Tatler Tales
Heard around Hong Kong this month
KEEN-EYED HIKERS OR RESIDENTS OF THE TAI TAM AREA may have done a double take after spotting a familiar Hong Kong icon floating in the southern harbour. “Dot” is a converted 1988 Star Ferry currently on the market for HK$21 million. Broker Miles Clark reports a “huge amount of interest” in the boat, which includes four en suite cabins, a cinema, office, living room, kitchen and outdoor dining area. Dot was renovated in Zhuhai by an anonymous owner who chose to retain a lot of her original charm, such as teak decking, but add luxurious modern touches, such as solar panels and floor-to-ceiling windows. If you’re someone who has taken the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour and found the Hong Kong skyline nothing more than a distraction from the beauty of the historic vessel, this listing could be for you.
AS WELL AS GAINING NEW ATTRACTIONS and (finally) ending its marine animal shows, Ocean Park is retiring seven of its rides. While we won’t be sad to see the back of the whiplash-inducing Dragon coaster, the iconic Mine Train and its sweeping sea and mountain track will be missed. The park has received billions in government bailout since the start of the pandemic, which it will funnel into new facilities and a business model more akin to a funfair than a theme park, where entrance is free and visitors are charged per ride. However, true to form, OP’S fans rallied angrily against the threat to their childhood memories: “I go to Ocean Park for these rides, how dare you remove them?” wrote one. Another said: “Hongkongers’ memories are all gone when you strip it down to the bone like this. Why don’t you just shut it down then?”
FOR A CITY OF SUCH DEDICATED FOODIES, we certainly throw an awful lot away: food by far comprises the highest volume of waste disposed every day in Hong Kong. Enter Phenix, a newly launched app to “rescue” food waste by redistributing unsold food from producers like restaurants and supermarkets. The platform is the latest idea from the founders of clothing resale service Onthelist, Diego Dultzin and Delphine Lefay. While food redistribution apps like Olio have grown popular elsewhere in the world, Hong Kong has been slow to use tech to solve the problems posed by sending food to landfill. Phenix has already garnered the support of several partners, including The Cakery, Calimex, Capo Group, Bain Marie, Oolaa and Citysuper.