Jenny Leung

Mid-Autumn Festival comes with plenty of beloved traditions – moonlit strolls, lantern displays, spending time with family and friends, and of course, getting your fill of mooncakes. Whether your loyalties lie with traditional lotus paste and double salted yolks or you’re just keen on trying out some new and inventive flavours, Hong Kong’s top hotels, bakeries, and restaurants have truly outdone themselves this season. To save you the hassle, here are some of the best mooncakes in town worth buying, gifting, and slicing up around the table this year.

Hongkongers are a superstitious bunch, but who can blame us when there are so many creepy, haunted locations in the city? From eerie abandoned villages to sites with spooky stories and murders attached to them, there’s no shortage of possible frights in the city – if you know where to look (or not look). Here are some places in the city you should probably avoid visiting this Hungry Ghost Festival. Please note that some of the places below are private properties – so no trespassing! RECOMMENDED: 👻 Hong Kong’s spookiest ghost stories & urban legends🙅‍♀️ 8 Things not to do during Hungry Ghost Festival💸 Your guide to Chinese paper offerings for spirits

You don’t need any occasion to show your appreciation for someone with some beautiful blooms, but they sure do make a celebration that much more special. Even if you don’t have a lavish present or a Michelin-starred booking in the works, a beautiful bouquet of flowers can still be a lovely gift to melt someone’s heart. From well-established spots to modern florists with a hipster spin, here are some of our favourite places to pick up blooms. RECOMMENDED:  🕰 The latest Hong Kong shopping news🛍 Places for cheap shopping

There’s no denying that summer in Hong Kong can get pretty unbearable without something to cool you down. While you could blast your AC on full power or down a cold beverage, the most satisfying way to lower your temperature has got to be indulging in icy treats. Here are some of our favourite spots to enjoy them around town!

When Hong Kong’s heat and humidity take over, nothing beats plunging into a pool for a swim. Whether you’re after sweeping skyline views, lush tropical vibes, or rooftop sanctuaries high above the pavement, the city's top hotel pools offer far more than just a place to do laps. Best of all, many of these luxury spaces welcome day guests with pass access, so you can enjoy the setting without booking an overnight stay. Here are the finest hotel pools worth diving into. This article includes affiliate links. These links do not influence our editorial content. For more information, click here.

Ask any local dog owner: a truly great weekend in Hong Kong usually boils down to two things – plenty of grass to run on, and somewhere cool to kick back together afterwards. With hundreds of local eateries officially opening their doors to dogs, it’s now much easier to stretch a quick park visit into an all-day outing. Whether you’re looking for open fields where your pooch can sprint around off the leash or scenic waterside strolls complete with playing facilities, here’s our pick of the best dog parks in Hong Kong for every type of hound.

Visiting a dai pai dong is a quintessential Hong Kong food experience, much like going yum cha or snacking on cheap street eats. But ever since the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has stopped renewing any dai pai dong licences, these open-air, street-side eateries are becoming an increasingly rare sight. Luckily, grandfather laws are keeping them alive (for now), and as long as this generation is passing down their licence to the next, we’ll still be able to enjoy a slice of authentic Hong Kong flavours. So, in support of good and cheap eating, here are some of the city’s best dai pai dongs for your next meal.   

It’s easy to take the Hong Kong skyline for granted when you see it every day, but spending even a few minutes looking out over the water is still one of the best ways to decompress after a long week. The problem is that the most obvious viewing spots along the harbour often feel just as crowded and frantic as the rest of the city. If you want to actually hear yourself think while taking in the view, here are some of our favourite under-the-radar spots around the city.  

Finding a brilliant cup of coffee in Hong Kong is easy – but finding somewhere that offers great java along with some peace and quiet is a whole other story. So, to help you find the perfect hideout and get away from the noise of the city for a short coffee break, here are some of our favourite hidden cafés and coffee shops that are worth exploring.

