Of course, Hong Kong: Pinoys Share their Favorite Hidden Gems in the City

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Discover Hidden Gems in Hong Kong: Filipino Locals Share Their Top Picks



There are plenty of recommendations online about where to go in Hong Kong, but nothing compares to insights from those who’ve truly embraced the city. We’ve talked with four Filipinos who’ve called Hong Kong home for nearly a decade. Discover why they swear by their favorite spots and get inspired to explore the city like a local:

Dive into the arts scene with Reana Bachiller

Illustration artist Reana Bachiller has her finger on the pulse of Hong Kong’s arts and culture scene. Coming from a very traditional Filipino background, she was hesitant to pursue a future in art, but it was in Hong Kong where her story as a creative mind truly began. Reana had since participated in various exhibitions like Affordable Art Fair, and collaborated with HKWALLS and Casetify.

Reana doesn’t gatekeep her art endeavors, either. She raves endlessly about the bustling art scene in the city. If you’re into DIY, she recommends giving Amazing Neon a visit. “You get to create your own neon sign and take it home!” she explains. When it comes to immersive digital art, Reana points to Arte M. “A captivating and beautiful experience that lets you escape reality,” are the words she uses to describe the exhibition. The core concept of Arte M interprets the subject and space of nature as media art under the theme of “eternal nature” that is suitable for art enthusiasts of all ages.

Get your nature fix with Rob Fogerty

Think Hong Kong is all skyscrapers and neon lights? Rugby player and adventure seeker Rob Fogerty is here to show another side of the city. To Rob, Hong Kong and its different facets have always been about the freedom to pursue sports, develop friendships, and travel. “The city’s natural beauty is more impressive than many people realize. You just need to know where to look,” Rob says. For him, Victoria Peak Lugard Road is the ultimate spot to catch stunning views, get your daily steps in, and find some peace in the middle of the city. For those who prefer the calming presence of water, Silvermine Bay Beach and Waterfall are where you can find your next favorite spot and travelers can get to both so easily.

Rob also believes that the eclectic city, with both its towering skyscrapers and nature trails, helped him to embrace his Filipino heritage even more. “My roots have been strengthened here, and I am proud to be amongst many Filipinos working in a variety of industries in such a diverse city.” Known for their hardworking, hospitable, and kind nature, Filipinos embody qualities that he strives to live out every day. But his love for nature goes beyond the views that gave him a sense of purpose. For a coffee break surrounded by nature, he recommends The Hideout, a hidden gem he thinks everyone should visit.

Eat like a local with Jen Balisi

Foodie alert! As a content creator and owner of a hip Filipino restaurant in Hong Kong aptly named “Barkada”, Jen knows exactly where to find Hong Kong’s best-kept culinary secrets. “Hong Kong’s food scene is renowned, but the real gems are often tucked away in unexpected places,” she said. Her blog and Instagram account are treasure maps that lead to some of the city’s most exciting food joints. But more than just recommendations, Jen believes that her blog was where her life took a turn for the better. It all started back in 2011 when she created her food blog, Indulgent Eats, as she has always been passionate about sharing her dining adventures and the Filipino cuisine she grew up eating through her social media platforms which now boast over 400,000 fans.

Hong Kong was another huge stepping stone for her culinary career. “While I moved to Hong Kong in 2017, it wasn’t until the pandemic that I wrote my cookbook Indulgent Eats at Home which included a number of Filipino recipes,” she adds. And since she’s been at it for years, Jen is an expert on all things yummy in Hong Kong. One of her top picks is Tai On Coffee & Tea Shop, which offers the perfect blend of vintage cha chaan teng interiors with modern menu items like molten lava egg tarts and a decadent pineapple bun with matcha white chocolate. And if you’re in the mood for a taste of history, don’t miss Tai Ping Koon, one of the oldest restaurants in Hong Kong. Their Swiss wings are to die for, and it’s one of the oldest restaurants in the world” Jen gushes. If you’re indecisive, Baseball 02 gives a unique spin to your basic food hall place. “There’s a curated collection of Hong Kong and international best food and drink experiences, so don’t miss out on that,” Jen says. And if it’s casual-as-casual-can-get that you’re looking for, Sing Kee is where it’s at. Jen goes on to explain that traditional outdoor eateries are big in Hong Kong, and they’re known as dai pai dong.

Shop ‘til you drop with Paul Sunga

Meet Paul, a fashion photographer whose keen eye for style extends beyond his work. Paul, who never shies away from a challenge, sees Hong Kong as his oyster, stating, “Hong Kong has always been my lucky city for discovering the right opportunities and achieving success. I moved here to embark on a career as a fashion photographer, drawn by the glam and glitz that fueled my thirst and hunger for creativity.” If it had not been for his major life decision to move to Hong Kong, he wouldn’t be where he is now. Bringing with him his Filipino work ethic, characterized by unwavering drive and determination, he considers himself fortunate to collaborate with numerous international brands and celebrities, allowing the vibrant city to become his bridge to the global fashion scene. He is incredibly grateful to this place he now calls home for all the doors it has opened and the dreams it has helped him realize.

