Hong Kong Island Magazine April 2013

April 2013

Free every month

EATING EVENTS FAMILY LIVING EDUCATION

193 things to do this month

JUNK TRIPPIN’ Let’s get wet !

+ heritage restaurants

Finding Nemo

Scuba diving in Hong Kong

the really useful magazine April 2013 4

Coming up

6

News

What's happening in April: Asia Contemporary Art Show, pillow fight and Dirty Dancing.

A six-storey rubber duck, Lions vs Barbarians and more.

10

Feature

16

Eating

20

Home

22

Family

24

Outdoors

28

Health and beauty

30

Me & My Money

Junk trippin': your guide to boating in Hong Kong.

Historic restaurants, Chanel cookies and new openings.

Cheerful spring homeware.

FACT of the month

{

Its plans to bulldoze the shophouses... led to a public outcry and the URA performed a U-turn — p.16

{

Fun things to do on dull days.

Finding Nemo: Scuba diving in Hong Kong.

Publisher

Tom Hilditch

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Assistant Editor

Clara Chan

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Kawai Wong

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Contributors

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Karishma Sujan karishma@fastmedia.com.hk Art Director

Sammy Ko

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38 The Ultimate Guide

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Christian Rhomberg opens his wallet.

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Nobel Cho

Crossfit training in Fortress Hill.

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42 Zoo-diac Hong Kong Island Magazine is published by Fast Media Ltd. This magazine is published on the understanding that the publishers, advertisers, contributors and their employees are not responsible for the results of any actions, errors and omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication. The publisher, advertisers, contributors and their employees expressly disclaim all and any liability to any person, whether a reader of this publication or not, in respect of any action or omission by this publication. Hong Kong Island Magazine cannot be held responsible for any errors or inaccuracies provided by advertisers or contributors. The views herein are not necessarily shared by the staff or pubishers.

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|3

coming up

May 23-26 Asia Contemporary Art Show Exhibition showcasing the work of Asia’s young, emerging and recognised artists. JW Marriott Hotel, Hong Kong, Pacific Place, Central. For details visit www.asiacontemporaryart.com Want tickets?

We’re giving away VIP tickets to the Asia Contemporary Art Show to the first people to join our mailing list. To enter, email your full name and mailing address to free@hkisland.com with the subject: ASIA CONTEMPORARY ART SHOW.

Apr 4 Ching Ming Festival Public holiday and a good excuse for a hike.

Daniel Bretts

Apr 6 Hong Kong Pillow Fight Day Dress up (pyjamas at least) and take your own pillow to Chater Garden, Central, for a cushiony battle. The whistle blows at 4pm. Details at 2013. pillowfightday.com.

4 | www.hkisland.com

Apr 6 30-Hour Famine World Vision's famine fundraiser enters its 30th year. Join the eighthour experience or 30-hour famine camp (minimum donations of $400 and $1,200 respectively), including workshops, games and concerts.

From 2pm, Aberdeen Athletic Field, Aberdeen, 30.wordvision.org.hk.

Apr 3-8 Sotheby's Spring Auction Wines, contemporary Asian paintings and timepieces valued at $70,000$6 million go under the hammer.

Hall 5, HKCEC, Wan Chai. Details at www.sothebys.com.

Apr 6 Golden Boxer Two-time Olympic gold medallist and three-time World Amateur champion Zou Shiming makes his professional debut at Cotai Arena, Macau. Tickets $80-$2,680 from www.cotaiticketing.com.

Apr 13 Beertopia!

Hong Kong’s largest craft beer festival returns with lectures, food, music, games and lots of beer. West Kowloon Waterfront. Tickets $250-$500 from www.beertopiahk.com.

Apr 13 Club Clicquot Vingt-Trois Return of the famous Kee Club party with international DJ Osunlade – the messiah of ancestral house music – spinning the tunes and bringing down the house. Tickets $300 from Kee Club, 6/F, 32 Wellington Street, Central, 2810 9000.

Apr 5, 12 Hong Kong Culture Design Seminars Featuring local designers Michael Miller Yu (April 5) and Douglas Young (April 4). Hong Kong Design Institute, 3 King Ling Road, Tseung Kwan O, 2928 2894. Tickets $150 from www.hkdi-designdialogue.com.

Apr 15-21 Circa Pop-up store Pop-up store by renowned Londonbased vintage furniture dealer Circa, selling 1950s-70s furniture and accessories from the US and Europe, including pieces by Willy Rizzo and Studio Jansen. Priced at $3,000$60,000. The Space, 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, 9180 7716.

Apr 20 Homegrown Foods Harvest Feast Eleven of the city’s most talented chefs cook up an organic feast right on the New Territories’ farm where the produce is grown. Tickets $1,488 ($888 for children) including food, drinks and bus transfer from Central. Available from 2671 2771, www.homegrownfoods.com, and participating restaurants (see website for details).

Apr 17-Jun 23 Le French May The annual celebration of all things French turns 21 this year, with more than 500 events in visual arts, classical and contemporary music, dance, opera, drama, circus and films. Details at www.frenchmay.com.

Apr 19-28 Dirty Dancing The 80s movie classic comes to life with Baby and Johnny and 38 dancers live on stage. HK Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.

Tickets $395-$995 from cityline.com. hk, 2111 5333.

Apr 22 Earth Day Support environmental protection, www.earthday.org.

Apr 20-23 HK Houseware Fair Homeware heaven with famous brands such as Umbra, Dartington Crystal and Glassclock among hundreds of exhibitors. HKCEC, 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, 2240 4372.

Eric Ng

Apr 26 Partial lunar eclipse The moon goes out (partly) from 3.54am-4.21am.

Apr 27 Hong Kong Melody Makers concert Performance by a capella youth choir.

Hong Kong City Hall, Central.

Tickets $150-$220 from urbtix.hk, 2111 5999.

BOOK NOW May 1 Barclays MoonTrekker Registration opens for the overnight endurance hike on Lantau Peak on October 18 in aid of literacy charity Room to Read. Details at www. barclaysmoontrekker.com.

May 6 Blur Live Britpop’s finest bash out stonkers for girls who like boys like their girls, etc. AsiaWorld-Arena, Lantau. Tickets $480-$880 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

May 18 Sibelius Jason Lai conducts Stefan Temmingh and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall, Central. Tickets $180-$320 from www.urbtix.hk, 2111 5999.

May 21 Sigur Ros Ethereal ambient soundscapes from the Icelandic band.

AsiaWorld-Expo, Lantau.

Tickets $750 from www. hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Jun 1 British & Irish Lions vs Barbarians World-class rugby at Hong Kong Stadium. Tickets $750-$1,290 from www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288.

Be inspired Weight Watchers fits around your life, not the other way around! And now with our new improved weight-loss plan, Weight Watchers 360˚, what better time to join. ®

Come and join Weight Watchers today!

Meeting locations YWCA – McDonnell Road Mondays 12pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm Repulse Bay/Happy Valley – Hong Kong Cricket Club Thursdays 10am

Kowloon USRC Mondays 6:30pm Visit www.weightwatchers.com.hk or call 2813 0814 for meeting details and current schedules.

Email your event to editor@hkisland.com www.hkisland.com

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news Asia Contemporary Art Show

More than 2,000 original paintings, sculptures and photographs by young, emerging and established Asian artworks will go on sale at reasonable prices at the Asia Contemporary Art Show. It is also accepting entries until April 22 from Hong Kong-based painters for the inaugural Hong Kong Art Prize. The $80,000 cash prize will be presented on May 16. The exhibition will be held on May 23-26 at the J.W. Marriott, Hong Kong, Pacific Place, Central. Tickets $120-$240 from www.asiacontemporaryart.com. Artists interesting in entering the Hong Kong Art Prize will find details at the website.

From SoHo to PoHo Bazaar

What’s up, duck?

Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s 16.5m rubber duck paddles into Victoria Harbour on May 2. The six-storey bath toy floated for the first time in 2007 and has since toured Amsterdam, Osaka, San Paulo and Sydney. The rubber duck will be at Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui, from May 2 to June 9.

Zoggs 1st Trainer Swimseat

First came LKF, then SoHo. Now the cool gang has shifted west to PoHo, the formerly sleepy residential area of Po Hing Fong, north of Tai Ping Shan Street. Galleries, design firms, cafes and vintage shops are proliferating in this newly gentrified area, and they’re keen to introduce the rest of us to what is going on in the neighbourhood. The area’s businesses are teaming up for a one-day Poho Bazaar in Po Hing Fong on June 1. Cue entertainment, mingling, fun and shopping.

Sand & Water Playtable

Football Target Game

Spring is here at

3mths+ or 12mths+

$175 Summer Grobags

$270 Explorer 200 Boat

from

$325

Bubble Machine

Platypus Swimwear & UV Hats

$299 Giant Water Soaker

$180

$499

from

$125

Parachute

$150

Popup Pool

$489.90

$375

Pedder Building Store 5/F Pedder Building,12 Pedder Street, Central T: 2522 7112 Horizon Plaza Store 21/F Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau T: 2552 5000 www.bumpstobabes.com 6 | www.hkisland.com

Hear them roar

The all-star British and Irish Lions rugby team will be playing in Hong Kong on June 1 before embarking on a six-week tour of Australia. They will be playing the Barbarians Club, made up of the best players from Italy, South Africa and France.

It will be the first time the Lions have played at the Hong Kong Stadium, and only their second outing against the famous Baa-Baas. The occasion marks the 125th anniversary of the Lions tour, which happens every four years in Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. Gates open at 4pm, with kick off at 7.30pm. Tickets from $750 from www.hkticketing.com. For details, visit www.lionsrugby.hk.

bébégarten opens

New kindergarten Bébégarten opens on April 8 in a 10,000 sq ft space in One Island South, Aberdeen. With a curriculum that cherry-picks the best of pre-school learning philosophies from around the world, the new kindergarten has six 700 sq ft classrooms, two playgrounds designed for small children, two visual and performing arts’ rooms as well as a lounge area with coffee bar and resource library for parents. Level 3, One Island South, 3487 2255, www.bebegarten.com.