You needn't travel too far to find some of the best beaches in Hong Kong. From family-friendly beaches ideal for a lovely day out to beachside campsites with stunning sea views, these are the top sandy spots in our fair city to soak up the sun or take a dip in the sea. Note: For all beach locations, please take care when doing any water sports or hiking activities. Be sure to follow guided tours. Some beaches will not have a lifeguard present, so it is important to be extra careful in these situations. RECOMMENDED: For more active things to do, you can check out our top hiking trails in Hong Kong or dive in at one of Hong Kong's best public swimming pools.

Hongkongers love hotpot. Whether it’s a festive celebration, family gathering, dinner with friends, or you just need something to keep you warm – there's always an excuse for it. Perhaps that’s why the city is filled with all kinds of unique hotpot venues – from retro-themed restaurants inspired by old Hong Kong to ones known for their mind-numbingly spicy broths. Keep reading to see our pick of the best hotpot restaurants in town. RECOMMENDED: Stay warm by scarfing down the best claypot rice dishes in Hong Kong.

To celebrate the 29th anniversary of the HKSAR establishment, the government has teamed up with various venues, transport operators, and businesses across the city to offer a wide array of holiday perks. Since the public holiday lands smack in the middle of the week on a Wednesday, it's the absolute perfect excuse to break up the grind and explore the city on a budget. Whether you want to hop across the harbour for zero dollars, check out a world-class museum exhibition, or score big discounts at your favourite local restaurants, here's your ultimate guide to hacking the holiday. RECOMMENDED: Down for more free stuff? Check out these amazing free things you can do in Hong Kong.

Gelato brand Messina has joined forces with Gough Street cocktail bar Mius for the latest edition of its "The Scoop" series, serving up two limited-edition cocktail-inspired gelato flavours from now to August 31. Created alongside Mius founder Shelley Tai, the lineup includes Apple-ly Ever After – a non-alcoholic sorbet and sherbet mix inspired by the bar's gin and apple drink – and A-Mius-Ing Negroni, a boozy strawberry gelato infused with bitter Italian amaro and pink peppercorns. Both flavours are available in limited daily quantities at Messina's Pottinger Street and Peak Galleria locations.

Step into the Hundred Acre Wood at Festival Walk’s Winnie the Pooh 100th Anniversary pop-up store! Visitors can snap photos at Tigger’s party corner and a 1.5-metre plush display, customise scent bottles at a DIY fragrance workshop, and head inside Pooh and Piglet’s cosy cottage to get their hands on Hong Kong-exclusive merch like plush blind boxes, toy cars and tote bags, and other lifestyle items like a special Fujifilm Quicksnap camera kit. ($598). Free gifts are also up for grabs upon spending designated amounts (while stocks last).

Step into a world where airport security gets a wacky makeover at Barminski’s Runway 51 at JPS Gallery. The American artist has transformed the space into a full-scale airport terminal crafted entirely out of cardboard – complete with security checkpoints, terminal restrooms, and alien officers working at customs. Rendered in Barminski’s signature black outlines with bright pops of colour, the exhibition invites visitors to walk through the terminal, peer into secret surveillance rooms, and question the idea that, perhaps, cosmic beings have been walking among us all along.

Celebrating the city's cherished 3.15pm (aka ‘saam dim saam’) tea culture, Cordis, Hong Kong has partnered with Yau Ma Tei’s historic Tai On Coffee & Tea Shop and food illustrator Kai to present ‘Art In Residence: Tea Time Stories’ from August 17 to October 31. The takeover spans across both Cordis and Tai On, featuring an exhibition of Kai’s signature dining sketches, alongside a reimagined menu of classic afternoon tea treats – including peanut butter mille-feuille, caramelised peanut toast cakes, coconut red bean baked French toast, and peanut butter egg tarts. Visitors stopping by both Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei locations at 3.15pm can also catch daily interactive activities and get their hands on limited-edition merchandise.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum’s new thematic exhibition takes ancient imperial history for a spin through the lens of modern Hong Kong life. Featuring works by nine local artists across multiple disciplines, including painting, sculpture, and multimedia, the showcase reinterprets Qing dynasty court traditions using contemporary urban elements, local pop culture, and everyday city rhythms. The exhibition is open from now until February 22, 2027. Standard entry is included with a general admission ticket ($70 for adults, $35 for concessions), and tickets can be booked directly through the museum website or the WestK app.

