Celebrity Life

Shanyan Fok Koder and Richard Bassett explain how a Hong Kong art entrepreneur joined forces with a former special-forces soldier to launch a health and mental wellbeing app, Mentor360.

"Mental health and mental fitness are universal concerns," says Shanyan Fok Koder. "And regardless of your demographic, social status, your job or your age, it’s something everyone has to deal with."

Shanyan Fok Koder & Richard Bassett on Mental Health App Mentor360

The Mentor360 app dropped on World Mental Health Day in October, the cumulation of the last 20 months of work and conversations (usually across continents over Zoom) between former military man Richard Bassett and worldly art advisor Koder. A month later, I’m sitting with both in a North London café talking over slices of pizza.

Their app, they hope, offers everyone a holistic 360 guide and framework to “finding your formula” for mental and physical wellbeing. It uses a hybrid approach, with a core layer of clinicians and professional Mentors and then celebrity Ambassadors (who’ve publicly shared meaningful life stories) critical for building noise and momentum.

"I’d been in the military for a long time. And there were a couple of incidents in my life that made me want to create something," Bassett, the CEO, explains. "Firstly, it was my father committing suicide. Then my son had a bit of misdirection. And several of my friends in the military had PTSD issues or adjustment disorders."

"The biggest issue is why people wouldn’t come forward and say they’ve got a problem?” he asks.

“Unlike some apps, we’re not trying to get people hooked. Come on to it when you need it”

— Richard Bassett

The answer often lay in culture, lack of education or concerns about privacy that prevent many from seeking help. With that came Bassett’s idea of creating an app that functions as a “non-judgmental toolkit” with content validated by experts – who include coaches, performance psychologists, mental health-specialising nurses and a clinical psychologist.

Basset’s link with Koder came when his best friend, ex-special forces colleague and TV star Jason Fox, sat next to a pregnant Koder at a charity fundraiser for Born (which researches to prevent premature birth) in late 2019. As the pair talked about their passions for mental health and children’s wellbeing, the connection to Bassett’s idea became quickly apparent.

"Foxy told me that I have to meet his friend, Richard, who’s building this app," Koder recalls. "I was always wanting to support things that are very meaningful and close to my heart … and now Jason is actually our key mentor. The partnership between Richard and I was almost like two parts of a jigsaw puzzle come together."

Although some might go to the app for help with stress, trauma or even resources to help with suicidal feelings, Mentor360 is designed specifically as a three-dimensional offering that will also encourage fitness, workouts, performance and meditation or more clinical matters.

"We wanted to maintain the human factor as a constant throughout. So it feels like somebody has given you some advice rather than some process-driven machine learning," Bassett adds.

The co-founders might come from two different worlds, but the unlikely partnership speaks to the ubiquity of the issues at hand. Bassett’s 25-year military career saw him being appointed the first ever Command Sergeant Major within the UK Special Forces military group. "It was at that stage where I was asked if I wanted to run defence,” he says. “At that point, I thought, I’ve kind of had my fill of the military now, it’s time to move on."

Koder meanwhile grew up in Hong Kong and the UK as the daughter of Li Ka-shing’s "right-hand man" Canning Fok, carving out a career in the arts and taking over her family’s impressive collection. As a female art entrepreneur and mother, her challenges would be different.

"When I had the misfortune of losing three babies to miscarriage and dealing with that emotional fallout, it led me to want to support this as a cause," Koder divulges. "If there’d been something like this app available to me, I don’t think I’d have suffered as much as I did emotionally. It’s a topic that’s still very taboo, even in this day and age … and while you eventually find your own community, at the very beginning, you do feel very alone."

Both were clearly driven towards the app through deeply personal experiences. Bassett saw first-hand how soldiers who’d done several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan suffered – his best friend, Fox, had left the forces with PTSD. Perhaps machismo or fear of institutional repercussions meant that the issue was often ignored or hidden in the military – but he hopes that Mentor360’s holistic approach can gently lead people to explore mental fitness alongside physical performance too.

