6 minute read
DINING
Arndt Borchert
Urban Entertainment Group
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Moving to Hong Kong at just a few months old, Arndt Borchert learnt to fly before he learnt to walk. “I was born in Germany but Hong Kong is in my blood,” says Borchert.
Growing up, he was fascinated with the city’s bar and restaurant scene, but upon his father’s insistence he left to attend business school first. On his return to the city in 1997, Borchert worked for hotels, clubs and various restaurant groups, moving to Sai Kung in 2000.
With ties to both Hong Kong and Europe, Borchert has been able to experience both cultures.
“Speaking with my European hat on, I feel Hong Kong can relax a bit, slow down and re-evaluate some of the priorities set, but in the end everybody needs to make their own choices. To use an old adage I’ve always had a ‘work hard, play hard’ attitude to life, I still do, but sometimes the ‘play hard’ takes a back seat in Hong Kong.”
With this in mind, he joined the Urban Entertainment Group six years ago. “We wanted to have a place where people go and relax, have fun, entertainment, laughs, good food, good drink, stay all day and then leave with a sense of fulfilment,” he says.
With five venues inside the Centro building, including the popular Tikitiki Bowling Bar and Sci-Fi Cafe, the location boasts itself as a destination of fun. tikitiki.hk
Bek Joyce
Founder of Jewel Jam
New Zealand-born Bek Joyce moved to Hong Kong in 2009 and thought the city’s children edu-tainment industry needed a little more sparkle. So she combined her teaching background with her jewellery expertise to create Jewel Jam, a mobile service that teaches school-aged children to make beaded jewellery and handmade accessories.
“Jewel Jam is a fun business to run, with a focus on creativity and learning a new skill. It’s immensely satisfying to host a party for a group of children, teaching them how to make something completely unique and personal to them,” she says.
During a Jewel Jam, children design their own necklace which is finished professionally with a magnetic clasp. They choose their next accessory to make from a selection of choices, such as a bracelet, bag tag, key chain, beaded bookmark or a beaded pen. At the end of a Jewel Jam class, children take away their selfcrafted pieces of jewellery in a special goodie bag.
Since the pandemic, Jewel Jam has helped open up creative opportunities for children and parents in order to give them a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction.
“It’s vital for children’s mental health to have an activity that can relieve anxiety and help them find inner peace. Beading is a very therapeutic activity. It’s a combination of colour and gem therapy.”
Bek will be hosting workshops and pop-ups throughout the summer. Be sure to follow @jeweljamparties on Instagram to keep up-to-date with its classes in Hong Kong.
Get your grill on
Nicole Slater rounds up the best barbecue spots in the New Territories
Ma On Shan Country Park
Ma On Shan Country Park has several barbecue areas; Shui Long Wo, Kei Ling Ha, Nai Chung and Ma On Shan Village. The ones at Ma On Shan Village and Nai Chung are well loved by holiday-makers. For campers, there are campsites in Ngong Ping and Shui Long Wo. 22 | SAI KUNG
Facilities: Picnic tables, barbecues, benches and public toilets.
Beach BBQ King
Overlooking Sha Ha Beach, Beach BBQ King is an all-you-can-eat barbecue spot that provides diners with barbecue equipment and over 30 types of meat, vegetables and seafood to grill. Weekdays $198, weekends $238.
skbeach.com.hk
Whitehead Barbecue
Overlooking Tolo Harbour and Pat Sin Leng, Whitehead Barbecue is the perfect place for a laid back party. Spanning over 10,000 square feet the location features a covered barbecue area, a multi-function room and private villas.
whiteheadbbq.hk
Facilities: Toilets, stoves, air conditioning, multifunction room
Tai Mei Tuk BBQ King
It’s the battle of the kings! Located in Tai Po, Tai Mei Tuk BBQ King offers a range of activities to help you build up an appetite. The site offers kitesurfing, bike riding and also has a weekend farm where guests can pick strawberries, pet animals.
taimeitukbbqking.com
Facilities: Toilets, stoves, activities, forks
Sharp Island
As the largest island in the Kiu Tsui Country Park, Sharp Island is a popular destination for fishing, swimming and diving. As a popular camping site the area is also well equipped for barbecues.
Facilities: Toilets, showers and barbecues pits.
Tai Hang Tun
Overlooking the stunning Clearwater Bay Country Park, Tai Hang Tun is the perfect family day out with open space for kite flyings and 72 open barbecue pits.
Dining News
Oysters and bubbles
Waterfront restaurant Momentai has launched a special Friday deal serving up US oysters for just $25. To really give diners that Friday feeling, the restaurant is also offering glasses of prosecco for just $50. Dive in. momentai-la.com
No Nationality
Sai Kung’s growing cafe scene has another new arrival in the form of No Nationality. The two-storey cafe in See Cheung Street is serving up beautiful handmade pasta, like the signature spaghetti with black truffle and parmesan, in addition to some very tasty snacks from cajun spiced chicken wings to chicken tortillas with pineapple salsa. Private dining is also available. No corkage and no service charge.
Ruby Tuesday’s opens in Po Lam
The popular American-style casual dining restaurant, Ruby Tuesday, has opened its largest restaurant yet in Metro City Plaza. Since opening its first brand 25 years ago, the restaurant is well-known for its delicious and reasonably priced menu items. To keep with the Covid regulations, the new branch has installed an automated Smixin hand washing and a sanitizing station in addition to the temperature check station at the front door. rubytuesday.com.hk
Visceral Fat
Personal Trainer and Certified Healing Diets Coach, Ally van de Pol, discusses the fat you might not always see
I have body composition scales in my wellness centre that measure my clients’ visceral fat, as well as their muscle and subcutaneous fat. This helps us to see how the changes they are making in their lives are being reflected in their overall body composition and not just their weight.
What is Visceral fat? Visceral fat wraps around your abdominal organs and can’t always be seen or felt. You may think that you are lean, but you could be ‘skinny fat’ if your diet and lifestyle are not optimal.
Why is it important to reduce Visceral fat? Higher visceral fat levels are connected to diabetes type two, insulin insensitivity, heart disease and certain cancers. Because it wraps around organs, it may affect their function. Visceral fat can also release hormones and inflammatory cytokines which in turn interfere with other hormones and lead to changes in hunger, weight and mood.
How Can You Reduce Your Visceral Fat Levels?
• Eat healthy • Exercise regularly • Drink 2-3 litres water per day • Reduce or don’t drink alcohol • Don’t smoke • Get enough good quality sleep •Reduce stress
Many people that I consult with often have suboptimal health, but it doesn’t take much to get healthier, you just need to have a plan and keep to it.
