Hasta La Ideas

Eight places to eat, drink and shop in the bustling metropolis

by Joanna Prisco

Designer mega-brands have established Hong Kong as a luxury shopping destination for some time now, but recently, a surge of smaller, independently minded businesses have been infusing the city’s neighborhoods with a bit of bohemia. Craft coffee culture joins the city’s world-famous tea houses, while a vibrant food scene anchored by dim sum now welcomes speakeasies for the cocktail-crazed and a growing number of ex-pat chefs and dine-in kitchens. Here’s our round-up of eight small treasures to seek out among the city’s 7,650 skyscrapers.

Barista Jam

From pre-warming the glass for your piccolo latte to distilling the nuances between flavor profiles of single-origin roasts, the staff at industrial-chic Barista Jam in Sheung Wan offer a level of service exclusive to bona-fide bean geeks. House coffees are roasted in Hong Kong and blended on premises, while a rotating menu of guest coffees from around the globe like Square Mile from the U.K. and Sydney’s Mecca Coffee offer customers the opportunity to try new brews. If you’re feeling inspired, browse the retail area upstairs stocking all manner of French presses, La Marzocco machines, Cafelat tools and slow-drip filters.

Yardbird

First of all, yes—you should hit all of the dim sum joints you can squeeze in. At some point, however, you will inevitably want a break. When that moment arrives, head to Yardbird in Sheung Wan. Opened last year by Chef Matt Abergel—previously at Masa in New York—this chicken-only yakitori den is as laid back as it is seriously legitimate. Try the oyster—which is actually two plump pieces of dark meat, near the thigh—the spicy, citrusy hearts and the large, juicy meatball with egg yolk dipping sauce to start. Then order one of everything else.

Fungus Workshop

Fungus Workshop in Sheung Wan is divided into a retail shop for fine leather goods and an artist’s salon. You’ll go to admire its unconventional yet sophisticated wares and leave wanting to sign up for one of the hoiming classes, no doubt discussing fashion or design philosophy with another patron in the convivial atmosphere while you’re there. Take note the shop’s limited hours—three days out of the week, it doesn’t even open before 6 p.m.

c’est la B

After draining your bank account in Causeway Bay, take time for a repast at c’est la B in Tai Hang. The eatery marks the first in a new collection of tiny cafes that trendsetter Bonnie Gokson is launching around her signature jewel-box cakes. The bite-size desserts, artfully capped with butterflies, flowers, pearls and dramatic spikes, are almost too precious to eat—but that would be a waste, because they are infinitely tasty, too. Say you were there before it appears everywhere.

Speakeasy 001

Central Hong Kong has no shortage of loud and rowdy bars. Housed behind an unmarked door in the middle of a wet market, Speakeasy 001 (LG/F Shop G1 Welley Building 97 Wellington Street) offers the opposite experience. This hard-to-find haunt invites you to unwind with its quiet atmosphere, colorful cat-house decor and cocktails like the Midnight Manhattan, using homemade vanilla and cherry-infused bourbon.

Kapok Shop

One of the best parts of returning from a trip abroad is bringing back gifts you can’t find elsewhere. Kapok Shop in Wan Chai is known for supporting young local brands, and the outpost on Sun Street stocks an eclectic selection spanning elegant goldfish rope soaps, diminutive travel candles, sharp canvas totes, beautifully packaged teas and many other curios.

Moustache

A proper gentleman in Hong Kong would certainly have his entire wardrobe made by Moustache in Sheung Wan. Not only does the tailor specialize in well made, tropical ready-to-wear, but Moustache also regularly prints its own indispensable guide to Hong Kong, spotlighting new and exciting stores, restaurants, and experiences.

Dream Nation

Alongside its own whimsical collection of clothing and accessories, Dream Nation in Wan Chai curates the work of other local fashion designers, musicians and artists, going as far as staging small performances and happenings inside the shop. I was so taken with Dream Nation’s fantastical atmosphere that I bought a cream leather crown, and haven’t regretted the decision since.