Too cute

These sweet plastic shoes are just the thing for Children’s Day on April 4. Find them at MDreams, 5/F, Times Square, Causeway Bay, 2110 1512.

www.hkisland.com

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news Leslie Cheung exhibition

Sustainable glamour

The death of Hong Kong music and movie star Leslie Cheung shocked his fans a decade ago.

Now a series of events are commemorating Cheung’s artistic achievements. An exhibition showcasing his costumes and awards, as well as film clips and interviews with the artists and directors who knew him best, will be held at Times Square, Causeway Bay, until May 1. A separate Leslie Cheung film exhibition at Hong Kong Cultural Centre ends April 2.

European fashion giant H&M, long known for so-called disposable fashion, is combatting its wasteful image with a new collection of partywear made from sustainable fabrics. The Conscious Exclusive collection for men and women will feature clothing and accessories in organic cotton, recycled polyester, recycled polyamide and Tencel. For women, there are dramatic 40s-styled dresses and for men, there are sharply tailored redcarpet suits, with a nod to Hedi Slimane’s signature slim fit. It will be available in stores from April 4.

Naturally Nanny

Naturally Nanny is a new nanny agency, offering one-off, short- and long-term professional babysitters, nannies and governesses. It has been set up to plug a gap in the market for parents looking for native speakers of Cantonese, Mandarin, English or European languages to care for their children.

All nannies will have a minimum of two years’ childcare experience and hold valid Hong Kong working visas; the agency will also thoroughly check all qualifications and references. The agency requires a minimum of 24 hours notice to find a suitable carer and personnel are only hired for child-related duties, not domestic help. For details, visit www.naturallynanny.com.

Pop-up vintage shops

The Space is hosting two pop-up vintage furniture shopping opportunities this month. First up is 18th- and 19th-century furniture – upholstered bergere chairs, velvet chaise longues, lyre tables – from Authentiques on April 6-10. This will be swiftly followed by 1950s-70s furniture and accessories from London furniture dealer, Circa, from April 15 to 21. Circa, which counts Sir Bob Geldof as a client, will showcase classic pieces by designers such as Willy Rizzo, Romeo Rega, Maison Charles, Studio Jansen and Mahey. Prices will range from $3,000 to $60,000. 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, 3575 8102.

New media gallery opens

Two-dimensional art is so last year. Enter Island6, a Shanghai collective of selfproclaimed “tech-geeks and creative talents” that specialises in new media. After making headlines at the Auckland Arts Festival and Lotus de Vivre Gallery in Bangkok, Island6 is opening in Hong Kong. Its inaugural exhibition, “Need. Want. Hunt”, presents interactive multimedia artworks in the form of LED, video and post-contemporary painted images. Open Wed-Sun, 11.30am-7.30pm, until May 19. 1 New Street, Sheung Wan, 2517 7566, www.island6.org.

Call the WiFi Guy! Mobile : +852 9385 8379 Email : wifiguy.hk@gmail.com 8 | www.hkisland.com

feature

Junk trippin’ Where to drop anchor in Hong Kong.

By Kawai Wong.

GOLD COAST

O

n a beautiful morning, the top deck of a junk cruising out of the harbour is a setting that brings clarity of thought and purpose. With a beer in hand and the weekend spreadeagled before you, the existence of Monday can be denied against the backdrop of spectacular island formations, warbling jetskis and the odd cargo ship. In the grip of such

seafaring spirituality you may find yourself able to wrestle with a mid-life crisis or come to terms, intellectually, with the banging pantomime that is Chinese opera. If you are at the crossroads of a moral dilemma it may be worth organising a junk trip if only to secure some quality time with the South China morning coast. Here’s how to go about it.

Tung Chung Pier

Tai O

Cheung Sha Beach

LAMMA

Tai O, Lantau Who: Eco-tourists, seafood lovers and heritage trailers Why: Visit the Chinese pink dolphins in the waters off northwest Lantau.

Hong Kong Dolphinwatch (2984 1414) offers private charters for $11,200, including boat hire and guides for up to 56 people, with a stop for lunch at one of Tai O’s seafood restaurants.

Where to embark: Tung Chung Old Pier or Tuen Mun; embarking in the city means a sail time of three hours or more.

10 | www.hkisland.com

Lamma Island Who: Seafood lovers, sunbathers, turtle-spotters Why: A short hop from Aberdeen, the seafood restaurants of Sok Kwu Wan are a junk-trip favourite. Once you’ve eaten your fill of black-pepper prawns, steamed garoupa and scallops, snooze on the top deck as your junk potters round to Sham Wan, a secluded cove with a white sand beach where green turtles lay eggs in season.

Where to embark: Aberdeen or Stanley.

Cheung Sha Beach, Lantau Island Who: Surfers and beach lovers Why: This three-kilometre beach has golden sand and shallow waters, with a surf school and watersports centre on the beach. Keep an eye open for feral cows. Due to the beach’s location close to the mouth of the Pearl River, the water tends to be murky. Decamp to The Stoep for lunch.

Where to embark: Central or Aberdeen.

Deep Water Bay & Repulse Bay, Hong Kong Island Who: Watersports lovers and party people Why: There’s a reason yacht clubs have bases on Middle Island, between these two beaches: there’s good wind yet the water is relatively calm all year round, making the area suitable for sailing, kitesurfing and wakeboarding.

Then there are the lovely beaches and Lamma’s seafood restaurants nearby for lunch.

Where to embark: Aberdeen or Stanley.

Junk food Ma Liu Shui

SAI KUNG PIER Long Ke

Pak Sha Wan

Long Ke, Sai Kung Who: Sunbathers and swimmers.

Why: With clear turquoise water and almost a kilometre of golden sand backed by pines, this beach could be in Thailand. Although not patrolled by lifeguards, it has bins and portaloos for hikers walking down from the nearby Geopark. It’s a fair hike from the piers and you may be charged extra by some companies.

Where to embark: Sai Kung or Pak Sha Wan. Central Piers

Snake Bay M beach

bLUFF ISLAND

sai wan ho pier

po toi o

Main St. Deli Lower lobby, The Langham Hong Kong, 8 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2132 7898.

This US deli will deliver buffetstyle dishes straight to the pier for your next junk party. Pick up the special menu, choose appetisers, sandwiches, meat platters and desserts and email it back.

Yau Ley Sha Kiu Tsuen, High Island, 2791 1822, www.yauleyseafood.com.hk.

At weekends, this Cantonese seafood restaurant, between Snake Bay and Millionaires Beach, is thronged with rosy-cheeked junk trippers and yachties chowing down on deep-fried squid, curry crab and steamed garoupa.

Seafood Island Restaurant aberdeen

7 Po Toi O, 2719 5730.

After a day at the Sai Kung or Clearwater Bay beaches, drop anchor off Po Toi O. It’s a working fishing village famous for its seafood – try mantis shrimp, razor clams with black bean and scallops with garlic and rice noodles.

Deep water Bay

STANLEY

Rainbow Seafood Restaurant

Millionaires Beaches, Sai Kung Who: Junk trippers, families.

Why: The most popular bay in the area is thronged with junks on summer weekends, attracted by the white sand and turquoise waters of the two sheltered beaches. Big Millionaires has a warm lagoon and small stream that provides hours of fun for dam-builders. Little Millionaires tends to be the domain of private-boat owners (and Jaspas parties). Go early, stay late or moor up out of season.

Where to embark: Sai Kung or Pak Sha Wan.

Bluff Island, Sai Kung Who: Sunbathers, swimmers, scuba divers and snorkellers Why: Accessible only by private boat, Bluff has a pretty beach (Ung Kong Wan) but the big attraction here is the coral reef protected by a conservation zone on the left of the bay. Look for the submerged jeep just offshore, said to have been cut adrift by smugglers in the 1990s. There are snakes and boar on the island, plus a hiking track to the summit – for those who don’t object to the wildlife, that is.

Where to embark: Sai Kung or Pak Sha Wan.

Snake Bay, Sai Kung Who: Hikers, adventurers, swimmers and snorkellers.

Why: There’s a small beach with some large rocks and, just around the corner, a calm cove that is ripple-free on even the windiest days. A hiking track leads over the hill to Yau Ley seafood restaurant at Sha Kiu Tsuen, and on into Sai Kung Country Park.

In the bay, former guesthouse Club Captain Bear is now eerily empty.

Look for the fibreglass giraffe and orangutan in the grounds. Spooky!

Where to embark: Sai Kung or Pak Sha Wan.

First Street, Sok Kwu Wan, Lamma, 2982 8100.

Rainbow Seafood is the oldest and biggest (800 seats) restaurant on Lamma. It serves Cantonese-style seafood, such as deep-fried squid with salt and pepper, fried razor clams with black bean and chilli.

The Stoep 32 Lower Cheung Sha Village, Lantau, 2980 2699.

A cheerful South African barbecue restaurant, The Stoep is a laidback place, with a large terrace and tables on the sand. It specializes in heaping platters of grilled meat and homemade bread with dips such as hummus and tzatziki.

www.hkisland.com

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feature Dreamboats Yours for a dinner, a day, or maybe overnight...

Mustang 2800 cruiser Next time you have visitors who want to do a harbour tour, crank it up a gear by hiring this 28ft Mustang motor cruiser for up to seven people. You can customise your own tour or choose from existing itineraries, including trips around the harbour, a ships and bridges tour, and out to the Geopark and Sai Kung beaches. Prices start at $2,300 for a one-hour cruise, rising to $5,700 for circumnavigating Hong Kong Island.

Reservations: Intimate Charters, 9211 0929, www.intimate-charters.com.

D’Estree Bay Due to arrive in Hong Kong this month, D’Estree Bay is a glamorous 46ft sailing catamaran that will make you the envy of every junktripper in the bay. Gleaming, beautiful and stable even in rough seas, this Schionning catamaran can carry 15 people, plus crew. With three queen-sized cabins, a large saloon and a galley, it can be hired for day trips, dinner parties or overnight stays.

Reservations: Hong Kong Yachting, www.hongkongyachting.com, 2526 0151.