Chesa at The Peninsula Hong Kong is running the second instalment of its cantonal menu series, turning its spotlight to the regional food of Geneva. Available à la carte for both lunch (12pm to 3pm) and dinner (6pm to 11pm) until August 31, the menu features dishes like rainbow beetroots with smoked trout roe salad and hazelnut praliné, pike fish fillet with braised snails in persillade butter, veal fillet accompanied by black truffle and morel sauce, and a Swiss chocolate mi-cuit with pistachio ganache and cherry sorbet. Table reservations can be made via SevenRooms.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum is marking the final month of its landmark exhibition, Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums, with a one-night-only after-hours event on August 19. The evening offers exclusive access to the exhibition in Gallery 9, alongside thematic displays in Galleries 3 and 4 under guided docent tours. Taking place against the backdrop of the Victoria Harbour skyline, the programme features a panel discussion, live folk dance, curated music, and DJ sets from Beat Friday. Attendees can sample authentic Egyptian snacks, try drinks blending Chinese and Egyptian flavours, experience ancient scents, and take photos at themed setups. Tickets are priced at $450 and include entry to all participating galleries, event activities, and a complimentary ancient Egypt-inspired blind box bag charm.

Back by popular demand, the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong Cake Shop pop-up is returning to IFC Mall (Kiosk LA15, L1) from August 4, 2026, through February 14, 2027. Led by executive pastry chef Ringo Chan, this pop-up will be bringing signature creations, exclusive bakes, and limited-edition monthly releases. Highlights include Japanese cheese tarts, an oatmeal raisin cookie selection, and a grab-and-go morning menu. A range of Danish pastries as well as sliced and petit cakes will also be available throughout the day.

Europe's acclaimed equestrian theatre show, Cavalluna: Gate to the Otherworld, lands at Kai Tak Arena for an exclusive eight-show run this September. Featuring 54 magnificent four-legged stars, the show brings a mythical fantasy tale to life under the direction of Emmy-nominated director, composer, and author Klaus Hillebrecht. Expect high-flying acrobatics, bareback stunt riding, liberty dressage, and live dance performances set against a dramatic cinematic score. Tickets to the show are now available via HK Ticketing; standard seating starts at $395 and goes up to $1,995 for first row seats ($395, $695, $895, $1,095, $1,595, and $1,995). For groups, VIP tables seating six guests are also up for grabs ($27,220).

Shanghai’s drag collective, House of Linglong, is heading to our city for an exclusive two-night takeover at Eaton HK’s Music Room on August 14 and 15. Founded by drag artist and creative director Kudos (Lian Longqing), the acclaimed group is renowned for pushing queer artistry through a bold fusion of avant-garde drag, high fashion, live performance, and culturally inspired storytelling. Led by Kudos, the lineup features Queen of the Universe star Woowu alongside a stacked lineup of performers and DJs. Early bird entry will set you back $300, while general admission sits at $360 (both inclusive of one alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink). Those looking to catch both nights can pick up a two-night bundle for $580, which comes with two drinks.

The Mahou Dokoro Harry Potter pop-up is returning to Hysan Place! Open from July 24 to August 25, the new store offers a fresh lineup of official apparel, accessories, and other collectables inspired by both the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. Highlights include glow-in-the-dark and colour-changing tees, house-themed pouches with plush bears, a candy-shaped Honeydukes shoulder bag, and a range of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans jewellery. Shoppers who spend $300 or more in a single transaction before July 31 will also score an exclusive, limited-edition ‘Happee Birthdae Harry’ cake pouch, available while stocks last.

Hong Kong’s transit network is getting an adorable upgrade this summer as the MTR Corporation and AllRightsReserved launch the ‘Next Station: Chiikawa Artiverse’ campaign. Running on weekends from July 25 to August 30, a specially decorated Light Rail train will operate four trips on each day from Siu Hong Stop towards Tuen Mun or Yuen Long, featuring character-shaped handrail straps, exterior glow-in-the-dark stars, and artwork of Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi. Passengers can join the experience by purchasing an $88 Light Rail Travel Pass package on-site at Siu Hong (Platform 4), which covers one designated themed train journey, unlimited same-day Light Rail travel, and collectable merch. The transit takeover also extends into the main network with station installations at Admiralty and Lok Ma Chau, alongside an MTR Mobile app stamp card lucky draw offering 300 tickets to the upcoming Chiikawa Artiverse exhibition.

