Life Style

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 ...

Harshil Bhasin is the director of operations at Hong Kong restaurant group Silver Spoon Restaurants (formerly Silver Oaks), which just opened a new Thai place, O’Thai, in the city’s Hung Hom neighbourhood. He spoke to Andrew Sun.I was born and raised in Hong Kong. Like a typical Indian family, we ate a lot of home-cooked food.My dad managed Gaylord, the more than 50-year-old Indian restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui, so on big nights like Diwali, we would go there after the regular dinner service.I am a vegetarian now, but I’m “CDC” – condiments don’t count. I am OK with fish and chicken broth.Harshil Bhasin is the director of operations at Silver Spoon Restaurants. Photo: Harshil BhasinI used to be obsessed with the scallion, ginger, spring onion oil and brown sauce served with Hainan chicken ri...

In Ang Lee’s 1993 film The Wedding Banquet, a bisexual man tries to hide his boyfriend from his parents by marrying a Chinese immigrant who needs a green card.In Andrew Ahn’s new remake of the film, which opens in cinemas in the United States on April 18, the stakes have been doubled, with two gay couples whose differing needs and goals have led them to the brink of breaking up. That is before their families get involved.Director and co-writer Ahn assembled a stellar cast for the movie, including Bowen Yang of Saturday Night Live and Wicked; Lily Gladstone, nominated for an Oscar for her role in 2023’s Killers of the Flower Moon; Kelly Marie Tran, known for her work in Star Wars films The Rise of Skywalker and The Last Jedi; and Korean actor Han Gi-chan (Where Your Eyes Linger).The last fe...

If you are stocking up on chocolate for Easter, the plain, dark variety may be the way to go if you are after a healthy sweet treat.While both dark and milk chocolate are made using ingredients derived from cacao beans, the dark variety has more cacao than milk chocolate: between 50 per cent and 90 per cent, compared with between 10 per cent and 50 per cent.The higher cacao content gives dark chocolate a more intense flavour profile, often described as bitter or earthy, says Hong Kong-based dietitian Cyrus Luk.The higher the cacao content, the higher the levels of beneficial compounds such as flavanols – a type of antioxidant that has been linked to improved cardiovascular health, enhanced brain function and reduced inflammation.Cyrus Luk is a Hong Kong-based dietitian. Photo: Cyrus LukDar...

3.5/5 starsLead cast: Lee Hye-ri, Chung Su-bin, Kang Hye-won, Oh Woo-riThe high school thriller has long been a popular genre in Korean media and it is no surprise why. Febrile teenage emotions mixed with the pressure cooker environment of Korean education result in tales of brutal competition and explosive drama.The new teenage thriller Friendly Rivalry understands this appeal all too well and escalates it by pitting leading characters against each other who are torn between self-interest and empathy.They do good things, some later revealed to be for the wrong reasons, and they also knowingly do bad things, either because they feel they have to or to help someone else. The drama comes from the fact that these characters constantly yo-yo in opposition. Occasionally they briefly bounce in u...

The long-awaited Easter weekend is here! Between Easter egg hunts, egg-themed dishes and extended relaxation in the warm weather, we have a full line-up of guest shifts worth checking out over the course of four days. If you’re not flying out for the long weekend, enjoy the local bar scene – world-class concepts from Jakarta, Beijing and even our sister SAR get behind the stick at some of our best venues.Thursday, April 17Wing Lei Bar x Honky Tonks TavernWing Lei Bar’s new head mixologist Mark Lloyd is visiting Hong Kong from Macau for a guest shift at Honky Tonks Tavern on April 17. Photo: HandoutWhat: Mark Lloyd, newly minted head mixologist at the revamped Wing Lei Bar at Wynn Palace in Macau, comes to Hong Kong for a gauntlet of guest shifts this Easter weekend. The Scotland native bri...

1.5/5 starsIrene Wan Pik-ha may have never come close to making the A-list of Hong Kong cinema, but the veteran actress could certainly never be faulted for not trying hard enough.While most actresses would transition to play more mature characters as they age, Wan appears completely reluctant to let go of the sex appeal that was her calling card in the 1980s and ’90s. Indeed, she is not even ready to ditch her heavy make-up and sexy dresses on screen despite the fact she will turn 60 next year.In the past decade, Wan has managed to stay visible through leading roles in films that were made by the studio Irene Production and skewed towards either portraying her as a major star (Love in Late Autumn, Lonely Eighteen) or reaffirming her attractiveness (The Fallen).None of them were any good, ...