Jungle Jane This converted Australian cray-fishing boat has a vast deck that has been turned into a sunlit party space with a powerful sound system, bean bags and a dance floor for up to 49 guests. There’s a swimming platform for showing off your signature dives, Catuma floating lounges for bobbing about in a horizontal position, and a powerful engine for getting you where you want to go at speed. It costs $350 a person from 10am-6pm.

Reservations: Hong Kong Yachting, www.hongkongyachting.com, 2526 0151.

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The Bounty The only tall ship in Hong Kong, The Bounty is a 138ft beauty that turns heads wherever she sails. She’s cut from the same cloth as the ships that novelist Joseph Conrad once worked on as a merchant seaman from 1874 to 1894. While Conrad would have sweated between decks with hundreds of crew, you’ll be able to swan around in luxury with up to 60 other guests. The Bounty can be hired for day trips, lunches on deck or in the cabin (seats 15), with berths for 21 sleepyheads. It costs $41,000 for seven hours.

Reservations: Saffron Cruises, www.saffron-cruises.com, 2857 1311.

Michelangelo Classier than your average junk, the 88-foot Michelangelo is a vision in mahogany, teak and copper. Its list of clientele is pretty swank too, including the Crown Prince of Denmark, Prince Albert of Monaco, and Richard Branson. It can accommodate up to 59 guests on its sundecks, dining room, living room, bar and five sleeping cabins. An eight-hour charter is $23,000.

Reservations: Beatrice on 6621 1691, beatrice@luxuryjunk. com.hk, www. luxuryjunk.com.hk.

feature All aboard Where to hire a junk.

Aqua Luna This traditional wooden sailing junk serves as a glam bar that sails nightly from Central Pier 9 at 7.30pm in time for the Symphony of Lights. Enjoy the spectacle with an eponymous Aqua Luna cocktail. 2854 1813, www.aqualuna.com.hk.

Hong Kong Yachting Charters 30- and 40-person junks equipped with iPod systems, as well as two racing yachts, the 40ft Circus (for 10 people, plus crew) and 60ft V1 (for 18 people, plus crew).

And, yes, you will be expected to haul on a few ropes. 2526 0151, www.hongkongyachting.com.

Island Junks A fleet of teak junks can accommodate up to 50 guests with a range of add-on services, including Thai massage. 2877 5222, www.islandjunks.com.hk.

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Jaspas Party Junks These junks are a blast, with great barbecued food, bottomless Sea Breeze cocktails (plus beer, wine, soft drinks), pre-loaded iPods and that famous Jaspas hospitality. 2792 6001, www.jaspasjunk.com.

Jubilee Rents junks and Western-style cruisers for day trips, fishing and squid trips, along with a wide range of toys such as banana boats and wakeboarding.

Catering available. 3555 5666, www.jubilee.hk.

Mes Amis A fully catered 44ft party junk for up to 32 guests, with bottomless cocktails, beers, wine and soft drinks and a Western menu served by onboard staff. Pickup locations on Hong Kong Island and Tsim Sha Tsui. Speedboat available. 3170 7063, www.mesamis.com.hk.

Pana Oceans Junks and cruisers for 33-58 people, with catering options available.

2815 8235, www.panaoceans.com.

Standard Boat This long-established company has a fleet of wooden junks, luxury motorboats, yachts and even ferries.

2570 1792, www.standardboat.hk.

Vikings Charter A fleet of catered or non-catered junks, plus speedboats for banana boating, water-skiing and wakeboarding. 2576 8992, www.boatandboating.com.

Learn to sail Want to learn the ropes? The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Hebe Haven Yacht Club and Aberdeen Boat Club all operate well-regarded sailing training courses for adults and children at all levels of ability.

Dinghy and keelboat (larger boats with a solid keel) courses are available. For details, visit the clubs’ websites: www.rhkyc.org.hk, www. hhyc.org.hk, www.abclubhk.com.

Saffron Cruises also runs keelboat courses aboard a 21ft training yacht and a 44ft Jeanneau racing yacht.

For details, call 2857 1311 or email info@saffron-cruises.com.

eating

Historic

eats

Pull up a seat in one of Hong Kong’s classic restaurants.

The Pawn 62 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, 2866 3444.

When was it built?

1888.

What was it like?

The Pawn was originally built as a row of shophouses on newly reclaimed land in Wan Chai, using mainly wood and bricks in the typical Lingnan architectural style. At street level, the building housed four family-run clothing businesses and hair salons, including Woo Cheong Pawn Shop at number 66, from which The Pawn restaurant and bar gets its name. Long balconies connected the four upstairs apartments, which were residences for Hong Kong Chinese. In 2003, the dilapidated buildings were bought by the Urban Renewal Authority for

16 | www.hkisland.com

$25 million. But its plans to bulldoze the shophouses to make way for luxury apartments and offices led to a public outcry and the URA performed a U-turn, spending $15 million on refurbishing and modernising the building in 2007. Today, the Pawn has a colonial-influenced interior by Stanley Wong that includes many of the buildings’ original features.

What to eat?

The menu is modern British, including classics such as fish & chips and bangers and mash, as well as real ale, wines and cocktails. The Pawn recently launched a Victorian-style afternoon tea ($295), served Friday to Sunday and on public holidays, for diners to enjoy quintessentially British tea delicacies such as scones, sandwiches, quiches and strawberry cheesecakes.

The Peak Lookout 121 Peak Road, The Peak, 2849 1000.

When was it built?

1902.

What was it like?

Although the Peak Lookout is located in one of the most prestigious areas in Hong Kong, this century-old restaurant had a humble beginning.

Long before the Peak Tram was built, sedan-chair coolies would carry taipans up Old Peak Road for soirees at the Peak Hotel, a starry establishment perched directly opposite the current Peak Lookout.

Left outside on sunny days, the chairs would heat up and grill the taipans’ seats, so in 1898 it was proposed that a permanent structure be erected near

the hotel as a shelter for the chairs and their bearers. By 1902, the masonry was completed using leftover blue stones from the construction of the Governor’s Peak residence, Mountain Lodge. Four decades later, in 1947, the government permitted the trading of light refreshments, paving the way for The Peak Cafe – the forerunner of the SoHo bar – which later made way for The Peak Lookout.

Today, Old Peak Road is still open to foot traffic, making a perfect – if steep – downhill passegiata for walking off your meal.

What to eat?

An extensive menu of Asian favourites, Western dishes, jetfresh seafood at the oyster bar plus barbecued items. Wines come from Australia, Chile, Italy and China.

There’s also a cocktail menu.

Old school (Clockwise from far left) The Pawn dining room; inside Saigon; French elegance at Gaddi’s; a tandoori dish at The Peak Lookout; The Peak Lookout interior; tea at The Pawn.

Gaddi’s Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2315 2171.

When was it built?

1928.

What was it like?

Although the Peninsula hotel was built in 1928, Gaddi’s – the French restaurant of “the finest hotel East of Suez” – opened in 1953, 12 years after the British surrendered to the Japanese in the Peninsula Lobby during World War II. It may have missed that slice of history, but beyond its windows Gaddi’s witnessed the tracks of the Kowloon Canton Railway become the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade, and the one-time tallest building in Hong Kong become dwarfed by skyscrapers.

Its European-style interior reflects

the neoclassical design of the hotel, with its signature blue and gold carpet, a 1670 coromandel screen from the Beijing Summer Palace and two six-foot Christofle chandeliers. In keeping with its elegant surrounds, a dress code is strictly enforced: diners must wear close-toed shoes and gentlemen must wear collared shirts, jackets and long trousers.

What to eat?

Gaddi’s may have created the city’s first chef ’s table, where diners sit in the kitchen. In a nod to Queen Elizabeth II, who was crowned the year Gaddi’s opened, chef Rémi van Peteghem has created an eight-course Diamond Jubilee degustation menu ($1,953), available on the second Sunday of each month. The tasting experience is rounded off with elegant tableside silver service.

Saigon 1/F, Murray House, Stanley, 2899 0999 When was it built? 1844, demolished in 1982 and re-erected in 2000.

What was it like?

A grand stone building in the classical style – complete with Doric and Ionic columns – Murray House was originally built as the officers’ quarters of Murray Barracks in Central. During the Japanese occupation in World War II, the site was the headquarters of the Japanese military police, who used it as an execution ground and prison for Chinese citizens. More than 4,000 people are thought to have died during the 44-month occupation.

Post-war, the building was thought

to be haunted and has been exorcised twice. From 1975 to 1982, it was the headquarters for the Rating and Valuation Department. In 1982 the building was demolished to make way for the Bank of China tower. More than 3,000 blocks were labelled and stored, then later rebuilt in its current site in Stanley, which opened in 1999.

Today, Vietnamese restaurant Saigon occupies part of the first floor, with tables on the verandah and an interior designed to reflect French colonialera Vietnam with rattan fans turning gently overhead and grand French doors opening out to panoramic views of the South China Sea. What’s to eat?

Traditional Vietnamese dishes such as shrimp cakes, chicken skewers, spring rolls and lemon grass chicken curry. www.hkisland.com

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eating

The dish

DINING in

with Kawai Wong

Healthy foods The Genie Concept For those who need help with their detox, Australian nutrition students Melanie White and Cara Grogan create yummy detox juices, delivered free in a lovely cooler bag with ice packs.

Six bottles cost $600. www. thegenieconcept.com.

It’s late, you’ve been drinking, and now you have the munchies. Instead of the usual suspects (McD’s, kebabs, Tsui Wah noodles), try a healthier option at Lily & Bloom. It’s serving oysters every Friday and Saturday from midnight to 2am. Slurp and sip.

6/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, 2810 6166.

Just what prevents the surprise from being a duck foetus? So I was pleased to see the new Carte Blanche tasting menu at Petrus, the French restaurant at Island Shangri-La, offers diners a choice of vegetable, fish, meat and sweet ingredients for their mystery meal. Available at weekend lunches until April 28. Call 2820 8590.