Great news for Causeway Bay’s dining scene: Ankôma is moving in. The contemporary French-Japanese restaurant is packing up its Tsim Sha Tsui location and moving across the harbour to Cubus this mid-September. Led by chef Frankie Wong, Ankôma 2.0 – now with a much bigger kitchen, an expanded team, and dedicated dry-ageing facilities – will put Hong Kong food culture front and centre. To celebrate this expansion, the restaurant has put together a new 10-course tasting menu ($1,580) complete with wine and non-alcoholic pairings.   Photograph: Courtesy AnkômaThree yellow chicken three ways   Highlights include a play on lo hei featuring sanma sashimi brushed with sesame oil and finished with a citrusy whey broth poured fresh at the table. Street food nostalgia also gets a nod in the grouper dish, which reimagines curry fish balls by blending grouper trimmings with cuttlefish, served with a dai pai dong-style stir-fry king and vadouvan clam sauce. For the main course, three yellow chicken is served three ways: a slow-cooked breast layered with thigh mousse and vin jaune chicken jus, the wing stuffed with mushroom and liver pâté, and Japanese rice cooked in chicken fat topped with a marinated egg yolk and crisp chicken skin.   Photograph: Courtesy AnkômaCoconut & lychee sorbet   The relocation also marks the arrival of the restaurant’s first pastry chef, Tina Lam. Having worked at vegan bakery Moono and Marseille’s Le Petit Nice Passedat, Lam closes out the meal with layers of

Hong Kong’s neon signs may be slowly disappearing from the skyline, but Central dive bar The Pontiac is keeping the glow alive with a brand-new menu inspired by the nostalgia of neon lights and community spirit. Launching on September 1, the ‘Neon Lit: A Light in Shadow Spaces’ menu is a nod to the bar’s iconic glowing street sign, which has guided revellers to its inclusive space for over a decade. Designed to celebrate the idea of stepping out of the shadows and owning your power, the lineup features six new drinks inspired by 90s club classics and personal memories from the bar’s female-centric team. The venue is even fitted with new neon signs around the room to build on the idea of being a guiding light that champions individual self-expression. Photograph: Courtesy The PontiacMidnight Sun (left), Kick at the Dark (right) Among the fresh creations is ‘Midnight Sun’, a mix of Compass Box Artist’s Blend, blackberry-shiitake cordial, and angostura bitters. Named after the iconic San Francisco gay club, it sits alongside ‘Kick at the Dark’, a punchy blend of Nuku Mezcal, ancho verde, jalapeño brine, lemon, cilantro, and wonderfoam. If you prefer fruitier tipples, ‘Teaches of Peaches’ combines charred and minted peach scraps with Planteray 3 Star rum, verjus, orange bitters, and soda. Photograph: Courtesy The PontiacSignature cocktail ‘Hobnail’ The menu also retains six fan favourites under its greatest hits collection, including the signature ‘Hobnail’ made with whiskey,

To celebrate three full decades since Pokémon Red and Green debuted back in 1996, the ‘Pokémon Run 30’ Asia tour is heading to Hong Kong Science Park on January 23 to 24, 2027. Far from a typical fun run, the event turns the course into an interactive journey where you can choose your first partner Pokémon, tackle gym battles, build out your Pokédex, and watch your partner Pokémon evolve right along with you. Photograph: Courtesy Sun LifePokémon Run Hong Kong 2024 The course covers around 3km, making it perfect for families, kids, or casual fans. After picking your starter companion at the starting line, you’ll encounter Pokémon Gym obstacles on the track as well as Pokémon Centre hydration stations to catch your breath. Runners will also be able to collect bespoke stickers along the way to complete their Pokédex, and see their partner Pokémon evolve as they cross the finish line! Registration officially opens on September 1 at 3pm, and every registered participant will receive a special Pokémon Run 30 Runner’s Kit. Inside, you’ll find a 30th-anniversary tee, drawstring bag, Poké Ball armband, a Pokédex Search Sheet, and a Pokémon TCG booster pack. You’ll also get to pick your element-themed bib (grass, fire, or water) along with a matching lenticular card. Select ticket packages will also come with an adorable Pikachu shoulder plushie. Photograph: Courtesy Sun LifePokémon Run Hong Kong 2024 Even if you’re not up for jogging around, there’ll be a Pokémon Festival Zone fea

