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Header image courtesy of Handout
Wong Chuk Hang used to be one of those places you wouldn’t randomly go to, and if you did, it’d be considered a road trip because it was difficult to get to. The area only became urbanised in the 1960s as a major light industrial area, but since these manufacturers relocated to mainland China in the 1990s, Wong Chuk Hang has started a state of transition regarding its identity.
Though still an industrial district, there have been plenty of offices, art galleries, and restaurants which have moved in, attracted by cheap rents. Since the arrival of the Wong Chuk Hang MTR station via South Island Line in late 2016, this neighbourhood has really become even buzzier—a far cry from its humble beginnings, though it still retains a very down-to-earth vibe. It doesn’t matter if you’re an art junkie, a culture vulture, or an avid foodie; there’ll be something to pique your interest. Here are our top picks for things to do, see, and eat in Wong Chuk Hang!
The cluster of art galleries and event spaces now present in Wong Chuk Hang are collectively known as the South Island Cultural District. Blindspot is a contemporary art gallery— one of the largest in the city—that focuses on photography and image-based works from the local art scene—great for familiarising yourself with up-and-coming names. From March 24 to May 2, they will also be holding an exhibition on the dreamlike reality of magic and social critique titled Anonymous Society for Magick. Sin Sin Fine Art features interesting contemporary artists primarily from Indonesia, stemming from the owner’s personal interest in the region.
On a larger scale, Axel Vervoordt Gallery showcases contemporary and modern artists from all over the world. Their two-storey space is large enough that the top floor can be a constantly rotating display of curious pieces from their collection. The gallery is themed around time and space, so expect art pieces that are out of this world.
Rossi & Rossi has been on the scene for nearly half a decade and knows good art very well. They mainly promote contemporary Southeast Asian talents, whose pieces usually end up in museums and private collections worldwide. Go and discover some gems for yourself.
Blindspot Gallery, 15/F, Po Chai Industrial Building, 28 Wong Chuk Hang Road | (+852) 2517 6238
Sin Sin Fine Art, Unit A, 4/F, Kin Teck Industrial Building, 26 Wong Chuk Hang Road | (+852) 2521 0308
Axel Vervoordt Gallery, 21/F, Coda Designer Centre, 62 Wong Chuk Hang Road | (+852) 2503 2220
Rossi & Rossi, 3C, Yally Industrial Building, 6 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang | (+852) 3575 9417
Apart from public facilities such as the Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool (which boasts eight pools and plenty of slides!), Wong Chuk Hang is full of places where you can work up a good sweat before chilling out at a bar.
Attic V Climbing Gym fits right into Hong Kong’s fitness trend of climbing. With over 100 routes to tackle, climbing and bouldering makes for a great upper body and core workout, and would also be a cool alternative for a party gathering.
Those who prefer toning and lengthening exercises should check out Flex Studio instead. They hold small classes on pilates, yoga, barre, aerial work, and more, all with top-notch equipment. Shan Studios is more intimate and even more calming, with a space designed to make you feel at home and free from the competitive spirit that permeates most fitness centres. Little Yogis even teaches yoga classes for children, so the little ones learn the importance of mindfulness and concentration early on.
Alternatively, Red Doors Studio is home to Asia’s largest personal collection of meditation gongs and will calm you through sound baths, kundalini yoga, meditation, and other lesser-known methods of rejuvenation.
Attic V, Shop E, G/F, Derrick Industrial Building, 49 Wong Chuk Hang Road | (+852) 3101 2918
Flex Studio, Shops 308–310, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang | (+852) 2813 2212
Shan Studios, 902, Sun Hing Industrial Building, 46 Wong Chuk Hang Road | (+852) 9306 6788
Little Yogis, 1606–07, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang | (+852) 2562 3688
Red Doors Studio, Flat A, 21/F, Lee Fund Centre, 31 Wong Chuk Hang Road | (+852) 2110 0152
Most of the Southside is very pet-friendly, and WCH is no different. Komune and Ovolo Southside are dog-friendly, but those who don’t want to fork out money can always head to Staunton Creek Pet Garden.
Tucked under an overpass so there’s a bit of shelter from sun and rain, the pet garden has nice areas for your furry friends to run around in, with tubes, ramps, and more to keep them interested.
