos courtesy of New York artist Reka Nyari, plus beats from soul and R&B DJ Hitomi. The dress code is “Japanese glam,” so you’ll have to leave your sumo suit at home. 10pm. 6/F, Wellington St., Central, 2810-9000. $400 at the door, including a glass of champagne.
The Kassia Women’s Choir celebrates International Women’s Day with Her Song at St. John’s Cathedral, a concert benefiting the Women’s Foundation. Expect to hear renditions of songs by all kinds of songstress, from Patsy Cline right through to Rihanna. 8-10pm. 4-6 Garden Rd., Central. $220 from www.ticketflap.com.
Who could say no to a Cheese Fondue Party?! Hosted by fine food shop Les Halles Bordeaux, this fromage fest comes with free-flow ham, salad, baguettes, canelés plus two glasses of wine. And of course, all the melted cheese you can eat. 7:30pm. KUC Space, 2 Jordan Rd., Jordan. $290 before Apr 21; $340 thereafter, from www.ticketflap.com.
Tuesday 4/21
Friday 4/24
Sakura, Sakura
Saturday 4/18
Wine Not?
Now Her This
In With the Old
Everybody, Yeaaa
Didn’t manage to grab tickets for the Backstreet Boys’ sold-out Hong Kong shows? You’ll be pleased to know there’s an extra gig at the Venetian tonight. It does require a trip to Macau, but how else are you going to relive those formative teen years? 8:30pm. See Nightlife, p.25.
Join HK Mag on our charity wine crawl, Queen’s Road East Discovery Walk. It’s all-you-can-drink-and-eat wine and nibbles in more than 20 venues along QRE, and proceeds go to local charity Foodlink. See you there? 2:30-6pm.183 Queen’s Rd. East, Wan Chai. $199 from hk-magazine.com/winewalk.
Showcasing everyday Hong Kong knick-knacks from the past 100 years, the Something Old Exhibition and Bazaar features throwback gems of all kinds. Check out the lineup of glasses designs through the eras, just to get a handle on what hipsters will be wearing next. Bifocals, maybe? Mon-Thu through Apr 30, 1-8pm. Shop H407, 4/F, PMQ, 35 Aberdeen St., Central.
Sunday 4/19
Wednesday 4/22
After two successful parties, Rewind is back with a third edition, this time at Two Seventy Degrees Rooftop Bar. Kick back to chilled live DJ beats in your “lazy Sunday” best. Pajama party! 2-10pm. 31/F, Soundwill Plaza II Midtown, 1-29 Tang Lung St., Causeway Bay, 2970-0828. Free.
Sweet and Sour Productions presents “Macbeth,” but without neck frills and poncy costumes—instead it’s taking an approach influenced by Hitchcock and film noir. Sounds pretty wicked. Through Apr 25, 7:30pm. Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Rd., Central, 2521-7251. $250 at the door.
Be Kind Rewind
Toil and Trouble
Yes Cheese
Saturday 4/25
Brunching Out
Can’t decide which brunch spot to visit for overpriced eggs? Hushup is removing the element of choice completely with the Secret Brunch Club. Expect free-flow sushi, pulled pork buns and antipasti, champagne, cocktails and beer—but you won’t know where it is until the time comes. Hope you like surprises. 2-5pm. $650 for brunch; $220 for after-party, including free-flow drinks. Tickets from hushup.hk.
coming up
Let Him Entertain You Unless you’ve pulled a Walden and confined yourself to a wooden cabin on Po Toi, then you’ve probably heard of exTake That mischief-maker Robbie Williams, and his string of pop hits including “Angels” and “Let Me Entertain You.” He may be better known for his antics than his actual pipes but the singer is returning to Hong Kong for a onenight concert this September. Fans, jump on tickets quick. Sep 23, 8pm. AsiaWorld-Arena, Chek Lap Kok. $880-1,480 from www.hkticketing.com.
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 5
NEWS Last Week In Reality
Talking Points We read the news, so you don’t have to. Photo: Dickson Lee/SCMP
Sat 4 Shocking Discovery A 20-year-old woman is electrocuted by a portable phone charger at home
in Tin Shui Wai. While connecting her mobile phone from the charger, she feels three of her fingers go numb, and faints soon after. The woman’s mother calls the police and she is sent to hospital.
Sun 5 Bed Bugs An 84-year-old woman in
town to visit her daughter and son-inlaw in the Mid-Levels gets stuck in a folding bed. After rising at 8am she sits on the bed, which suddenly folds up and traps her in the middle. She bangs on a wall to alert her son-in-law, who calls the police. It takes 45 minutes to get her out, but aside from a bruised hand she is unharmed.
June 4th Museum Reopens With New Exhibits The June 4th Museum, originally opened in April 2014 by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, has reopened with new exhibits. Among them are items
Mon 6
donated by the mothers of victims, including a helmet and glasses that 19-year-old Wang
Harmful Smoking At a dim sum
Nan was wearing when he was killed by a gunshot to his head during the Tiananmen Square
restaurant in To Kwa Wan, an 80-year-
Massacre. June 4 survivor Zhang Jian, who is in exile in France, has donated a bullet that was
old man is attacked after allegedly
lodged in his right leg for almost 20 years. The museum is the first in the world dedicated to
staring at a fellow diner who had lit up
the tragedy in Beijing on June 4, 1989. The Alliance’s chairman Albert Ho says that attendance has
a cigarette indoors. The smoker shouts,
not been great so far, and hopes to spread the word further.
“Is my smoke blowing on you?” and
Our take: Go and check it out! 5/F, Foo Hoo Centre, 5 Austin Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2782-6111.
repeatedly hits the man on the head with a plastic bowl. The assailant and his friend run off, and the injured man
Declared Monuments Update
is sent to hospital.
As part of the “Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme,” a number of
Tue 7
declared monuments are soon to be jazzed up through renovations done by non-profit
Fast and Furious A 23-year-old man is driving a motorcycle with his girlfriend as
organizations. These monuments include King Yin Lei, a three-story mansion in Mid-Levels East
a passenger when he is caught speeding by an unmarked police car. When he is
built in the Chinese renaissance style and a tong lau on School Street in Tai Hang built in 1949.
signaled to stop he speeds up instead, hitting up to 127mph on a road that has a
Apple Daily reports that sources reveal King Ying Lei will be taken over by the Lifestyle
70mph speed limit. The car chase lasts 5km with multiple police motorcycles joining
Group, which runs Western Market in Sheung Wan. They are reportedly planning to build
in, and the man—who is driving on a probationary license—is eventually arrested.
a modern wedding venue next to the mansion.
Motorcyclists on probationary licenses are not allowed to carry passengers.
Our take: The “revitalization” of Western Market is the biggest joke in the district. Hopefully they’ll learn from their mistakes.
Government Plans 160 Percent More Female Toilets
Wed 8 Hong Kong Vice Police bust a table dancing bar
in Yuen Long which has been operating without a license for nine months. The bar, which features
Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, has said that the government
dancers from Thailand, also offers a service where
is planning to increase the number of women’s public restrooms across the territory.
girls sit and drink with customers. After a three-
Cheung said that the number of female toilets in department stores, cinemas and public
month undercover operation police raid the bar,
areas would increase by 60, 160 and 50 percent respectively. Cheung added that the
arresting six people and additionally questioning
measures do not just apply to women: some icons for baby changing rooms in some shopping
12 Thai nationals.
malls have already been changed from women in dresses to a more unisex sign. Our take: Battling the patriarchy, one flush at a time.
Quote of the Week
Thu 9
Fri 10
Fine Feelings A 59-year-old woman
Smoking Gun A senior manager at Japanese
upset over being fined $500 on the MTR
fast food chain Yoshinoya is charged after he
for using an elderly person’s Octopus
is caught storing bullets in the store, as well as
card becomes hysterical while at her
keeping firearms in three other places in Wong
husband’s office in Tai Kok Tsui, telling
Tai Sin, Chek Lap Kok and Kowloon. During police
him she will commit suicide by jumping
investigation, a further five guns and 27 BB guns
Christopher Chung Shu-kun of the DAB supports the government’s
from the building. He immediately calls
are found in his home. His trial continues.
plans to buy three water cannons for “crowd management.” He said that
the police, and she is sent to the hospital. to use the elderly person’s Octopus.
all make use of them. Chung claimed that pepper spray and batons are Illustrations: Ryan Chan
FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015
You won’t lose your virginity.”
water cannons “meet the international standard” and that other countries
Only senior citizens over 60 are entitled
6 HK MAGAZINE
“At best water cannons will get you wet.
painful, whereas water cannons do not cause harm.
UPFront HongKabulary
Street Talk
Winston’s Third Law (wɪnstənz θərd lɔː), n.
Street musicians have become fixtures on the city’s busiest corners, adding rhythm to the daily grind. One of the more eccentric personalities is musician Relief Poon Tau-kau, aka “HK Relief,” who merges digeridoo and electronic beats. He tells Beatrice Wong about the life of a busker.
When two people staring at their phones collide and go flying in opposite directions. “Ow! Why don’t you look where you’re going? You ruined my game of Candy Crush!” “It’s Winston’s Third Law: For every smartphone, there is an equal and opposite smartphone.”
Caption This HONG KONG—Green Sense president Roy Tam measures noise levels in Park Island. (Dickson Lee/SCMP)
HK Magazine: How did you get into busking? HK Relief: I started to play music at the age of 18. I taught myself how to play. I have been busking for two years. Why do it on the street? I want to spread happiness. You may receive different reactions street by street, but it playing to an audience from a stage feels more distant. Performing in the street lets me get closer to passersby. Interaction is what I’m looking for. There are casual encounters every day and each one is beautiful. HK: What instruments do you play? HKR: I see anything that can produce sound as a musical instrument. Music theory doesn’t exist in the world of folk music. It is arbitrary. I can play many kinds of instruments and I’m always itching for something new.
Levels, Opines Morose Man My Air Conditioner Remote Just Can’t Affect Regional Humidity
singly Mundane In Design Samsung’s Killer Death Wand II Surpri
Hand Model Finding Work Wherever He Can These Days
Fast Facts Watch This Space What are we doing with our new Apple Watch?
➢ ➢ Dunking it in the harbor to demonstrate its waterproof capab—
HK: Why do you prefer ethnic instruments? HKR: Five years ago I played electronic music in a band. Well, kind of “folktronica,” I would say. I think that’s when I started getting into traditional cultures. I then set up a store with my partner that sells ethnic items, such as costumes, accessories, knick-knacks and quirky exotic instruments. So it’s actually my job to find different kinds of ethnic items while traveling and bring the special ones back to the store. This cozy corner is my little world.
Propping it up in Hong Kong Park to create a rudimentary sun dial.
oh, nevermind.
➢ Learning sign language solely to utilize more wrist-led gestures in conversation.
➢ Opening timer app and setting countdown to the launch of the Apple Watch 2, which will be better in every way.
➢
HK: Can you live off busking? HKR: I’m grateful to be able to make a living through busking. It may seem hard and challenging to some people, but all you gain definitely outweighs wealth. Every day we are influencing others and being influenced ourselves. Many people spend a lifetime chasing money. Life is so short and there’s no point draining time in things that you don’t enjoy.
HK: Does your family support it? HKR: I dedicated myself to busking when I was 20. To be honest, my family was a bit worried about my decision. But as I made the best out of myself and manifested my passion and determination towards music, things got better. They started to understand and appreciate my work. HK: What does the name “Relief“ (道求) mean? HKR: Actually the name was given to me by a monk when I was 12. I had been puzzled about the meaning of it for so many years. The clouds cleared when I met the monk again almost 10 years later. I was so bothered by not knowing its meaning all these years, and it turned out to mean “Try not to worry so much.” How ludicrous! But I love this name. It’s very meaningful. HK: What does music mean to you? HKR: Music is my life. I’ve never thought of giving up. You get to find yourself and your type of music through busking. If you enjoy playing music, the location doesn’t matter. To me, “folk” is a gang of people who possess their own customs, history and music. These are what make an ethnicity unique and different from others. Having been exposed to folk music, I am inspired day after day. HK: What’s your end goal? HKR: I am proud to say that I’ve already reached it. I am now living in my dream—busking for life. It’s always about determination. There may be certain constraints but it’s possible. People do not live for money. Life is only worth it when we pursue what we love. Meet HK Relief on the streets of Hong Kong or shop for exotic instruments at his store: Room 1305, 13/F, Pakpolee Commercial Centre, 1A Sai Yeung Choi St. South,
Merely telling the time with it, like some kind of postmodern Luddite.
