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TOPIC

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day
News and trends regarding the day of love
highlights from
100 Top Tables 2025 Restaurant Directory
100 Top Tables 2025 Restaurant Directory
Daulat ki chaat, a regional variation of makhan malai, at Indian Accent. Chefs are recreating this dish with modern equipment, extending the seasonal street food’s availability throughout the year. Photo: Handout

What is makhan malai, Lucknow’s favourite winter street food?

Enjoy a selection of exciting new goodies at LMO Freshly Baked in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

Your Hong Kong weekend food guide for January 30-February 1

Peridot’s Durian’s Consent cocktail in the making. Photo: Alexander Mak

Drink in Focus: Durian’s Consent at Peridot

Father and son team Chui Wai-kwan and Daniel Chui Tak-yiu at their restaurant Seventh Son in Hong Kong. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Meeting father and son at Hong Kong’s legendary Seventh Son restaurant

A take on the traditional Central Asian dining space, known as dastarkhan, at Yurt in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

First Look: Yurt, Hong Kong’s ‘first modern Central Asian restaurant’

More from 100 top tables
Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Dishes from Ask for Alonzo’s Valentine’s Day menu. Hong Kong has a range of romantic dining spots for Valentine’s Day 2026, from Michelin-starred artistry to bistro feasts. Photo: Ask for Alonzo
Food and Drinks

10 romantic Hong Kong restaurants for the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner

From Michelin-starred dining to vibey Spanish tapas and Italian fare, here are some of the best restaurants to visit this Valentine’s Day.

South Korea

I Am Solo: the messy, relatable dating show captivating South Korea

What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, Feb 14-16

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Hong Kong economy

Hongkongers spend less on Valentine’s Day, flower prices fall to 10-year low

Couples choose to celebrate over lunch to avoid higher dinner costs, while many florists drop bouquet prices amid sluggish economy.

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Newlyweds pose for pictures at Hong Kong Park on Valentine’s Day. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Food and Drinks

Your Hong Kong drinks guide for Valentine’s weekend, February 13-15

Cheers to Valentine’s Day: Courtroom is raising funds for More Good, Pirata Group has Porn Star Martinis, Singular Concepts is keeping it classic, and 001 is doing a collab with Nutmeg & Clove.

Hong Kong economy

Is Hong Kong’s economic slowdown putting a price on love over Valentine’s Day?

Survey finds 48 per cent of men and 36 per cent of women plan to celebrate occasion at home, compared with 17 per cent and 19 per cent in 2024.

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Food and Drinks

Your Hong Kong food guide for Valentine’s Day weekend, February 14-16

Spend Friday night testing your quiz skills at Ink Café, head to Ruam’s cosy terrace for authentic Thai dishes on Saturday, and book a Sunday night table at Testina to try the ZS Series menu.

The Gai Yang main at Ruam in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout
YouTube and YouTubers

YouTube, the global online video powerhouse, turns 20

More than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.

Lunar New Year

Asian Valentine’s days, from Lantern Festival and Qixi to White Day

As well as Valentine’s Day, Japanese celebrate White Day and mainland Chinese the ‘520’ festival, while Korea’s Black Day is for singles.

Language Matters | How the heart became the universal symbol of love

On Valentine’s Day hearts are everywhere – on cards, cakes, balloons and emojis – but when were they first used to symbolise love?

A couple photograph themselves in front of balloons in a heart shape in a shopping mall in Wuhan, central China, on Valentine’s Day in 2021. Photo: Getty Images
Food and Drinks

Where to dine this Valentine’s Day: meals to impress every diner

From alfresco feasts and omakase menus to French and Nipo-Brasileiro cuisines, our guide to Valentine’s Day dinners has something for every couple.

Couples enjoying their Valentine’s Day dinner at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong’s Fish Bar can add on this fresh rose bouquet gift set. Photo: Handout
Food and Drinks

12 places to take a loved one for a Valentine’s Day meal in Hong Kong

Restaurants offer romantic and indulgent Valentine’s Day dinners, lunches or afternoon tea for two – plus pets in one case.

Chinese culture

Explainer | What is the Qixi Festival? ‘Chinese Valentine’s Day’ explained

Love and tradition run deep during the annual Qixi Festival, a 2,000-year-old event known today as ‘Chinese Valentine’s Day’ that falls on August 10 in 2024. We look at the story, food and more.