If you tire of all of the eating, drinking and shopping, fear not. There are plenty of things to see in Hong Kong without opening your wallet. Wander the alleyways and ladder streets and you will quickly find a world of street art on display. In the evening, ride the Star Ferry over to Tsim Sha Tsui and take in the light show that goes off across the harbor every night at 8:00 p.m. as a dazzling finale for any adventure.

Armen Petrossian and chef Giselle Wellman give a culinary lesson in California sturgeon

Often regarded as the ultimate indulgence, caviar consists of non-fertilized, salted sturgeon roe. The prehistoric sturgeon has become a significant symbol in Russian culture, but the depletion of the once-prevalent population in the Caspian Sea compelled the government to issue a ban on fishing in 1998, which was extended another four years in January 2012. As a result, farmed caviar has become the most viable option for meeting demand for the tiny, bead-like delicacy.

Three Transmotanus varieties farmed in Northern California have become best sellers for industry-leader Petrossian in their Beverly Hills store—Classic, Royal and Averta President. Armen Petrossian calls the Transmotanus—which means “crossing the mountains”—an “excellent large fish with good flesh and bountiful eggs.” We recently had the opportunity to take a caviar master class at the store to learn more about caviar’s ocean-to-table journey and sample a rich array of freshly farmed sturgeon roe.

Petrossian gets their supply from Sterling Caviar‘s Northern California farms, one of the first complete sturgeon aquaculture operations in the world. Sterling raises the fish in above-ground freshwater tanks that are monitored for water flow, oxygen levels and temperature and, during the caviar harvest—which this year began in early March—females deemed ready have their ovaries removed and eggs extracted. The eggs are carefully cleaned in cold water, weighed and then lightly salted and mixed by hand. The period from which the female is first identified on the farm to when she has her eggs removed lasts about eight years (during which time eggs are checked for color), but the actual process of removing the roe takes less than 30 minutes.

“Transmotanus is raised mainly in California, I prefer to call it California sturgeon caviar,” said Petrossian, describing the process of sorting and grading the fish to sell at its optimal state. “We also made a name for it—we call it Alverta. This is a very interesting caviar because it is a large fish, with good meat and eggs that is close in taste to the ones from the Caspian Sea. You get more flavor with age. The complicated thing with caviar is that no one fish is comparable to another. That means that even in the same family and the same place, you will have huge differences between one fish and another. The difficulty is to forecast each fish in order for you to have it at the best condition.”

For the master class, chef Giselle Wellman created a five-course menu to celebrate the flavors of the sea and highlight some of Petrossian’s newest and most popular caviars. Chefs in the Petrossian kitchens have found inspiration in the nuanced flavors of the tiny eggs, and a standout dish was a house-made caviar-flavored fettuccini topped with light cream sauce and caviar.

The class included a tasting, which started with what Petrossian calls a “not caviar” paddlefish roe, followed by the American Hackleback, Royal Transmotanus, Alverta President, Tsar Imperial Siberian, Shassetra and Tsar Imperial Ossetra. The flight finished with a rich Kaluga ($481 for 50 grams), the progression offering a clearer understanding of the subtle differences in flavors and textures.

“What we are bringing is like when they are making a bag at Hermes,” says Petrossian on the quality of their product. “It is not only a nice piece of leather, or a good grape to make wine. It’s not just because you have the raw material called sturgeon roe caviar. You need to have specific knowledge and experience in order to know how to separate and grade the caviar. That’s our job, to create levels, to create the quality of the caviar and to create the grades.”

New in the Petrossian boutiques and online shop is Caviar Powder that offers the flavor of caviar with a longer shelf life. The powder can be eaten by sprinkling full beads or grinding the dried pearls into a powder that taste can be served with eggs, potatoes, pasta, smoked salmon or anything that would be more delicious with the addition of caviar flavor. Petrossian also makes Papierusse, which comprises thin sous vide sheets of caviar. Paired with a bubbly glass of champagne these creations are sure to induce decadent caviar filled dreams.

