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exploring taste – Spring/Summer 2016 places – Hong Kong is dancing
Hong Kong 4.
People & Places Po Lin Monastery And Great Buddha
Located in the rural area of Ngong Pin, the Po Lin
monastery was inaugurated in 1906. From its ori-
gins as a small place of worship, it has evolved into
a large Buddhist center, as well as one of the most
popular tourist attractions in the area. Its struc-
ture comprises many imposing buildings, includ-
2. ing the Great Treasury Hall and the Ti-Sang Hall.
Other parts of the site are still under construc-
tion. When visiting the monastery it is worth
bearing in mind that the more recent buildings
Tosca/Pino Lavarra are situated nearer to the entrance, while the sim-
pler, older constructions are at the back.
Tosca is located on the 102 floor of the Ritz Carl- www.discoverhongkong.com photography by courtesy of Gagosian Gallery
nd
ton, the tallest hotel in Hong Kong. The name of
this Italian restaurant led by chef Pino Lavarra is
a nod to the famous opera by Puccini. “Our open
1. kitchen,” Lavarra explains, “stretches out into the 5. The Hong Kong branch of the contemporary art
restaurant like a stage, and you can watch the show
from your table, as if you were sitting in the stalls
in a theater.” Born in Puglia, Lavarra relocated gallery founded in L.A. in 1979 by Larry Gago-
Anais Jourden Mak & Benny Woo to Hong Kong three years ago. The ethos of To- sian, is housed in the Pedder Building, a historical
sca finds its true expression in the reinvention of Gagosian Gallery shopping area in the center. Its 500sq meters of
The Hong Kong design scene caused a real buzz classic Italian dishes that employ the best fresh in- floorspace were inaugurated with a Damien Hirst
recently, thanks to partners (in life and business) gredients. Lavarra strives to offer the perfect wine exhibition. The venue is filled with natural light,
Anais Jourden Mak and Benny Woo’s nomina- combinations for his dishes, working closely with a having been designed for flexible use by London
tion to the LVMH prize. Their contemporary team of sommeliers. architectural firm Caruso St John, who have de-
womenswear collection’s peculiarity lies in its ex- www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/china/hong-kong/dining veloped a number of other gallery spaces for Ga-
clusive fabrics, which have been attracting a lot of gosian around the world (there are ten overall: one
attention over the past few years, from high-pro- New York, two in Beverly Hills, then in London,
file magazines the likes of Vogue China and Elle Rome, Athens, Paris and Geneva).
Hong Kong. Mak and Woo were the first fashion photography Mike Clarke/Getty www.gagosian.com
designers to represent Hong Kong in this presti-
gious industry prize, reaching the semi-finals.
www.jourden.co
3.
6.
Lamma Island
Lamma Island, also known locally by the name of Cuffs
Pok Liu, is the third largest island in the Islands
District, a group of 236 islands south of Hong Made-to-size menswear is only one of the many
Kong. Lamma is characterized by its relaxed at- faces of Causeway Bay, Hong Kong’s shopping
mosphere, in comparison to the main city, and its mecca. No other place does it as well as Cuffs, on
stunning natural scenery. On Lamma, buildings Lee Garden Road. Here you can ‘build’ your own
taller than three storeys are prohibited by law, and shirt in a seven-step process, with the aid of the
shop’s expert owners. Ian and Mario will help you
photography Quist Tsang travel by bike. Its lower prices compared to main- to choose the right fabrics and designs – cuffs and
there are few cars in the streets, as most people
all. The finished product costs around 400 Hong
land Hong Kong make this island the perfect des-
Kong dollars (about £30).
tination for young people and writers.
photography yeowatzup/Wikimedia www.discoverhongkong.com www.cuffs.hk photography Studio Cassells
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