NEVER BEFORE HAS health been so high on Hong Kong's agenda. Post-Sars, Hongkongers are far more conscious of their health and the environment, with even Victoria Harbour set for a clean up. For consumers, the influx of businesses such as Mix, Pret A Manger and Pure Fitness tap into the desire to be fitter, healthier and happier.
Health food shops, selling everything from wheat and gluten-free products to Atkins-approved fodder, are sprouting up everywhere.
Riding the crest of this trend is Life, a vegetarian cafe and delicatessen in the middle of bustling SoHo that offers healthy, ecologically responsible food. Life marries the philosophy of healthy eating to a cool aesthetic. Within its three floors, the outlet offers everything from salads to vegetarian shepherd's pie and organic beers, along with a comprehensive deli stocking items that are hard to find anywhere else - all presented in a friendly and relaxed environment.
Life also has an in-house library, where customers peruse well-stocked shelves of books covering all manner of diet, health and wellness subjects, making the outlet a nutritional oasis among the neighbouring fast food and MSG- reliant eateries.
This vegetarian health food outlet is the brainchild of directors Marian Clarke, 31, and Bobsy Jureidini, 39. 'We want to provide a healthy dining experience for Hongkongers,' Clarke says. 'It's so important in terms of one's physical and mental state to eat well and eat right.'
The pair say they complement each other perfectly. 'I'm more business-oriented with my working background,' Clarke says. 'Whereas Bobsy brings his knowledge and work for the environment and his cafe experience.'