Life Style

“Growing up in a Muslim family, I was told that liking another person of the same sex was haram,” says Warren Hallett of how Islam forbids homosexuality, considering it sinful. “My religion teacher said [gay people] were going to hell.“I knew being me was wrong, but I couldn’t change it. And because I couldn’t tell anyone, the only way to live was to hide everything. I prayed every night, wishing I would wake up ‘straight’, ‘normal’, like everyone else.”Born in Batu Pahat, a small town in Malaysia, where Islam is the state religion, the 53-year-old has since given up his Arabic birth name, married another man and become a policy adviser to the British Home Office.In 2000, Hallett was the first asylum seeker to be granted refugee status in the UK on the grounds of being LGBTQ – lesbian, gay...

Lead cast: Choi Soo-young, Gong MyungLatest Nielsen rating: 2.7 per centAt one point in Second Shot at Love, Han Geum-joo (played by Girl’s Generation K-pop star Choi Soo-young) reveals her habit of drinking soju secreted inside a bottle of toner at her vanity table to hide her drinking habit from her imperious mother, Kim Gwang-ok (Kim Sung-ryoung, A Virtuous Business).In the same confessional sequence, her father, Han Jung-soo (Kim Sang-ho, Sweet Home), and sister Han Hyun-woo (Jo Yoon-hee, The Escape of the Seven) also reveal their hiding places – bourbon in a cistern, beer cans in a doghouse.Hiding bottles of booze from family members is a pretty clear sign of serious alcoholism. This seems to fit with the apparent theme of the show, which is about a young woman trying to kick her drin...

Hong Kong has long been a food mecca, known both for its humble milk tea and fish balls and its numerous Michelin-star restaurants.The city naturally has a reputation for Cantonese food, from dim sum and roast meats to more refined dishes made with luxurious ingredients such as fish maw and abalone.Hong Kong restaurants that serve creative interpretations of Cantonese cuisine, such as The Chairman, Bo Innovation and Wing, have long been on diners’ radars. But chefs who present unique concepts between traditional Cantonese and contemporary Western cuisine can also thrive.Here are five chefs to watch, who are putting their own spin on Hong Kong cuisine and taking it to another level. They tell us what Hong Kong flavours mean to them.1. Thomas TamThomas Tam serves Japanese-French fusion food ...

Almost five years after the 2020 closure of two-Michelin-star Tenku RyuGin in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, former chef de cuisine Hidemichi Seki has embarked on his next culinary adventure.He was on hiatus in his homeland, Japan, when the team from Malaysian hospitality group Ilham Dining Concepts (IDC) came knocking in 2022, inviting him to start his own restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.Seki launched his first restaurant, K, in February 2025. On the 37th floor of the Foster and Partners-designed Ilham Tower, the kaiseki restaurant offers a generous 15-course tasting menu.Despite receiving offers from restaurants in Japan, Seki chose to move to Malaysia’s capital, wanting to see more of the world while still living close to nature.K kaiseki restaurant opened on the 37th floor of the Ilham Tower in ...

It’s June, so that means summer has officially arrived (no matter what the weather’s currently doing). Kick off the new season with some of Hong Kong’s best bars as they mix it up this weekend. 100 Top Tables-recognised institution C108 has just launched its new menu, refreshing certain classics with reinterpretations based on the lore that inspired them. Elsewhere in SoHo, Bar Leone is continuing to celebrate its second anniversary, this weekend with a special double-header guest shift. And closer to the harbour, The Aubrey is going all out by hosting 11 of Hong Kong’s best bars in an extravaganza of local mixology excellence.Friday, June 6Creator’s Point of View – C108’s new menuGiuseppe, a riff on the Garibaldi, is on C108’s new menu. Photo: HandoutWhat: Coffee-by-day and cocktails-by-n...

2.5/5 starsCan a pastor forgive the young man who raped his daughter and indirectly caused her death? That is the premise of Valley of the Shadow of Death, a bold yet deeply flawed attempt to rethink Christianity’s advocacy of unconditional kindness.It’s a morality tale that proves more interesting on paper than it is in its execution.Three years after his teenage daughter Ching (Sheena Chan Shu-yan) killed herself in the aftermath of the traumatic incident, Leung (Anthony Wong Chau-sang) continues to put on a brave face as his church’s shining light, even if his wife (Louisa So Yuk-wa), a hospital nurse who remains unnamed, has lost her faith.The pastor’s strong will to move on is tested when his daughter’s rapist, Lok (George Au Chun-ho), is released from prison and, by chance, is given ...

June is Pride Month and that means a variety of events in Hong Kong that celebrate love, diversity and inclusivity.For many in the city’s LGBTQ community, the road to love is paved with obstacles - the biggest one being that same-sex marriage is still not legally recognised.While the laws are letting the community down, the city’s entertainment venues are doing their bit to mark Pride, with everything from rooftop and junk parties to art exhibitions and drag performances.Here’s our pick of the highlights.Pride Month at Eaton HKEaton HK’s “Reorient to the Future” programme features a range of events across June and July to mark Pride Month.

June has arrived, which means we are officially halfway through 2025. So far, Hong Kong’s F&B scene has not disappointed, with more new menus, seasonal dishes and special events than we can squeeze into our calendars.This week we’re spoiled for choice with one new opening, a weekend brunch, a one-night-only dinner, and sustainable seafood dishes. If that’s still not enough to tickle your taste buds, our 100 Top Tables Guide 2025 surely will.Thursday, June 5Guests will witness a captivating performance in the heart of Nobu led by the restaurant’s corporate sushi chef Toshiyuki Shiramizu. Photo: HandoutStart the weekend early with Nobu Hong Kong’s first tuna-cutting ceremony and dinner this Thursday. A 70kg bluefin tuna takes centre stage at this immersive showcase of Japanese tradition,...

Architect and former Hong Kong secretary for environment and ecology Wong Kam-sing is the chairman of Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China), a charity that encourages young people to take part in rural revitalisation. He spoke to Andrew Sun.We were a grass-roots family with seven sisters and brothers in total. We ate simple but umami Shunde-style food at home. The tradition has been passed down to my current family.A favourite restaurant of mine is Sang Kee Congee Shop (7-9 Burd Street, Sheung Wan. Tel: 2541 1099). I usually order the freshwater grass carp belly or fish ball congee. My father cooked a similar congee at home on holidays. The taste is basic yet fresh.The chef has to manage the boiling time perfectly with care and passion. I feel congee is healthy for my body and soul.The Shunde-styl...

Singaporean Eddie Chang runs for a living. As a “run concierge”, he takes hotel guests on scheduled runs three times a week, following scenic routes through the city state.It is a dream job for the 55-year-old, who is The Westin Singapore’s first – and only – run concierge, and one of the first few such concierges for the hotel chain in Asia.“They were looking for someone to lead runs for their guests. I went for the interview and was thrilled to discover that I could turn my love for running into a job,” says Chang, explaining how he landed the enviable position just over a decade ago.Before that, Chang had worked in purchasing and running-event sponsorship for a sports clothing company.Chang, who has worked as a run concierge for over a decade, says he was “thrilled” to discover he could...