Mong Kok, www.facebook.com/hkrelief.
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 7
Get Off the
Island
Sorry, lazy Centralites. You’ll have to venture across the water to enjoy these fine staycations. Here’s how to make the most of a holiday right here in the SAR. By HK Staff
Do This: Assuming you’d rather not spend your whole staycation indoors, hit the town as soon as the sun sets. While you can still appreciate the finer things in life, start off with a tasting flight (from $338 for four) at Whisky@Stables. Tucked away in a refurbished attic above Stables Grill in Hullett House, Whisky@Stables is home to more than 100 labels from around the world, with a focus on independent bottlers and small batches. Enjoy an old favorite or splash out for something new—and don’t leave without trying the chocolate-covered bacon.
Tipple Your Fancy in
Tsim Sha Tsui Boozehounds will appreciate TST’s versatile nightlife circuit, with classy lounges and divey watering holes one after the next. But first, make yourself at home with a piece of Hong Kong history.
Check in: Hullett House Once you get past the hordes of tourists posing in the Heritage 1881 courtyard, the Hullett House hotel is calm and collected. Seemingly locked in time, the white-stucco building has been lovingly restored from its original stint as the Marine Police Headquarters. But the wooden floors still have an old-world creak, and many telling touches have been retained: like the horse stable doors at Stables Grill, or the actual prison cells in the Mariner’s Rest pub (which you can actually have dinner in, if you dare). But one of the most interesting aspects of the property is that there are just 10 all-suite rooms. Each is designed to embody a specific era of Hong Kong culture: be it the Art Deco Pui O room, which pays tribute to Hong Kong 1920s tea houses, or the imaginative Deep Water Bay suite that’s decked out in cheeky (if problematic) Mao pop art, mirrors and bright colors. No matter which suite you stay in, you can expect old-fashioned, personal service alongside a few modern touches.
To see and be seen, head over to Vibes (5/F, The Mira, 118 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2315-5999), The Mira’s secret gardenesque open-air bar that serves up awesome bar snacks, creative cocktails and even shisha among its canopied cabanas. If you’re more interested in the view, make your way up to the 30th floor of iSquare, where Eyebar’s (63 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2487-3988) panoramas of the harbor await. It’s actually the bar area of maritime-themed restaurant Nanhai No. 1, so if you get hungry you’re in the right spot. Still walking? Make a beeline to everyone’s favorite dive bar: Castro’s (up a random stairwell at 148A Austin Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2317-0700). Beers are cheap, bar food is generous and… did we mention beers are cheap? Hullett House: straight class
From $5,000. 2A Canton Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 3988-0000, www.hulletthouse.com.
Mao money, Mao problems at Hullet House
All good Vibes at The Mira
8 HK MAGAZINE
FRIDAY, April 17, 2015
Eyebar on the prize
Chow Down in
Cheung Chau It may be a little island, but Cheung Chau is practically capsizing from the number of eateries, snack shops and dessert stalls lining its little lanes. Find your home base, and then dig in.
Check in: Warwick Hotel Overlooking Tung Wan Beach, the Warwick Hotel is the largest hotel on Cheung Chau but still has just 64 rooms. Most have ocean views and balconies, where you also get to dig into an American-style breakfast in the morning or enjoy a G&T at sunset. The hotel has a small pool that’s open during the summer, but skip it in favor of the ocean—which is just out the front door. Though the service is pretty good and the location hard to beat, keep your expectations in check about the rooms, which could use a little pick-me-up. From $1,450. Tung Wan Rd., Cheung Chau, 3176-6312, www.warwickhotel.com.hk.
It’s the island life for me
Do This: A haven for gourmets, Cheung Chau has tons of snack shops and open-air diners packed into its narrow streets. One of the most famous is Island Brewery (16 Tung Wan Rd., Cheung Chau, 92817755) which fries up its iconic swirly potato chips on a stick. They’re made-to-order and come out quick, despite the long line. Top it off with a dash of seaweed flakes, chili seasoning or garlic from the DIY condiments station. Chip off the Cheung Chau block
Breakfast with a side of sunshine
It’s not a trip to Cheung Chau without some grilled squid: one of the island’s best options is See Loi Eatery (150 San Hing Back St., Cheung Chau, 2986-9969), where a charcoal grill chars the squid with a nice crispy exterior. While you’re there, grab a skewer of golf-ball-sized fish balls— the super-spicy ones are especially good. Among the dozens of harborfront eateries, Hang Lok Seafood Restaurant (13B Pak She Praya Rd., Cheung Chau, 6739-8786) stands out with its white-and-red-checkered tablecloths. The waterfront setting is all kinds of charming, and the seafood doesn’t disappoint. We’d recommend the mussels with black bean sauce, as well as the garlic and chili prawns. Have something special in mind? Bring your own seafood and they’ll cook it for you for a fee.
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 9
Get Educated in
Tsim Sha Tsui East Tsim Sha Tsui East has always played second fiddle to TST proper, but this area is home to a touch of culture and a dash of good eats.
Check in: Hotel Icon The 28-floor Hotel Icon sits at the eastern tip of the Tsim Sha Tsui peninsula, giving it the best view of any training hotel in the world. It’s built around Poly U’s hotel school, and aims to give its students hands-on experience of all aspects of the hospitality business. To their credit: if you didn’t know, nothing would give it away. Staff are friendly, efficient and professional, and the rooms are more than up to scratch. Best of all, it means that you don’t have to pay five-star rates for a five-star stay. The Icon is a super-green energy-saving hotel, right down to the huge vertical garden that dominates the lobby. Its rooms offer spectacular views of the harbor, with some beds directly facing the water: spend the morning rolling around in bed, watching the cruise liners meander by. In keeping with the training theme, the hotel’s excellent Angsana Spa trains all its therapists at a Banyan Tree Academy before sending them out into the world. Other perks include a free minibar and a small outdoor pool where the deck chairs all face outwards, looking towards Causeway Bay and the east of the island. Rooms from $1,755. 17 Science Museum Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui East, 3400-1000, www.hotel-icon.com.
Centenary Garden rocks the colonial charm
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What would an Icon drink at Above & Beyond?
Do This: Make time for a meal at Above & Beyond, Hotel Icon’s Cantonese fine-dine restaurant, which is mostly operated by students. Sitting right at the top of the building, the resto has spectacular views over the Hong Kong and Kowloon skylines alike. Check out the newly introduced chef’s tasting menu ($788), with six courses of classic Cantonese cuisine—the honey-glazed Kagoshima pork char siu or the huge king prawns fried in black bean sauce were particular favorites. Ask for a table by the window, doing your best to ignore the 8pm light show.
How very iconic
After dinner, walk through Hung Hom station and follow the baffling maze of signs to the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. This gentle stretch of harborfront is completely unplagued by tourists, and is instead a quiet breezy stroll interrupted only by joggers, strollers and the occasional optimistic fisherman. Head to V King Lounge bar (G/F, Hung Hom Ferry Pier, Hung Hom, 2330-4608) on the Hung Hom ferry pier itself, which we would call a dive bar if it weren’t so close to the water. Watch the lights of the harbor over a pint of Kirin, as the waters slap at the pier beneath. Afterwards, catch a $22 cab ride back to the hotel. Time to learn something: Check out, leave your bags with the concierge and prep for the Hong Kong History Museum (100 Chatham Rd. South, Tsim Sha Tsui East, 2724-9042), where $10 gets you a lot of information. The museum aims to cover everything from prehistory to the current day: Breeze through the rocks and the arrowheads and start paying attention when you get to the city’s ethnic groups, the Opium War and the inevitably depressing World War II section. Check out the conflicting wartime newsreel footage from both the British and the Japanese. You’ll also want to spare a moment for the Basic Law exhibit currently jamming up the entrance lobby, complete with creepy waxwork of Deng Xiaoping and Mrs. Thatcher. Exhausted from all that history? Grab a coffee in one of the restaurants lining the southern half of the dashingly named Urban Council Centenary Garden. On a sunny day this open square, with its leafy greenery and public seating, has a surprisingly European feel.
Dip into your holiday at Hotel Icon
“Soon, all this will be yours”
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 11
Take it Outside in
Sha Tin Outdoorsy types are no strangers to day trips in the New Territories. If you’re keen to do everything that Sha Tin and its surrounding areas have to offer, try making it a whole weekend of active fun.
Sore from cycling? Console yourself by looking at this sunset
Do This:
Check in: Hyatt Regency Sha Tin If you’re a city dweller who spends most of your time breathing in fumes on the island, you’ll appreciate the quiet, peaceful surrounds of the Hyatt Regency Sha Tin. A stone’s throw away from University MTR station, the resort straddles the border between Sha Tin and Tai Po with an encompassing view of the Shing Mun river and the Tolo Harbour in the distance. Nothing beats waking up to an incredible view, whether you go for a room facing water or the hills. You’ll also want to spend some time by the pool, set against the Kau To Shan mountains. The 427 rooms come with all the amenities, although let’s face it—you’re not here to do stuff you could be doing at home. Go for an “Explore” package, which comes with buffet breakfast plus afternoon tea at lobby restaurant Cafe, as well as free use of the hotel’s bikes for two hours. Explore package from $1,810 for two. 18 Chak Cheung St., Sha Tin, 3723-1234, www.hongkong. shatin.hyatt.com.
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Staycate like a pro at the Hyatt Regency
The Tolo Harbour bicycle track is a 15-minute stroll from the hotel, making for a scenic journey on two wheels—and a perfect opportunity to work those glutes. If you’re not content with just two hours of cycling, head to Tai Wai MTR station and hire a bike from a kiosk around Exit A. Make your way down the designated bike path, which goes towards Tai Mei Tuk over a three-hour trip. Tip: rent from a company with a kiosk at the end of the route, so you don’t have to cycle all the way back. You’ll be sweaty and starving when you return—head to Tai Mei Tuk BBQ King (17 Heung Sze Wui St., Tai Po, 2662-6222) for a bite of something grilled and delicious. Bike rides too strenuous? Head to Ma Liu Shui pier—15 minutes from University station Exit B—and take a boat tour around the geopark (www.geopark.gov.hk). Led by tour guides, the trip explores the unique rocks and scenery of the New Territories. By now, you’re doubtless exhausted by all the active stuff you’ve been doing. Head back to the hotel and book yourself into the Melo Spa (5/F, 3723-7684). Go for the Royal Jelly Facial Treatment ($980 for 60 minutes), which aims to treat and prevent dehydration. You’ll walk out practically glowing, with your skin feeling much smoother.
Room with a view
After an indulgent session at the spa, head out to Chik Tak Lane in Tai Wai, home to a ton of low-key, casual restaurants and bars. Go for classic Cantonese comfort food at Fung Lum (G/F, 45-47 Tsuen Nam Rd., Tai Wai, 2692-1175), an old-school establishment that has been around for some 50 years. Think dishes like diced chicken and braised tofu: yum.
Do This: Yau Ma Tei’s Stanley Street is the place to go for kitchen goods in Hong Kong. Sure, they have rice cookers for $1,400 that are large enough to feed lunch crowds, but tucked between the restaurant-size implements you’ll discover reliable countertop ovens for $368 and every baking tool under the sun at I Love Cake (338 Stanley St., 2671-2671), and amazing wooden chopping boards, mooncake pattern molds and stone, wood, marble and metal mortars and pestles from $170 at Man Kee Chopping Board (340-343 Shanghai St.).
Eat, Pray, Shop in
Yau Ma Tei To lazy island-dwellers, Yau Ma Tei may look to be a long journey up the Red Line. But those looking to get a taste of historic eateries, temples and shops are in for a treat.