Staunton Creek Pet Garden, Heung Yip Path, under Ap Lei Chau Bridge Road
In line with the neighbourhood’s many art galleries, Dine Art cleverly fuses an eating experience with an art gallery. Diners are free to walk around the space to view the pieces dotted around during the course of their meal, and are invited to create their own art piece to run for the Artist of the Week contest; winners will get a free set lunch.
Their sumptuous menu brings traditional Italian tastes with a focus on enhancing the naturally rich flavours of their ingredients. The kitchen will only be open by reservation so don’t forget to arrange ahead!
Dine Art, 16/F, Room A, Kwai Bo Industrial Building, 40 Wong Chuk Hang Road | (+852) 2805 8555
The run-down exterior of this lonely building sitting ostentatiously on a corner belies the fact that it’s home to a veritable paradise of good food. The two-storey cooked food centre has long been a favourite haunt for Wong Chuk Hang locals, with affordable cha chaan tengs and authentic Thai eateries.
Green Curry House is particularly worth going to for, well, their green curry. Thung Tawan Thai Food, located on the top floor in the far left corner, is also a cheap-and-cheerful favourite of ours, where you get to sate your hunger with free refills of freshly-cooked soup while you wait for your order. There’s also a little shop on the bottom floor called Ko Kee, which serves ramen soups, curry rice with deep-fried pork cutlets, and udon in tomato both starting at $45.
Nam Long Shan Road Cooked Food Market, 1 Nam Long Shan Road, Wong Chuk Hang
You know you can’t really go wrong with burgers at Beef & Liberty. Whether you’re in the mood for BBQ Ribs ($79), Mac N’ Cheese Bites ($52) with a rocket pesto sauce, a classic Caesar Salad ($105), or a stacked Bacon Cheeseburger ($139), the menu covers them all.
Choose from over 10 different burgers (that you can substitute for Impossible meat patties well) that range from traditional to daring, such as the Sichuan Chicken ($99) with a hot Sichuan marinade and The Notorious P.I.G. ($89), made with Scottish pork and crackling, a spicy BBQ sauce, and green apple slaw. Create the perfect meal with their indulgent milkshakes, or finish it off with a Warm Skillet Cookie & Cream ($69) shared between friends.
Beef & Liberty, Shop G07, G/F, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang | (+852) 2568 1098
Located in the chill hotel Ovolo Southside—which is decked out in artwork to reflect Wong Chuk Hang’s artistic vibe—Komune is similarly decorated in a funky style accented with plants. Their menu is 30 percent vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free, so there’s definitely something for everyone. The cherry on top is that Komune also has a great outdoor terrace boasting views of the Southside and Ocean Park. Don’t forget to head to Komune Above for a great range of innovative cocktails as well!
Komune, Ovolo Southside, 64 Wong Chuk Hang Road | (+852) 3460 8157
This trendy food court concept has partnered up with local favourite Pho Bar to offer Southeast Asian cuisine like phở, bak kut teh, bánh mì, and much more. If you’re indecisive about what to get but know you want some sort of Asian food, then Golden Monkey will hit the spot just right.
Golden Monkey, G/F, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang | (+852) 3100 0184
Part of L’hotel Island South, LIS Café is home to a famous Hainanese Chicken Rice ($218) complemented with secret sauces. Go for their buffet dinner (starting from $438) to enjoy the chill, ocean-themed hotel and feast on 60 kinds of international gourmet including their signature seafood station, Japanese cuisine, carving station for the meat lovers, and more than you can stomach.
LIS Café, Podium Level 3, L’hotel Island South, 55 Wong Chuk Hang Road | (+852) 3968 8833
This industrial open-plan café is spacious and welcoming; the perfect place to bring your laptop and “work from home” all day. Their cold nitro coffees are particularly pleasing, but if you prefer a cheeky tipple or two, they’ve also got offerings from local craft beer brewery Moonzen, nitro coffee beer, or even tea champagne beer!