The male-female perspectives of the pair offer a well-rounded, powerful tool. And while the wellness space is already crowded, Mentor360 stands out by being so broad, human-focused and non-prescriptive.

There’s been exciting traction too. Since its launch, the app has been downloaded in more than 176 countries, with the UK, the US and Australia leading. British schools have reached out and it’s one governance board away from being trialled within the National Health Service (NHS), which means added clinical risk management in the app. That has been an important validation, says Bassett, "especially when an institution like that has picked it out from a huge spectrum of apps on the market today."

Covid-19 and lockdowns have helped throw light on mental health, taking the conversation more mainstream. The timeliness has hit home; as Bassett says, “there’s a lot of people now struggling with the transition between Covid and normality”.

Koder tells us that the plan is to serve individuals but also institutions such as the NHS and the military. There’s also the option of “white labelling” it, so the app can be packaged and tailored to certain industries or corporate employees. In the future, might they look more global, with different languages and translations? Absolutely, the pair say, but they’re taking it “slow and steady”. There’s been interest from American corporations and Koder says that she’s keen to push into Asia very soon. Although going truly global might mean translating for languages, cultures and tone, as well as working with diverse psychologists, it remains a future ambition.

Mentor360 may be extra helpful in cultures where mental health is still relatively taboo. As Koder says, "I think, coming from our Asian culture, it speaks volumes to me – so much of our culture is about still performance or hiding a lot of what you’re feeling."

"Unlike some apps,” Bassett adds, "what we’re not trying to do is create a hook or get people hooked. Come on to it when you need it, and if you don’t need it for a while because you’re good, you can just put it away … We’re starting to see those patterns in the trend analysis."

To get a little personal, I ask what works for them individually to keep a healthy mind and body. Bassett’s formula revolves around daily exercise, time with the family, dogs and good sleep – even the occasional glass of wine on the sofa in front of a crackling fireplace. Koder’s happiness hacks centre around motherhood, being content and at peace in her skin, and looking at life with a certain romanticism: "I always love to see the poetry in my day,” she says, "and I think it’s important to just pause throughout the day, check-in and acknowledge that I’ve achieved these things and I should be proud of myself, rather than just rushing on to the next thing."

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Dreaming of a tropical getaway? When you can't take a flight southeast – pay a visit to one of these Indonesian restaurants in Hong Kong.

An archipelagic nation, Indonesia's culinary traditions differ from region to region – borrowing from its neighbours and influenced by some others. For example, Sumatran cuisine is said to have Middle Eastern and Indian influences while Javanese cuisine has seen some influence from Chinese cooking. All of this makes Indonesian food a rich – and dare we say it, underrated? – cuisine that is well worth seeking out. Here's our pick of the best Indonesian restaurants in Hong Kong, from regional-focused eateries to Michelin-guide fine-dining establishments.

AMIN Indonesian Restaurant

Spotted in Hong Kong's "little Indonesia" (Sham Shui Po!), AMIN Indonesian Restaurant is the perfect place to stop for a tasty lunch on a day out. This relaxed eatery specialises in rice and soup noodle dishes that feature seafood, pork, chicken, beef and fish paired with dry flat or fresh-made noodles.

AMIN Indonesian Restaurant, 57 Yen Chow Street, Sham Shui Po; 3591 1344

Bakso

Located in Sai Kung, this little Indonesian store is easy to spot – with a funky moustache sign opening into a laidback eatery. Named after the Indonesian meatball, Bakso serves Balinese fare including a famed beef ball and rice noodles in beef broth, a grilled pork jowl with noodles, chicken sate and smoothie bowls.