Chop to it at Man Kee
Check in: Tribute Hotel In the heart of Yau Ma Tei’s historical landmarks, shopping areas and legendary eateries is Hong Kong’s brand new Tribute Hotel. The back-to-basics boutique hotel from the design- and communityfocused team at District 15 hopes to showcase the neighborhood’s many historical sites and local artistry and design. The Tribute Hotel is the love child of all things SAR: from the dim sum trolley snack carts in the lobby to the cha chaan teng tiles in each guest room bathroom to the hotel’s very own ceramic collection, created by Hong Kong-based Latitude 22N. As soon as you walk in there is a sense of—well, tribute—to the city we live in, as well as clear influences from world class (but locally based) designers, architects, restaurateurs and clothing brands. Guests are provided with white robes with black trimming from Edit on Hollywood Road, bath soaps from So… Soap!, coffee from Common Grounds, tea from Teakha and delicious craft brews from Young Master Ales.
Pay Tribute to yourself
For a bit of culture stop by the Red Brick House (344 Stanley St.) aka the “Engineer’s Office of the Former Pumping Station,” which dates back to 1895. There’s also the century-old Tin Hau Temple (corner of Temple Street and Public Square Street), which once stood on the Yau Ma Tei waterfront. It’s the perfect spot to take a break with its spacious square area hidden beneath trees and old street lamps. Feeling a bit peckish after all that shopping and sight-seeing? Either head over to Sun Sin (37 Portland St.)—an unfussy Michelinpraised beef brisket eatery—or to the hipsterific Kubrick Café & Bookstore (H2, 3 Public Square St., Prosperous Garden)—a coffee shop-slash-bookstore-slash-record shop, backing on to the city’s best art house cinema. If you want dim sum then look no further than Hei Wan Dim Sum Specialist (65 Portland St.). Between 8am and noon this yum cha hero offers all of the usual suspects and local favorites—stuff yourself into a coma and walk away paying less than $100 per person. Tip: Up for a little history lesson? Set up a bespoke tour through the hotel with Walk In Hong Kong (www.walkin.hk).
Rooms from $1,200. 4 Tung Fong St., Yau Ma Tei, 2858-0788, www.tributehotels.com. Street scenes in Yau Ma Tei
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 13
Sponsored Feature
European meat on the tables of Hong Kong "Man does not live to eat, he eats to live" - Socrates would say, the ancient Greek philosopher living in the 4th century BCE. Millennia have passed since then and this wisdom still applies to the entire world.
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hich products should we choose to "eat smart"? We will be happy to answer your questions during the International Exhibition of Food and Drink HOFEX 2015 which will be held in Hong Kong on 6th- 9th May. We will be waiting for you at the Exhibition Center at booth 5E600. We will be eager to talk to you about our product portfolio, which includes pork, beef meats, as well as their products, and high quality poultry. We will be showing you how to prepare dishes using these meat types. We will have a few outstanding chefs from Poland working at the fair kitchen of the "European Meat - Tradition, Quality and Taste� Program.
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ith the support of the leading producers of meat from Europe, and Poland, the chefs will cook spectacular dishes which will combine the flavors of Europe and Asia, and which will prove to you that the products offered by us can be easily placed on the highest shelf, and offered to the most discerning customers and consumers.
A
s we know, there are over 8000 restaurants and bars in Hong Kong, which serve hundreds of dishes of the regional Chinese and Asiatic cuisines, but also those which draw richly from the culinary wealth of other continents. Most of these places offer dishes from pork, beef or poultry. European meat would be a beneficial addition to the package used for the preparation of these dishes.
E
uropean countries, including Poland, are famous for their pork, beef and poultry meats, which are known for their one-of-a-kind taste and quality. This uniqueness is underlined by the method of rearing and the tradition, which farmers, breeders and meat product manufacturers refer back to, at every stage of meat production.
T
radition and modernity - these two elements merge the entire manufacturing process. European quality and top-notch meat taste - are the result of constant concern for as natural as possible method of feed production, care for animal welfare, adherence to the most stringent standards in slaughter houses, cutting and processing plants. European, and, particularly, Polish meat industry is considered to be the most modern in the world. And once again, it is worth reminding that in the European countries, the entire food chain is constructed in accordance with the principles of environmental protection - in line with the tradition and the concern for the quality and taste.
P
romotional and information Program "European Meat Tradition, Quality and Taste� which we will be presenting at our booth during the International Exhibition of Food and Drink HOFEX 2015, encompasses the promotion of the European fresh, chilled or frozen meat and its products, including fresh chilled or frozen beef and pork, as well as processed meat products manufactured in accordance with HACCP quality system - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point; the industry ISO standard - Quality management systems - Requirements; standards of GMP - Good
Manufacturing Practice, and GHP activities - Good Hygienic Practice alongside with high quality poultry meat.
T
he merits of the European meat, sourced from only select animal breeds, favor the systematic development of animal rearing and the increase of exports. Hong Kong is an important mark on the map of the meat product exporters. Hoping for the increase in the popularity of the European meat in China, and particularly in Hong Kong, we extend to you our invitation to visit our booth number 5E-600 of the promotion Program "European Meat - Tradition, Quality and Taste."
D
etailed information on the promotional Program "European Meat - Tradition, Quality and Taste," and on the Association of Butchers and Producers of Processed Meat of the Republic of Poland, who is the proponent of the program, and on the promotional events during the HOFEX exhibition is available on www.eu-meat.eu.
Get more out of HK | SHOPPING + TRAVEL + DINING
It’s in the Bag
Classic shapes with a touch of luxury edge: that’s what local handbag brand Laykh is all about. Hong Kong-based designer and founder Kashish Hemnani sources her leathers and exotic skins from around the world, yet each bag is handcrafted by a team of local artisans here in the SAR. This season she’s drawn inspiration from four stylish Hongkongers, including fashion blogger Christing Chang (christingc.com). “Christing Bag,” $5,850, www.laykh.com. Follow www.facebook.com/Laykh for news on their upcoming pop-ups around town.
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 15
Shopping LOOKbook
with Katie Kenny
This may sound silly coming from a shopping columnist, but I rarely shop. Sure, I replace necessary items after I spill red wine or steak juice on myself, but I really have to love a new bag before I’m willing to throw down the dough. Is this what maturity feels like? Or am I just rocking lots of loved-to-death bags?
Sogo Shop 315E, 3/F, Sogo, 555 Hennessy Rd., Causeway Bay. Rabeanco Shop 4A, 33 Sharp St. East, Causeway Bay, 2245-5085.
Sling bag, $610, Danielle Nicole @ The9thMuse
Fang Fong Projects 69A Peel St., Central, 3105-5557. Jalouze www.jalouze.com. The9thMuse 12/F, One Lyndhurst Tower, 1 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, 2537-7598.
Shoulder bag, $2,890, Ril Creed @ Sogo
Crossbody bag, $1,980, Rabeanco
Chateau Zoobeetle 38 Sai St., Sheung Wan, 9288-2472, www.zoobeetle.com.
Email me at katie.kenny @hkmagmedia.com, tweet me @Katie_Kenny or tag me on Instagram @katekatiekatharine.
Metal purse, $349, Jalouze
HOHK_GeneralAd_HalfPageHorizontal_254x170mm_FA_OL.pdf
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Hand-printed leather pouch, $1,512, Louella Odié @ Fang Fang Projects
1
8/4/15
9:58 AM
Weekender, $7,900, Zoobeetle
travel KS: What are some features that seemed futuristic when you opened in 2011?
Escape Routes with Kate Springer
OB: We were among the first hotels to introduce an in-room app. Using the complimentary iPads in the rooms, guests can make requests online. Every request goes to the butler’s phone, and then we can monitor how quickly they are responding. That’s great for keeping track and maintaining our standards.
KS: How do you come up with new ideas for the room? OB: We go to a lot of technology shows. I also attend panels and brainstorm sessions about what’s on for the future. At the moment, it’s a huge turning point in hospitality. When we opened four years ago, people didn’t really
Have a query you need answered or a travel tip you’re keen to share? Email me at kate.springer@hkmagmedia.com or tweet @KateSpringer and #hktravels.
OB: There’s also the smart glass wall which fogs up when you touch it so you can have more privacy in the bathroom. It’s really funny— sometimes our clients post videos on YouTube of them interacting with the wall.
Apples to Alpes
Ask an Expert
Adventure enthusiasts: it’s not too late to sign up for the Roc des Alpes—La Clusaz mountain bike race taking place this June in the picturesque Aravis Mountains of southeastern France, known for its excellent slopes and trails. In its third annual iteration, the event will see 5,000 mountain biking enthusiasts take part in 20 events—from downhill challenges to cross-country endurance competitions to easier beginners’ races. The main events will be the Roc des Alpes 51-kilometer race at a 2,000-meter elevation on Sunday, June 14; as well as the 80-kilometer Roc Marathon on Saturday, which promises great views of the surrounding peaks. June 12-14. Race entry prices from $200-400. www.rocdesalpes.com.
Wondering what the next generation of hoteliers has in store? Olivia Byrne, the 26-year-old owner and operator of techy-luxe boutique property the Eccleston Square Hotel, is all about the futuristic touches. Here’s her take on techy travel trends.
Psst… Unless you live in an internet vortex, you’ll have noticed the Apple Watch debuted last week. Early adopters lined up quick, including British Airways, which will launch its Apple Watch app come April 24. Look for some handy features like a flight status summary, departure countdown, early check-in notification and weather at the destination. But sorry, no auto-upgrades!
KS: What feature do guests like the most?
Off to Rock des Alpes
get why we took a tech angle. But now it’s all everyone is talking about. From $2,981. 37 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PB, England, (+44) 02-3503-0750, www.ecclestonsquarehotel.com.
HK Magazine: What is the most important feature of the hotel? Olivia Byrne: In terms of technology, the most important thing is the beds: we did a lot of research to find the best bed possible, and we came across Hästens, which is the Rolls-Royce of beds. It is made with horse hair, and comes with a built-in vibrating Swedish massage function. It’s also electronically adjustable so you can raise your head or your feet while watching TV.
Eccleston Square Hotel: This bed is made of dreams.
Get handsy at Eccleston Square
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 17
DINING
Out for a Bite
Grab a table at these alfresco joints before it gets too hot to leave the house. By Andrea Lo
Surf’s up at Mavericks
At the coco, Cococabana Jonathan Wong/SCMP
Grill ‘em up at Cococabana
U-Hang outdoors
Eat at the Quayside
Beach Life
Southern Hospitality
Hang in SYP
Pui O Beach’s Mavericks opened last summer to great fanfare, and continues to be popular with life city escapees. It’s a relaxed getaway that’s particularly known for its craft beer selection— think Hawaiian Kona brews—as well as sliders and “surf snacks” such as wonton nachos. Drinking lots of craft beer doesn’t always make for a cheap day out, but there’s a great atmosphere and you do get an unbeatable view of a gorgeous sunset.
Sai Ying Pun’s dining scene and the Korean-American trend both continue to flourish. Enter U-Hang, the modern Korean hotspot with an all-American twist. On the menu are Bulgogimarinated beef tacos, phenomenal cheese rice cakes with pine nuts and gorgonzola, and pan-fried pork belly ssam. Grab a table outside overlooking High Street and watch gentrification taking place right in front of your eyes.
The Crowd: Surfer dudes and chicks; bankers trying to “keep it real.”
The Southside is cool again, thanks to a ton of hot openings at The Pulse. The latest restaurant to join the fray is burger joint Hotshot. It’s not exactly an alfresco venue—but its sliding doors lead right on to the beach. Brought to you by the people behind Bibo, it ticks all the right boxes to attract a cool crowd. The wall is covered with pieces by street artists, and it also played host to music festival Go South Weekender last month. It’s not just burgers on the menu: you’ll also sample seafood dishes like grilled scallops, plus desserts including homemade pancakes.
Pui O Beach, South Lantau Rd., Lantau Island, 5402-4154. Open on weekends and public holidays.
The Crowd: Folks who are likely to throw words like “abstract expressionism” around. The Pulse, 28 Beach Rd., Repulse Bay, 2151-1661.
Divino Inspiration While it’s not the most accessible location, the food at Divino Patio makes it worth the trek. Choose from antipasti classics like arugula salad and beef carpaccio, or pasta dishes that include everything from your basic spaghetti to handcrafted Martelli pasta. If you need a mid-day pick me up, grab a table outside for its $138 power lunch buffet deal. The Crowd: Worker bees; people who over-pronounce “pinot grigio.” Shop 11, 1/F, Brim 28, Causeway Centre, 28 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai, 2877-3552.
