GBA Lifestyle News
Vivien Lau is a self-taught cake designer turned dining entrepreneur. The Biomedical Sciences degree holder’s talent for baking was ignited by chance as she set out to make a cake for a friend’s birthday. Named the “crème de la crème of Hong Kong’s bespoke dessert-makers” by Time Out, she began Vive Cake Boutique as an artisanal cakery bringing sweet joy to customers who “like something a little different”. Her enterprising spirit has fed new ventures this year, from chic café culture at VIVE at Gough Street to the family dining-cum-play destination, Jello & Mellow, which was inspired by her twin boys. From the beginning she has stood by her motto: “The only way to create great things is to love what you create.”
“The inspiration behind Jello & Mellow is going to be my twin boys. Ever since they were born, I’ve been struggling to find a place that fits all my needs of a perfect playdate spot/birthday party venue. So I decided to create a beautiful one with plenty of daylight, a sleek & nordic design that can go with every party theme, a play zone where kids can have fun, and delicious & satisfying food for everyone.
Jello & Mellow provides not only a fun playground for kids but also a relaxing space for adults who are young at heart.”
“Jello & Mellow is a space that embodies the brand’s core values: a soft, sweet, and free-form “Jello” combined with a warm-hearted “Mellow” spirit. Built upon simplicity and functionality, natural tones and lighting, and a palette of whites and pastels, its airy, uncluttered Nordic-inspired ambiance begins at the inviting entrance.
To evoke a sense of tranquility and joy, the restaurant utilized soft, earthy colors such as pastel greens, blues, pinks, and yellow, along with muted blues and warm beige. The glazing allows natural light to fill the space, creating a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors. Nature-inspired motifs and wooden accents bring a touch of the Nordic wilderness into the playroom cafe space, while the iconic, whimsical floating cake display accent wall serves as an instantly recognizable visual identity for the brand.
Jello & Mellow has 6 different themed sections including :
“Our homemade Neapolitan pizzas are one of our signature items on the menu. Every dough is handmade with love and everyone loves a good pizza! We also have some charming kids meals, such as Wheels on the Bus & Over the Rainbow, with a variety of colorful & nutritional ingredients that are suitable for different age groups; along with the weekday lunch set menu which is perfect for office workers who work in the neighborhood.”
“From time to time, we host different kinds of workshops for parent & child to participate in. We are also an ideal place for holding children’s parties and private events, e.g., birthday parties or festive celebration parties. We wish that parents & their kids can bond through fun and unique activities at Jello & Mellow.”
“Jello & Mellow is a one-stop location that meets all families’ needs for a fun & leisure space. A lot of places in Hong Kong only focus on the play element but neglect other important elements of a family-friendly restaurant, the food quality, hygiene, and the complete experience that one gets from entering the facility. Each family that arrives at a family-friendly restaurant shall feel welcome anywhere by the staff, shall have enough space to walk around comfortably, and feel completely safe for their kids to play even sometimes on their own.
It is as important to satisfy the kids as to make the adults happy, therefore we put a lot of effort into making sure food quality is also top-notch. We wish that children can have tonnes of fun, but adults who come to Jello & Mellow can equally enjoy a wonderful time with their friends & family with high-quality food and services.
We are looking forward to creating more beautiful venues with new play elements & dining concepts in the future.”