Hong Kong-born Kate Babington is the managing director of eco-wood furnishing boutique Tree, which has reopened its Tree Café for snacks and drinks in its Horizon Plaza warehouse store in Ap Lei Chau. If I’m out for lunch or dinner, I usually gravitate towards Asian food. I love a bit of spice! I grew up in Hong Kong and love that Asian characteristic of sharing dishes which means you get a variety. On weekends, I often opt for brunch with bubbles, which is always a great way to catch up with friends. If I’m taking a hike along Dragon’s Back, I always end up at Shek O Thai (303 Shek O Village, Shek O, tel: 2809 4426). Some of my go-to dishes for Thai are vegetable red curry or pad see ew [Thai stir fried noodles]. I like the Chinese restaurants by the seafront in Lantau and Sai Kung when I’m walking in those areas. There are too many to pick just one or two. I always order salt and pepper tofu, prawns, or any type of vegetables, as I am pescatarian. Crystal Jade (various locations including Shop 310, Tai Yau Plaza, 181 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2573 8844) is another favourite for easy, casual dining with friends. They even have a green section in their menu. My go-to for weekend brunches are Zuma (5/F The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, tel: 3657 6388) or Dragon I (Podium, The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street, Central, tel: 3110 1222). They are perfect for some bubbles with great food. For visiting friends, I always have pre-dinner drinks at Alto (31/F, V Point, 18 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, tel: 2603 7181), which offers picturesque harbour views. We’d then make our way to The Red Pepper Restaurant (7 Lan Fong Road, Causeway Bay, tel: 2577 3811) to enjoy sizzling prawns and other delicious and spicy dishes. I dine here even when people aren’t visiting. They’re a Hong Kong institution that needs support during these challenging times. It’s sad to see many of them, like Jimmy’s Kitchen, closing. I don’t tend to frequent higher-end restaurants. However, I did have an amazing dinner recently at L’Envol (3/F, The St Regis, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2138 6818). I also like Café Gray Deluxe (L49, The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, tel: 3968 1106) for dinner – especially the never-ending chocolate at the end of the meal. I also look forward to annual festivals like Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival, with so many irresistible treats. I like to indulge on Chinese New Year puddings or mooncakes any day – preferably the ones without egg from Wing Wah cake shops (numerous locations across city). Under normal circumstances, I’m fortunate to be a regular traveller so I can try different cuisines and eat like the locals. A fond memory is visiting the Rangoon Tea House (77-79 Pansodan Street, Lower Middle Block, Yangon, tel: +95 9 979 078681) in Myanmar. Their eggplant boa is to die for and I haven’t had anything like it anywhere else. Eating and trying good food is certainly a perk of travelling.