In Love with the Coco Cococabana used to be a Deep Water Bay mainstay, before relocating to Shek O Beach in 2013. The unpretentious-looking restaurant aims to bring the best of French-style beach dining to the SAR. Grab a seat right on the beach and order from its Mediterranean/fusion menu: think dishes like piri piri prawns, scallops, or roast chicken; or go back to basics with beachside favorites such as burgers and hotdogs. The Crowd: Families with small children. Order some hard liquor to cope. G/F, Shek O Beach Building, Shek O Beach, 2812-2226.
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The Crowd: ABCs who are “so over SoHo.” 58 High St., Sai Ying Pun, 2549-6788.
Avenue Q The restaurant formerly known as Q-Deck is now Quayside, a casual French establishment taking up a spacious spot on Fenwick Pier. Expect perennial French favorites like onion soup, escargots and baked goat’s cheese. For mains, order the likes of pan-seared duck leg confit and country-style US beef burger, all on the terrace overlooking the harbor. The Crowd: It used to be Aussies, but now probably the French. G/F, Fleet Arcade, Fenwick Pier, 1 Lung King St., Wan Chai, 2661-6708.
DINING NEW AND NOTED with Adele Wong
Ngau Saam Gun
It’s All About That Beef
Cow might not be the most popular animal in Cantonese cuisine, but butcher Frankie Wai is looking to change all that with Ngau Saam Gun (Shop A, G/F, 148 Wellington St., Central, 2865-6899), a beef-centric venue on Wellington Street. Frankie uses Chinese beef from Guangdong province to make carpaccio, deep-fried dumplings, soup noodles, sweet and sour meatballs and a whole lot more, using all parts of the cow—from the tail to the innards to the throat. And just so there’s no doubt as to what you’ll be having at NSG, the interior is filled with bovine decorations like a
caveman-style wall mosaic and a little bull statue by the bar.
French Fries
With Le French May and its F&B counterpart Le French Gourmay just around the corner, Secret Ingredient (www.secretingredient.com.hk) has taken the opportunity to collaborate with three French restaurants across the city to offer some definitively Gallic options for its customers. Try your hand at a pink peppercorn salmon (from Alchemy); a beef fillet with red wine sauce (from La Parole); or a halibut in white wine sauce (from
RESTAURANT REVIEWS Keyaki ★★★★★ Yakitori. G/F, Shop A, 14-15 Wo On Lane, Central, 2362-7223.
familiar tang. Chicken soft bone ($32) was also a hit—the cartilage was soft and wellmarinated. Two kinds of minced chicken skewers—regular and with shiso leaf (both $55)—tasted the same, but tasted good.
Tucked away on Wo On Lane is this yakitori joint we didn’t even know existed. It has a welcoming setting—an open kitchen takes up most of the space with bar seating, plus smaller tables on the side. HIT Miso pork rib skewers ($45) were crunchy and smoky, and the sweet flavor of the miso really stood out. The chicken kidney skewer ($33) was smoky with that
MISS The maitake mushroom ($28) was over-salted—we couldn’t taste any of the peppery flavor. Beef tongue ($46) was too thinly cut and overcooked, making it hard and chewy. The biggest let-down was the octopus tartare with wasabi sauce ($28)—a tiny serving with mediocre flavors overwhelmed by wasabi. The chazuke in bonito soup with cod roe ($55) had the same problem. BOTTOM LINE If you’re starving, Keyaki isn’t the place for you. It’s simply too pricy for inconsistent food. Open Mon-Sun 6pm-midnight. $$-$$$
Ratings ★ Don’t go ★★ Disappointing ★★★ We’ll be back ★★★★ We’ll be back—with friends ★★★★★ You MUST go
Price Guide $ Less than $200
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$$ $200-$399
$$$ $400-$599
$$$$ $600-$799
$$$$$ $800 and up
DK Cuppa Tea
Secret Ingredient
Metropolitain), starting in May. For those who are unfamiliar with how it works: place an order of the meal you’d like to cook at the SI website, and either pick it up at the Sheung Wan office or have it delivered to your home. The order comes with all the ingredients, seasoning, and condiments needed to make your meal, as well as easy step-by-step instructions to execute the cooking.
A Sweet Deal
DK Cuppa Tea (G/F, 19 New Market St., Sheung Wan, 2386-3588) has opened a second branch in Sheung Wan, boasting
Secret Ingredient
an all-you-can-eat buffet of hydroponic salads that you can’t find at the Central branch. Also in the health-oriented offering: fruit and veggie-infused water that claims to do miraculous things for the body, from fat-burning to appetite-control. Hmm. Call me a skeptic, but who knew suspending slices of strawberries in H2O could accomplish so much? Just in case you’re a sweet tooth on a diet, low-fat chocolate fondues can also be had.
Email me at adele.wong@hkmagmedia.com or follow me on Twitter: @adelewong_hk.
All of our reviews are independent and anonymous!
Flaming Frango ★★★★★ Chicken. G/F, 36B Staunton St., Central, 2899-2244.
it was a tasty if not filling combo.
Flaming Frango is Hong Kong’s own response to Nando’s, specializing in flamegrilled, 24-hour-marinaded poultry paired with feisty piri-piri sauce. HIT The quarter-chicken (thigh/leg, $138 with two sides) we ordered, although stingy on the meat, was tender and nicely, evenly marinated. Topped with herby, moist skin and tangy-spicy green/red piri-piri sauces,
MISS When flanked by two (rather bland) sides of rice and mixed veggies, the chicken looked especially miserly. To get a decent portion size, you pretty much need to upgrade to the half-chicken, which all of a sudden sets you back $200. For a restaurant that’s modeled after Nando’s, that’s totally the wrong way to go. Our partner’s portobello burger ($148) was average, with a delectable block of halloumi let down by an underseasoned mushroom. BOTTOM LINE There are other places around town that offer similar-quality chicken at easily more competitive prices. We felt like we were paying more for FF’s SoHo ground-floor rent rather than for the food itself. Open daily noon-midnight. $$
Our Policy Reviews are based on actual visits to the establishments listed by our super-sneaky team of hungry reviewers, without the knowledge of the restaurants. Reviews are included at the discretion of the editors and are not paid for by the restaurants. Menus, opening hours and prices change and should be checked. New restaurants are not reviewed within one month of their opening. Reviews are written from a typical diner’s perspective. Ratings are awarded in accordance with the type of restaurant reviewed, so the city’s best wonton noodle stall could earn five stars while a fancy French restaurant could be a one-star disaster.
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 21
Culture + nightlife + film
Olaf a Minute Blending photojournalism with studio photography, Dutch contemporary photography icon Erwin Olaf’s works are often elaborately stylized, conveying subtle, overlooked emotions and stories in a fantastical and provocative fashion. Pictured here, “Berlin” is a work from his 2012 series, which hints at the power of youth in the future through the lavish backdrops of the past. See three of his latest series at Art Statements Gallery through May, plus a complete 20-year retrospective in Macau at the same time (Through Apr 27. Oriente Foundation, 13 Praça Luís de Camões, Macau, (+853) 2855-4699, www.foriente.pt). See Upclose, opposite.
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ARTS
Need to Know
Theater & Arts
Urbtix (credit cards) Urbtix (enquiries) HK Ticketing HK Arts Centre Fringe Club HK Cultural Centre
Edited by Evelyn Lok evelyn.lok@hkmagmedia.com
2111-5999 2734-9009 3128-8288 2582-0200 2521-7251 2734-2009
HK City Hall HK Academy for Performing Arts Kwai Tsing Theatre LCSD Music Programme Office LCSD Dance/Multi-Arts Office LCSD Theatre Office
2921-2840 2584-8500 2408-0128 2268-7321 2268-7323 2268-7323
UPCLOSE Erwin Olaf HK Magazine: How did your beginnings in photojournalism lead to your now highly recognizable, stylized scenes? Erwin Olaf: I started photographing during a roaring time in Europe. There was a squatter movement in my country, there were big demonstrations against atomic bombs, an economic crisis which made a lot of people unemployed, and it was very interesting to photograph. I started to work as a volunteer, taking photos for the gay movement. But after a few years, I started to discover that I was not so interested in reality, but much more in my own fantasy. In reality, there was always a lamppost or a man in a big white ugly T-shirt in the background. You can’t influence the light, you can’t influence the event, and although reality is very important, in my work I didn’t want to see that. Am I a perfectionist? Yes.
Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf is best known for creating fantastical, surrealist scenes that often hint at narratives influenced by taboos or social issues. He tells Evelyn Lok about the stories behind his work and his current exhibition at Art Statements Gallery.
Music Festivals
HK: What is the single most important thing to you when you shoot? EO: If you work with people, the most important is the look in the eyes. I ask my models not to be beautiful or sexy; I ask them to be the person that I want them to act. In my series “Waiting,” I was interested in the emotion of anticipation. We all know about waiting. As a modern society we don’t want to wait any more. We are always online, we are always calling, connected with our imaginary friends.
HK Phil: The Flying Frenchman Haven’t gotten your spring travel plans in order yet? It’s OK. Those of you lucky enough to stick around in early May can aurally travel to distant lands with the HK Phil, which is playing a program works by French composers on themes of adventure and exotic travel. For instance, Berlioz’s “Harold in Italy” imagines the Italian mountain countryside via Byron’s poetry, while Ravel’s “Spanish Rhapsody” brings impressions of colorful Spanish life. May 1-2, 8pm. Concert Hall, Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui. $120-320 from www.urbtix.hk.
Comedy Intimacy of Creativity 2015 Helmed by composer and artistic director Bright Sheng, this annual chamber music festival reaches its five-year anniversary, continuing to offer a chance for closer dialogue between composer and performer. Sheng has once again picked six young composer fellows to present an eclectic musical program, which will be interpreted, revised and finally performed by a team of leading international artists. Pieces this year range from an energetic ode to New York to an interpretation of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” and more. Also don’t miss Hong Kongborn talent Ian Ng’s piece, “Igual,” originally written for ballet. Open discussions (where you’ll catch first glimpses of the dialogue process) will be held at HKUST from April 20 onwards. World premiere concerts will be held on April 26 and May 3. Apr 26, 4pm; May 3, 4pm. Theatre, City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central. $200-300 from www.urbtix.hk and www.ic.shss.ust.hk.
Classical HKCO: Kuan Nai-chung and His Classics The illustrious Kuan Nai-chung has penned many classics in the modern Chinese music canon, and the artist himself hits the stage to conduct this concert with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. They’re playing two separate programs across two evenings, ranging from “Journey to Lhasa” to “Guinea Dance Music.” Three solo virtuosi will join in: Huqin player Song Fei, Suona master Kot Kai-lik, and Chu Yi-bing on the cello. Apr 24-25, 8pm. Concert Hall, Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui. $100-380 from www.urbtix.hk.
TakeOut Comedy Presents: Steve McGrew TakeOut Comedy’s about to be hit by a Southern storm. Steve McGrew began his comedy journey as a cartoonist in Houston, but soon decided that the stage was a more expressive outlet for his stories. McGrew is a master teller of lowbrow funnies, from ex-wife nightmares to drinking stories to cringey tales of his dogs throwing up. Note that opening night on Apr 15 starts at 8pm, at Champs Bar (209-219 Wan Chai Rd., Wan Chai, 2892-3386). Apr 17-18, 9pm. TakeOut Comedy, B/F, 34 Elgin St., Central, 6220-4436. $250-300 from www.takeoutcomedy. com or at the door.
HK: How does that influence what you do? EO: As there are more and more people in the world, especially in Asia, it looks like there’s less capacity to get to know each other in a natural way. People start to get in contact with each other through Facebook and dating sites. That is what I said to the model in the piece “Shenzhen” (above): imagine you are 30, and you’ve had some nice relationships but never the love of your life. And now you have been internetdating for three months. You decide to meet. You dress up, you go to this anonymous hotel bar, and you’re waiting there. Then you think “Oh, I’m a little too early,” and then “He’s a little too late”, and slowly you discover that he will never show up. I wanted to express that kind of emotion—not when she’s really unhappy, but just the moment she starts to doubt.
