Review: Here, Quarry Bay

If you're plant-based in Hong Kong, chances are you've already heard of Here - the east-side offshoot of the beloved Years. Tucked into quiet corner of Quarry Bay / Taikoo, this spot has become my weekly ritual, and honestly, choosing a photo to post each time is getting harder than picking what to eat.

Their Tom Yum is one of the best versions in the city - rich, aromatic, and spicy without overpowering the palate. It's packed with tofu, veggies, and herbs, and it's a deeply comforting dish.

The vegan calamari is a must-order. Made with oyster mushrooms, it's perfectly crispy outside, tender inside, and comes with a tangy dip that balances the richness. It's great for sharing but I usually don't. 

The cold noodle chicken salad is a revelation! It's smothered in a creamy peanut dressing that hits the sweet and savoury balance just right. We started out sharing a portion but the next time we visited we each had one, it is that good!

This salad / rice bowl is jam packed with veggies like edamame, features vegan salmon, delicious tofu and more. That pink dressing in the background is to die for!

The hummus bowl is hearty and wholesome - think roasted cauliflower, tofu, avocado, tomatoes and toast.

The PBJ chocolate sourdough toast is delicious. It's more like desert than breakfast and makes for a real good photo. The vegan cream is really good.

 The Sesame Ice-cream Pancake Blackfest features black sesame ice-cream, black sesame sauce, wild berries, fig, oreo, and bamboo charcoal pancakes. It's almost to pretty too eat.

If you're looking for a plant-based spot, this is the kind of place you end up to returning to without thinking twice. It's calm, consistent, and full of small details that make you feel taken care of. By far my favourite restaurant in the group. 

Documentary Review: Our Planet (2019)

A Climate Lens on Nature's Fragile Beauty

Our Planet narrated by David Attenborough, was a major shift in nature documentaries. Unlike previous series, it directly connected the beauty of the natural world to the reality of climate change and human impact. It showed not just wildlife, but how rising temperatures, deforestation, and overfishing are disrupting ecosystems. The series was notable for its use of real climate science and for confronting viewers with the consequences of environmental degradation - perhaps most memorably in scenes showing walruses forced onto cliffs due to ice sea loss.

As of 2025, the trends Our Planet highlighted have largely continued. Global temperatures remain high, with 2023 and 2024 among the hottest years on record. Arctic sea ice continues to shrink, and coral reefs (including the Great Barrier Reef), have suffered repeated mass bleaching. According to WWF's 2024 Living Planet Report, monitored wildlife populations have declined by nearly 70%. Deforestation remains widespread, especially in the Amazon and Congo. 

While renewable energy adoption is growing and more countries now have net-zero targets, global greenhouse emissions remain high. The world is currently not on track to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. 

Our Planet  remains one of the most visually stunning and scientifically grounded climate documentaries to date. Its message is even more urgent now than when it was released. 

Review: City Super Deli

City Super Deli in Hong Kong isn't a fully vegan destination, but it does offer a few reliably tasty plant-based deli items that are perfect for a quick lunch or snack. 

The mushroom tofu is the stand-out dish in this range. Firm tofu topped with braised mushrooms in a savoury glaze. It's rich in umami and works well as a side or a protein boost to your meal. 

Another great pick is the Yukon vegetable salad, which combines yukon potatoes with shredded cabbage, carrots, and other greens. It's light and refreshing.

One of the best options is the Japanese-style sweet potato. Served cold, these tender golden slices are sweet and sticky and simply delicious! 

For something heartier, try the soba noodle salad with tofu. This dish features buckwheat noodles, firm tofu, and a soy-based dressing, often with vegetables like cucumber and tomato. 

While the selection is small, it's clearly labelled and thoughtfully prepared. For vegans or anyone looking for plant-based convenience, City Super Deli offers just enough to keep you well-fed and coming back for more. 

 

Documentary Review: An Inconvenient Truth (2006) (A Prophecy)

A Climate Wake-Up Call That Echoes Into Today

When An Inconvenient Truth premiered in 2006, it did something that no other climate documentary had done before - it turned a PowerPoint presentation into a cultural phenomenon. Directed by Davis Guggenheim and centred around former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's climate advocacy, the film was a sobering, scientifically grounded call to action. Nearly 20 years later, its warning feel less like speculation and more like prophecy. 

At its core, An Inconvenient Truth painted a clear data-driven picture of how human activities - particularly the burning of fossil fuels - were increasing greenhouse gas levels and destabilising Earth's climate systems. Gore led audiences through graphs, satellite images, and personal anecdotes to explain rising global temperatures, melting glaciers, increasing storm intensity, and sea-level rise. At the time, many of these ideas were controversial or under-appreciated by the general public. 

From a climate science perspective, the film got a lot right. Its predictions - once seen as bold - have been largely validated. Arctic sea ice has continued to decline, extreme weather events have become more frequent and intense, and global temperatures have risen year after year. In 2006, the world was just beginning to grapple with these concepts; today, we are living them.

However, the film was not without its flaws. Some critics pointed out moments of overemphasis or dramatisation, and a few climate projections were more aggressive than what has unfolded (such as the scale or timing of sea-level rise). Yet, as a communication tool, An Inconvenient Truth succeeded in making climate science accessible and emotionally resonant - something scientific policy reports often fail to do. 

Fast forward to 2025, and the climate crisis has moved from projection to a lived experience. Global emissions have continued to rise, despite international pledges and growing public concern. Extreme weather events - once described as future risks - are now regular occurrences: wildfires, floods, droughts and record-breaking heatwaves are reshaping communities across the globe. 

An Inconvenient Truth was never meant to offer all the solutions - it was a wake-up call. Today the truth is no longer inconvenient; it's unavoidable. The question that remains is whether we will finally match knowledge with action - and whether it will be soon enough.