When asked about his favorite spots for shopping and fun on his days off, he’s quick to recommend Glocal Mahjong at PMQ. “Skip the typical malls and head to PMQ,” Paul suggests. He’s amazed at the thought that a place once used as quarters for police officers and their families has now become a creative hub, home to unique shops like Glocal Mahjong where visitors can learn how to play Mahjong 101 and customize their own tiles – sparking new ideas for creative professionals like him. Paul also shares that he loves to explore Sham Shui Po, specifically Apliu Street. “It’s the ultimate spot for a fun day out – cafe hopping to discover hidden gems, hunting for vintage finds, or even getting hands-on at a DIY artisan soap workshop,” he adds.



Who knew that Hong Kong, a city known for its bustling streets, hides so many incredible gems? Watch the four-part video series via this link and take a page from them – you might just find your new favorite Hong Kong spot!

You can watch the four-part video series here: Of Course Hong Kong.

Arts & Culture Video | https://youtu.be/mZ3z_dTj9Vg

Nature & Adventure Video | https://youtu.be/E-Gi4rQpdvA

Food & Drinks Video | https://youtu.be/ZQ49jlckHZw

Shop & Play Video | https://youtu.be/9UE6hgqxlVE

Three-starred chef Daniel Humm named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Food Education

Wazzup Pilipinas 

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General, has appointed the renowned Swiss Chef and plant-based food advocate Daniel Humm as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Food Education. The nomination ceremony was held Tuesday at his three-Michelin-star restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, in New York.


“Daniel Humm is much more than one of the world’s most gifted chefs. He is a passionate advocate for sustainable nutrition, who has staked his career on his beliefs, defying the skeptics, and proving to us all that the finest cuisine can be an ally in protecting our precious planet. A luminary in the culinary community, there is no one better placed to promote the powerful connections between food and education,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General.


"I am deeply honored to join UNESCO as Goodwill Ambassador. The language of food is so powerful, and together, we will work to demonstrate how choices around food can create solutions and empower future generations, as well as to bring further awareness to indigenous culinary traditions and their critical role in sustainability and food equity,” explained Chef Daniel Humm.


As a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Daniel Humm will focus on Food education, a subject that is at the crossroads of the Organization’s mandate which leads global programs on environmental and health education, on the safeguarding of intangible cultural practices, as well as on the protection of natural heritage and biodiversity in the face of climate disruption.


Audrey Azoulay and Daniel Humm agreed on a roadmap: he will amplify UNESCO's voice at key international meetings such as the next COP for biodiversity, at the end of October in Colombia. He will also promote UNESCO sites that are home to agricultural, culinary and gastronomic traditions, including World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and UNESCO’s network of 350 Creative Cities, 56 of which are cities of Gastronomy.


For example, in June 2024, the chef visited the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve "Champlain-Adirondak" located in Vermont, United States, where several initiatives have been established to sensitize local youth to the creation of sustainable nutrition systems.


To educate and raise awareness on sustainable food practices, and as one of his first Goodwill Ambassador initiatives, Chef Humm will organize a plant-based public dinner with his fellow UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Chef Mauro Colagreco, in January 2025.


Daniel Humm will also play an active role in the development of a new UNESCO International Food Atlas, which will promote and participate the safeguarding of hundreds of culinary traditions and foodways inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List.



“Not anti-meat, but pro-planet”


Born in Switzerland in 1976, Daniel Humm began working in kitchens at the age of 14 and earned his first Michelin star at the age of 24. In 2003, he took the leap across the pond, becoming the Executive Chef at Campton Place in San Francisco. Three years later, he moved to New York to become the Executive Chef at Eleven Madison Park, which has since received numerous distinctions, including three stars from the Michelin Guide, and the #1 spot on The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2017.


Humm is a co-founder of Rethink Food, a New York City-based nonprofit aimed at creating a more equitable, sustainable food system. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Daniel Humm launched several initiatives to provide nutrition to food-insecure New Yorkers, including re-purposing his high-end restaurant as a kitchen producing 2000 meals a week for the organization. This led to a reflection on how to tackle global food insecurity and build more sustainable food production systems.


In 2021, in a renegade break with his culinary past and due to environmental concerns such as climate disruption and overfishing, Chef Humm overhauled the menu at Eleven Madison Park to make it entirely plant-based, while keeping his three Michelin stars – a first time accomplishment for a plant-based restaurant.

Lack of quality data and disconnected tech stack impacting Singapore businesses amid rising costs and competition: HubSpot Research

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To empower businesses to scale in today's highly competitive economy, HubSpot has released over 200 updates to its customer platform in addition to launching Breeze, an embedded AI, and Breeze Intelligence, a data enrichment solution

According to HubSpot’s research:

• High costs is the leading challenge faced by Singapore business (44%) with one in five (22%) saying it’s the biggest challenge they are facing.

