Belinda Bath | stylebriefHongKong

Pretty Ribbons

Everyone agrees its a joy to have a box or drawer filled with pretty ribbons. Whenever I wander into a specialty ribbon store I am driven to grab a handful of sweet brocades and classic grosgrains. But how do you use them in your home? They can be hung side by side as parallel decorations or use them as trims for bed linens and curtains. They transform a simple brown parcel into a work of art. I’ve even hung smaller paintings with stronger ones.

Nam Cheong Street and Yu Chau Street in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon are a top tip for decorative ribbons. Hashimotoya, G/F Shop A, 110 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, + 852 3173 5678, is a great shop to pick up satin, cotton and velvet ones. Flying Dragon, G/F Shop D, 213 – 217 Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon + 852 2708 2528, is good for grosgrain and taffeta. I sometimes get Wing Fung Industrial to print special messages on ribbons – things like Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday and Bon Voyage. Wing Fung Industrial, Shops A & B, G/F 201-207 Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon +852 2278 8255.

We love bamboo

Bamboo is a symbol of longevity for the Chinese. Many skyscrapers in Hong Kong are enclosed in bamboo scaffolding – you can see it when they’re being built or torn down and this is a unique sight to Hong Kong. For a wonderful selection of natural bamboo pieces head to these streets:

Our fave: Tuck Chong Sum Kee Bamboo Steamer Company; G/F 12 Western Street, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong. +852 2559 7765. Manager Raymond Lam still hand-makes the bamboo steamers. The store’s bins and shelves at the front have plenty of chopsticks, trays, fans, tongs and biscuit moulds at very reasonable prices. Go to Siu Woo Trading Company, 1/F 94 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.+852 2544 2049 which has always had big and small bamboo trays arranged around its shopfronts – make sure you check out the bamboo hats as well. Shanghai Street on Kowloon side has plenty of bamboo shops as well – you won’t miss the high stacked displays of bamboo steamers. Inside these specialist bamboo stores you can shop for strong seating with that resort-at-home feel that instantly looks better when you move it out of the shop.

For our steamed ginger pudding recipe (dessert featured in our pictures of bamboo steamers) see below.

Spotlight on Lunch

Since I’ve been living in Hong Kong, friends have been coming and going: it’s sometimes relocating to different districts of Hong Kong, and further afield to Australia, Britain, Europe or Indonesia. The result is an eclectic mix of constantly moving people who are familiar with airports. In celebration of a few returning and in support of those leaving, we got everyone together and arranged lunch.

The theme was based around recycling so the idea was to create an original space by transforming anything secondhand. The newspapers, which I took off flights, are easy to cut up and shape into flowers. It requires patience, but hand-dyeing strips of cotton, linen, silk and lace in pale hues and hanging and weaving over the table becomes a stunning canopy. Pom-poms are pretty when dipped in tea and strung up, and guests’ names I stamped on rose-tea stained strips of canvas and the napkins were sourced from local hardware shops in Hong Kong.

Brass

Discovering that many hand-crafted vintage and modern brass pieces – trays, door-knockers, candelabras, ice-buckets, umbrella stands – can be sourced in Hong Kong turns out to be heavy work. You’re about to head home and you end up with two or more tailored, glamorous pieces under your arm. For a unique collection take a look at designer Debra Little’s Deem, her lifestyle boutique that combines furniture, accessories and one-off furnishings at 252 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, +852 2540 2011, www.deemlimted.com. Here you will find white and gold brass trays in a variety of sizes and her single candle holders with a second usage as vases are exquisite.

