The Old Man
# 2 in Asia and also awarded the title of The Best Bar in China, sponsored by Matusalem. Agung Prabowo is also the winner of the Industry Icon Award 2020.
Three stars of Hong Kong’s bar scene, Agung Prabowo, James Tamang and Roman Ghale, got together in 2017 to open The Old Man and the Sea on Aberdeen Street. It was originally meant to pursue a more purist theme, inspired by the cocktail and bar culture in Cuba where a Cantinero (bartender), spends 1-2 years in bar school before he or she can join the industry, learning every small detail about the bar and how to interact with customers.
Cuba has contributed a lot to both bar and cocktail history, with many iconic cocktails like the Mojito and the Daiquiri originating here. They toned it down however (figuring it might be too avant garde for Hong Kong) and renamed it The Old Man. It is a small bar, with some seating at one end and an intriguing I-shaped bar at the other, with a subtle bar counter marked by a few bar tools and a striking portrait of Hemingway over it.
Ghale is away that night, but Tamang and Prabowo are on hand to serve us. Fusion cocktails are the theme, with classics like the Martini, Pisco Sour and the Old Fashioned reimagined in interesting ways. I start with the Papa Doble, a twist on the original Hemingway Daiquiri, containing pineapple sous vide rum, clarified pink grapefruit, lime and maraschino sous vide jalapeño, with the sous vide process helping in extracting maximum flavour from the ingredients. My last cocktail for the night is a take on the Manhattan called the Little Wax puppy. It uses beeswax-infused Michter’s small batch bourbon with eucalyptus honey and bitters, all to delicious effect.
COA
Hollywood Road, one of the oldest in Hong Kong, dates back to 1844, pre-dating its more famous namesake. The second road to be built here (and the first to be completed), it is abuzz with tourists during the day, thanks to the antique shops lining it and the beautiful Man Mo temple.
Co-founder and head mixologist Jay Khan was recently named the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender 2020 and now they’ve earned the coveted No.3 spot on Asia’s 50 Best Bars List 2020.
Just off Hollywood Road is the recently-opened COA, a testament to Hong Kong bar veteran Jay Khan’s love of agave, and our first stop of the evening. The artisanal cocktail bar — named after the machete-like tool used for harvesting the plant — is also his temple to the goddess Mayahuel, a personification of agave, whose painting adorns the entrance. While the plant is the source of two spirits that Mexico is justly famous for, tequila and mezcal, I wonder about Khan’s special interest. “They are the only spirits that express their flavour naturally,” he says.
As I settle down at the bar counter, with an actual coa displayed on the wall behind us, I am intrigued by two large glass jars bubbling at the back which are filled with home made Tepache, a delicious Mexican street drink. Khan soon introduces me to my first taste of Tepache, a frothy, mildly-carbonated pineapple and cinnamon drink with a low alcoholic percentage. As the jars testify, Khan makes and bottles his own Tepache, and I swipe the recipe for further use. I follow it up with another Mexican classic, the Horchata de Pistachio, a refreshing cinnamon vanilla rice drink served in ceramic cups made from black clay glass sourced from Mexico. I leave promising to send Khan a bottle of Desmondji, India’s own agave spirit, made with the plant harvested from the Deccan plateau.
The Wise King @ # 18
Another bar opened by a set of industry veterans has an interesting
story. It’s named after the 13th century monarch, Alfonso X, ‘The
Wise King’ of Castille. He could not eat anything more than tit-bits due to a medical condition. Following his recovery, he decreed that all drinks
be accompanied by a snack – that is how Tapas originated!
My evening at The Wise King passed in a blur, fuelled by a number of
shots, with a standout cocktail being the barrel-aged Manhattan. Spend
your time more leisurely – it will be well worth it.
Chef Umberto Bombana’s 3 Michelin-stared 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana sits at No. 28.
If the Michelin-starred Otto Bombana’s restaurant menu appears too daunting then seek refuge in their excellent bar and have one of their signatures, the 8 1/2 Negroni. The cocktail has a few tricks, including the addition of Barolo (a style of Italian red wine) and the overall effect helps in making the drink mellower.
As an added advantage, the bar is helmed by Devender Sehgal, one of India’s finest bartending exports. And since you’re there, don’t forget to get him to make you The Optimist, an award-winning cocktail of his.
The Pontiac, Hong Kong at # 35
While you’re in Hong Kong don’t forget to visit Beckaly Franks foot stomping The Pontiac. Check in by 11 pm, and try and get a perch near the bar, so come midnight, you’re served Coyote Ugly style. I got lucky!
Vikram Achanta
