Is Hong Kong about to implode?

Dining
Serve Well
Chilled
Are you a stressed-out diner tired of being shouted at by
impatient cha chaan teng staff? These relaxing restaurants
will soothe your worries away. By HK staff.
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Who are the most easygoing people in Hong Kong?
Lamma hippies, of course. And where better to encounter
this easygoing breed than the Bookworm Café, Lamma’s very
own vegetarian literary enclave? With an all-veggie menu and
shelves stacked high with second-hand goods and vintage
vinyl, the Bookworm Café is the ideal place to kick back,
take it easy and forget about your meat-eating islanddwelling
woes. Until you get back on the ferry, at least.
Chill Out Factor: A glass of wine, a good book and some
jazz on the stereo.
79 Yung Shue Wan Main St., Lamma, 2982-4838.
Cup Runneth Over
Mong Kok’s Full Cup Café is always an island of hipsterdom
in a sea of crowds and noise, but it’s on the weekend that this
venue really reaches peak chill. Every Sunday from 3-5pm,
Full Cup hosts a live music gig from one of Hong Kong’s best
up-and-coming bands. Head in, order a bite and take it easy.
With any luck, it’s not a death metal day…
Chill Out Factor: Going to a gig with that person
you’ve been crushing on for weeks.
2-6/F, Hanwai Commercial Centre, 36 Dundas St.,
Mong Kok, 2771-7775.
New Discoveries
Discovery Forest on the roof of Central Pier No.3 might
just have the best location and the most chilled-out vibes in
the entire city. With an unbeatable view of both sides of the
skyline, it’s a hidden gem—and you won’t have to pay Central
prices for a Central view. Food is basic kinda western fare, but
a meal here isn’t really about the cuisine. It’s about the regular
live bands, the plentiful draft beer and perfect view of that
truly unbeatable skyline.
Chill Out Factor: Hong Kong nighttime vibes.
Rooftop, Central Ferry Pier No.3, Central, 3579-8662.
Super Bubbles
Been a tough week? Drown your sorrows in bubbles.
On Sundays, there are free flow champers and beer offers
at The Mira Moon’s Supergiant all day—and from 6-8pm,
they serve up free-flow Veuve Clicquot champagne for just
$295 on the secluded “Secret Garden” open-air terrace.
Order up the restaurant’s signature tapas, from traditional
bites such as tortilla to Hong Kong takes such as egg
waffles with serrano ham, and wash it down
with glass after glass of al fresco
bubbles. You’ll be feeling way
better in no time.
Chill Out Factor: Ice buckets
full of bubbly.
3/F, Mira Moon, 388 Jaffe Rd.,
Causeway Bay, 2643-8875.
Ocean Waves y
The Pulse in Repulse Bay
has seen plenty of new
venues open over the last
year, and they’re all great
beachside locations with an
easy-going, laid-back vibe. The
newest is The Ocean, which serves
modern interpretations of seafood of
all kinds over two floors. Not chill enough
for you? There’s a wooden pool on the
restaurant’s open-air balcony, so you can grab
a cocktail and dip your feet when it all gets a little
too hot to handle.
Chill Out Factor: A balmy day by the beach.
Shop 303-304, The Pulse, 28 Beach Rd.,
Repulse Bay, 2889-5939.
Café Cool y
What’s cooler than a café set in an industrial
building in Ngau Tau Kok? A café set
in an industrial building in Ngau Tau
Kok manned by one of Hong Kong’s
coolest indie bands, of course.
Tfvsjs Café, created by the postrock
band of the same (totally
unpronounceable) name,
serves up strong, homely
Italian fare in this sprawling
and unpretentious warehouse
space that doubles up as the
band’s rehearsal space. Food is
creative and inspired—much like
the band itself.
Chill Out Factor: Cooler than that
band you’ve never heard of before.
Unit B, 10/F, Gee Luen Factory
Building, 316-318 Kwun Tong Rd.,
Ngau Tau Kok, 2415-4999.
Cool off in The Ocean
20 HK MAGAZINE FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015