• Intense competition (39%), rising costs of reaching audiences (35%), and channel saturation (34%) emerged as other top challenges in attracting and retaining customers among Singapore businesses.

• Less than half (43%) of Singapore businesses strongly agree that their data and systems are effectively interconnected to provide a cohesive and comprehensive view of their customers.

• The average business in Singapore has to switch between 58+ distinct applications just to manage their customer interactions.

• Nearly eight in ten (76%) of Singapore businesses also do not have enough data or the right data to make their AI usage effective, while about a third (34%) have not ‘started talking about generative AI at all’.

HubSpot, the customer platform for scaling businesses, has released new data showing that many Singapore companies are contending with insufficient quality data and a disjointed tech stack even as costs and competition continue to rise.

Go-to-market teams—marketing, sales, and service—hold the keys to customer happiness, revenue generation, and ultimately business growth. But today, GTM teams are struggling to keep up, let alone drive growth, thanks to intense competition, increasing costs to reach prospects and customers, and channel saturation. To make matters worse, their tech stacks are falling short.

Nearly half of Singapore businesses participating in a HubSpot survey cited high costs (44%) as their number one challenge, with one in five (22%) saying it’s the biggest challenge they are facing. This aligns with data from the Singapore Business Federation, which identified increasing manpower and utilities costs as key contributors to business expenses.

The survey also found that intense competition (39%), rising costs of reaching prospects and customers (35%), and channel saturation (34%) are impacting the ability of Singapore businesses to effectively attract and retain customers, potentially limiting their growth potential. Inability to compete against their peers could create additional pressures on Singapore businesses, especially with the country recently ranked the world’s most competitive economy worldwide.

While technology has traditionally been viewed among Singapore businesses as a tool to augment competitiveness and allow them to punch above their weight, barriers remain when it comes to quality data and a modern tech stack.

HubSpot’s findings indicate that less than half (43%) of Singapore businesses agree that their data and systems are effectively interconnected to provide a cohesive and comprehensive view of their customers. This can significantly increase complexity in managing customer interactions and experience, with the average business in Singapore needing to switch between more than 50 distinct applications just to manage customer interactions. As a result, many businesses may struggle to gain a consolidated view of their customers, leading to disconnected data and a suboptimal customer experience.

“Needing to switch between more than 50 applications to manage customer interactions is not only detrimental to efficiency, but could also lead to inaccuracies as businesses try to align insights across disparate data sources. Having a single source of truth for customer data is essential to build and maintain meaningful customer relationships,” said Dan Bognar, Vice President & Managing Director of JAPAC, HubSpot. “Technology can give businesses a helping hand, however our findings show that data connectedness and a unified tech stack are presenting significant opportunities for local businesses looking to improve prospecting and customer retention.”

An overall lack of quality data could also have had an impact on local adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered tools. According to HubSpot’s survey, nearly eight in ten (77%) of Singapore businesses felt they did not have enough data or the right data to make their AI usage effective. Perhaps as a consequence, about a third (34%) have not ‘started talking about generative AI at all’.

“Operating in the world’s most competitive economy is no easy feat, requiring a delicate balance between manginging increasing costs, while delivering an impactful customer experience. At HubSpot, we are committed towards equipping businesses with applications that are easy to use, fast to implement, and delivered on a unified platform. This helps to align marketing, sales, and service teams with a unified view of their customer.” said Bognar.

To help businesses grow better in today’s environment, HubSpot is committed to building easy, fast and unified tools. That’s why, at INBOUND 2024 and in our latest Spotlight product launches, HubSpot has unveiled its easiest, fastest, and most unified version yet. Everything is built so that GTM teams can unlock growth for their businesses.

Our new, biggest releases include:

• Breeze, HubSpot’s AI to power the customer platform. Breeze includes

o Copilot, HubSpot’s new AI companion to boost productivity and make work easier.

o Four AI agents to get work done fast, from start to finish, including Content Agent, Social Media Agent, Prospecting Agent and Customer Agent.

o Plus 80 more features embedded across the platform, from remixing content to predicting sales forecasts.

• Breeze Intelligence, HubSpot’s data enrichment and buyer intent solution. Breeze Intelligence includes:

o Data enrichment which pulls from a database of over 200 million buyer and company profiles to enrich company and contact records in HubSpot’s Smart CRM.

o Buyer intent to help customers identify which prospects are best fit.

o Form shortening to increase conversion by automatically adding information Breeze Intelligence already knows.

• Updates to Marketing Hub and Content Hub, the combo that’s giving marketers everything they need to launch full campaigns from start to finish, from finding an audience to measuring impact, including:

o Tools to capture attention like Content Remix for video, which uses AI to turn a single video into a full campaign of clips, audio and written content.

o Tools to generate leads and convert prospects like Lead Scoring to find high engagement, high-fit prospects and Google Enhanced Conversions to leverage first-party conversion data from HubSpot to improve campaign performance.

o Tools to measure impact like the new Marketing Analytics Suite, which brings all marketing metrics and reporting in one place to improve campaigns and get results faster.