Kitty Lo, a pharmacist, health and wellness entrepreneur and mother of two shares her tips for hitting the town in the former British colony
I’m very passionate about health and fitness, and I enjoy everything I do. For starters, I’m a registered pharmacist in three countries – Malaysia, the UK and Hong Kong – and I’m also a health and wellness entrepreneur. As the co-founder of Qintensity Fitness, I organise sports events, ranging from HIIT to yoga to our Fit and Well Festival, which is happening in Wan Chai in May and at the Central Harbourfront in July this year. Our aim is to bring people together through fitness, exercise and laughter – and also to encourage a sustainably healthy lifestyle.
My other company, ActiveWay Health, bridges my work as a pharmacist with fitness. We provide diet and lifestyle interventions so that people diagnosed with chronic diseases, like pre-diabetes, can stop whatever ails them from getting worse. I also build health programmes for the underprivileged through the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Neighbourhood Kitchen and host a podcast, also called ActiveWay Health. Being a mum of two kids, a six-year-old and two-year-old, also keeps me busy. But I’m quite adventurous, and I still find time to explore Hong Kong. Here are some of my top picks.
Let the kids run wild
I live in Kowloon, so I often take my kids to the King’s Park playground. There are basketball courts and a cave-themed playground. But my kids are really active. After the playground, we’ll go to Verm City in Quarry Bay. It’s a clip-and-climb gym with kid-friendly bouldering routes. They have affordable drop-in passes too. I also love West Kowloon Park for cycling.
Reconnect with nature
When there’s time, like on the weekends, I love to hike to the Silvermine Waterfall from the Mui Wo ferry pier on Lantau. It’s an easy hike for kids and families, and you can reach the pier from Central Ferry Pier in about an hour by boat.
Blow off some steam
Right now, I’m into Muay Thai. I do it at a boutique gym called Badger in Mong Kok. The coach works with my company when we have clients who want to try Muay Thai classes. He owns a studio and I go to him for an energising workout every Monday. It releases so much stress. Afterwards, I’m so much more patient – especially with my kids.
Have a taste of home
I was born and raised in Kuching. There aren’t any restaurants serving Kuching-style food in Hong Kong, but when I miss Malaysian food, I go to Kedai Kopi Semua Semua. They serve a very good assam laksa, thick rice noodles in an aromatic, tamarind-based broth topped with mackerel fish, sliced cucumber, pineapple and onions. They have a few branches now, but I only go to the one in Mong Kok. The interiors are quintessentially Malaysian and I really enjoy it. Address: 618 Shanghai St, Mong Kok
Have a pick-me-up
I’m not a coffee expert, but I do love Chart. It’s in the Central Market, which was refurbished a few years ago, so now it’s very hip and trendy. The barista has won a bunch of awards, but for me that’s not the point. They have great flavoured drinks and specials that change each season. Some of their recent specials were inspired by the “Before” movies [Before Sunrise; Before Sunset; Before Midnight]. They also make a lovely Spanish latte and other non-coffee items.
Gear up for my workouts
I usually stick with the crowd favourites for my intense workouts: Lululemon, Alo Yoga and Sweaty Betty, which is a brand we work with for our Qintensity events. For low-impact workouts [like yoga], I like Flexi Flow. It’s a local brand we’ve worked with before. Their designs are very pretty, very clean.
Dining with the family
We eat very healthy at home; when we go out, it’s to treat ourselves. The Rosewood is a great spot. It’s big and airy, and the outdoor area by K11 Musea nearby is wonderful. I like to go to their BluHouse restaurant if I’m having brunch with friends because the service for kids is really good. They also have an outdoor ice cream bar. So after we have Italian food, we chill by the harbour with some ice cream. You can then take the Star Ferry across to Central. Very simple.
Hit the town with friends
I love the city’s modernised dai pai dong (street stalls). At Tung Po Kitchen in North Point, you drink beer out of ceramic bowls. When it gets late, the owner puts on music and starts dancing. When people want a local experience with good, casual dining on the Kowloon side, Ladies’ Street Sik Faan is the place to go, or Mui Kee in Tsim Sha Tsui. You can really taste the wok hei [smoky wok flavour] in the congee. I always take my friends to these places on their first night or two in the city, and they have a great time.