For healthy Chinese food, try the expanded MSG-free menu at Heichinrou Central. New dishes include double-boiled fish maw soup with shitake and, my favourite, fried rice with Iberico ham, olives and spring onions.

Nexxus Building, 41 Connaught Road Central, 2868 9229

Springtime at Ms B’s Cakery.

Spring has sprung at Bonnie Gokson’s Ms B’s Cakery with a new cake collection including the Kaleidoscope – panna cotta and vanilla chiffon with fruit jellies ($380/500g). Yum. 39 Gough Street, Central, 2815 8303.

I feel the same way about tasting menus as I do about being asked to put my hand into a black box to feel an unknown object: squeamish.

18 | www.hkisland.com

Armani Privé’s new White Saturday Brunches are drawing party people, with a glass of Perrier Jouët champagne or Grey Goose Vodka Bloody Mary, plus food and live music ($420). Dress like Diddy.

Saturdays, 12.30pm-7pm. 2F, Chater House, 8 Connaught Road, Central, 3583 2828.

It’s not easy organising a meal out for Hong Kong families, when Grandma eats only Chinese food, baby brother doesn’t like dim sum, and aunty won’t cross the harbour.

Solution: Spring Deer for classic Beijing food. Last time, we bumped into Sammo Hung and Choi Lan – picture op! 1/F, 42 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2366 4012.

Breathing new life into Alan Yau’s St Betty Restaurant is two Michelinstarred Aussie chef Shane Osborn (above).

His eclectic new dinner menu fuses the best of east and west in dishes such as Chinese preserved egg white with poached egg wrapped in breadcrumbs. Podium Level Two, IFC Mall, Central, 2979 2100.

OMG! So Sweet’s Yvonne So – sister of my friend Dorothy – has baked some divine cookies shaped like Chanel and Fendi bags. Find them on Facebook or call 9503 8505.

The Spice Store Cut down on salt and sugar without sacrificing flavour by using more spices in your cooking. The Spice Store online shop offers Indian herbs, spices, daal chana and peas at discount prices; for example, 65g of turmeric is just $16. Free delivery on orders of more than $300. www.spicestore.hk.

Homegrown Foods Homegrown Foods grows its own seasonal organic produce in China for delivery to homes in Hong Kong. It also supplies fruits, vegetables and herbs to the Sheung Wan New York-Italian restaurant, Posto Pubblico. Check out the website to order a box of produce, plus tips and recipes. www.homegrownfoods.com.hk.

Anything But Salads Locally produced vegetables and vegan-friendly snacks such as raw cheesy kale crisps ($45) and raw banana walnut ice cream ($60) made without additives or preservatives. Free delivery on orders of more than $300. www. anythingbutsalads.com.

Kinoa This online shop mails dried organic foods such as noodles, pasta, gluten-free lentils and quinoa mix. Delivery by Hong Kong Post, with $20 postage charge on purchases of more than $500. www.kinoa-shop.com.

New restaurants

1

2

3 4

1 Metropolitain French food Another week, another new restaurant in Sai Ying Pun. Metropolitain is unmistakably French, designed to resemble the entrance of a Paris Metro, right down to the art deco glass canopy.

The food is rustic French – onion soup, foie gras, boeuf carotte and more. 46 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, 6292 3779.

2 Mayta Peruvian food The trend for South American food (Brick House, Socialito) continues with this new Peruvian restaurant in the heart of Lan Kwai. It’s the Hong Kong branch of an eponymous Lima restaurant run by celebrity chef Jaime Pesaque, which is on the S. Pellegrino 50 best restaurants list.

3/F, Grand Progress Building, 15-16 Lan Kwai Fong, 2790 0928.

3 Kisses Cupcakes New York cupcakes Gough Street’s New York-style cupcake shop, famous for its delicious almond, green tea and chocolate cupcakes, has opened a new branch in Wan Chai, opposite Sift. G/F, QRE Plaza, 202 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, 2234 0088.

4 Piccolo Pizzeria & Bar Rustic Roman food Davies Street’s relaxed pizzeria Piccolo is opening a new branch in Wan Chai. On the menu are signature thin-crust Roman pizzas and hearty pastas such as linguine vongole. The decor is unpretentious with a soundtrack of pop music from the 1960s-80s. It’s a happy place for a casual get-together with friends. 22 Tai Wong East Street, Wan Chai, 2824 3002.

www.hkisland.com

| 19

home Watch Me wall clock $525, Lost&Found, L8, The One, 100 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2997 8191.

Jeeves lampshade $1,980, Mr. Blacksmith, 88 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, 2529 7721.

Vases From $495. TREE, 28/F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, 2870 1582.

Fresh impressions Give your home a spring makeover with bright and breezy accessories. By Kawai Wong.

Wash Away All Sins soap dispenser $580, Konzepp, 50 Tung Street, Sheung Wan, 2803 0399.

Egg chair $3,990, SofaSale, 2/F, Tung Kin Factory Building, 196-198 Tsat Tsz Mui Road, Quarry Bay, 2541 1230.

Chiquita stool $7,300, Ovo, 60 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, 2529 6060.

Cushion $256, Linen House, www.linenhouse.com.hk.

20 | www.hkisland.com

Bloom Easy chair $16,500, Ovo, as before.

Coat hook $380-$420, Mr. Blacksmith, as before.

Typhoon scale $380, City’super, IFC Mall, Finance Street, Central, 2234 7128.

d boar ping , as before. p o h d C oun ost&F $82, L

Bottle stopper $70, Lost&Found, as before.

DL & Company skull candle $400, Green Furniture, 13 Aberdeen Street, Central, 2322 3263.

Bau Pendant lamp $3,280, Mr. Blacksmith, as before.

Cake plates $265, Attic Lifestyle, www.attic-lifestyle.com. www.hkisland.com

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family

Rainy days & Mondays Fun things to do on dull days, by Carolynne Dear.

Bowling

Bowling is a perennial rainy-day favourite. On Hong Kong Island, the South China Athletics Association has a whopping 10-pin bowling centre, with 60 computerised lanes. The drawback is that you have to be a member to use the facilities: membership is $1,500 for adults or $800 for juniors. (The SCAA has excellents sports facilities, including a 50m indoor pool.) Each

game is $22 weekdays and $35 at weekends; shoe hire is $8. 88 Caroline Hill Road, Causeway Bay, 3577 6932. Otherwise, head across the harbour to Thunder Bowl, which has 22 lanes plus a VIP room with two lanes for private parties and bumpers for kids. A weekday game is $26/adult, $18/child (shoe hire, $9 for adults and $5 for children). Site 8, Whampoa Garden, Hung Hom, 2122 9822, www.thunderbowl.com.hk.

Science Museum

The Hong Kong Science Museum not only gets the little grey cells whirring, but it actively encourages kids to play with the exhibits, 70 per cent of which are interactive. Its permanent exhibitions include light, sound, motion, electricity, life science and transportation, with a children’s area on the third floor. Until April 10, it’s hosting a special exhibition, “Julius Caesar – Military Genius and Mighty Machines”, featuring interactive models of canny Roman war machines.

Open 10am-7pm, Mon-Wed and Fri; 10am9pm on weekends and holidays. Closed Tuesdays.

Tickets are $25; free on Wednesdays. 2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui (Exit B2 from TST MTR).

22 | www.hkisland.com

Ice skating

Rug up and head to your nearest ice rink to burn off some energy. You can skate all day (9.30am5pm) at Cityplaza Ice Palace in Taikoo Shing for as little as $50 during the week, including skate hire. Prices rise at weekends with Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions (12.30pm-5pm) costing $65 for entry before 3pm ($75 after 3pm). Weekend evening sessions (5pm-10pm) are $65. There are lessons available. There are several restaurants and a cinema in the mall if you want to make a day of it. 18 Taikoo Shing Road, Taikoo Shing, 2844 8688, www.icepalace.com.hk.

Climbing wall

When the kids are bouncing off the walls at home, take the hint and take them to a climbing wall.

The YMCA in Tsim Sha Tsui boasts a seven-metre climbing wall with a surface area of more than 266 sqm and plenty of experienced climbing staff to show you the ropes. On weekdays, it’s open from midday to 10pm and costs $30 an hour for children under 13 years and $42 for adults, plus $10/person for equipment hire. 41 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2268 7099, www.ymcahk.org.hk.

On Hong Kong Island, Da Verm Climbing Club is a specialist indoor climbing centre with seven-metre walls. It welcomes newcomers, including children, although you will have to pay a $100 membership fee, plus day rates of $120 for adults (over 16) and $80 for children. Please call ahead if you have not been before. 419G Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun, 2803 0567, www.da-verm.com.

Maritime Museum

The Hong Kong Maritime Museum has moved from Stanley to new premises at Pier 8, Central.

The new museum is five times larger, with 15 galleries and a host of new exhibits detailing Hong Kong’s fascinating seafaring history through model boats, tales of bandits, paintings, friezes and interactive displays. There are real cannons, navigation equipment and ships’ bells – children will love the noisy Sounds of the Sea exhibition – and even a replica ship’s bridge to play on. A digitally animated scroll from the late Qing Dynasty tells the story of piracy and emperors in a 360-degree cinema. Open weekdays 9.30am-5.30pm, $30/adult $15/child. Central Ferry Pier No 8 (next to the Star Ferry), www. hkmaritimemuseum.org.

HH13_FastMedia_120x190mm_op_mar22.pdf

1

Animal Month

Get up close and personal with the Ocean Park babies – newborn pups, calves and chicks – on new behind-the-scenes tours of its animal houses.

Running until May 5 as part of the park’s Animal Month in High Definition, it’s a chance for children to explore the back-of-house facilities at the Marine Mammal Breeding and Research Centre as well as Animal Nursery Tours of the 22/3/13Rainforest, 3:40 PM Grand Aquarium, Polar Adventure and Amazing Asian Animals attractions. All proceeds from the tours go to the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation. Tours should be booked on the day on a first-come, first-served basis and cost $30

each, with proceeds going to the Ocean Park Conservation Fund. For details, visit www.oceanpark.com.hk.

www.hkisland.com

| 23

outdoors

Finding Nemo Who knew there was so much to see at sea? Jovy Lai dives in.