Lilliput Tales

We love Lilliput Tales and their kooky, quite captivating mini-lives-in-glass-jars or ‘mossariums’. Singapore-born creative director Maggie Chan started the idea as a little artistic experiment outside of her full-time job. The experiment turned out to have lots of possibilities. And we’re glad it did – from a tiny ‘Summer Hike” to a spirited ultra athletic mini coming down a rope – ‘Hang in There’ – they all tell a story and each piece is a one-off. Just choose one and add love, sun and water. www.liliputtales.com or contact Maggie at maggie@lilliputtales.com. They are also available at kapok stores in Hong Kong. Read More…

La Petite Caravane

We love to find out what other people are doing with their days. French born children’s wear designer Thuy-Tien Crampton is the face behind her successful children’s wear label La Petite Caravane, www.lapetitecaravane.com, which makes superlative use of vintage and unusual fabrics. The clothes are beautifully crafted and Thuy-Tien keeps each collection small in other words, go to La Petite Caravane for an individual look. Here is our interview. Read More…

Lace, linen and hand-dyeing

One of my all-time favourite Sunday afternoon past-times is hand-dyeing fabric. (I’m currently into lace). Sham Shui Po is the place to find fabric – I’ve bought lace ribbons, lace fabrics and lace collars. I buy it in cream or black (only colours available) and then I make use of any organic goods I have at home, coffee, tea, roses and start blending and steeping – I’ve created a romantic tea-stained hue, a beetroot pink and a milk chocolate from coffee. As well as using vegetables such as beetroot and pumpkins which are a wonderfully natural way to transform fabrics too. Read More…

Egg Tarts – Our Way

The egg tart is synonymous to Hong Kong. While researching authentic recipes for these sweet custard tarts we got inspired to create our own but with a twist. We stuck to the traditional crisp flaky pastry and added some new flavours. For more beautiful Chinese crockery to put your own custard tarts on head to 17 Staunton Street, Soho, Central, Hong Kong Island.

If you’re ever in Central, Hong Kong Island at about 11am just promise us you’ll go to Tai Cheong Bakery, G/F 35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central. It’s a taste fix – they serve the egg tarts straight out of the oven. No wonder there’s always a queue.

Ceramics

I love the naturalness of ceramics and Hong Kong produces some of the most beautiful in the world – and they remind me of my mum patiently sculpting for hours then glazing and firing her pottery years ago when she still had her kiln. The use of this traditional craft form has endured the centuries – but I can see that the days of a wonderful Chinese ceramic store jam-packed with treasures covered in dust and grime on every corner, are sadly over. Staunton Street, Central, was always a favourite haunt of mine. I’d end up with a big box of plates cups and vases and unable to walk home.

Yuet Tung ChinaWorks is filled with old-world charm. There is an enormous variety – everything from dinnerware, egg cups, milk jugs, ornamental pieces and platters, to cake plates and cake stands. But the best thing is Yuet Tung still makes everything by hand – there is a kiln at the back of the warehouse and four artisans work on private orders for clients, hotels or stores. You can make a piece your own by requesting specific details on the design or even more fun is to design your own dinner service by showing the artists a picture of what you want – and then you walk away with a lasting piece you’ve personally invested in.

Units 1-3, 3/F, Kowloon Bay Industrial Centre, 15 Wang Hoi Rd, Kowloon Bay. Tel: +852 2796 1125.

Kowloon City Thai area

Head out to Kowloon City. Also known as Little Thailand, it’s a buzzy, eclectic hotspot for amazing food and history lessons all on the edge of the Kowloon Walled City Park. The Thai community relocated to Kowloon City in the nineties from Central on Hong Kong Island when redevelopment took over. You can source wonderful Thai delicacies here – everything from curry pastes, fruit, freshly made coconut juices and desserts, to beauty products and Thai orchids.

Check out In Love Thai Healthy for coconut oils and creams, shampoos and conditioners and an exquisitely scented range of Thai beauty products. D2, G/F, 52D Nga Tsin Wai Rd, Kowloon City. Tel: +852 3487 2406. For fresh herbs, pre-made curries and Thai sweets go straight to Ban ThaiThai, G/F 52B Nga Tsin Wai Rd, Kowloon City. Tel: +852 2382 5599. If you are looking for fresh fruits such as pomegranates, mangoes and pineapples the best streets are South Wall Road and Nga Tsin Wai Road. The area makes your mouth water for Thai cuisine. Here’s a couple of recipes we’ve added below for you from Belinda.

Posts by: Belinda Bath

Pretty Ribbons

We love bamboo

Spotlight on Lunch

Brass

Lilliput Tales

La Petite Caravane

Lace, linen and hand-dyeing

Egg Tarts – Our Way

Ceramics

Kowloon City Thai area

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