HK: Is there such thing as a “Dutch” aesthetic in your works? EO: The aesthetic connection is quite difficult to see. It’s kind of a “cold approach” so the emotions are a little bit hidden. It’s also in the light. I am enormously influenced by paintings and the old Dutch masters; more than I am by modern photography. I love the light of Vermeer. The light of Rembrandt is much more dramatic but also very beautiful and precise. HK: Explain your work to a child. EO: Nowadays? “Fairytale.” Through May 30. Art Statements Gallery, Factory D, 8/F, Gee Chang Hong Centre, 65 Wong Chuk Hang Rd., Wong Chuk Hang, 2696-2300.
Arts Festivals
Dance
Shakespeare in the Port 2015
Cavalia
Following a successful debut run last year, the homegrown arts festival Shakespeare in the Port is back, bringing affordable, down-to-earth adaptations of the bard’s works in the open-air space at Cyberport. Featuring all-local talents, it will be a multi-lingual event this year: highlights include a bilingual production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and a Cantonese version of “The Tempest.” For more Bardolatry, check in for a 24-hour play that showcases new writing plus an outdoor film screening. Check the program online for more. Through May 3. Cyberport Podium, 100 Cyberport Rd., Pok Fu Lam. $150300 from www.ticketflap.com.
The circus rolls into town this spring. Created in Montreal in 2003 by Cirque du Soleil co-founder Norman Latourelle, “Cavalia” coincides with the Jockey Club’s 130th anniversary this year and brings its signature mix of stunning aerial acrobatics and equestrian stunts to the SAR. They’re really not horsing around: 50 horses will be performing with a range of artists against a 60-meter-wide multimedia backdrop, staged under the largest touring tent in the world. Through Apr 26. The New Central Harbourfront, Central. $395-1,195 from www.hkticketing. com, VIP packages with after-show stable visits available from $1,495.
HK PIcks
Improvengers Like Marvel comics? These local improv heroes—who may or may not have been inspired by the crime-busting collaborative— are taking to the stage with a mission to take viewers through “a marvelous universe of audience-inspired hilarity.” With luck, they’re not just the same drunk guys in costume you see in Lan Kwai Fong every Halloween. Apr 24-25, 8pm. Fringe Club, 2 Lower Albert Rd., Central, 2521-7251. $120-150 from www.hkticketing.com.
On & On & Turn Turn Turn Victor Ma and Mandy Yim make up one of Hong Kong’s longest-established contemporary dance groups, Y-Space, which celebrates its 20th birthday this year. Never seen any of its shows? Catch this dizzying retrospective of their past two decades—from the inaugural 1995 classic, “None of Your Business,” to several improvised pieces to recent choreographies, all blended with video and installation art. May 2, 8pm; May 3, 3pm. Kwai Tsing Theatre, 12 Hing Ning Rd., Kwai Fong. $120-200 from www.urbtix.hk.
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 23
ARTS Exhibitions
Anzac Day Saturday, 25 April 2015
6:15 am, The Cenotaph, Chater Road, Central
Members of the public may lay a wreath according to the order of service
M.C.: T(Here) Art Experience Gallery’s first show this year highlights the photography of local artist MC. His brand-new works are serene close-ups of the interiors of paper houses—the kind of houses which are burned as offerings during Chinese funeral rites. It’s melancholy, calming and kinda creepy all at once. Still, it’s cheerier than mailing in a rent check… Through May 9. Art Experience Gallery, Room 2009, Cable TV Tower, 9 Hoi Shing Rd., Tsuen Wan, 2110-9928.
www.anzaccentenary.gov.au, www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac, http://ww100.govt.nz
To be followed by Gunfire Breakfast
MobArt Pop-Up Art ExhibitionI
Grappa’s Cellar - $180/$100 (2-11 years old) +10% Cash Only Bookings Essential: 2521 2322
f you’ve ever found it difficult to visualize that monumental wrought iron sculpture in your 250-square-foot flat, MobArt is here to help. Taking over a PMQ unit (S310) through April, the space will be transformed into a living/dining room setup where the walls will be filled “salon style” (meaning: REALLY densely packed) with over 100 artworks from many local artists, such as respected painter Tang Ying-chi, street artists Parents’ Parents, Emily Eldridge and more. Take your pick, and take it home. Don’t worry, it’ll definitely fit in the lift. Probably. Through Apr 30. PMQ, 35 Aberdeen St., Central. Call 5577-9448 for more info.
LG/F, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong Dot Cod Restaurant - $218/$148 (3-11 years old) + 10% Bookings: 2810 6988 Clipper Lounge (Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong) - $318/$208 (3-11 years old) + 10% Bookings: 2825 4007 Café Causette (Mandarin Oriental) - a la carte. Bookings: 2825 4005
Valkyrie Octopus Contemporary textile artist Joana Vasconcelos brings the Valkyrie Octopus to Macau: a 35-meter-long, 20-meter-high sculpture that weighs in at 1,200 kilos and took 50 experts nearly 10 months to create. Made of more than 4,000 meters of patterned fabric that encompasses traditional Portuguese crochet elements, the Valkyrie is embellished with thousands of beads and LED lights. Vasconcelos first achieved international recognition in 2005 with her sculpture The Bride, a 5-meter-high chandelier made of tampons (!), and was then the first woman to have a solo exhibition at the Chateau de Versailles, in 2012. You go, girl. Through Oct 31. MGM Macau, Avenida Dr Sun Yat Sen, Macau Peninsula, 8802-1888. Free.
Above the Line: People and Places in the DPRK The Hong Kong Arts Centre and the British Council have joined forces to present this photography exhibition of everyday North Korean life by British photojournalist Nick Danziger. Danziger and a team set out to North Korea in the summer of 2013, visiting Pyongyang, Nampo, Wonsan and Sariwon, interviewing individuals about their lives and the common concerns which occupy us all. The current exhibition will showcase a selection of the 7,000 images taken on the trip. Through Apr 28. Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai, 2582-0200.
24 HK MAGAZINE
FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015
nightlife hk picks
Grouvly Launch Party Move over, Tinder. Dating app Grouvly is launching at a secret location in Central. The app matches a group of three guys with three girls, so you’ll have wingmen and -women around you when the conversation falls flat. Sign up on the app for a chance to be invited. Free drinks, nibbles and singles guaranteed. Apr 22, 7-9pm. RSVP at grouvlylaunch.splashthat.com.
Clubs
Concerts
Love Da & Deja Vu Present: Spinnin’ Best of 2015 Release Party Dutch music label Spinnin’ Records launches of its “Best of 2015” EDM album, which is strange since we’re only in the first half of the year. Maybe it means we can stop thinking about music through December? The party is at new LKF nightclub Déjà Vu— go check it out. Apr 17, 9:30pm. Déjà Vu, 1/F, 17 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, 2810-1100. $200 at the door, including a drink.
Charli XCX Charli XCX owned the pop scene in 2014. After collaborating with rapper Iggy Azalea on massive hit “Fancy,” she also dropped feel-good song “Boom Clap”—which featured on the soundtrack of teen hit “The Fault in Our Stars.” More proof that Queen Charli can do no wrong? The hitmaker is also behind Icona Pop’s 2012 single, “I Love It.” See her slay at KITEC in April. Apr 20, 7:30pm. Musiczone, KITEC, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay. $490 from www.ticketflap.com.
Mr. Mike and Mister P DJ Mr. Mike has produced global hits such as “Put Your Hands Up in the Air” and “Pump It Up” and is back in Hong Kong, joining house DJ Mister P behind the turntables. Apr 18, 10pm. Ozone, 118/F, The Ritz-Carlton, 1 Austin Rd. West, West Kowloon, 2263-2263. $250 at the door, including a drink. 2 Chainz in Macau When it comes to anniversary parties, Club Cubic doesn’t disappoint—at least not the hip-hop fans, anyway. The guest of honor at the Macau nightclub’s 4th birthday bash? Rapper 2 Chainz, one of the biggest names in the dirty south rap game. There’s a private VIP party until 1am, after which the doors open. Apr 18, 1am. Club Cubic, 2/F, Hard Rock Hotel, City of Dreams, Estrada do Istmo, Taipa, Macau, (+853) 6638-4999. $450 at the door. Cliché Three Year Anniversary Since starting out three years ago, Cliché has gone from promoter to booker to record label as well. They’re celebrating their anniversary with a four-day extravaganza of their favorite beats. On April 23, it’s Cliché’s own Gregzo and Miya plus local mainstays Arun R and Romi B. On April 24, Aussie DJ Andy Hart and Alex From Tokyo (who was actually born in Paris) take to the decks. On April 25, the party moves to newly opened club Social Room, with 15 DJs coming in from all over Asia and Europe. Finally, wrapping things up on April 26 are DJ sets from the Cliché team during free-flow brunch at Vibes. Apr 23, 8pm, Honi Honi Tiki Lounge, 3/F, Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington St., Central, 2353-0885. Apr 24, 10pm, Kee Club, 6/F, 32 Wellington St., Central, 2810-9000. Apr 25, 11pm, Social Room, 3/F, Won Hing Building, 74-78 Stanley St., Central. Apr 26, 12pm, Vibes, 5/F, The Mira, 118 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 2315-5999. $200 from www.ticketflap.com.
Backstreet Boys In a world where kids don’t even know who Missy Elliott is, the Backstreet Boys are basically dinosaurs. But for those who do remember—be sure to get your dose of 90s throwbacks with Nick, Kevin, AJ, Howie and Brian. Miss out on tickets at their Hong Kong shows? There’s an extra one added in Macau. Apr 24, 8:30pm. The Venetian, Estrada da Baía de N. Senhora da Esperança, Taipa, Macau, $588-988 from www.cotaiticketing.com.
Katy Perry in Macau Your prayers have been answered: the reigning queen of pop herself will be gracing the stage at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena in May. From humble beginnings as a gospel singer, Katy Perry hit the big time with 2008 single “I Kissed a Girl.” Since then, she’s dropped more mega hits than you can count: think “Teenage Dream,” “California Gurls” and “Roar.” It really does seem like Perry can’t put a foot wrong. Except for marrying Russell Brand, of course.Tickets go on sale February 13. May 1-2, 8pm. The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, Estrada da Baía de N. Senhora da Esperança, Taipa, Macau, (853) 2882-8877. $380-1,680 from www.hkticketing.com. HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 25
nightlife Gigs Lifers—Liege Creepy Crawlers Belgian five-piece Lifers—Liege Creepy Crawlers bring their headbanging metal to Hidden Agenda. Bring waffles. Apr 17, 8pm. Hidden Agenda, Unit 2A, Wing Fu Industrial Building, 15-17 Tai Yip St., Ngau Tau Kok. Price TBA. Diggin’ in White Noise Are CDs dead? White Noise Records doesn’t think so. The OG indie record store is hosting a market, selling loads of hardto-come-by secondhand CDs. From 5pm onwards, live DJs hit the decks. The lineup? Gee, K-Melo, Snoblind and Arthur Urquiola. Apr 18, 1pm. 1/F, 720 Shanghai St., Prince Edward, 2591-0499. Free entry; BYOB.
Agnès b. Rue de Marseille Live Fashion brand Agnès b. is bringing back Rue De Marseille Live, a series of gigs set up to encourage the local indie music scene. On April 25, it’s guitar-swinging 90s-inspired group Teenage Riot (pictured) and singersongwriter Subyub Lee. Wrapping things up on May 30 are math-folk four-piece GDJYB and indie pop band Salad Kowloon. Apr 25, May 30, 4pm. Agnès B. Rue De Marseille, Shop G26, G28, 117-120, K11, 18 Hanoi Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui. Free.
Nightlife Events Queen’s Road East Discovery Walk Like wine? Like charity? You’ll love our charity wine crawl, Queen’s Road East Discovery Walk. Explore Wan Chai’s heritage while stopping by more than 20 shops along the way, sampling wines and nibbles in each. Don’t miss a whisky tasting session from 4-5pm at new resto The Grand Buffet (62/F, Hopewell Centre). Don your best fancy dress outfits—the best costumed Winewalker will win an uberfancy Vinvautz 24-bottle wine cellar, worth $3,498. Proceeds go to Hong Kong charity Foodlink, which is dedicated to reducing food wastage. Apr 18, 2:30pm. Queen’s Rd. East, Wan Chai. $199 at the door or from www.hk-magazine.com/winewalk.