Darren Gilkison Splash Diving, 1/F Ko Fu House, 58-72 Fuk Man Road, Sai Kung, 2792 4495; www.splashhk.com.

Shuen Kau Diving Adventure, 2/F, Island Building, 439-445 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, 2572 2138; www.divinghk.com.

Cyril Kwan Mandarin Divers, 3/F, Technology Plaza, 651 King's Road, Quarry Bay, 2554 7110; www.mandarin-divers.com.

24 | www.hkisland.com

How’s the diving in Hong Kong?

Darren: While fish stocks have been decimated over the years, there is still a huge range of marine life, but it is generally smaller than it should be. Most of the good diving is to the east of Sai Kung and north of the Sai Kung Country Park. Hong Kong is a good place to learn to dive. Learning underwater navigation here rather than in clearer waters is far more challenging and a real test of your skills – and you don’t have to study while on holiday.

Cyril: There are some nice areas with developing coral reefs and an interesting array of fish. The sites generally lack strong currents, which makes them perfect for a relaxing, stress-free dive.

What can you see down there?

D: We see clownfish, sweetlips, groupers, goatfish, damson fish, moray eels, lizard fish, cuttlefish, pipe fish, nudibranchs, cardinalfish and many more. We occasionally glimpse octopus, lion fish and snake eels, and I have spotted stingrays. At the Nine Pins, off the east coast of Clearwater Bay, there are huge

anemone beds with some aggressive clownfish.

“Nemo” is by far the most hostile creature I have come across in Hong Kong.

Shuen: Scientists have found 84 species of reefbuilding corals in Hong Kong. Occasionally we spot VIPs such as marble rays, butterfly rays, turtles, frogfishes and seahorses. I saw an eagle ray once.

Tell us about your best local diving experience.

D: Night diving is a favourite of mine. The marine life comes out at night and it is much easier to see things such as cuttlefish and octopus.

S: On one reef check in Hong Kong, we found seven different species of nudibranches and sea slugs within a 100m transect area.

C: I had an amazing experience at Victor’s Rock (off Port Shelter, Sai Kung) one Easter when the water was blue and clear down to 25m. The submerged rock is surrounded by soft, colourful corals; I started deep and spiralled around the rock.

Creatures of the deep

Ever wondered what is swimming below you?

Nudibranch The shell-less molluscs use bright colours as a defence mechanism, warning predators that they are noxious or toxic.

Cardinalfish Small and colourful, cardinalfish are nocturnal, spending their days in dark crevices and emerging at night.

Cuttlefish Despite its name the cuttlefish is a mollusc. Most species can change their colour and texture, especially when threatened.

Moray eel With a snake-like body, morays hide in rock crevices during the day, becoming active and feeding at night.

Clownfish Clownfish are associated

Seahorse Seahorses live in protected

Butterfly ray Usually found in warm waters, the butterfly ray spends much of its time laying motionless beneath a thin covering of sand.

Plastic bag Relatively common in Hong Kong waters, the plastic bag is one of the most hazardous denizens of the sea.

areas such as coral reefs or seagrass beds where they use camouflage as protection against predators.

with sea anemones. A special mucus on its skin protects the fish from the anemone’s stinging cells.

www.hkisland.com

| 25

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(Below) SPRING’s kitchen (Right) SPRING’s sports gym

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www.hkisland.com

| 27

health & beauty

Going Coastal Kawai Wong tries crossfit.

A group doing crossfit training at Coastal Fitness’ new studio in Fortress Hill.

28 | www.hkisland.com

T

here’s a scene in Bridget Jones’ Diary in which the singleton heroine, in a bid to get fit and win her man, furiously pedals an exercise bike until she collapses with exhaustion. Which pretty much sums up the new crossfit trend. At least, that’s what I thought until I met the men behind Coastal Fitness (3/F, Block C, Sea View Estate, 8 Watson Road, North Point, 2512 2262), a new performance training studio in Fortress Hill.

No, no, no, insists founder Ed Haynes.

There’s much more to crossfit than training till you drop. At Coastal, he says, most people work in a group following a set routine. A regular workout usually starts with strength work, tailored to your ability level, followed by a “metcon” – a combination of gymnastics, calisthenics, weightlifting and monostructural cardio work such as rowing.

Using these techniques, Haynes and his fellow Coastal Fitness trainers, Ant Haynes and Andy Bratsanos, have transformed the physiques of hundreds of Hong Kong Islanders into toned perfection (or something close to it).

The group training aspect of crossfit is appealing, building camaraderie and a sense of

fellowship with the people sweating around you.

You don’t want to disappoint your group, which motivates you to persevere after you might have given up if exercising solo. Everyone is friendly and encouraging and there seem to be refreshingly few egos or vanity.

The studio has a New York loft vibe: cue bare concrete floor at reception and motivational slogans graffitied onto the walls. The group training area is like an indoor playground, fitted with gym rings, pull-up bars, dumbbells, barbells, rowing machines and Airdyne bikes. There's also a whiteboard for athletes to track their progress and see how they measure up.

Personally I much prefer crossfit to outdoor circuit training, which is similar. I didn’t like exercising in public parks – I felt exposed and I’m sure passers-by out for a stroll could have done without seeing my red, twitchy face. Besides, I worried about running on tarmac in the dark – what if I tripped on some unseen obstacle and fell?

Coastal Fitness has taken all the best elements of group training and moved them indoors, making it (relatively) private and, above all, weatherproof. I’ll be back.

Spinning around

(Clockwise from top) State-of-the-art bike at Torq; a score board; Torq's training room and the reception area.

Unless you are a hardcore fitness fanatic, your sofa probably exerts an inexplicable gravitational pull whenever you consider hitting the gym. But plan a happy soiree and the sofa is happy to spit you out and send you on your way.

How about a fitness event that feels like a great big party? Now you’re talking.

Torq is running successful themed cycling parties at its 28-bike Central studio. The onehour spinning class (from $196 a ride) feels like a club night with Beyonce playing on the background on Divas day, or a retro party when the boombox pumps out 90s tunes. It’s a great alternative to a boys’ or girls’ night out.

For morning people, the first class starts at 5.40am. The Torq Turbo class takes half an hour while most classes last 50 to 100 minutes. You can enrol, book a class and even reserve your favourite bike online. 26/F, Li Dong Building, 9 Li Yuen Street East, 2677 8623, www.torqcycle.com.

www.hkisland.com

| 29

me & my money Do you prefer to use card or cash?

I prefer cards.

Christian

Do you use an Octopus card?

Hardly, only for parking.

Rhomberg

What’s your financial priority?

To maintain a healthy cash flow.

Talking dollars and sense with the Kee Club founder.

As an investor, are you conservative or bold?

I invest in my own businesses and on small properties, plus some art, jewellery and antiques.

What has been your best investment?

My family and Hong Kong property.

What about the worst?

Foreign currency deals.

Ever considered being a venture capitalist?

I am more of a creator than a venture capitalist.

What’s the most important lesson you have learned about money?

Money tends to disappear, so it’s good to have some solid investments, like properties.

Any close calls during your business career?

Running F&B and entertainment businesses, I have faced several difficult times – the 9/11 incident in New York in 2001, Sars in Hong Kong in 2003.

What’s your view on investing in Asia?

I recently visited Sabah, Malaysia, which has a strong, surging economy, a very interesting property market and British investment law.

How has your university education helped in your business?

I did a PhD in economics and marketing at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. I was not a diligent student but the degree gives me a solid business background.

C

hristian Rhomberg, 50, the founder of Kee Club, the chic private members’ club in Central, and Club 97 tells us how he manages his finances, from running a club to what’s in his wallet.

Where are you?

I am in China and going to Thailand next.

How much money is in your wallet right now?

8,000 Thai baht, 15,000 RMB, a few hundred Hong Kong dollars and 50 euros.

Do you consider yourself a spender or a saver?

I am an impulsive spender, although I do check prices and values.

What was your most extravagant purchase?

I once splashed out a few million dollars on antique jewellery. On other occasions, three Picassos. Both

30 | www.hkisland.com

Don’t start a business based only on profit expectation.

purchases and negotiations were made within half an hour.

What credit card do you use?

I love my American Express Centurion Card and its concierge service. But for travelling, Visa seems to be more widely accepted.

What’s your top tip for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Don’t start a business based only on profit expectation. Consider whether you can imagine being in this business for a long time and whether it complements your personality and your life vision. Also be careful not to turn your hobby into a business because you may lose the leisurely enjoyment of managing your hobby on a day-to-day basis.

What financial advice would you give to your two children?

My son is becoming an artist and I told him to use his expertise one day to collect fellow artists. My daughter is a born manager and marketeer. My advice to her is to build her own business or brand.

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ELLEN

bird at my window } with David Diskin

Blue whistling thrush Myophonus caeruleus Seen fleetingly in shaded forest, the blue whistling thrush can appear uniformly dark.

But a more prolonged view in sunlight reveals beautiful rich blue plumage and silver spangling on the back, head and underparts.

Close up, the thrush’s large size, stout bill and red eye gives it a rather aggressive appearance, substantiated by the fact that it has been known to take small birds, especially nestlings.

The blue whistling thrush’s range extends from Central and Southeast Asia, across China to the Pacific coast. It is usually associated with rocky streams and is often shy and elusive but on Hong Kong Island it is regularly seen feeding on insects and worms on the lawns of parks and gardens, especially at dawn. Hong Kong Park and the Peak are good places to look for this species.

The female lays two to five greyish eggs with red or brown freckles in a mossy, cup-shaped nest on the ledges of overhanging banks or cliffs, or under bridges, usually close to rushing water. In Hong Kong, it also makes use of buildings during the breeding season.

In the 1990s, a pair of blue whistling thrushes built a nest for three successive years on a ground-floor air-conditioner of my home next to a stream in Fo Tan, raising two broods of three to four young in April and June.

David Diskin is a writer and photographer based in the New Territories. His latest book is Hong Kong Nature Walks: Kowloon, Hong Kong & Outlying Islands. Details at www.accipiterpress.com.

