Must-have apps for Hong Kong movie-going, meals and the me generation
Make the most of the time you spend on your phone with our round-up of the handiest free apps to use when you're out and about
Eating out
Popular online restaurant database and review platform has a free app to make restaurant hunting on-the-go easier. If you're looking for a specific restaurant, limit your search with categories such as cuisine, district, and price range. There are also charts of the hottest restaurants and updates of dining trends for more indecisive eaters.
A good contender would be a search engine for 8,000 restaurants, complete with descriptions, images, and reviews compiled by reporters of the eponymous print food-and-dine magazine. Health-conscious eaters will appreciate vegetarian food finder Available only in Chinese, the two-year-old app not only lists the obvious choices, but also features a good selection of hidden gems and organic stores.
Entertainment
With the app, you don't have to trawl through individual cinema websites for show times and to buy tickets. It remains a firm favourite despite competition from more recent newcomers such as and .
Hong Kong Movie launches with a different loading page each time, featuring a quote from famous films, directors and actors, before redirecting to the easy-to-navigate interface. Along with providing trailers and synopses, it allows users to read and contribute reviews and star ratings to each movie. Addresses, schedules and real-time seating plans of all cinemas make getting your tickets — all with the same app — much less of a hassle.
On the music front, Taipei's has been providing streaming music services since 2004, two years before was born. While the Sweden-founded, London-based company has a stronger Western music database, KKBox offers a more comprehensive library for lovers of Mando-, Canto- and K-pop. For a truly local music experience, however, newcomer music by Tencent Mobility Limited might well be the next big thing.
Shop and play
Launched in Singapore in 2014, is a 'lifestyle discovery' app that focuses on spontaneous discovery and exploration. It serves as a mobile city guide to help users locate small, quirky local businesses, helping users to find the hidden, more colourful side to each city. After Hong Kong and Jakarta, Thailand is in the pipeline to launch later this year so it could well become a great tool when you explore other Asian cities.
A locally developed, albeit more amateurish equivalent is (only on iTunes now but with an Android version to come). Managed by volunteers who lament how high rent and corporate monopolies have pushed out unique businesses to make way for cookie-cutter ones, it documents and encourages users to support the former. If you've come across unlisted shops that are worth sharing — anything from a homey cha chaan teng to an out-of-the-way toyshop, the app has a form for you to share your nice finds.
For events and shows — be it big or small, commercial or non-mainstream — has you covered. The listings app is a portable version of its website and features music, arts, exhibitions, festivals, family events and more. Special deals on last-minute tickets are also available for those who keep track of its updates.
, a shops and events directory translated as "going out" in Cantonese, is a hybrid of the above two. For first-time visitors or locals who have overseas friends to show around the city, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has designed a series of apps that feature a range of (touristy) themed walks, complete with attractions, maps and transport information.
Snap some shots
Only for true narcissists, British entrepreneur Hitesh Mistry's new calendar-based app helps build and keep track of your selfie collection. Options allow you to add fancy frames and captions to your snapshots, and you can say goodbye to shaky pictures as your camera, thanks to the "click" function, will now be activated by the sound of snapping your fingers.
