Harlan Goldstein and Alvin Leung on their battle to lose weight

When old friends Harlan Goldstein and Alvin Leung met for dinner last May, they poked fun at their bulging bellies. The two chefs have physical sizes that match their culinary reputations, and the good-natured ribbing soon turned into a bet to see who could lose the most weight over three months.

For Goldstein, the challenge was nothing new - he had defeated a fellow plus-sized banker last autumn in a similar weight-loss contest, pocketing a hefty sum along the way, and was confident that he could do it again.

Since both are renowned chefs (Goldstein's restaurant, Gold, received a Michelin star this year, and Leung's Bo Innovation has two stars), they decided to turn the bet into a charity event that would be good for their health - as well as public relations.

Taking inspiration from heavyweight boxing bouts, their weight-loss battle would be settled at a public weigh-in event. The loser of the bet was required to donate HK$16,000 to charity, among other forfeits.

So it was quite the scene at Pure Fitness a fortnight ago, when the two chefs, both 52, and their entourages turned up for the weigh-in with some Rocky-like music playing in the background.

Considering the intense training the two had been through in the preceding three months, they felt they had every right to indulge in some theatrics.