LIFE CAFE

With its prime location just a few steps below Staunton Street and just off the elevator, Life is always jam-packed and grooving. This three-storey restaurant boasts a welcoming downstairs deli where colourful salads and delectable treats (wheat-free, dairy-free, yeast-free — you name it) are on display, a chilled restaurant one floor up, and an open-air wooden-decked rooftop which is perfect for lunch or Sunday brunch.

While carnivores might scoff at a meatless burger or fake steak, the food here is all vegetarian and all organic. This place is a yoga-posing, neo-hippie vegetarian heaven, but that's not to say the food is lacking in flavour or variety - in fact far from it. We liked the tofu stir-fry, the meatless burgers and the vegetarian pastas. The Life salad is also fabulous and one-of-a-kind, with the devine oatmeal cookies worth a mention as well. The menu changes with the seasons and there are specials on offer daily. They also have an array or freshly squeezed and mixed concoctions to wet one's palette, with tasty organic soy lattes and coffee alternatives as well.

There is no place in Hong Kong that feels quite like Life. In fact, with the laid-back service, the natural interior theme and the organic food, it feels more like you're in some hippie joint in San Francisco. From the periodic art and photography exhibits to the ethnic but modern wooden decor, everything (including the awesome recycled copper-domed lights) is ethically-sourced. So come down and have a guilt-conscious meal for once. Just don't forget to wear your tie-dye shirt!