When you finally start to feel peckish, choose from their range of all-day breakfast dishes, or opt for the Triple-Decker Kabayaki Eel Rice with Scrambled Eggs ($143), which is every bit as amazing and flavourful as it sounds. Sensory ZERO also offers a great list of weekday lunch combos with vegetarian-friendly options and vegan meat alternative Omnipork, and their croissant sandwiches are next-level indulgent. Want something healthier? Yoghurt bowls and muffins are also available.
Sensory ZERO, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang | (+852) 2511 6011
ACT brings a bit of Africa’s energy to Hong Kong, along with some fantastic single-origin Ethiopian coffee beans. Apart from serving coffee and exotic teas with an aim to give back to women working in the production process, they also have a space hidden upstairs that functions as a private dining area, which can also be booked out for events and features a great menu of African fare, such as South African baby pork ribs, jollof rice, and oxtail stew.
Africa Coffee & Tea Café & Bar, 15/F, 41 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang
Hidden on the first floor of One Island South among the maze of tutoring centres for children, Chopsticks Fork n Knife (CFK) is a surprisingly versatile café, serving an eclectic mix of dishes, from bento boxes, udon, and donburi to Korean soups, spaghetti, and salads. Nip in here for a quick and quiet meal and lose yourself in their expansive list of beverages, which includes anything from coffee and flavoured lattes to hot teas and iced fruit teas.
Chopsticks Fork n Knife, Shop 110, 1/F, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang | (+852) 2110 3699
One of the most popular microbreweries among Hong Kong’s craft beer scene, Young Master has a great selection of IPAs, uniquely flavoured ales, lagers, pilsners, seasonal ales, and more.
Inventors of the tart and refreshing Cha Chaan Teng Sour, Young Master also brews seasonal flavours like the chocolatey Black Porter and spicy Celebration Ale. The brewery itself is actually unlicensed, so visitors can only taste the brews in-house as part of their tours which are available for booking on Saturdays. Might as well grab a few friends and make a drunken afternoon of it!
Young Master Ales Brewery, G/F, Sungib Industrial Centre, 53 Wong Chuk Hang Road | (+852) 2783 8907
This quirky lifestyle retail space stocks furnishings, tableware, kitchen goods, stationery, books, art, toys, and much, much more that you never even thought you needed. If you’re on the search for unique gifts, Mirth is definitely a destination you must hit up—you can get lost in their range of colourful décor items, beautiful furniture, and quirky Hong Kong-themed memorabilia. Don’t even expect to stroll in as a casual browser and leave empty-handed.
Mirth, 3/F, Yally Industrial Centre, 6 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang | (+852) 2553 9811
Expand your knowledge of Scandi interior stores to include more than just IKEA! Manks stocks beautiful, modern designs made with the best materials—truly beauty meets function. Visit their 6,000-square-foot showroom for plenty of inspiration on how to jazz up your abode with sleek chairs and elegant lights.
Manks, 14/F, Cheung Tak Industrial Building, 30 Wong Chuk Hang Road | (+852) 2522 2115
This 3,500-square-foot space is packed with over 5,000 pieces of pre-owned womenswear, shoes, and accessories across plenty of designer brands, sold at a fraction of the original price tag. Though it is mainly female-focused for now, HULA is also building up a good collection of men’s items too. New arrivals come in every week and there are flash sales every now and then. Shopping here is our way of not supporting fast fashion!
HULA, 5A, Evergreen Industrial Mansion, 12 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang | (+852) 2544 1511
If you’re redecorating or renovating at home, Eicó is a must-visit. Not enough consideration is given to the paint we use, but Eicó is bringing it to the forefront with their range of environmentally-friendly colours—no more harmful chemicals hiding in your walls!
Eicó, Evergreen Industrial Mansion 2B, 12 Yip Fat Street, Wong Chuk Hang | (+852) 5367 6716
Catharina has recently returned to her hometown of Hong Kong after spending her formative years in Singapore and the UK. She enjoys scouring the city for under-the-radar things to do, see, and eat, and is committed to finding the perfect foundation that will withstand Hong Kong’s heat. She is also an aspiring polyglot, a firm advocate for feminist and LGBTQIA+ issues, and a huge lover of animals. You can find her belting out show-tunes in karaoke, or in bookstores adding new tomes to her ever-growing collection.
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