Henry Chung and The Spontaneous Combustion Despite being a lawyer by trade, Hong Kong-born harmonica player Henry Chung garnered quite a name for himself when he worked in Washington DC—performing with names such as B.B. King and Muddy Waters collaborator Bob Margolin. Since returning to Hong Kong in 2007, Chung has carved out a niche as one of the city’s best bluesman. Show up for a night of slow-groove Chicago blues at Backstage Live. Apr 18, 9pm. Backstage Live, 1/F, Somptueux Central, 52-54 Wellington St., Central, 2167-8985. $250 from www.timable.com; $280 at the door. Photo: Nicholas Puglisi
Chin Chin Bar Tequila Extravaganza Tequila doesn’t have to always be about shots and regrets. The Hyatt Regency’s fancy Chin Chin Bar is doing a Tequila Extravaganza through the month, with five specially created concoctions to get you drunk, the classy way. Try the Banarita, a jazzy take on the classic margarita—it’s infused with Amaretto for a hint of almond. Or go for the fruity Boat Rod, mixing tequila with with Crème de Cassis blackcurrant liqueur, blueberries and strawberries. Through Apr 30. Chin Chin Bar, 3/F, Hyatt Regency, 18 Hanoi Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, 3721-7722.
The Word Alive American metalheads The Word Alive are in Hong Kong to perform, and where else would they be except Hidden Agenda? Apr 21, 8:30pm. Hidden Agenda, Unit 2A, Wing Fu Industrial Building, 15-17 Tai Yip St., Ngau Tau Kok. $280 from www.ticketflap. com; $320 at the door. Photo: Pitpony Photography
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Suffocation NYC-based heavy metal outfit Suffocation is doing a set, supported by Australia’s Truth Corroded and local band Dismembered. A lot of gruesome names being thrown around here... Apr 24, 8:30pm. Hidden Agenda, Unit 2A, Wing Fu Industrial Building, 15-17 Tai Yip St., Ngau Tau Kok. $300 from www.ticketflap.com; $380 at the door.
Other vintage covers also available on hk-magazine.com/store
26 HK MAGAZINE Untitled-1 1
FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015
05/01/2015 6:18 PM
Pick Your Pink 9— Rooftop After-Work Party Who says rosé’s a summer drink? Azure is hosting Pick Your Pink 9, a fiesta of all things rosé. There’s two-for-one one drinks until 8pm, a huge selection of wines from Rosé Wine Cellar, a tapas buffet and even... rosé pong. Hmmm. Apr 24, 6pm. Azure, 29/F, LKF Hotel, 33 Wyndham St., Central, 3518-9688. Free entry.
SPORTS
Edited by
Charley Mulliner charlotte.mulliner@ hkmagmedia.com
UPCLOSE Adderly Fong
Racecar driver Adderly Fong has just been appointed as a development driver for the Lotus Formula One team, making him the first Hongkonger to sit behind the wheel of an F1 car. The 25-year-old tells Nicholas Cheung about learning to drive on a PlayStation and his ambitions to become the first ever Chinese F1 driver. HK Magazine: How did you get started in car racing?
HK: How do you deal with the pressure of a big race?
Adderly Fong: When I was 14, my father brought me to a track day and I saw Formula Renault racing for the first time. One year later on my 15th birthday, I did my first test for Renault. I skipped school every Thursday that year and trained with my first-ever coach, Michael Ho. Each session he would take the car out from his team and lead me around every lap. I felt really grateful since I only used to play on PlayStation! He helped me build up speed really quickly. I did my first race in Shanghai at the age of 16.
AF: The biggest factor for drivers is controlling your emotions. All the preparation you’ve done in the last six months comes down to only a couple of laps. When you make a mistake, it becomes a pain you will remember for a long time. Some opponents make irrational decisions when emotional, but I have always been able to keep a level head and make better decisions.
HK: Who is your Formula One idol? AF: Michael Schumacher is still the best of the best. I do respect such an old racing driver who still brings the fight to the young blood. This mentality played such a big role [in my career choice]—it inspired me a lot.
HK: Is driving fast really that hard? AF: When I first started racing, I didn’t think that four wheels, a steering wheel and a gear paddle could be so difficult to handle. Everything has to come together including training, track experience, mind and body, plus preparation from the team. So many things have to be put together in one lap and it’s a never-ending challenge.
Vietnam Beach Getaway
HK: Where do you hope to end up? HK: Do you earn the big bucks? AF: I would say yes and no. I put all the sponsorship into my sports career, as the better equipment you have, the better the results. Motorsports is like any other sport: The more practice you do, the faster you get. But during the process you need fuel, expertise, and people to run the car for you. All these come at a cost. Therefore, I am actually not earning a lot—but I want to!
AF: My short-term goal would be getting into Formula One and being able to participate in the race. No Chinese person has ever raced in F1 before—I want to be the first to achieve this. I want to show people that drivers in Hong Kong are able to compete at world level, to change their perspective on motor sports. And in the future, I hope that we will have more support from the government, such as having a race track for future generations.
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HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 27
FILM
Edited by Evelyn Lok evelyn.lok@hkmagmedia.com
Opening Angel Whispers (Hong Kong) Despite having a title that sounds somewhat like an air-freshener scent, this Hong Kong indie heavyweight won funding at 2014’s Asia Film Financing Forum and finally comes to fruition this spring. Brought to screen by actressslash-debut-director Carrie Ng Ka-lai (“Naked Killer”), this revenge-thriller follows a group of prostitutes and their landlady in Sham Shui Po who must battle a mysterious killer who has just claimed the life of one of their sworn sisters. Opened Apr 16.
Child 44
Wild Tales
PPPPP
(Argentina) Black comedy. Directed by Damián Szifrón. Starring Ricardo Darín, Oscar Martínez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Érica Rivas. Category IIB. 122 minutes. Opened Apr 16.
As the opening credits of “Wild Tales” flash past, director Damián Szifrón makes it clear that he’s created a film all about predators. Names appear next to still shots of tigers, wolves, foxes and sharks. Predators: simple enough. Well, more or less. For unlike animals, humans can change their natures. “Wild Tales” consists of six darkly hilarious stories of anger, rage and revenge; it’s about what happens when the prey becomes the predator. What are these six wild tales, exactly? Well, there’s the group of passengers on a plane who realize they are all mysteriously connected; then there’s the diner waitress serving the man who ruined her family; the douchebag in the flash car who can’t overtake the redneck in front of him; the idealist whose car is unfairly towed and who comes up against excruciating government bureaucracy; the rich father whose son commits a terrible crime; the wedding that goes sour when the wife discovers the groom’s little secret. They’re all juicy little setups, but it’s what Szifrón does with them that is so effective. Life’s frustrations are constantly bubbling under the surface. Szifrón asks: what if we just let them boil over? What if we were to act upon all the jealousy, irritation, impotence and rage that we normally tamp down? In each tale the protagonist erupts in an unexpectedly and uniquely vicious way. Justice, revenge and wickedly sharp humor circle around each character, just waiting to take a bite. That thematic link is what ties the six wild tales together. It’s a subtle thread that works as an idea, but falls a little flat in practice. Without an interlinking narrative, it’s too obvious that we’re watching a series of vignettes, and so “Wild Tales” falls short of the best movies constructed in this way—lacking, for example, the deftness that “Pulp Fiction” brings to a multi-threaded tale. Occasionally you’re left hoping for a neat narrative intersection that never appears. The themes must carry us through instead, and they don’t bear the weight quite well enough. The acting is consistently strong, as you need in an ensemble film such as this. The cast wisely takes on its bleakly hilarious material without going into caricature territory. Particularly impressive are Ricardo Darín (“The Secret in Their Eyes”) as the frustrated demolitions expert who’s desperate to prove that his car has been unfairly towed, and Érica Rivas as the magnetic, manic bride of the film’s final section. Despite struggling to pull the whole thing into an effective single organism, “Wild Tales” is a gleeful, darkly funny collection of six telling moments of the soul. With characters who are simultaneously predator and prey, these wild tales are worth watching. Adam White
(USA) Who’s behind a devastating series of child murders popping up all across Russia? MGB agent Leo Demidov (Tom Hardy) is on the case in this film based on the thriller by Tom Rob Smith. Boasting Ridley Scott on the production team, it’s a chase against time to find the infamous “Rostov Ripper,” a real-life case in which 52 women and children were mutilated or killed between 1978-1990 in an unforgiving Soviet Russia. But with a cast of British and Scottish actors, what’s going to be more hard-hitting, the cheesy accented English or the action itself? Opened Apr 16.
The Water Diviner (Australia/Turkey) Russell Crowe mans his own ship this time in his directorial debut. Playing a grieving father, he journeys across oceans to Turkey in the aftermath of World War I’s Gallipoli Campaign as he searches for his two lost sons, both missing in action. History factoid: the Gallipoli Campaign saw one of the most significant casualties for Australian and New Zealand forces, and the day they landed on Turkish shores is known today as Anzac Day. Yep: it’s officially the most Aussie film ever. Opened Apr 16.
Wild Tales (Argentina) See review, left. Opened Apr 16.
Continuing A Most Violent Year (USA) Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac glitter in their roles as a young couple who own a fuel company in crime-riddled 1981 New York. They must hold their own against the corruption, violence and decay that threatens their struggle for the American Dream. PPPP
Cinderella Hill of Freedom (South Korea) Film auteur Hong Sang-soo is known for his heavily autobiographical works, which have gained a following on the festival circuit. In this new short-but sweet-offering (at only 66 minutes), we follow Mori’s story: he’s a Japanese man who flies to Seoul to see Kwon, the Korean woman he still pines for. As Kwon returns to the city, she sorts through Mori’s letters to make sense of what has happened. Opened Apr 16.
(USA) Disney princess time! Cinderella comes to life via the ravishing Lily James (TV’s “Downton Abbey”), with Cate Blanchett playing her evil stepmother. We all know how it ends, but who can resist this fairytale romance? PPPP
The Immigrant (USA) This 2013 film finally reaches Hong Kong screens. Marion Cotillard plays Ewa Cybulski, a Polish immigrant new to 1930s New York who is tricked into working for a burlesque dancing troupe owned by one Bruno Weiss (Joaquin Phoenix). Meanwhile, she meets a dashing magician who offers to rescue her and help her reunite with her sister, who is quarantined in Ellis Island. Opened Apr 16.
Furious 7 (USA) Will the franchise ever end? Returning with presumably even more muscles and even more muscle cars, the seventh installment in the action series takes place after 2013’s “Fast & Furious 6.” The brother of the last film’s baddie (Jason Statham) emerges to take his revenge on the crew led by Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel). This is the late Paul Walker’s final film appearance.
Coming Soon Kabukicho Love Hotel (Japan) Director Ryuichi Hiroki is one of the best-known auteurs in the softcore “pink” film genre and is often praised as one of the most intelligent story-crafters in the industry. He brings us into the throes of seedy Kabukicho, Tokyo’s red-light district, where love hotel manager Toru (Shota Sometani) sees through a day and a night’s activities: watching the evening’s characters and employees sift in and out, never seeming to stay long. Opened Apr 16.
The Loft The Avengers: Age of Ultron (USA) Marvel fans have been frothing at the mouth waiting for the sequel to “The Avengers” since it came out in 2012. The fate of mankind is (once again) hanging by a thread, this time as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) creates Ultron, an artificial intelligence which decides that the best way to bring peace to the world is to exterminate all humans. It’s up to The Avengers to join forces once more to protect our home… but not without the help of two mysterious siblings, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff. Opens Apr 23.
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(USA) James Marsden, Wentworth Miller, Karl Urban, Eric Stonestreet, and Matthias Schoenaerts. These five studs decide to share a New York loft where they can bring their mistresses for secret trysts—no more of that shady hotel business. But when they find a dead woman in the house, suddenly their secrets aren’t so safe after all. Yeah, they totally deserve it. Opened Apr 16.