Bakso Flagship Store, G/F, 9 Wan King Path, Sai Kung, New Territories; 2720 3168

IR 1968 (Indonesian Restaurant 1968)

You may have seen IR 1968's name recently around the Tong Chong Street Market – the restaurant was behind the tiny, very flavourful lemongrass Impossible™ Pork satay lilit in one of the bento boxes that were released for the plant-based product's debut. Formerly known as Indonesian Restaurant 1968, this eatery has a former Michelin Guide nod and serves everything from East Java chicken lime soup to beef shank rendang and coconut shrimp laksa. For something sweet, try the signature mango sticky rice with coconut ice cream.

IR1968, 5/F, The L.place Central, 139 Queen's Road Central, Central; 9106 3783

Kaum at Potato Head

Multi-concept space Potato Head is a gorgeous location, with wooden ceiling panels and textiles from North Sumatra that transport you to Indonesia. Kaum, its in-house restaurant, showcases flavours from Bali and other provinces and islands – with a carefully crafted menu that marks each dish's origins. Some signatures include the rendang daging sapi from West Sumatra (braised beef in mixed West Sumatra spices, coconut milk sauce, and sweet potato crisps) and the Balinese Babi Gulung (roasted boneless quarter baby pig in Balinese-style spices).

Kaum, Potato Head, G/F, 100 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun; 2858 6066

Lucky Indonesia

In this year's Michelin Guide, Lucky Indonesia is best known for its heavenly charcoal-roasted sate. Tuck into Indonesian favourites like the aforementioned skewers and nasi kuning – fragrant yellow turmeric rice topped with beef rendang, chicken, grated coconut and peanuts. A more informal and relaxed eatery, it's worth making a trek Kowloon-side for.

Lucky Indonesia, 46 Tung Ming Street, Kwun Tong; 2389 3545

Pandan Leaf

Walk along the streets near Yee Wo Street and Pennington in Causeway Bay and you'll find rows of Indonesian groceries and restaurants – including Pandan Leaf. This eatery serves up snacks and dishes and specialises in using pandan leaves. Don't miss its signature nasi ayam pandan, a Hainanese chicken rice made with pandan.

Pandan Leaf, Shop B2, G/F, Causeway Bay Commercial Building, 1-5 Sugar Street, Causeway Bay; 3188 5478

POEM

Led by Bali-native Chef Mustika Wayan, this Michelin recommended restaurant pays tribute to the island's sustainable and organic movement showcasing classic flavours from all over Indonesia and making use of ethically sourced meat. With a variety of vegetarian and vegan-friendly options on so many menus (weekend brunch, weekday set lunch, dinner, vegan summer – to name a few), this makes for a great option for a family-style sharing meal with a larger group.

POEM, 5/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central; 2810 6166

Warung Malang

Ask any Indonesian in Hong Kong about this hidden gem and you're bound to hear how authentic and comforting the food is here, especially when you're homesick. Walrung Malang is tucked away in Causeway Bay and is always bustling and busy. Choose from the extensive menu of favourites (including every nasi goreng under the sun, various rendang and chicken and lamb sate) and make sure to try one of the huge frozen speciality drinks. Plus, this is a halal-certified establishment.

Warung Malang, 9 Pennington Street, Causeway Bay; 2915 7859

(Hero, featured image and image 4 courtesy of POEM), image 1 and 3 courtesy of Potato Head Hong Kong, image 2 courtesy of Bakso)

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With an incredibly diverse restaurant scene and rapidly growing list of openings, it's no wonder Hong Kong is referred to as Asia's most dynamic food capital.

We have over 15,000 restaurants to choose from, the highest restaurant density in the world. For those wondering if the thousands of restaurants are any good; well, the proof is in the accolades. That's sixty three (63) Michelin-starred restaurants and nine (9) of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in Hong Kong.
As for fine dining, the choices are endless, but it seems French cuisine still reigns supreme in this category. So where does our culinary tour de France begin? Right here with our condensed list of our favourite French fine dining restaurants, so that you can begin with the finest.

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