DINING

Dining in the bay

UC Bistro Tucked away on the campus of HKUST, UC Bistro serves up a range of western classics including carbonara and steak, along with asian-style dishes such as Pad Thai. With panoramic ocean views and a spacious dining room and bar area, this local hotspot is a great place for students and residents to enjoy. Lo Ka Chung University Centre, Clearwater Bay. cso.ust.hk/locations/restaurants

St Barts Airy and light, St. Barts is the perfect place to enjoy a laid-back brunch. The restaurant serves up a well-balanced menu of light snacks and hearty meals. Dine alfresco in the garden terrace or admire the greenery from inside the spacious dining room. G/F, Retail Block of Mount Pavilia, 663 Clearwater Bay Road. casteloconcepts.com

Che Chai MEAN Conveniently located on Clearwater Bay Road, locals love this Japanese-style noodle bar which serves up creative DIY noodle bowls. Choose from a variety of bases from udon to rice, before layering on toppings, ranging from dumplings and egg to leeks and mushrooms. 9 Tai Po Tsai Village, Clearwater Bay Road. Facebook: chechaimean

Dining in the bay

Where to eat in Clearwater Bay, by Nicole Slater clearwater bay

Lardos Steak House After opening in 2000, this local steak house has made a name for itself with delicious international steaks and seafood. The family run business offers diners a cosy, relaxed atmosphere with an extensive range of food and wine options, perfect for the whole family. 4-B, G/F, Hang Hau Chuen. 2719 8168 tucking into curries, sandwiches and more. Please note the restaurant is only available for

Oasis Located in the Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club, this laid-back restaurant will leave you befriending every member in sight. When weather permits, dine outside overlooking the turquoise waters and golf course below, while members and their guests. 139 Tai Au Mun Road, Clearwater Bay. cwbgolf.org

Dining news

Sai Kung goes veggie The town welcomed its first dedicated plant-based restaurant 2084 last month. The new veggie hotspot owned by Casa Group is located on the site where Classified once stood and serves up classic tapas, curries with a veggie twist, Peking wraps with oyster mushrooms and chana masala. With modern and minimalist interiors 2084 promises something refreshing for Sai Kung taste buds. 5 Sha Tsui Path, Sai Kung. 2084.casa

FRITES opens first Kowloonbased restaurant This popular family-friendly chain now has two new locations including its first ever Kowloonside restaurant. The recent openings in Kwun Tong’s Quayside and North Point bring the total number of branches across the city to six. Since it first opened in Central, Frites has become popular with both families and

Cinnabon rolls into town If you haven’t already heard, Cinnabon rolled into town last month. The world-famous US bakery chain (with presence in over 40 countries) is bringing its warm, gooey and totally amazing treats to West Kowloon. Head over to Olympian City 2 to pick up a Classic Cinnamon Roll, Chocobun or Caramel Pecanbon. Shop G06, G/F, Olympian City 2, 18 Hoi Ting Road, West Kowloon. cinnabon.com

A matcha made in heaven Hong Kong’s homegrown matcha brand is taking over The Upper House from now until the end of March. Founded in 2019, Matchali translates matcha culture for a contemporary audience in Hong Kong, highlighting its versatility and broad range of health benefits. Sourcing the green stuff directly from Kyoto’s Uji, guests can have a taste of Matchali’s Instagram-worthy hand-whisked drinks at their limited-time pop-up. 6/F, The Upper House, 88 Queensway, Admiralty. matchali.com

office-types. The European-influenced menu consists of authentic favourites such as steak frites, mussel pots and roasted pork knuckle. An express lunch priced at $118 draws in office workers as does the happy hour offering half priced beers, spirits, wine and champagne from 3-8pm weekdays. Shop No 3, 1/F, the quayside, 77 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong. frites.hk

Hong Kong’s female icons cook for charity Vicky Lau of one Michelin-starred TATE Dining Room is celebrating International Women’s Day with a charity collaboration dinner featuring seven female guest chefs. The chef owner has invited seven inspiring women in Hong Kong to cook alongside her, each presenting a dish that is nostalgic to them. Participating guest chefs include Margaret Chung (ex-TV personality and celebrity yoga teacher), Yenn Wong (founder of JIA Group) and Sarah Heller MW (Asia’s youngest Master of Wine) among others. This will be a night dedicated to the works of women and all the proceeds will be donated to Margaret Chung’s BEYOND Foundation. Starting from $1,780. 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan. tate.com.hk

A new speakeasy opens in Central The Diplomat, the first speakeasy pub concept created by award-winning mixologist John Nugent, is now open at Central’s H Code. This whimsical, vintage-inspired bar is the perfect watering hole for travellers and cocktail enthusiasts in Hong Kong. The beverage menu is a nod to the experiences of influential figures in history and is paired with a rich selection of snacks and hot bites to complete your night. LG/F, High Block, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central. diplomat.hk

