Dinner: Kick off the night with some people-watching at Cafe de Lankwai Fong (20-22 D'Aguilar Street, Central. Tel: 2525 6628), one of the Fong's most hotly debated new venues. When the place opened in April, its inhospitable lighting scared away late-night partygoers. The venue's management seems to have listened to the protests and now the cafe's a lovely den of dimmed hues, serving relatively upmarket, Chinese-style Western fare (plus Southeast Asian favourites). Unbeknown to some, there is also a bar behind the kitchen, so cocktails ($52), wine ($40/glass), beer ($80/pint), spirits ($160/quart) and shooters (six shots/$150) are available. Daily specials are plentiful - we've tasted a grilled salmon fillet served with mashed potatoes and greens ($68), washed down with the house white wine, which received nods of approval all round. Prices are reasonable too. The glittered-vinyl booths and shimmery tiled walls make for a comfortably kitschy atmosphere unrivalled in Lan Kwai Fong.
The Event: Continue the theme of fabulous kitsch in unlikely, quirky surroundings at the Sheung Wan Civic Centre. Tonight, Hong Kong's most cutting-edge dance troupe - the City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) - presents extraordinary avant-garde dance theatre in a venue which, at first sight, resembles a covered market. Persevere - you'll find one of the most bohemian shows of the month unravelling within. Three Means Fantasy (pictured right) is a striking three-part show by three local choreographers. Dancers slink around a sexy, red PVC sofa - a la Salvador Dali, don fantastic carnival masks by New York visual artist Jordin Isip, wear fibre-optic dresses against backdrops of neon lights, and juxtapose live performance with images filmed by hidden spy cameras and the Japanese video artist Tadasu Takamine. Tonight, 8pm. $100-$150 Urbtix. Inquiries: 2268 7323 or the CCDC at 2326 8597
Carrying On: Once the experimental dance has ignited your creative yearnings, you will want to leap on stage yourself. There are a few better ways to live out your 'star' fantasies than with a microphone in your hand. Head to V-Mix (tel: 2137 9888), a palatial labyrinth of karaoke dens for you and a few friends. Known for its reasonable prices, it's located next to Windsor House and Victoria Park on Sugar Street in Causeway Bay. This Taiwanese franchise has four floors and is like a hotel - more than 100 rooms can accommodate anything from an intimate couple to a 40-person party. The equipment isn't state of the art, but the price more than compensates - it costs from $25 to $221 a session and is open 24 hours. V-Mix's VIP section has been host to movie star Carina Lau Kar-ling and singers Nicholas Tse Ting-fung and Joey Yung Cho-yee, so you might catch a glimpse of someone famous.