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Japan

More Japanese men resist buying White Day gifts: ‘it doesn’t mean anything’

Consumer disenchantment over ‘manufactured’ occasions designed to encourage spending and rising cost of chocolates and treats are putting people off gift-buying.

A Japanese couple walks in the Gion area of Kyoto. More Japanese men say they are “fed up” with “manufactured” occasions such as White Day. Photo: EPA-EFE
Fame and celebrity

Meet Nicole Scherzinger’s Scottish former rugby player fiancé, Thom Evans

If you follow Nicole Scherzinger on Instagram, you’ve likely come across her well-documented love story with her fiancé Thom Evans – here’s what you need to know about the Scot

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Nicole Scherzinger and Thom Evans first met on The X Factor. Photos: @te11/Instagram
Hong Kong culture

Opinion | In tough times for Hong Kong, ‘Chubby Hearts’ can give us all a lift

The giant heart-shaped balloons installed around the city, like the giant rubber ducks in Victoria Harbour before them, are more than a seasonal display. They evoke emotions ranging from childlike delight to nostalgia, and are an opportunity to practise gratitude – especially for the city we call home.

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Vietnam

‘Please help me, Buddha’: Vietnam’s singles pray for partner on Valentine’s Day

While Valentine’s Day stems from Christianity, Vietnamese have increasingly marked the occasion in recent years, seeking divine intervention in their love lives.

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Hong Kong society

‘Chubby Hearts’ arrives in Hong Kong on Valentine’s Day as couples tie the knot

‘It has long been a dream of mine to fly Chubby Hearts over Hong Kong as a surprise to this amazing city,’ designer Anya Hindmarch says.

A pop-up Chubby Heart floats in the air at the flower market of Mong Kok. Photo: Elson Li
Fame and celebrity

6 celebrity couples who got married on Valentine’s Day

According to a survey, two-thirds of American celebrity couples who tied the knot on February 14 before 2020 are divorced … so, is it a good day to get married, or not?

Wellness

Sexual healing: experts on the physical and mental benefits of regular sex

Good sex is good for you, says a Hong Kong sex coach: it boosts physical and mental well-being and can even prevent cancer. Experts explain the orgasm and share how to increase your libido.

Fame and celebrity

5 adorable celebrity first dates to warm your heart this Valentine’s Day

From Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and Amal and George Clooney – so who got together after a double date?

Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin, George and Amal Clooney – and which other Hollywood couples have adorable meet-cutes? Photo: Getty Images
Hong Kong society

Lunar New Year in Hong Kong: fireworks, parades return for Year of the Dragon

Where to go, what to see as city celebrates first Lunar New Year since pandemic restrictions ended.

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The Lunar New Year fireworks show in 2019. The annual display is set to return after a four-year hiatus. Photo: Martin Chan
Lingerie

16 best lingerie brands to heat up your Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner – whether you’re shopping for yourself or your significant other, these brands boast beautiful bras, panties, sets, slips, robes and more

Food and Drinks

Steak, oysters, sweet treats: where to eat on Valentine’s Day in Hong Kong

Whether your loved one loves meat, seafood or pasta, we’ve got you covered for Valentine’s Day dinner. If you like to keep things light, consider afternoon tea. Don’t want to go out? Order sweets to pick up.

Hong Kong economy

Dior fashion show and ‘Chubby Hearts’ among events coming to Hong Kong

Three events over next two months will bring in at least 600,000 tourists, says chairman of Mega Arts and Cultural Events Committee Adrian Cheng.

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An illustration showing the giant heart-shaped balloon in Central. Photo: Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau
Style Edit

Style Edit: Classic Omega watches to pair with your partner this Valentine’s Day

For him, the Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer in titanium or stainless steel; for her the Mini Trésor with its ‘Her Time’ pattern and pavé diamonds

For Valentine’s Day Omega offers for him, the Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer in titanium or stainless steel; and for her the Mini Trésor with its ‘Her Time’ pattern and pavé diamonds. Photo: Handout
Style Edit

Style Edit: Blancpain unveils new Ladybird timepiece for Valentine’s Day

This year the brand is releasing new Ladybird Saint-Valentin models, with a small seconds indication featuring a heart pierced by Cupid’s arrow – in 2019 there was even a watch inspired by Marilyn Monroe

South Africa

Oscar Pistorius released on parole 11 years after murdering girlfriend

A parole board in November decided the South African former Paralympic star could be freed after completing more than half his sentence.

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