Anxiety during a pandemic

Psychologist Angela Watkins shares advice to help manage anxiety during the current virus outbreak

Angela is a qualified psychologist, counsellor, SEN-educator and founder of Red Door based in Central. To contact her, email reception@reddoor. hk. reddoor.hk H ong Kong, and the world, is anxious about the possibility of catching the Wuhan Novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19 as it was recently named. But this is not the pandemic you need to be most worried about. The bigger problem right now is the contagion of anxiety spreading through our community, especially via social media. It can be easy to get swept up in the panic. If you do, the following anxiety management techniques should help; How does anxiety spread through a community? Anxiety is made worse when it is fed. Searching for more information about what is making you anxious will usually increase your anxiety. Rumour and mistruths exacerbate anxiety. Sharing rumours on social media is the equivalent of sneezing in a crowded MTR carriage. It spreads worry. What cures anxiety in cases such as this? Challenge all sources of information. The media often include panic inciting headlines and bury calming information. Acknowledge your anxiety – give it a voice, but not a megaphone. Talk to your anxiety as you would a worried child. Accept that it exists, how it might perceive the situation, and offer alternative ways of looking at the issue. Be kind to yourself. Be careful when you share information. Search for facts, not rumours. Do not spread the contagion of panic. Panic buying can add to your experience of panic. Sure if you need toilet paper buy a pack, but don’t buy 10 packs “just in case”. Don’t judge those who leave, or those who stay. People make the choices that they think are best for their family. Adopt a new perspective, try to focus on the positive: • Hong Kong is currently exploring business continuity plans and conducting what is probably the world’s largest “work from home experiment”. This experiment may lead to greater work flexibility for Hong Kong in the future. • With schools closed, parents get to spend more time with their children (if they choose). • You may finally have time to sort out that spare room or messy cupboard. • When Hong Kong experienced SARS there

were drastic improvements to public hygiene practices, as well as massive benefits for those who bought apartments during that time.

Virus-proof your home Rik Glauert shares his top tips for keeping your living space germ-free home & living

1. Wash your hands Wash your hands the first thing after you get home. The best practice is to spend at least 20 seconds (or about as long as it takes to sing the song ‘Happy Birthday’) using soap and warm water. Make sure you wash your palms, between the fingers, fingertips, backs of hands, thumbs, and wrists.

2. Clean your phone Did you know, your mobile phone is 10 times dirtier than the toilet seat? You heard that right. With coronavirus on the loose, make it a habit to wipe down your phone using a combination of 60 percent water and 40 percent rubbing alcohol every few hours.

3. Don’t touch your face All those hours queueing for a mask and diligently wearing it in crowded places will have been wasted if you start shoving dirty fingers into the holes on your face. Bad habits to kick now include nose-picking, ear-fiddling, nail-biting and thumb-sucking.

4. Wipe your door handles Door handles are another virus hotbed. This is because you’ll be putting your grubby hands all over them whenever you come in. Consider placing a pack of antiviral wipes by the door to make sure you are wiping germs away regularly. Or, hang a bottle of alcohol spray to remind you to regularly disinfect. Light switches and remote controls are other possible harbours for the virus.

5. Filter your air While modern air conditioning units often include filters to keep out bacteria, pollen, mold and pollution, they may not be catching everything. Consider adding ultraviolet filters to your air conditioning unit or investing in an air purifier.

6. Clean with bleach Disinfect your home by cleaning with a diluted 1:99 bleach solution (one part household bleach and 99 parts of water). Take extra precaution by wiping down frequently touched surfaces more diligently.

7. Clean your toilet There have been signs to show the new coronavirus can be spread by faeces and building pipes. Clean your toilet and all surfaces in the bathroom regularly. Close the lid after you’ve “finished” but before you flush to avoid faecal particles dispersing. Check your extractor fan is in fact extracting bad air rather than blowing in possibly contaminated air. And, get a licensed plumber to check on your pipes if they are getting old or if you’ve modified them previously.

8. Clean your kitchen The kitchen is another possible place where the virus could make the jump from outside your body to inside. Any surface that you touch during food preparation could put the virus on your family’s menu, so be sure to clean all worktops regularly with disinfectant to prevent germs from lingering around.

9. Do laundry regularly When you come home, remove outside jackets and coats and leave them by the door. Wash your clothes regularly – as you normally would– to keep them clean.

10. Leave your shoes at the door Luckily this is embedded in local culture. But, needless to say, your shoes could be carrying all sorts of germs, including the virus. Be sure to take them off before walking around your home. Wash your hands after touching your shoes and consider regularly disinfecting your shoe cabinet.