Local gallery owner Yasmin Keshmiri Hejduk shares six picks in the Gothic city

by Perrin Drumm

On a recent tour of Prague’s experiential retail and gallery space Gallery by Minty Concept Club we had the chance to speak with the boutique’s owner Yasmin Keshmiri Hejduk, who suggested a handful of stops to make in the city she calls home. Here, Hejduk describes what she loves about her six picks.

Cafe Savoy

It’s always busy, serving great French and Czech food. During lunch it’s almost impossible to get a table at Cafe Savoy, but into the evening the lights are dimmed and the white table cloths come out, creating a really lovely vibe. It’s in a beautiful historic building with original ceilings and wonderful decorations and chandeliers. The price is a little higher than local restaurants but it’s worth it. I love their soups, duck in honey, Svickova, oysters and soft boiled eggs in a glass to name a few. You can say I spend a lot of time there. Book a table especially for weekend brunch.

Jazz Dock

It’s just on the dock, a modern building on the water with great jazz and a cocktail bar with a light installation. With views of the river and boats passing by in the summer, Jazz Dock is a far cry from Prague’s underground jazz dens.

DOX

DOX is a contemporary gallery in the cool area of Holosovic. The gallery itself is an old reconstructed factory that brings really diverse exhibitions to Prague. The space, shop and the area are worth a visit as this is an up-and-coming part of Prague with some cool happenings.

Krehky

Just around the corner from DOX is design shop-gallery hybrid Krehky, run by the agency behind Czech Grand Design and Design Blok. I love the space and the collections they have are always inspiring. The space is a real hidden gem, but it’s best to check opening times and exhibitions before popping in.

POXXOXO

These are three local female DJs Hana (Minty’s curator), Veronika and Marketa. They alway play at alternative locations and I love their music. They have almost become the resident Minty DJs and play at all our events in one way or another.

Sansho

Sansho is a relatively new restaurant opened by Chef Paul Day. Here you find a whole mash-up of Asian fusion cuisine that is farm fresh, personally butchered and served in an informal canteen setting. Dinner is a seven course meal around 750 cz (about $40), but I like lunches best when the light fills the room and the crowd is more laid back. My tip would be to inquire about the specials, as there is always a secret offering that is not on the menu.

Chandelier Creative farms branded honey at their Montauk surf retreat

Ideas tend to be fleeting but, as the only food source with no known shelf life, honey quite literally lasts a lifetime. Aiming to combine the two and, in doing so, live up to its name, NYC-based agency Chandelier Creative set up a Montauk retreat to farm fresh honey, and give employees a place to go for rest, relaxation and inspiration. Presenting a new kind of bohemian enclave, Chandelier’s beautifully appointed, multipurpose Surf Shack fosters morale from within, while productively churning out an actual product for a whole new way of marketing itself.

As the son of Australian honey farmers, Chandelier founder Richard Christiansen outfitted his digs with the proper authority, hand-selecting a range of coastal flowers native to Montauk to ensure his bees would produce a special kind of honey. For the Surf Shack he chose an array of black-eyed Susans, honeysuckle and echinacea and, much like he did with the Shack’s carefully decorated interior, Christiansen built and painted a custom hive to befit the Chandelier bees. “Making honey is a true labor of love” he explains. “My family has always said that happy bees make sexy honey. And the same is true for creatives.”

With a keen eye and trained tongue, Christiansen describes the honey as slightly lighter in color than most, due to the native Montauk nectar, with a taste that’s “very soft and gentle,” but “a little salty, too.” Packaged by members of the Chandelier Creative team, the honey is gifted to every weekend visitor, be it boyfriend, girlfriend, client or friend as a sweet reminder to keep creating with the dedication and vigor of a honey bee.

Throughout the 2011 summer the unique blend of flora led the Chandelier bees to produce an end-of-season surplus of 300 jars, of which some 75 are still available. The remaining jars can be purchased exclusively through the Chandelier Creative online shop, along with a rotation of “special collaborations with our favorite people.” Chandelier Creative aims to re-open the Surf Shack in May with the addition of chickens and vegetables, likely to help continue the expansion of the Chandelier brand from the ground up.