Home (USA) Dreamworks lands with a brand new animated tale of friendship between a banished alien named Oh (Jim Parsons) and a human girl named Tip (Rihanna as a non-sexy cartoon character?), who must help him save his race before they are exterminated and planet Earth destroyed in the process. PPP
Maps to the Stars (USA) “Body horror” legend David Cronenberg brings us this savage deconstruction of Hollywood’s messed up, perfect elite. Julianne Moore plays a fast-fading actress; Mia Wasikowska her disfigured PA; Evan Bird is a child star looking back on the ghosts of his past; John Cusack plays his overbearing shrink father while Robert Pattinson is a limo driver with much bigger dreams. Sounds like the recipe for a deliciously poisonous drama.
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The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
What is the Gin Drinker’s Line?*
(USA) The world’s favorite underwater pineapple-dweller and his geeky friends embark on another wild adventure. This time the nefarious pirate Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas) has stolen the secret Krabby Patty burger recipe. SpongeBob and his arch-nemesis Plankton must team up to get it back—on land.
Ode to My Father (South Korea) Looking to be the secondhighest-grossing Korean film of all time, this film is an important milestone for the industry but also a rare, succinct story of Korean history from the 50s to present day. Directed by the ambitious Yoon Je-kyoon (“Haeundae”—deemed South Korea’s first proper disaster film), it tells of a child separated from his family during the 1951 refugee evacuation from the North to the South, and his journey to find his sister and father again.
Two Thumbs Up (Hong Kong) Written and directed by firsttime director Lau Ho-leung, “Two Thumbs Up” debuts at the Hong Kong International Film Fest this year. A team of hapless gangsters led by Lucifer (Francis Ng) dress up a minibus as a police car—and, toy guns in hand, head to the New Territories for a robbery or two. Little do they know a more murderous gang of killer police imposters is roaming the roads.
The Rewrite (UK) There was a time where many people would have jumped at a Hugh Grant romcom, but maybe not anymore. Grant plays a washed-up screenwriter who returns to teaching in order to pay his bills. Messing about and barely educating anyone, least of all himself, it’s only when he meets a single mother, Holly (Marissa Tomei), that his life begins to turn around. Yaaawn.
When Marnie Was There (Japan) Studio Ghibli’s latest anime heartbreaker is the second feature by its new resident director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (“The Secret World of Arrietty”). Based on Joan G. Robinson’s novel, it’s a sleepy story of a peculiar friendship between the withdrawn Anna and the lovely, unjudgemental Marnie—a blonde girl whom only Anna can see.
In all major bookstores now! Or order yours at: www.historicalhkhikes.com
HK PICKS The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (USA/UK/India) Hollywood’s most charming silver-haired stars (Richard Gere, Judi Dench et al.) band together once again in this sequel to “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” The exotic Indian palace and semiretirement sanctuary managed by Muriel (Maggie Smith) and Sonny (Dev Patel) tries to expand into a second property. In advanced age, isn’t it better to consolidate your holdings, not make further investments?
Song One (USA) Anne Hathaway plays a struggling graduate student who learns that her brother is in a coma. In predictable indie rom-com fashion, she roams through the places in Brooklyn that he frequented and accidentally gets involved with his folk-rock idol. Whoops!
Wolf Totem (China/France) Based on Jiang Rong’s semi-autobiographical novel, “Wolf Totem” is a cautionary tale about rapid modernization. A young student is sent to Inner Mongolia during the height of the Cultural Revolution to learn how to rear sheep. But instead, he ends up adopting a wolf cub—unknowingly wreaking havoc across the land. Directed by Oscar award-winning Jean-Jacques Annaud (“Seven Years in Tibet”): it’s brimming with captivating cinematography, heart-stopping action and tension and a memorably epic title theme. PPPP
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Special Screenings BC Sundays: Tortured Musician Edition Sunday screenings at Yau Ma Tei’s Broadway Cinematheque tend to follow a monthly theme, and this month it seems to be tortured musicians all round. This weekend’s show is the recent poppy anti rom-com, “Begin Again,” starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo in singing/music-producing roles. April wraps up with—what else?— “On the Road” (Apr 26) based on Jack Kerouac’s boozy, jazzy, fucked-up journey across America’s heartland. Through Apr 26, Broadway Cinematheque, Prosperous Garden, 3 Public Square St., Yau Ma Tei. $65 from www.cinema.com.hk.
National Theatre Live: Skylight See National Theatre productions on the big screen at AMC (Festival Walk, Pacific Place) and Broadway (The One, Palace IFC) cinemas. This spring, it’s David Hare’s 1995 play “Skylight” filmed straight from London’s West End, a story of hesitatingly rekindled old flames. Bill Nighy takes on the role of a restaurateur whose wife has just died. He reaches out to a former lover, a school teacher played by Carey Mulligan. Through May 18. $200 from AMC or Broadway cinemas citywide.
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Market Place
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PROPERTY
The Property section of HK Market Place reaches Hong Kong’s most affluent and upwardly mobile readership. Call Joyce: 2534-9551 E-mail: joyce.wu@hkmagmedia.com.hk
30 HK MAGAZINE
FRIDAY, April 17, 2015
PROPERTY / HOME
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Fill that vacancy. To advertise, please contact Joyce Wu on 2534 9551 or joyce.wu@hkmagmedia.com
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FRIDAY, April 17, 2015
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Learn filmmaking and actually shoot and edit a short film that tells a story. This 2-day workshop is taught in English by a professional filmmaker. April Group: 4-5 April 2015 (Sat & Sun) 10am to 6pm May Group: 16-17 May 2015 (Sat & Sun) 10am to 6pm DETAILS: www.filmschool.hk 9385-7329
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HEALTH & BEAUTY / EVERYTHING ELSE SAVAGE LOVE Dan Savage I consider myself a straight guy—but for the last four years, I’ve been having an affair with “Connie,” a trans girl I met online. It was just casual at first, but over time we developed a deeper personal relationship but kept it hidden. At some point, I figured out she was in love with me. I love her too, but I don’t think I am “in love” with her. Several weeks ago, I went on a couple of dates with a girl I met on Match.com. The new girl posted about our dates on Facebook, Connie saw it and was upset, and then outed me to the new girl. The new girl and I weren’t dating anymore, but it still was a betrayal that Connie told her—told anyone—about our relationship and my kink. Right now, I can’t look at or speak to Connie, but her friends tell me that she is despondent. I can’t get past my anger. I’d like to keep her as a friend, but can I trust her? She reached out to me recently, but I told her to just leave me alone. – Secret Telling Unnerves Nice Guy
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“Right out the gate, STUNG has to declare his heterosexuality,” said Bailey Jay, an AVN Award– winning trans porn performer, writer, prolific (and hilarious) tweeter, and cohost of The Jim Norton Show on Vice.com. “Unless he’s trying to say that trans women are men or that he’d be mortified to be mistaken for a gay person, then emphasizing ‘straight’ is unnecessary.” Also unnecessary: that “but” after “I consider myself a straight guy.” Guys who desire and fuck women exclusively are straight, trans women are women, so no need to drop a “but” before telling us you’ve been sleeping with a woman who happens to be trans. “The term ‘kink’ stuck out as well,” Jay added. “Sex with a trans woman can still be vanilla. I know lots of trans chicks who are a total bore in bed—so while something new can be exciting, sex with trans women is not innately kinky because of our bodies.” Vocabulary lesson’s over, STUNG. Now the advice… “STUNG says he feels betrayed by Connie blabbing about their relationship,” said Jay, “but it sounds less like a betrayal and more like embarrassment. The whole tone of his letter seems to imply that it’s a given that being with a trans woman is innately shameful. But take out all of the conditioned negative associations that some have with trans people, and what are you left with? At worst, we have a young lady who got jealous and acted immaturely.” Let’s pause for a moment to think about why Connie behaved immaturely and tried to screw up your (already DOA) relationship with the new girl. “STUNG seems to feel that it’s a given that Connie should know better than to talk openly about their relationship,” said Jay, “because trans women are an embarrassment and Connie should know enough to keep quiet.” So you treated Connie like she was an embarrassing secret for four long years, STUNG, and that caused her pain. You caused her pain. Then you go on a couple dates with another woman—a cis woman—and it’s instantly all over Facebook. Connie was understandably upset, and not just by the fact that you were seeing someone else. All the hurt and anger that built up over the last four years—hurt at the way you treated her, anger with herself for putting up with it—overwhelmed her, and she lashed out. Connie isn’t a bad person, STUNG, she was just angry and upset. “And I don’t think STUNG is a bad guy,” said Jay. “His attitude toward trans women was shaped by a culture that treats trans women as either fetishes or punch lines. I am a transgender woman, and I have my own internalized transphobia that I’ve had to navigate around. So while I can dissect
and analyze STUNG, I can hardly vilify him.” So what do I think you should do about Connie? You should call her and apologize. You should tell her that you treated her badly and you can understand why she lashed out. And you should tell her that, while you aren’t “in love” with her, you do love her. Then you should tell her you’re open to meeting up and talking things out. And what does Jay think you should do going forward? “I think STUNG should try to see every woman he sleeps with as fully human, regardless of their genitals.” Follow Bailey Jay on Twitter @BaileyJayTweets. I’m 26 years old and have been dating my boyfriend for a year. In the first week of dating, he disclosed his adult-baby side. Trying to be a GGG partner, I told him I supported him and dove right in, even though I felt uncomfortable. He likes me to dress him up and let him pee while wearing diapers, and he likes to dress me up. I feel “icky” and even violated afterward—though everything has always been consensual. I want to be comfortable with it, but I’m just not there. When I’ve expressed my discomfort, it’s made him upset and embarrassed. Another confusing thing: My vagina always gets way wetter than usual when he puts a diaper on me. But I can’t seem to get to a place where I actually feel like I’m enjoying it. Is it fair that I feel resentful for not being given more understanding for my mixed feelings? Is there a way I can break through and enjoy this? (We have plenty of vanilla sex, which he is totally into as well.) – Adult Diapers Under Lover’s Terms Something about being put in a diaper turns you on. (The particular sensations it creates in your swimsuit area? The taboo-ness of being a nonincontinent adult in a diaper?) But that turn-on is short-circuited by your discomfort. And if your turn-on is grounded in the sensations and/or the taboo, ADULT, you may never become comfortable with your boyfriend’s kink. Quite the opposite: The more you do it, the less surprising the sensations will come to feel, the less naughty it will feel, the less of an accidental/bank-shot turn-on diapers will become. Being GGG doesn’t require a person to do whatever the hell their partner wants. Remember what GGG stands for: “Good in bed (work on those skills), giving of pleasure (without always expecting immediate reciprocation), and game for anything— within reason.” It’s unreasonable of your partner to ask you to continue engaging in diaper play when it leaves you feeling violated. You gave it a shot, it’s not working for you, and you have to be able to discuss your feelings—and your limits—without him playing mad and/or hurt. Right now, you’re engaging in diaper play not out of a GGG desire to meet his needs, ADULT, but because you’re afraid of upsetting him. So you’re not consenting from a place of honest desire (a desire to do a particular thing, a desire to please your partner) but from a place of fear—you don’t fear him, but you fear hurting him. No wonder it leaves you feeling like shit. Here’s what you should say: “Hey, honey, it’s great that you have a fetish, and I’m glad you felt comfortable sharing it with me. But I don’t enjoy it and I don’t think I ever will. So this is something you should explore with other people. Get yourself a diaper pal, play to your heart’s content, and then come home and have awesome vanilla sex with me.” On the Lovecast, Slate writer L.V. Anderson on why we don’t have better condoms: savagelovecast. com.
