Latest news with #CausewayBay
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong private firms walking in the right direction
Connectivity can mean many things for a city. Often, a focus on technology and transport can overlook a very human need for people to get around easily on two feet in urban settings. So, Hong Kong authorities deserve credit for an incentive programme encouraging private firms to build pedestrian links to help make the city a better place to live. The initiative has earmarked 10 pedestrian footbridges and underpasses to improve walkability in bustling, densely populated areas including Kowloon East, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hung Hom, Causeway Bay and Wan Chai. Two projects are set to open next year. Participating companies are offered waivers on land premiums, the government fees developers must pay to modify land use when the change boosts property value. Revenue from land premiums is a significant source of government income, so the step was not one to take lightly. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho wrote in her blog on May 25 that the government was effectively 'leveraging market forces' by collaborating with the private sector to foster a 'more convenient, connected and high-quality walking environment'. Launched in 2016, the connectivity initiative's most recently completed project was the Two Queensway Bridge in Admiralty. It opened in late April to connect Pacific Place, Harcourt Garden, Admiralty MTR station, government headquarters and commercial buildings. Causeway Bay will see a project take shape in phases next year, with five footbridges and a sheltered path to divert pedestrians from the busy Yun Ping Road, Hysan Avenue, Pennington Street and Leighton Road. Another footbridge will open in mid-2026 in Kowloon Bay. A footbridge project will also commence next year to link two towers in the Kwun Tong district. Urban planners in many communities around the world have been criticised for prioritising traffic flows over walkability. Even cities with massive traffic problems, such as Manila, are introducing pedestrian areas that offer a place to escape chaos below. For decades, authorities in Hong Kong have been urged to think further ahead about ensuring pedestrians can move comfortably in high-density zones. The new initiative is a sign that positive change is afoot. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Will you click on this story? Do Hong Kong tarot readers hold the answer?
Amid the hustle and bustle of a prime Hong Kong shopping district, there is a small alley where Ceci Yeung sits and quietly shuffles her deck of tarot cards, offering answers to questions both great and small to anyone who walks past her booth. For two days a week, Yeung performs tarot readings at the Window and Alley, a 46 sq ft space in Causeway Bay that is commonly used for community events and as a spot for local vendors to sell artwork and other goods. Among her clientele, many of whom are in their twenties and thirties, relationship questions are always the most popular. But this year has seen a growing number of people seeking answers to existential dilemmas, she said. 'In an earlier stage of my career, romance was the most-asked question, like whether they should get back together, or questions about cheating,' Yeung said. 'But this year, people feel more helpless than usual because of huge societal changes. They feel insecure about their current situation. Maybe they feel they might become redundant at work or are replaceable by artificial intelligence.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- South China Morning Post
15 new Hong Kong restaurants and bars to try in June 2025 for pasta, ramen, tacos and more
With so many of us planning, or about to take, a trip out of Hong Kong before the summer sun really turns up the heat, June is a great time to catch up with friends and family before everybody scatters. Looking for somewhere special for a decadent meal, a happy hour catch-up or a coffee and snack? These newly opened bars and restaurants may take your fancy. 1. Yorucho and Madara A modern izakaya has opened in Causeway Bay's Tang Lung Street, founded by two chefs who have worked in kitchens with modern flair – think Liberty Exchange, Silencio and Fukuro. Crispy nori tacos at Yorucho. Photo: Yorucho Expect dishes such as crispy nori tacos topped with red prawn head oil and prawn salt, and pickled plum-marinated tomatoes with yuzu ricotta. Attached to Yorucho's dining room is a secret bar, Madara, slated to open by late June. At the helm of the bar is Rayven Leung, previously of Takumi Mixology Salon , who is known for crafting Japanese-style cocktails with floral and fruity notes. 16/F, Circle Tower, 28 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay Goose Island Taproom has opened in Central. Photo: Goose Island Taproom 2. Goose Island Taproom Chicago brewery Goose Island Taproom has opened a branch in Central. Among its line-up of beers is its signature and award-winning Goose IPA, as well as the Thirsty Goose, which took home the 2024 World Beer Awards China Gold in the Lager/Hoppy Pilsner category.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- South China Morning Post
Dish in Focus: Farmhouse Productions tomatoes at Roganic
Roganic restaurant is one of the leading lights on Hong Kong's sustainable dining scene: its farm-to-fork approach has earned it numerous awards, including a Michelin Green Star. Since opening in 2019, the restaurant has prioritised locally sourced ingredients and zero-waste menus. In February, Roganic moved to its new, upcycled premises at Lee Garden One in Causeway Bay. The decor has changed, the menu has changed, but one constant is head chef Adam Catterall , who has been in the kitchen since day one. From sous chef to head chef, over the last six years he has worked alongside founder Simon Rogan to push the boundaries of sustainable gastronomy in our city. Roganic's new location at Lee Gardens in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay. Photo: Jocelyn Tam One way the restaurant does this is through maintaining strong relationships with local suppliers – working closely with growers and producers who farm regeneratively and are environmentally conscious. Catterall says, 'A lot of guests are shocked to find out that such amazing produce can actually grow in Hong Kong. It's always great to see how our diners react … when we explain where all the ingredients come from.' The menu at Roganic changes according to seasonal availability of produce, and the names of dishes highlight local suppliers. The Farmhouse Productions tomatoes in perilla and coal with fermented pistachio, for example, uses cherry tomatoes from the eponymous farming collective based mainly in the New Territories. 'We were inspired by the outstanding quality of the cherry tomatoes here in Hong Kong, which enjoy a relatively short season,' explains Catterall. 'The idea of including other ingredients from the farm expanded into incorporating farm herbs and flowers, and vinegars made from purple perilla, also from Farmhouse Productions.' Adam Catterall, head chef of Roganic in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout One of Catterall's favourite dishes, this appetiser is entirely vegan – something he describes as 'a happy accident'. As the chef explains, 'The balance of the dish works really well without … animal fats or protein.'
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's Gale Well reels from market downturn, loses US$6.5 million on 2 asset sales
Hong Kong property investment firm Gale Well Group, which has been divesting assets, sold three shops this month, incurring a loss of more than HK$51 million (US$6.5 million) on two of them, as the city's retail real estate market remains mired in a downturn. Gale Well sold a 2,780 sq ft street-level shop at King Kwong Street in Happy Valley for HK$28.8 million, nearly 40 per cent lower than the HK$46 million it paid in 2008, according to Land Registry data. The transaction was completed on May 23 through a holding company, Fine Keen Investment. Gale Well chairman Rita Tong Liu is a director at Fine Keen, according to the Companies Registry. The company also sold a 1,537 sq ft shop on the ground floor of Haleson Building in Central for HK$38.8 million, according to property agents. The price represented a 47 per cent loss on the HK$72.8 million paid in 2011 by Parkmax Investment, according to the Land Registry. Liu is a Parkmax director. Gale Well's third divestment was a 21,702 sq ft three-storey shop on Morrison Hill Road in Causeway Bay for HK$110 million, according to Savills, which handled the sale. The transaction resulted in a profit of 49 per cent for Keenplan International, which bought the property for HK$73.8 million in 2005, according to the Land Registry. Liu is a director of Keenplan. Rita Tong Liu, chairman of Gale Well Group, pictured in June 2018. Photo: Edmond So Last week, Gale Well appointed Savills as the agent for three shops in North Point, Causeway Bay and Wan Chai, which have a combined indicative price of HK$190 million.