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| 33

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NEW PENTHOUSE UNIT Ready for OCCUPANCY BELTON PLACE, Makati, Philippines. Off AYALA Avenue.

LUXURY 1BR Flat—Unfurnished. CONVENIENT LOCATION—HK$ 700,000. Car Park in Podium available—HK$150,000.

AMENITIES: SWIMMING POOL, Conference Center, FITNESS GYM. Please email: almiller@ust.hk Tel.: 9570 7314

HEART OF SILVERSTRAND HK$100 K Ref~ CWB452 2000 g.a. High Ceilings, 3 Double Bedrooms, Study, Spacious Living/Dining Room, Fully Fitted & Equipped Kitchen, Separate Maid’s Q, Garage, Huge Terrace with Sea Views. Stroll to Shops Transport & Beach www.thepropertyshop.com.hk 27193977 C-027656

Classified

classifieds@hkisland.com

2776 2772

This 3 bed/3 bathroom Phuket villa can accommodate 6 – 8 people and is located just 30 metres from the private beach. The peaceful villa faces west for spectacular sunsets, has an open kitchen, large terrace w/BBQ and is an ideal holiday home for those who want to escape the city and relax. Please contact Jai: Preongo91@gmail.com

NEED A HOLIDAY? PHUKET VILLA FOR RENT! Luxury 5 beds villa with swimming pool located in Surin area. Walking distance to beaches.

Reasonable rates!

Website: www.phuketvilla4rent.com Email the owner: info@phuketvilla4rent.com

www.hkisland.com

| 35

classified MOTORING 99 Porsche Boxster manual sell by owner, well maintained with red interior. Consider to trade-in sedan and license till May. Asking 148k. Call 5333 4811

Health & Well Being

Charities

SHAPE UP FOR SUMMER !

Friendly, Fun, Exercise Classes to suit all levels. Every morning 9.15am at the H.K. Cricket Club. Open to non members. Just come when you can, no pre registration required. Purchase coupon from reception, $120 per hour. Parking available. Call 9462 0352 for details

SAI KUNG STRAY FRIENDS no longer conducts weekend Adoption/ Homing sessions in front of Starbucks or Seven 11.

Potential adopters/sponsors/ volunteers are welcome to come to our Shelter & Adoption Centre No. 151 Tai Lam Wu, Sai Kung, 7 days a week 11am-5pm. Call Narelle 9199.2340 Catherine 6799.7530 Shelter 2335.1126

INNER AWAKENING A unique and life transforming 21-day Yoga and Meditation Retreat in India May 8 to 28, 2013 Experience the space of ultimate possibility of amazing leadership and extraordinary enlightenment. Awaken your INNER POTENTIAL through power of initiation by a rare living incarnation Paramahamsa Nithyananda www.innerawakening.org HK contact: nithyanandahongkong@gmail.com / 93023931 YingYing

Food & Beverage Healthy Sri Lankan Grocery Items @ Your Door Step Spices, red rice, coconut milk/oil, herbal products, Ceylon tea, ready to eat items and much more.

Pearl Lanka (Hk) Ltd www.pl3hk.com 27902922

Insurance

Employment We are inviting applications for the following positions to start in August 2013 at our new Sai Kung campus: Primary Co-teacher (K-G5), Early Childhood Mandarin Teacher (70%), Learner Support Co-teacher, Technology Co-teacher, Admissions Associate & Facilities Officer (Academic Year 2013-2014). Please visit our website at http://www.hkacademy.edu. hk/ for more information. Kindly send your CV & references to Stephen Dare at recruitment@ hkacademy.edu.hk

Insurance: Home, Motor, Medical We are HK’s leading general insurance broker.

Call for an instant quote or visit the website www.kwiksure.com. Call Christian on +852 3113 1331 or emailchristian@kwiksure.com

Classified

classifieds@hkisland.com

2776 2772

DONATE OLD BABY CLOTHES Toys and equipment to mothers in need.

Small toys, wraps, bottles and teething toys are desperately needed by Pathfinders, a charity that helps migrant mothers find a safe and legal home. Call Kylie: 9460 1450 or Luna (Chinese speaking): 5135 3015.

DONATE CLOTHES, SHOES, BOOKS Toys and electrical appliances in good condition. Reach out to help the poor and disadvantaged men, women and children in our communities. All profits help the needy in Hong Kong and mainland China.

Collection hotline: 2716 8778. Donation hotline: 2716 8862.

Website: www.christian-action.org.hk Blog: http://siewmei.cahk.org Email: ca@ christian-action.org.hk The Samaritans’ Support Group for People Bereaved by Suicide An English-speaking support group meets on the first Wednesday of each month, 8 pm, The Mariners’ Club, TST. Free & confidential.

For further information, please tel 2896 0000 or check http://www.samaritans.org.hk

Services NATIONAL HARBOUR RENOVATIONS Home and office reno upgrades.

Plumbing, electrical and handyman services.

Call Charles 90851886 info@nationalharbour.com.hk www.nationalharbour.hk

Classified

classifieds@hkisland.com

36 | www.hkisland.com

iPAD EDUCATIONAL GAME Kenny’s Wacky Sentences. Enjoy family fun around one iPad or 10” Tablet. Find it in App Store or Google Play. Play to learn English vocabulary and sentence structure or just for fun. For ages 4 up to adult. ESL or native speakers. www.LearnWithKenny.com

2776 2772

COMPUTER SERVICES Microtechhk(HK).

COM provides onsite support to day-to-day computer (MAC/WINDOWS) usage since 1992, Call us for any Hardware/software, internet problems, wifi setup, data recovery Reasonable Price 24/7 hotline : 23976418

Tuition & Courses Herman Lam Dance Studio Salsa, Swing, Latin, Argentina Tango and Ballroom. We design unique memorable wedding dances and we also rent out our dance studio. Detail, professional instruction, friendly, small classes, elegant space, come & you'll dance. 2320-3605 www.hermanlamdance.com

HAPPY VALLEY DANCE CLASSES (ONE ON ONE), AGES 10 TO 80!

Offering Tap and Ballet Barre classes for beginners Including TERMINOLOGY AND TECHNIQUE Telephone 25228930 PARKING AVAILABLE

Tennis Performance Asia Limited Lessons/Training: Private, Groups – Adult, children, Ladies Coaching.

Kowloon, NT, HK Island HK, Australian, USPTA Qualified Coaches Contact Senior Coach Todd Hooper – 97335197: todd@tennisperformanceasia.com www.tennisperformanceasia.com [TPA] Director – Ray Kelly

School Choice International is the world’s leading school placement consultancy, helping thousands of family globally. There’s a perfect school for every child.

We’ll guide you there.

Please visit www.schoolchoiceintl.com

classified order form

LIVE BAND SCHOOL WANT TO PLAY IN A BAND? Calling all singers, guitarists, bass players and drummers.

Join our Band Workshops in Causeway Bay. Ages from 11 to 19.

Contact : info@livebandschool.com 67182585

Domestic Help WELLPOINT PERSONNEL & CONSULTANCY = a friendly on-line domestic helper agency based in Central, HK. Our data base contains pre-screened foreign workers from different countries in Asia. Employers can hire direct from our data base .For busy household, we can assist on the entire process from candidates screening, arranging interviews and documentation. With our thorough screening process, we are here to help you in finding the “just-right-fit” for your family. We offer efficient and professional service and replacement guarantee.

Email evelyn@wellpointpersonnel.com.website: www. wellpointpersonnel.com . Tel: 2882 9129 / 9754 8435 / 6447 4774. Office hours (Monday- Sunday) 9:30am – 6:30 pm.

Contact details Name:

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Boating Tuition Services

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Deadline for ads / payment: 17th of every month Remarks: • NO REFUND/CHANGES can be made to your ad after the deadline.

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Cheque (made payable to FAST MEDIA LIMITED) and write your name, email address & contact no. on the back of the cheque and send it to our office

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Bank Transfer to Fast Media Limited’s Standard Chartered Bank account: 409-0-036-395-9 and email to accounts@fastmedia.com.hk or mail a copy of the deposit slip to our office

NEED HELP ?

Mail this form with your cheQUE or payment slip to Classified, Fast Media Ltd, Floor LG1, 222 Queen’s Rd Central, Hong Kong

Please call 2776 2772 Email: classifieds@fastmedia.com.hk

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| 37

the ultimate guide MULTIMEDIA

HOME

PETS & VETS

Dymocks 2834 5832 | jannie.tam@dymocks.com.hk www.dymocks.com.hk The Hong Kong Philharmonic Society Ltd. 2721 2030 | www.hkphil.org Chunky Onion Productions Ltd. 3188 1874 birthdays@chunkyonion.com www.chunkyonion.com Hong Kong Artwalk www.hongkongartwalk.com Lions v Barbarians www.lionsrugby.hk My Little Paper, Daily 7/Daily 10 www.daily7-daily10.com

Life’s A Breeze 2572 4000 | www.lifesabreezehk.com Attic Lifestyle 2580 8552 | info@attic-lifestyle.com www.attic-lifestyle.com Calcite Indoor Environment 3428 5441 | info@calcitegroup.com www.calcitegroup.com Homertek (HK) Limited 3563 6521 / 3563 6522 info@homertek.com | www.homertek.com Indigo Living Ltd. 2552 3500 info@indigo-living.com | www.indigo-living.com JCAW Consultants 2524 9988 | jcawltd@biznetvigator.com LLS Design & Associates Ltd 2117 8983 www.llsdesign.com.hk | sales@llsdesign.com.hk Oriental Rugs 2543 4565 | rugshop@biznetvigator.com Brooks Thompson Ltd 2851 3665 iqbalhk@netvigator.com Pakpersian Carpets Hong Kong 2549 012 / 9192 9594 pakpersian@netvigator.com www.pakersiancarpet.com

Animal Emergency Centre 2915 7979 trilby@animalemergency.com.hk Animal Behaviour Vet Practice 9618 2475 cynthia@petbehaviourhk.com www.petbehaviourhk.com Dr Carmel Taylor MVB MRCVS DipAiCVD 9251 9588 Ferndale Kennels & Cattery 2792 4642 www.ferndalekennels.com Pets Central North Point Hospital 2811-8907 info@pets-central.com Vet2Pet 6999 1003 vet2pet@yahoo.com www.vet2pet.com.hk

DRY CLEANERS Vogue Laundry 3555 4009 www.voguelaundry.com Clean Living 2333 0141 www.cleanliving.com Kleaners 2295 0088

REAL-ESTATE IPHONE REPAIR Habitat Property Limited

2869 9069 | info@habitat-property.com www.habitat-property.com

Apple Store Hotline 800-908-988 Computer Zone 3/f, 298 Hennessy Road (They will replace a broken iPhone screen in one hour.

