Life Style

Boasting nine branches around the globe, from Hong Kong and Las Vegas to Dubai and Toronto, Mott 32 is one of Hong Kong’s most successful culinary exports, having first opened in Central in 2014. Recognised by the 100 Top Tables guide since 2017, the Iberico char siu with yellow mountain honey remains a must-try.An essential staple in Cantonese cuisine, char siu – or barbecue pork – is one of the most popular Chinese roast meats, and one that chef Lee Man-sing learned to make when he was just 14 years old.“I started cooking when I was very young. My mother’s eyesight wasn’t very good so I had to help my family by doing chores and would cook simple things like stir-fried vegetables and rice. Then when I was 14, I got a job working at a cha chaan teng delivering food,” says Lee. “The head ch...

Bodybuilders and weightlifters looking for gains have long leaned on creatine to help build muscle and hasten post-workout recovery.But according to scientists in Australia, Canada and the US, dosing up on the sport supplement makes next to no difference when it comes to getting big in the gym.In contrast to previous findings, the results of this study showed that creatine had no additive effect on lean body mass changes when combined with resistance training, the researchers said in a paper published in the journal Nutrients.The “confounding” effect, or lack thereof, suggests that bigger and potentially unsafe doses of creatine could be needed to show it having a discrete muscle-building impact.Creatine is a chemical found naturally in the body, as well as in meat, fish and protein-rich p...

3/5 starsA quartet of rookie robbers take on the elite yet corrupt members of the older generation in Smashing Frank.This stylish but lightweight crime drama, however, is considerably more effective as a portrait of disaffected youth than as a parable on the growing chasm between young and old, and wealthy and poor, in Hong Kong.The feature debut of writer-director Trevor Choi Hong-ying, a Hong Kong native who started his film-directing education upon returning to the city in 2018, Smashing Frank is notable for being part-financed with a crowdfunding campaign initiated by the YouTube Channel “16 by 9”, of which Choi is director.While the project’s early backers may feel disappointed with the subsequent changes of producer – originally Fruit Chan Gor – and all four of its lead actors, an ar...

It’s an exciting time to be in Hong Kong for enthusiastic imbibers like myself. A few weeks ago, it was announced that the World’s 50 Best Bars awards will be hosted in the city for the first time, on October 8.Having previously hosted two editions of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, in 2023 and 2024 (both at Rosewood Hong Kong), the city has been upgraded to welcome the world’s finest bartenders, following in the footsteps of London, Barcelona, Singapore and Madrid.Not bad for a place that, post-pandemic, had struggled to convince wary tourists that we had some serious “night vibes” going on.The image is helped by Hong Kong’s own Bar Leone in Sheung Wan being crowned Asia’s Best Bar in 2024, and runner-up in the world edition of the awards a few months later. It only seems fair to bring the party bac...

Long mocked, white socks are now firmly back in fashion. No longer are they seen as a hallmark of Germans abroad when paired with sandals.These days, white socks are often worn with shorts so that the brand logo can be clearly seen, whether that be Nike, Adidas or Puma.White socks are no longer seen as a fashion faux pas. Style influencers from Generation Z – those born between the mid-1990s and the early 2010s – from pop star Billie Eilish to actor Paul Mescal are wearing them.Meanwhile, short trainer socks, previously loved by millennials – born between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s – are staying stuck at the bottom of our sock drawers, especially ones that make it look as though you are not wearing any socks at all.“Instead of socks you can barely see, the trend now is for socks tha...

It is no exaggeration to say that Sakura Ando is one of the most important actresses of contemporary Japanese cinema. A winner of numerous accolades, including five Japan Academy Film Prize awards, the hugely popular performer has had an eclectic career since she started acting in 2006.Over those two decades, Ando has navigated deftly between indie hits from cult directors like Sion Sono and Takashi Miike, to award-winning dramas from celebrated auteurs such as Hirokazu Koreeda, to appearing in mainstream blockbusters like 2023’s Oscar-winning kaiju spectacular Godzilla Minus One.Right now, however, the 39-year-old is enjoying a much-deserved hiatus to concentrate on raising her young daughter.“Parenting and shooting together are really difficult for me. Especially in Japan, it’s really, r...

Chinatowns are often portrayed as gritty underworlds riddled with prostitution, gambling and drug trafficking. Some of this is rooted in truth, but that unfair depiction is largely the result of rampant xenophobia and cultural ignorance, especially in the West.In a series of articles, the Post explores the historical and social significance of major Chinatowns around the world and the communities that shape them.The world’s oldest Chinatown and a rich mix of Chinese and Filipino culture, Binondo is found in the heart of the Philippine capital Manila.Named after the Filipino word binundok, meaning “like a mountain”, Binondo – home to about 20,000 people – boasts Taoist temples, Christian churches, Chinese restaurants and eclectic street art.It was established in 1594 by Spanish colonisers a...

Your Friends & Neighbors begins with a once high-flying hedge fund manager waking up in someone else’s luxurious house, next to a dead body and in a pool of blood.How he ended up there consumes the first season of this compelling Apple TV+ series, which stars Jon Hamm and takes a peek at the lives of the ultrarich in a leafy New York suburb.“I was interested in writing about the status symbols, about the way wealth informs community,” says creator, showrunner and producer Jonathan Tropper.“And then at the same time, what I really wanted to do is subvert it a little bit and talk about how impermanent it all is.”Like White Lotus and Big Little Lies before it, Your Friends & Neighbors revolves around the woes of the wealthy and questions why we chase social status.“Why is more always ...

Investment in cutting-edge health and life sciences is helping Abu Dhabi create a vibrant healthcare ecosystem while positioning the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a global hub for medical innovation and forward-looking initiatives in the field.At Abu Dhabi Global Health Week, which culminates tomorrow at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, world-leading experts, policymakers, investors and innovators have gathered to explore the future of healthcare.The forum is focused on ensuring that innovation moves beyond research labs and into the lives of people worldwide through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), genomics – the study of the structure, function and development of the complete set of genes in a cell – personalised medicine and digital transformation.The event, which has the theme of “Towar...

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]Hong Kong’s food delivery scene has long been dominated by causal fare – noodles, rice boxes, pizzas, bubble tea, to name a few. But Keeta is shaking things up by teaming up with top-tier restaurant groups to bring fine dining straight to the doorstep.  The food delivery platform’s latest collaboration with LUBUDS Group is intended to bring the fine dining experience directly to customers, wherever they are – whether at home, in the office or at special events.Berfa Chow, chief operating officer of LUBUDS Group, and Yao Jian-qiao, commercial director of Keeta’s Hong Kong business, mark the launch of a strategic partnership aimed at redefining premium food delivery in Hong Kong. Despite being a relatively new player ...