Find the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at thestranger.com/savage.mail@savagelove.net
HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 35
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Wooloomooloo Group is a Hong Kong based restaurant group that has served sizzling premium steaks and time-honored grill favorites since 2004. We have established three successful brands, Wooloomooloo Prime, Wooloomooloo Steakhouse and The Chop House, at prominent locations in Hong Kong and Singapore. 自2004年成立至今，Wooloomooloo 餐飲集團以香港為基地，一直以實而不華的手法烹調澳洲牛扒及各式佳餚。現已於香港及新加坡的地標位置建立了三個成功品牌 包括Wooloomooloo Prime、Wooloomooloo Steakhouse 及 The Chop House。 Due to expansion, we would like to invite energetic service professionals to join our dynamic team for the following positions: 現誠聘充滿活力及擁有卓越服務態度的專業服務人員加入我們的團隊，職位如下：
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Due to expansion, we would like to invite energetic service professionals to join our dynamic team for the following positions 完善的員工褔利包括 :
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Full Time Drama Leader and Programme Facilitator We seek candidates with at least 2 years of experience teaching drama and have a Drama degree. A formal teaching qualification is an advantage. Practising actors/directors with extensive teaching experience are also considered. Candidates must be energetic, proactive, and be able to introduce children to the world of theatre in fun, creative and engaging ways. Candidates must also be a team player and help administrate and facilitate various projects and performances. Experience in relevant theatre and arts related projects is needed. Part time work is also available. How to Apply: Please email your CV and covering letter to Recruitment@FaustWorld.com Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview. www.FaustWorld.com
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ar MAR mar mar MAR mar mar MAR mar mar MAR mar mar MAR mar mar MA S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S 36 HK MAGAZINE
FRIDAY, April 17, 2015
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Market SMART JOBS Place
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Rob Brezsny
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We are now looking for the following -
Head Chef – with speciality in modern Western nutrition and health cuisine, including gluten free cooking, low sugar and low sodium.
Must have working knowledge of food allergies and intolerances
Assistant Manager – must speak Cantonese and English Bar Tenders – must speak Cantonese and English Chefs – must speak Cantonese and English. 5 day week, medical benefits and good working environment for new modern Western beach café and bar opening in Cheung Sha in June Please email your CV and references to info@thebeachhousehk.com
Operation Manager
- With management experience
Sales Manager
- With sales experience in beauty salon
Marketing Planner
- Study in Journalism, no experience, Reporter experience is preferable
Beauty Consultant
- With Beauty knowledge and sales capability - Good commission and benefits
Beautician
- At least 2 years or above experience
Beautician Trainee
- No experience, diligent, provide job training
Receptionist / Customer Service
*All above positions must fluent in English & Cantonese
We offer annual leave, bonus, a good working environment with advancement opportunities. *5 days leave per month, work 9 hours a day
s Interested parties, please call: 5680 3382 for an interview. ob J t
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Free Will Astrology
(Location: Central • Causeway Bay • Tsim Sha Tsui)
ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19): The California Gold Rush hit its peak between 1849 and 1855. Three hundred thousand adventurers flocked to America’s West Coast in search of gold. In the early days, gold nuggets were lying around on the ground in plain sight, or relatively easy to find in gravel beds at the bottom of streams. But later prospectors had to work harder, developing methods to extract the gold from rocks that contained it. One way to detect the presence of the precious metal was through the use of nitric acid, which corroded any substance that wasn’t gold. The term “acid test” refers to that process. I bring this to your attention, Aries, because it’s a good time for you to use the metaphorical version of an acid test as you ascertain whether what you have discovered is truly golden. TAURUS (Apr 20-May 20): The time between now and your birthday will provide you with excellent opportunities to resolve lingering problems, bring drawn-out melodramas to a conclusion, and clean up old messes — even the supposedly interesting ones. You want to know what else this upcoming period will be good for? I’ll tell you: 1. Surrendering control-freak fantasies. 2. Relieving your backlog of tension. 3. Expelling delusional fears that you cling to out of habit. 4. Laughing long and hard at the cosmic jokes that have tweaked your attitude. GEMINI (May 21-Jun 20): In the mid-19th century, the entrance exam for the British Royal Navy was quite odd. Some candidates were required to write down the Lord’s Prayer, recite the multiplication table for the number three, get naked and jump over a chair, and drink a glass of sherry. I’m guessing that your own initiation or rite of passage may, at least initially, seem as puzzling or nonsensical as that one. You might be hard-pressed to understand how it is pertinent to the next chapter of your life story. And yet I suspect that you will ultimately come to the conclusion—although it may take some time—that this transition was an excellent lead-in and preparation for what’s to come. CANCER (Jun 21-Jul 22): In 1909, Sergei Diaghilev founded the Ballets Russes, a Parisian ballet company that ultimately revolutionized the art form. The collaborative efforts he catalyzed were unprecedented. He drew on the talents of visual artists Picasso and Matisse, composers Stravinsky and Debussy, designer Coco Chanel, and playwright Jean Cocteau, teaming them up with top choreographers and dancers. His main goal was not primarily to entertain, but rather to excite and inspire and inflame. That’s the spirit I think you’ll thrive on in the coming weeks, Cancerian. It’s not a time for nice diversions and comfy satisfactions. Go in quest of Ballets Russes-like bouts of arousal, awakening, and delight. LEO (Jul 23-Aug 22): “Don’t ever tame your demons—always keep them on a leash.” That’s a line from a song by Irish rock musician Hozier. Does it have any meaning for you? Can your personal demons somehow prove useful to you if you keep them wild but under your control? If so, how exactly might they be useful? Could they provide you with primal energy you wouldn’t otherwise possess? Might their presence be a reminder of the fact that everyone you meet has their own demons and therefore deserves your compassion? I suspect that these are topics worthy of your consideration right now. Your relationship to your demons is ripe for transformation—possibly even a significant upgrade. VIRGO (Aug 23-Sep 22): Will you be the difficult wizard, Virgo? Please say yes. Use your magic to summon elemental forces that will shatter the popular obstacles. Offer the tart medicine that tempers and tests as it heals. Bring us bracing revelations that provoke a fresher, sweeter order. I know it’s a lot to ask, but right now there’s no one more suited to the tasks. Only you can manage the stern grace that will keep us honest. Only you have the tough humility necessary to solve the riddles that no one else can even make sense of. LIBRA (Sep 23-Oct 22): My message this week might be controversial to the Buddhists among you. But I’ve got to report the cosmic trends as I see them, right? It’s my sacred duty not to censor or sanitize the raw data. So here’s the truth as I understand it: More desire is the answer to your pressing
questions. Passionate intensity is the remedy for all wishy-washy wishes and anesthetized emotions. The stronger your longing, the smarter you’ll be. So if your libido is not already surging and throbbing under its own power, I suggest you get it teased and tantalized until it does. SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21): Karelu is a word from the Tulu language that’s spoken in South India. It refers to the marks made on human skin by clothing that’s too tight. As you know, the effect is temporary. Once the close-fitting garment is removed, the imprint will eventually disappear as the skin restores its normal shape and texture. I see the coming days as being a time when you will experience a metaphorical version of karelu, Scorpio. You will shed some form of constriction, and it may take a while for you to regain your full flexibility and smoothness. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21): Georgia is not just an American state. It’s also a country that’s at the border of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Many people who live there speak the Georgian language. They have a word, shemomedjamo, that refers to what happens when you love the taste of the food you’re eating so much that you continue to pile it in your mouth well past the time when you’re full. I’d like to use it as a metaphor for what I hope you won’t do in the coming days: get too much of a good thing. On the other hand, it’s perfectly fine to get just the right, healthy amount of a good thing. CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19): When you’re a driver in a car race, an essential rule in making a successful pit stop is to get back on the track as quickly as possible. Once the refueling is finished and your new tires are in place, you don’t want to be cleaning out your cup holder or checking the side-view mirror to see how you look. Do I really need to tell you this? Aren’t you usually the zodiac’s smartest competitor? I understand that you’re trying to become more skilled at the arts of relaxation, but can’t you postpone that until after this particular race is over? Remember that there’s a difference between the bad kind of stress and the good kind. I think you actually need some of the latter. AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18): Until the early 20th century, mayonnaise was considered a luxury food, a hand-made delicacy reserved for the rich. An entrepreneur named Richard Hellman changed that. He developed an efficient system to produce and distribute the condiment at a lower cost. He put together effective advertising campaigns. The increasing availability of refrigeration helped, too, making mayonnaise a more practical food. I foresee the possibility of a comparable evolution in your own sphere, Aquarius: the transformation of a specialty item into a mainstay, or the evolution of a rare pleasure into a regular occurrence. PISCES (Feb 19-Mar 20): Piscean author Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated over 40 books for children. Midway through his career, his publisher dared him to make a new book that used no more than 50 different words. Accepting the challenge, Seuss produced “Green Eggs and Ham,” which went on to become the fourth best-selling English-language children’s book in history. I invite you to learn from Seuss’s efforts, Pisces. How? Take advantage of the limitations that life has given you. Be grateful for the way those limitations compel you to be efficient and precise. Use your constraints as inspiration to create a valuable addition to your life story.
Homework: When was the last time you loved yourself with consummate artfulness and grace? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com. HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 37
First Person TVB MC and actor Patrick Dunn Dang Chi-fung is known for his clean-cut roles, starring in soaps such as “Triumph in the Skies” and “Men is Pain.” He has also become popular online for what netizens perceive as a likeness to Buzz Lightyear. He tells Isabelle Hon about being a naughty child, collecting antiques and his life philosophy. I was born in 1962. I went to La Salle Primary School. In my childhood I was chubby and naughty. I always failed exams. Once, I stole my father’s chop and stamped my school results [so his parents would not see them]. My teacher found out and asked to see my parents. Then I pretended I was my father and typed a letter refusing her.
We had to finish everything before 4pm in the wild, or the lions would come out. My image on screen is always positive, the perfect fit for lawyers and policemen. But to be a good actor you can’t have just one side. And to be a good director you need to explore the different sides of an actor.
With all the grammatical mistakes, obviously she found out. She called my parents. My father hit me with a feather duster. I didn’t forget that.
In the past most of my jobs were as an MC, talking seriously. In “Dragon Loaded,” I was playing a serious character who came across as funny. It brought my talents into full play.
Playing football and cycling were the only fun things during my childhood. I didn’t like to study at all.
Nowadays I am getting picky with scripts. I really want people to cast me because the role fits Patrick Dunn, not because they need some random man who is my age.
I wasn’t born with the desire to perform. I wasn’t that talkative as a child. I went to America to study in a city called Cambridge, north of Boston. I didn’t have any friends there, so I could only concentrate on my studies. I got into Boston University and studied accounting. After graduation, I moved to Toronto and was an accountant for four years. It was never my dream. I decided to do something interesting after coming back to Hong Kong.
That’s why I have so many hobbies. I have a single-engine private pilot license, and I’ve hit 2,000 hours of aerobatics in the last two years. I formed a band with some old friends a few years ago. Being an MC is like playing golf: you have to focus and no one is going to disturb you. Don’t keep thinking of the mistakes you’ve made. You also won’t know what happens next. There are never setbacks in my life. Life is a mixture of ups and downs: see the downs as a break and pave your way to the ups.
I also volunteered part-time for the British army at that time. Every weekend we went to the Frontier Closed Area to practice shooting. We disbanded around 1995.
I used to buy gold and property but it devalued all the time, so now I have turned to collecting antique things like leather and classic guitars. At least I can play with them.
Later on, I joined ATV and hosted current affairs programs.
Many people call me “Buzz” since they think I look like Buzz Lightyear. What do you think?
I enjoy working, but I’ve never liked the workflow of the TV industry: the need to produce day and night.
There was a rumor that I was going to sue Disneyland, but it was a joke.
But the most unforgettable experiences were from “The Last Breakthrough.” We went to Kenya for three weeks. Yes, at that time TVB had more budget to produce soap operas.
ups and downs: see the downs as a break and pave your way to the ups.”
To keep working your entire life is meaningless. I’d prefer to jump out of the loop and reflect, then plan for my next milestone.
I applied to be a DJ at Commercial Radio to host programs and talk shows with [comedian] Dayo Wong Tze-wah and [cartoonist] Craig AuYeung Ying-chai.
I started taking part in soap operas in 1994. Most people know me from “Triumph in the Skies” in 2003.
“ Life is a mixture of
Learn to control your mind and be positive. This always benefits you, especially artists. Always keep a beginner’s mindset when you do things. Keep your curiosity as if it’s your first time. It’s refreshing. See Patrick Dunn in “Smooth Talker,” Mon-Fri, 9:30pm on TVB Jade.
Need to Know…
38 HK MAGAZINE
FRIDAY, april 17, 2015
Photo: Tony Leung
Patrick Dunn is a celebrity MC and a soap and film star, possibly best known for a recurring role as bumbling cop “Deng Sir” in the “Dragon Loaded” movie series. Dunn saw internet fame thanks to a perceived likeness to “Toy Story” character Buzz Lightyear: A rumor claims that he sued Disneyland for copyright infringement.
©Syco Television and FremantleMedia North America Production.
© ITV 2014
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