Combining two staple comfort foods usually ends in a bloated disaster, but Causeway Bay trattoria Casa Cucina seems confident it can pull off the unthinkable. The neighbourhood eatery has launched Casa A Casa, a new collaborative series which sees founder Anthony Cheung invite guest chefs into his kitchen for just three weeks at a time. Photograph: Courtesy Casa CucinaCasa Cucina launches new French onion soup pizza First to step up to the stove is chef Cédric Tsia, co-founder of French bistro Babette. Having forged a bond during their time at fine-dining institution Amber, both chefs are now reuniting to create something entirely new. Their debut offering is a French onion soup pizza ($188 for 10-inch, $118 for seven-inch), which is available from now to September 13. Instead of a standard dough base, the pair have gone with a 48-hour fermented crust crafted with 50-percent dark beer, giving it a light, malty crunch. It comes piled with red miso onion purée, slow-smoked caramelised onions, sweet purple onions, aged French Comté, and Italian mozzarella. A quick splash of beef jus adds extra depth, while crispy Bayonne ham chips and fresh chives are scattered over the top to finish things off. For every limited-edition pizza sold, Casa Cucina will also donate $10 to the rén Community Foundation, a local charity that provides opportunities for disadvantaged youths across Hong Kong. Photograph: Courtesy Casa CucinaCasa Cucina summer menu If French soup on a pizza base sounds

After taking a few months off, Café Landmark is officially reopening on September 4, welcoming guests back to its signature open-air balcony on the first floor of Landmark Atrium. A staple of the Central neighbourhood since 2001, the restaurant has traded in its old look for something inspired by sun-drenched Tuscan terraces. The team has kept those intimate booth seats regulars know and love, but wrapped the space in a warmer, earthier palette designed to let in plenty of natural light while you keep an eye on the shoppers below. It’s not just the decor that’s getting an upgrade, though. The menu has also had a makeover, weaving Japanese touches into its classic French foundations. Old favourites make a return, albeit in slightly fancier boots. The Boston lobster spaghetti ($428) now features Japanese-style pasta tossed in a rich, foamed shrimp head stock. The fresh crab meat au gratin ($328) packs in sweet meat from up to four flower crabs baked till golden, while the beef stroganoff ($268) is served in a cast-iron pot over rice perfumed with morel and shiitake mushrooms. Photograph: Courtesy Café LandmarkDover sole meunière (left), grilled M6 tenderloin with foie gras (right) If you’re stopping by for dinner, there’s a Dover sole meunière ($988) meant for sharing that gets deboned right at your table, or a decadent grilled M6 tenderloin with foie gras ($488) finished off with freshly shaved truffle. Sweet tooths are well catered for from 2.30pm onwards with the arrival

Update, August 25: The summer’s hottest restaurant pop-up Marrow has had such good responses from Hong Kong foodies that they’re extending their run. Meat lovers can now enjoy open-fire dishes until September 30 at Lee Tung Avenue. What’s more, chef Chris Ma is keeping things fresh with five new dishes which draw deeply on local ingredients and flavours. Tuck into smoked threadfin in fermented soybean sauce ($188); grilled mantis shrimp with nduja chilli and shrimp oil ($268); and grilled local market squid paired with black curry ($168). For more hearty dishes, there’s also the grilled venison with preserved mustard ($288) and Chinese silkie chicken ($228) with ‘sauce supreme’. Of course, Marrow originals like the croissant pain perdu, Sichuan beef tartare, and typhoon shelter bone marrow will still be available to enjoy. Photograph: Courtesy MarrowMarrow Wan Chai is getting a juicy new dining spot this summer, and it’s promising to do some pretty interesting things with open flames. Marrow, an unapologetically meat-led pop-up, is landing in Lee Tung Avenue for a limited two-month run from July 1 until August 31. Curated by chef Chris Ma – whose career has taken him to respected kitchens like Amber and Tate Dining Room – the concept aims to break away from traditional steakhouses. Instead of focusing solely on premium cuts, the kitchen turns to lesser-known meats while weaving in distinct local and regional flavours. Photograph: Courtesy MarrowSichuan beef tartare (left),