Cost: $450)

Transport & Travel Services Webjet HK

Unit 1706, BEA Tower, Millennium City 5, 418 Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong, Kln, Hong Kong 2313 9779 Onlinetravel@webjet.com.hk www.webjet.com.hk

Lee Gardens Showroom: Shop B01 & G01, Lee Gardens Two, 28 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay Tel: (852) 2764 6919 | www.zungfu.com

DAILY NECESSITIES Jones Lang LaSalle

2846 5000 www.joneslanglasalle.com.hk The Arcade, Cyberport 3166 3111 arcade@cyberport.hk | arcade.cyberport.hk Direct Property Group 2588 3588 / 9730 0952 info@directpropertygroup.com www.directpropertygroup.com The Telo’s Group LCC www.telosgroupllc.com One Island South 2118 2992 cs@oneislandsouth.com

Get listed call 2776 2772 email marketing@hkisland.com 38 | www.hkisland.com

Mannings 2299 3381 | www.mannings.com.hk Marketplace by Jasons 2299 1133 www.marketplacebyjasons.com ParknShop www.parknshop.com Wellcome Delivery Ordering Hotline 2870 8888 Three Sixty 2111 4480 | www.threesixtyhk.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited 2553 4165/ 2553 0135 Bank Of Communications 2553 6281 / 2553 8282 Chi Yu Banking Corp 2233 3000 Hang Seng Bank 2822 0228 HSBC www.hsbc.com.hk Standard Chartered 2886 8868 www.standardchartered.com.hk

Club Med 3111 9388 | www.clubmed.com.hk Taxi hire 2574 7311 Van hire Mr Shah 5188 1678 Elite Charters 5434 9955 info@elitecharters.hk | www.elitecharters.hk Expert Transport & Relocations Warehouse 2566 4799 www.expertmover.hk Flight Centre 2830 2866 flightcentre.com.hk Tram party hire www.hktramways.com Island Junks 2877 5222 info@islandjunks.com.hk www.islandjunks.com.hk Luxe Travel 2539 0628 info@luxetravel.com.hk Saffron Cruises 2857 1311 www.saffron-cruises.com

FASHION & BEAUTY

LEARNING

TOYS, ACCESSORIES & KIDS’ PARTIES

Anahata Yoga 2905 1822 | www.anahatayoga.com.hk Mandarin Barber 2825 4088 | mohkg-barber@mohg.com Nu Waxing Workshop 2869 9680 | www.nuwaxingworkshop.com Savvy Style 2522 2592 | image@savvystyle.com www.colourmebeautiful.hk | www.savvystyle.com Spa Beaute Par Zai 2524 1272 | www.spabpz.com Yoga Mala 2116 0894 | www.yogamala.com.hk

Anastassia's Art House 2719 5533 arthouse.hk@gmail.com www.arthouse-hk.com Bebegarten 3487 2255 www.bebegarten.com The Edge Learning Center 2972 2555 / 2783 7100 info@theedge.com.hk www.theedge.com.hk Grand Piano www.grandpiano.hk Herman Lam Dance Studio 2320 3605 / 9497 9904 herman@hermanlamdance.com www.hermanlamdance.com International Academy of Film & Television 5808 3440 | info@iaft.hk | iaft.hk Kellett School www.kellettschool.com Kidville 2892 8893 | www.kidville.hk Les Petits Lascars Sai Kung: 2526 8892 | saikung@petitslascars.com www.lespetitslascars.com Island: 2526 8892 | central@petitslascars.com www.petitslascars.com Orton-Gillingham Centre for Different Learners 2525 8998 | eric@msl-orton.com www.msl-orton.com.hk My Happy Sunflower 2511 2538 reginia@myhappysunflower.com www.myhappysunflower.com QUEST Study Skills 2690 9117 | www.queststudyskills.com Red Shoe Dance Company 9813 0079 / 2117 9295 redshoedance@gmail.com | www.redshoedance.com Spring Learning 3465 5000 | www.spring-learning.com.hk Yifan Mandarin 2486 9012 program@yifan-mandarin.com.hk www.yifan-mandarin.com.hk Imran Cricket Academy 2575 3400 / 9745 2700 imran@imranacademy.com www.imranacademy.com Sylvan Learning 2873 0662 | info@sylvan.edu.hk www.educate.com

Bouncy Kids 9228 5772 | cs@bouncykids.hk www.bouncykids.hk Bouncing Castles for Hire Kieron 9467 4545 Bumps to Babes 2522 7112 | www.bumpstobabes.com Cosmo Beebies 2905 1188 | cosmo-beebies@byinvest.com www.cosmobeebies.com Hong Kong Toy Club 8216 3870 support@HongKongToyClub.com www.HongKongToyClub.com Petit Bazaar contact@petit-bazaar.com www.facebook.com/petitbazaar Magician Andycomic@gmail.com 9019 7196

Food & BEVERAGE Costa 2118 7600 www.gaiagroup.com.hk/costa Bene Italian 2699 3939 www.gaiagroup.com.hk/beneitalian eatRIGHT 2868 4832 www.eatright.com.hk Edible Arrangements 2295 1108 / 2385 0158 EdibleArrangements.hk El Grande 2111 1197 www.domani.hk Gaia 2167 8200 | www.gaiagroup.com.hk/gaia Hong Kong Personal Chef www.hongkongpersonalchef.com Isola 2383 8765 www.gaiagroup.com.hk/isola Isobar 2383 8765 www.gaiagroup.com.hk/isobar Joia 2382 2323 | www.gaiagroup.com.hk/joia Kobo Wine Ltd 2180 7255 nzwine@kobogroup.com www.nzwine.com.hk Meat Market 8135 1394 customer-service@meatmarket.hk www.meatmarket.hk Trattoria Caffe’ Monteverdi 2559 0115 Va Bene 2845 5577 | www.gaiagroup.com.hk/va-bene Zoe Café 2513 6653 Wooloomooloo Prime 2870 0087 Wooloomooloo Steakhouse 2894 8010 / 2893 6960 / 2722 7050 www.wooloo-mooloo.com Porto Fino Mediterranean Kitchen & Deli 2668 0430 / 2668 0420 info@portofino-hongkong.com www.portofino-hongkong.com Wild Grass 2810 1189 | info@wildgrass.hk www.wildgrass.hk

UTILITIES, SERVICES & EMERGENCY China Light & Power Emergency Services 2728 8333 China Light & Power Customer Info Line 2678 2678 Electrical Appliance Repair Hong Kong Mr Ho 9846 8082 St John Ambulance Assn & Brigade Dist Hq 2555 0119 Tung Wah Group Of Hospitals 2538 5867 Typhoon Emergency Centre 2773 2222 Water Fault Reports 2811 0788 Water Supplies Department 2824 5000 Truly Care Pest Control Services 2458 8378 www.trulycare.com.hk

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Weight Watcher

OTHER SERVICES

2813 0814 | kmahjoubian@weightwatchers.com.hk www.weightwatchers.com.hk

Clover Auto Service 2790 1810 King Kong Ping Pong info@kingkong-pingpong.com www.kingkong-pingpong.com Professional Wills Limited 2561 9031 www.profwills.com SameButDifferent Silver 6626 5424 | samebutdifferent.silver@gmail.com www.samebutdifferent.co Wifi Guy Hong Kong 9385 8379 | wifiguy.hk@gmail.com

Flexpress Central 2813 2212 | info@flexhk.com | www.flexhk.com Holistic Fitness & Therapy 9667 0940 | nareshkumar62@hotmail.com www.holisticnaresh.com Hypoxi freetrial@hypoxi.com.hk | www.hypoxi.com.hk Outward Bound Hong Kong matt@outwardbound.org.hk www.outwardbound.org.hk Torq Cycle 2677 8623 | www.torqcycle.com

www.hkisland.com

| 39

distribution

How we distribute

Sai Wan

Sheung Wan Kennedy Town

Central SOHO

Quarry bay Wan Chai

Admiralty

Mid-Levels

The best way to reach Hong Kong Island’s high net worth residents.

Causeway Bay Tai Hang

Happy Valley

Sai Wan Ho Chai Wan

Jardine’s Lookout

Residential Happy Valley

SOHO

North Point

Tin Hau

The Altitude

Centre Point

Braemar Hill Mansions

Dragon Court

Beverly Hills

Dawning Height

Flora Garden

Dragon Heart Court

Broadview Mansion

Grandview Garden

Broadview Villa

Hill Top

Dragon Peak

Island Place

Dragon View King Yu Court

Broadwood Park

Tai Hang

Kingsford Gardens

Broadwood Twelve

Carnation Court

La Place De Victoria

Park Towers

Claymore Lodge

The Elegnace

Le Sommet

Shing Loong Court

Evergreen Villa

Flora Garden

Lime Habitat

Trillion Court

High Cliff

Grand Deco Tower

Kashi Court

Hoc Tam Garden

Illumination Terrace

Mount East

Leon Court

Serenade

Pacific Palisades

Butler Tower

Nicholson Tower

Villa d’Arte

Sky Horizon

Cavendish Heights

Villa Clare

The Colonnade

San Francisco Towers

Sheung Wan

City Garden

The Legend

The Summit

Centre Place

The Java

Valley View Terrace

CentreStage

Fortress Garden

Ventris Place

One Pacific Heights

Tanner Garden

Villa Monte Rosa

Princeton Tower

Wilshire Towers

Pioneer Court

Price $200 million Price per sq ft $26K Apartment size 3,000 sq ft A fairly new addition to Hong Kong’s list of opulent residential buildings is The Legend.

