Around the world in Hong Kong this winter

Fivelements Habitat

Christmas time, although exciting, can be incredibly busy and stressful. So, it goes without saying that visiting a spa is a fantastic way to relax and de-stress. Start the day with healing and rejuvenation at Fivelements Habitat, a wellness sanctuary that brings the spirit of Bali to the heart of Causeway Bay.

The habitat features a wide range of holistic wellness services that include traditional Balinese spa treatments, personalised detox programmes, and plant-based fine dining at the venue's restaurant, Sakti Elixir. From now until December, enjoy a 20 per cent discount on the Chocolate Love treatment (HK$1,880/120mins, applicable Mondays to Thursdays), an exquisite cacao body mask, scrub, and massage that will re-energise your mind, body, and spirit for the holiday season.  

Bibi & Baba

After some much needed rest and recuperation, gather your mates for a spicy Southeast Asian lunch. Walk four minutes to Canal Road West and take a nine-minute tram ride to Gresson Street. From here, it’s just a short walk to Bibi & Baba, one of the newest restaurants in the city. The restaurant serves up Nyonya cuisine — a marriage of Southeast Asian and Chinese culinary traditions also known as Peranakan. Warm up your belly with favourites such as laksa, crispy kueh pie tee, nasi lemak, and Penang prawn noodles. Then try the more punchy (and lesser-known) flavours from assam fish and stinky bean stir-fried with shrimp to ayam (chicken) braised in a spicy tamarind curry with buah keluak nuts. Toast to the festive season with a refreshing glass of their signature Spiced Coconut cocktail.

Xuân

Nothing brings families together like festive feasting. A four-minute walk from the avenue will lead you to Luen Fat Street, where you can gather for a contemporary 'Com Gia Dinh' Vietnamese dining experience at Xuân. Recreating a typical dinnertime feast enjoyed by Vietnamese families at home, chef John Nguyen serves the nine-plate Xuân family meal (HK$798) with broth, salad, house-fermented pickles, locally-sourced fish, shellfish, pork, beef, and chicken.

The Daily Tot

Walk three minutes back to Gresson Street and take a 15-minute tram ride to Pottinger Street. While you're in the area, stroll through the iconic stone slabs street and admire all the different costumes, props, knick-knacks and party supplies overflowing from the stalls. The place is an excellent backdrop for more Instagram-worthy snaps, so make sure to get your camera ready. Cap off the night with a taste of the Caribbean at The Daily Tot, an eight-minute walk away from Pottinger Street. Named after the centuries-old ritual of handing out a daily rum ration to royal navy sailors from the 1800s, The Daily Tot focuses on niche rum bottles from Barbados and Trinidad. Don't expect to drink cocktails out of watermelons and tiki mugs here. The Daily Tot focuses on letting the simplicity of flavours shine. For a fizzy Christmas cocktail, order an Old Tot (HK$120) made with rum, Prosecco, lime juice, fresh mint, and bitters.

Intime Artisan de Parfum

Recreate a romantic getaway in France with a private French perfume-making workshop at Intime Artisan de Parfum. Bringing the art and craft of French fragrance to Hong Kong, founder Angel Cheung hosts these guided workshops at the studio in Tsim Sha Tsui. The two-and-a-half-hour workshop is conducted in English or Cantonese and welcomes pairs, groups or individuals. The sense of smell is closely linked with memory, probably more so than any of our other senses. Book a morning session and take turns with your significant other creating memorable winter scents.

Won Pung Won Korean Restaurant

Now it's time to satisfy one of your other senses: taste. Take a seven-minute walk to Prat Avenue and cosy up to a warm and comforting meal at Won Pung Won Korean Restaurant. Begin your merry feast with banchan — small plates of pickled radish, kimchi, potato in sweet soy sauce, dried anchovies and other delectable treats. From there, tuck into hot stone pot rice dishes, spicy stew, or Korean barbecue and wash it all down with a few glasses of Korean wine or soju. Reservations are a must here as the place gets packed for lunch, especially during the holiday season.

Motto Carpe Diem

Just a seven-minute walk from Won Pung Won Korean Restaurant is Motto Carpe Diem located inside Mira Place. Prepare for a fun workshop which includes two to three hours of crafting where you can mix and match over 50 colours of leather for your preferred item. Stitch together products like a semi-finished cardholder, ID badge, luggage tag, pencil case, money clip, belt or other leather goods item — perfect for personalised holiday gifting. The shop utilises cow leather imported from Italy, Japan and South Korea, as well as locally sourced options. The price for each workshop varies depending on the product and the hours required. The Mira shop accepts walk-ins so you could drop in at any time, no minimum participants required, but since it’s Christmas, it’s best to call ahead to avoid waiting.

Odea

Continue the authentic European winter experience with a meal at French restaurant Odea, which is located in House 1881. Odea is a contemporary French restaurant serving family-style French classics. Helmed by Calvin Choi, the restaurant offers an extensive menu that includes casarecce pasta with mussels and clam jus, pan-seared Dover sole with spices, and roasted baby chicken, to name a few. For the holiday season, opt for their Christmas tasting menu and enjoy the Christmas tea sets in the beautiful Victorian-style verandah surrounded by lush greenery.