The sight of a golden retriever enthusiastically supervising a table of food is undeniably adorable. That said, not everyone in Hong Kong is entirely sold on sharing their lunch hour with a furry neighbour. Stepping in to help dogs and their humans navigate the city’s newly relaxed dining regulations, Happy Valley’s Ask for Alonzo is putting on ‘PETiquette Day’, a special charity event that’s essentially a crash course in mastering the art of dog-friendly dining. Guests can drop in on August 29 for a restaurant etiquette coaching session with Sebastian Alcaraz, founder of Island Kennel Training, who will host a Q&A session and share tips for dining out with dogs. There’ll also be a pet health and wellness talk with Dr Lloyd Kenda of Valley Veterinary Centre, along with an afternoon dog adoption drive organised by Tails Lantau for those looking to add a new member to their household. Photograph: Courtesy Ask for AlonzoPuptails bone broth mocktails (left); Sebastian Alcaraz, Island Kennel Training (right) As for the four-legged attendees, they’ll get to act as official taste testers for a new ‘Negrowli’ pet mocktail by Puptails. Slow-cooked for eight hours using free-range Australian chicken, beetroot, and carrot, the bone broth brew is designed to support skin and gut health without any added salt, garlic, onion, or alcohol. Hong Kong pet brand Buddy Bites will also be supplying complimentary snacks throughout the day. Entry costs $100 per person at the door – inclusive of a

Moving between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Airport Express Kowloon Station currently means roughly a 10-minute walk through Elements shopping mall – a nightmare if you’re having to lug heavy suitcases around while navigating a mall with notoriously confusing maps. Thankfully, relief is on the horizon as MTR Corporation and the Airport Authority Hong Kong have launched road trials for an autonomous vehicle (AV) connection service between the two hubs. The trial uses a fleet of four sixth-generation Baidu Apollo autonomous electric vehicles to ferry cross-boundary travellers along public roads – including Wui Man Road, Jordan Road, and Nga Cheung Road – cutting the transfer to around seven minutes while being comfortably seated. Photograph: Courtesy MTRRoad trials of autonomous vehicle (AV) connection service in West Kowloon The project operates under a pilot license from the Transport Department and will progress through a four-phase testing roadmap. Phase one involves on-road testing without passengers, though a human safety operator will remain behind the wheel just in case manual control is needed. Subsequent phases will introduce non-commercial passenger trials, remote control monitoring from an off-site centre, and eventually, fully driverless passenger trips. If all goes to plan, the AV service will welcome the public in the second quarter of 2027. MTR also plans to launch a new in-town check-in and baggage drop counter inside West Kowloon Station, allowing trav

Hong Kong is planning to revamp its Heat Stress at Work Warning system by the end of August, following widespread complaints that the current alert framework is essentially useless when it matters most. The decision comes after a blistering heatwave that saw the mercury hit 36.9 degrees Celsius at the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui on August 9 – officially the highest temperature recorded since logging began in 1884 – while Sheung Shui reached a scorching 39.8 degrees. Despite the sweltering conditions, the warning system remained at Amber, its lowest tier. Former Observatory director Lam Chiu-ying publicly called out the system’s flaws, slamming it as seemingly “decorative” when even record-breaking temperatures couldn’t trigger a higher alert, arguing that a heat index based on general hospital admission statistics is the wrong parameter to be used for outdoor labour. Launched in May 2023, the Labour Department’s three-tiered system – categorised into Amber, Red, and Black – was designed to protect outdoor workers by calculating heat stress using air temperature, humidity, wind, and solar radiation. When active, it advises mandatory rest breaks depending on how strenuous the job is. However, since the calculation gives overwhelming weight to relative humidity rather than direct sunlight, the higher Red and Black warnings have never actually been triggered since the system was introduced three years ago. Photograph: Courtesy Labour DepartmentRest