Completed in 2005, this Jardine’s Lookout location is the ultimate urban hideaway for city slickers looking for a bit of peace and quiet.

Jardine’s Lookout

Mid-Levels

Glory Mansion

Aigburth

Hillsborough Court

Ronsdale Garden

The Babington

Horizon Mansion

Gardenview Heights

Birchwood Place

Hoover Court

Blessings Garden

Kennedy Heights

Kennedy Town Belcher’s Hill

Village Garden

The Legend

Bowen’s Lookout

Lyttelton Garden

Branksome Grande

Macdonnell 2 Road

Caroline Garden

Chai Wan

Wanchai

Cayman Rise

Century Tower I

The Mayfair

Caroline Height

Heng Fa Villa

Bamboo Grove

Harbour One

Chung Tak Mansion

Macdonnell House

Horseshoe Tower

Island Resort

J Residence

Manhattan Heights

Cimbria Court

No. 2 Park Road

Woodland Height

Monticello

Kennedy Court

Mount Davis 33

Clovelly Court

Palatial Crest

Monticello

The Merton

Conduit 18

Park Mansions

Moon Fair and Sun Fair

The Sail at Victoria

Conduit Tower

The Oakhill

Park Rise

University Heights

Dragonview Court

Realty Gardens

8 Shiu Fai Terrace

60 Victoria Road

Dragon View

Regence Royale

Star Crest United Mansion York Place Zenith Amber Garden

The Oakhill Price $30 million Price per sq ft $19K Apartment size 1,500 sq ft The Oakhill is a sophisticated gem amidst the hustle and bustle of Wan Chai. Apartments boast floor to ceiling windows overlooking stunning views of our city and the amenities match that of a 5-star luxury hotel.

40 | www.hkisland.com

Ewan Court 150 Kennedy Road

Quarry Bay The Floridian Kornhill Mount Parker Lodge Royal Terrace Splendid Place Wah Shun Garden

Suncrest Tower Sai Ying Pun Pok Fu Lam The Belcher’s

Island Crest

Dynasty Court Towers

Right Mansion

Elegant Garden

Robinson Crest

Elegant Terrace

Robinson Heights

Euston Court

31 Robinson Road

Fairlane Tower

98-100 Robinson Road

Fairview Height

Roc Ye Court

Flourish Court

Scenecliff

The Grand Panorama

Scholastic Garden

Greenview Gardens

Seymour

Tregunter Price $28 million Price per sq ft $14K Apartment size 3,000 sq ft Built in 1981, Tregunter has made its mark as one of Hong Kong Island’s premium living locations. Its three towers have housed a countless number of Hong Kong’s elite and their families.

Not surprising given its impressive list of amenities including sporting facilities, private restaurant and function rooms for hire and shuttle buses to Hong Kong’s key business districts.

Tavistock Tregunter Tower Tycoon Court Vantage Park Wisdom Court

Serviced apartments

RestaurantS

HOTELS

Butterfly on Hollywood Butterfly on Victoria Butterfly on Wellington COMO COMO Causeway Bay COMO COMO Hollywood D’ Home 239 Queen’s Road East Eaton House The Ellipsis Fraser Suites Hong Kong GardenEast Hanlun Habitats – Lily Court I & II Hanlun Habitats – Orchid KAZA @ Wanchai Knight on Wyndham The Mood @ LKF Ovolo, High Street Ovolo, Queen’s Road Central Pacific Palisades The Putman Shalom Queen’s Road East Soho 69 Yin Serviced Apartments The Bauhinia Oakwood Apartments Mid Levels East Soho Square Treasure View (Sheung Wan) Treasure View (Soho) Treasure View (Happy Valley) Twenty One Whitfield V Wanchai (Jaffe Rd) V Wanchai Hotel (Thomson Rd) V Causeway Bay (Yee Wo St) V Causeway Bay (Tung Lo Wan Rd)

1/5 Nuevo Barista Jam Blue Butcher Brat Caféine Cafe O Chez Meli Melo Chicken on the Run Classified Délicieux Bistro Eat Right Restaurant Wine Bar The Flying Pan Gourmet Burger Union Grappa’s Millennio Graze Green Waffle Diner Guru Greyhound Cafe Harrington’s Isola Jashan Java Java Kabab House Turkish Restaurant The News Room Life Café Oolaa Paisano’s Pizzeria Pubblico Restoration The Salted Pig Shore Sloop St Betty Spoil Cafe Trattoria Caffe' Monteverdi Tuk Tuk Thai Restaurant Wild Grass Hong Kong Yorkshire Yo Bago brunch club just salad hong kong XTC Gelato Zoe Cafe

The Charterhouse The Excelsior Island Shangri-La

Wise Mansion Woodland Garden Bon-Point Borrett Mansions 6A Bowen Road Branksome Crest Casa Bella The Fortune Gardens Garden Terrace

Health, Beauty, Fitness

Glory Heights

EDS Day Spa Fitness First

Grand Bowen

H-Kore

Hong Villa

Louis & Co.

62B Robinson Road

The Mandarin Barber

80 Robinson Road

Nude Boutique of Waxing

Seymour Place

Paul Gerrard

Soho 38 Ying Piu Mansion

Right Hand Workshop Sense of Touch Toni & Guy

Yukon Court

Hypoxi® Studio – Central

Winsome Park

Mandarin Oriental Regal Hong Kong Hotel The Upper House

Learning Yifan Mandarin

STORES Aluminium Bumps to Babes Dymocks II Bel Paese Pacific Gourmet Edible Arrangements Home Flavour by Martial Herbert Kisses Cupcakes Monsieur CHATTÉ

Clubs The Foreign Correspondents’ Club The Hong Kong Cricket Club Chinese Recreation Club Kee Club LRC

Join our community!

Want Hong Kong Island Magazine in your reception or clubhouse?

Want to distribute Hong Kong Island Magazine in your restaurant or store?

It’s easy as pie and best of all, completely free of charge. Send all enquiries to vip@hkisland.com or call (852) 2776 2772.

Subscribe now!

Join our free mailing service to have your copy of Hong Kong Island Magazine delivered straight to your mailbox. It’s Free and exclusive.

Sign up here www.hkisland.com/subscribe

www.hkisland.com

| 41

your chinese zoo-diac

By Stuart Wolfendale

Rat

Ox

Tiger

1960 / 1972 / 1982 / 1996

1961 / 1973 / 1985 / 1997

1950 / 1962 / 1974 / 1986

You’re too junior for the top jobs that allow the flexibility you crave but your dull work routine is stressing you into considering homicide. Follow an urge to become a stand-up comedian or a full-time organiser for the Democratic Party (although it could kill your parents). Or chill out with yoga.

Swap with Rat. How on earth have you got yourself involved in event organizing, brainstorming and other activities PR neophytes drool over? You prefer details, routines and integrity. You are exactly what the Chinese government needs to run its railway – give Beijing a call.

You don’t understand “work-life balance”. You pounce on a job, rip it to the bone and fall back exhausted. You’re not even driven by money. Reverse that by taking a government undersecretary post. The civil service does the heavy chewing, leaving you with the money. Lots of it.

Rabbit

Dragon

Snake

1951 / 1962 / 1972 / 1986

1952 / 1964 / 1976 / 1988

1953 / 1965 / 1977 / 1989

The Romanov Faberge eggs exhibition at the Heritage Museum is right up your Prospekt. While there, take an unaccustomed risk: join a school party and explain that spending on Faberge eggs leads to communism and communism leads to eggs with salmonella or no eggs at all.

The baby formula farce offended dragon mothers’ passionate sense of selfreliance. “Are you wimps or women?” you cried.

“Breastfeed the little blighters!” As grandstanding is close to your heart, get on the Lo Wu train with your baby, unbutton your blouse and suckle with a stern look.

There is a difference between hard work and hassle. One you like, the other makes your skin peel. That’s because the person you are working with has the worst sign for you – an ambitious Monkey woman who is all about self-image. Another Snake strength is plotting. Get rid of her.

Horse

Goat

Monkey

1954 / 1966 / 1978 / 1990

1955 / 1967 / 1979 / 1991

1956 / 1968 / 1980 / 1992

Tumbling headlong for somebody again? You will hit bottom fast and drift along in passive-aggressive mode, unless you work at it from the start. Catch ferries to obscure temples for the upcoming Bun Festival and Tin Hau’s birthday celebrations. If you’re still together in May, you’ll have something.

While you made attempts to socialize last month, you still prefer musing at home alone. No wonder you need constant reassurance that you have talent.

Maybe you could have painted the Sistine Chapel roof better than Michelangelo, but who will ever know if you grow paler indoors?

You are liked for your wit and sense of fun but perhaps telling Apple Daily that Albert Ho Chunyan has an illegal cellar full of bad ideas when he actually lives in a flat was a prank too far. You need to work out what gets you loved and what lands you in trouble.

Rooster

Dog

Pig

1957 / 1969 / 1981 / 1993

1958 / 1970 / 1982 / 1994

1959 / 1971 / 1983 / 1995

Your taste for good things demands you go to Sotheby’s this month to bid for a dinner cooked by world-ruling chef Ferran Adria. Never mind that bidding starts at $40,000, his restaurant has closed and you eat in his brother’s place. This is techno-emotional gastronomy. Oh, yummy.

42 | www.hkisland.com

People who offer disturbed friends a shoulder to cry on often experience shivers of schadenfreude. Can you honestly say that you don’t? For a mind-jolting experience, go to the Christmas and Seasonal Products Fair at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in April.

You’ll need Valium after that.

Compassionate, generous, responsible, peaceful and prone to gaining weight: does that sound like EOC chairman York Chow?

It should because he’s a Pig. And he’s a Christian, which also lines up (except for the gluttony bit).

All told, LGBTs – especially those with 50-inch waists – can expect fair play.