Hong Kong is getting its first official Pokémon Center this November! Landing at Festival Walk as part of the franchise’s global 30th anniversary celebrations, the store will be a temporary pop-up experience for local fans to get their hands on official merchandise without having to hop on a flight to Japan. A far cry from your average toy shop, official Pokémon Centers are modelled after the healing hubs of the video game series, packed with everything from trading card decks and figurines to household products, fashion items, and, of course, endless rows of Pokémon plushies. Photograph: Courtesy Festival WalkPokémon Center Tokyo Those who have been to a Pokémon Center in Japan will know that most locations also have their own regional exclusive merch – think Pikachu dressed in kimono in Kyoto, or sporting pilot gear near Tokyo’s airports. Time will tell whether or not we’ll get our very own exclusive collectables or other interactive in-store features, but we can certainly dream. Following similar anniversary announcements in Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and Singapore, the Hong Kong pop-up will land alongside a slate of celebratory activities set to take place across the mall. Further details on the exact shop location, opening hours, and specific merch lists will be revealed in due course, so keep an eye on our page for more updates to come. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended storie

Slamming down a winning mahjong hand on a green felt table is always a moment, but you don’t need to master the game to enjoy the drama – ordering a drink presented in a bespoke wooden mahjong case is a pretty thrilling way to get in on the action too. Hutong’s new immersive cocktail programme, ‘Tale of Mahjong’, is designed as a tribute to the rich heritage and social spirit of the iconic game. Rather than just handing over a simple menu, guests are invited to join an interactive ritual where they have to draw a custom tile from a wooden case to determine their drink, turning their order into a moment of play and chance.  Photograph: Courtesy HutongGentle South Wind The menu comprises of 16 drinks split into four chapters to mirror the natural flow of the game, beginning with ‘Qǐ’ (Shuffle The Tiles), which consists of four zero-proof drinks inspired by the Four Winds. Highlights include Dong, an herbaceous opener with peppermint soda, sage, and elderflower; Gentle South Wind, which layers jasmine pearl cold brew with lychee and yuzu; and West Twilight, which packs a subtle kick of heat with a fruity Sichuan chilli known as dan long jiao, kumquat, and yuzu. Photograph: Courtesy HutongMisty Bamboo (left); Moonlight (right) Things get punchier in the second chapter, ‘Chéng’ (Draw A Tile), which focuses on unexpected flavour combinations like Moonlight – a milk punch with goji berry, passion fruit, coconut, and hibiscus, topped off with an almond lollipop – and Misty Bamboo

Getting your cocktail fix in a glass is all well and good, but consuming your booze via a spoon just seems infinitely more rewarding. Gelato brand Messina has teamed up with Gough Street cocktail spot Mius to launch two limited-edition creations to help see off the August heat. Fresh off placing at number 36 on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, Mius founder and mixologist Shelly Tai has squeezed her bar’s signature drinks programme into two delicious frozen options. First up is the Apple-ly Ever After, a non-alcoholic scoop inspired by the bar’s popular gin and apple cocktail. It pairs a crisp green apple sorbet with coconut, lime leaf, and pandan sherbet, finished with a juniper berry infusion for a distinct botanical taste. For those wanting more of a buzz with their pud, there’s also the A-Mius-Ing Negroni on the menu. This boozy treat draws on Mius’ strawberry negroni, whipping up a vibrant strawberry gelato with bitter Italia amaro and a subtle kick of pink peppercorns. Both flavours are available from now until August 31 at Messina’s Pottinger Street and Peak Galleria locations. They’re served in limited quantities per day, so you’ll want to move fast if you fancy a taste. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox Recommended stories: Ocean Park opens a new Reptile Territory to challenge negative stereotypes of these species Winnie the Pooh is taking over Festival Walk for his 100th anniversary Ne