We look into the origins of the gastropub and offer a guide to some of the best examples in Hong Kong.
Text by Jason Spotts, photos by Happy Yuen & Samantha Sin, illustration by Esther Chan
Once upon a time, there were pubs and there were restaurants. Both had clearly defined roles and neither sought to intrude on each other’s territories. A pub was where you drank, a restaurant was where you dined.
Then those boundaries began to blur. Certain pubs started gaining reputations for serving good quality food. Nothing fancy, of course, but of a higher standard than most. Bangers and mash, for example, would be served with red wine gravy and prime quality sausages. A lot can be done with a few extra touches.
Meanwhile, restaurants began opening separate bar areas to offer a social side on top of the food.
Gradually, the gastropub revolution was gathering pace. The Eagle pub in London’s Clerkenwell, which opened in 1991, is often cited as the original gastropub. In truth, however, many pubs were making serious forays into good food by the early 1990s.
So, what defines a gastropub? A gastropub is, before anything else, a bar. Nobody will notice if a patron drinks there regularly but seldom orders food. It is not a restaurant, but its food can easily be as good as one. It is a bar that places greater emphasis on quality food than it does on drink.
“People open a bar to make money on drinks because that’s the most profitable part of the business,” says May Ying Lung, Executive Sous Chef at The Chinnery at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. “So, food tends to be secondary. Kitchens and food represent additional expense. They take up a lot of space that a bar owner would rather not expand upon.”
And yet, there are rewards in offering a fine and affordable meal from the comfy confines of your bar. For a start, it can help you differentiate yourself from the competition. More importantly, it can make your clients very happy.
“Bar dining is all about satisfying cravings,” says F&B Director Calvin Ku of the recently opened Lily in LKF Tower. “Whether it’s happy hour or two in the morning, it should make you want to drink, eat and then drink some more.”
“When it comes to drinks – beers, whisky, wine – every bar has that,” says May. “For us, it is important to have good food because that becomes a part of your name. It’s your own identity, separate from the rest. Why not have a place where you can start an evening with drinks and end it with a great meal?
“We’ve managed to serve food that defines us as more than just a pub,” May continues. “We tried changing or updating the menu once or twice but customers were upset. They felt that we had a reputation to maintain as a traditional bar, and we respected that because people come here as much for the food as they do to drink and relax.”
Compared to the UK or the US, Hong Kong has been rather slow to catch on to the gastropub revolution. But this is changing. Here is Crave’s guide to a few of the best our city has to offer.
Alfie’s by KEE is more contemporary than a traditional gastro pub but it is still a fine place to sample British pub favourites with a twist. The interior has a modern, sophisticated edge. Alfie’s is suitable for a lengthy meal or a quick drink. Besides its delicious pub mainstays, such as cottage pie and bangers and mash, Alfie’s
also features comfort food such as Devonshire pork sausage roll wrapped in puff pastry and free-range roast chicken.
On weekdays, it opens for breakfast from 7.30-9.30am with brunch served on week-ends
11am-4pm. Lunch is served from 12-2.30pm and dinner from 7-10pm.
Shop M18-19, M/F, Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central
Tel: 2530 4422
An intimate retreat that serves some of the best bar food in town. The Chinnery –a gentlemen-only club until 1990 – was the first pub of its kind in Hong Kong serving traditional British pub favourites. Its fish and chips are made using a special technique in which the beer batter is specifically siphoned to ensure it achieves a highly crispy coating. The Chinnery is also famous for its shepherd’s pie, its smooth oven-browned mash and cheese covering a delectable layer of lamb stew.
The Chinnery is open from 11am-11pm daily, serving lunch from 11:30am-2:30pm and
dinner from 7:30-9:30pm.
1/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central
Tel: 2825 4009
Just a step away from Lee Gardens in Causeway Bay, Inn Side Out is an American-style bar that takes large portions of food seriously. Make sure you go hungry to sample its mac ‘n’ cheese, “Grand Slam Burger” (served with mushrooms, bacon, and onion rings) and its full-slab at BBQ ribs. Inn Side Out is also equipped to keep beer lovers as well as food lovers happy. More than 70 brews are available including a selection of microbrews. The al fresco area certainly makes for a comfortable place to while away a few hours. If you are in the midst of frantic Causeway Bay, this bar can provide a welcome respite.
G/F, Sunning Plaza, 10 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay
Tel: 2895 2900
Inspired by early 1900s Parisian salons and the speakeasy culture of America’s prohibition era, Lily executes a traditional menu with a sophisticated twist. Along with a raw seafood bar, sample their Long Island Calamari, fried quail or cheeseburger (“The Bloomberg-er”) complete with Gruyère, bacon and truffle mayo.
The cornbread served with the quail deserves a special mention.
Lily is open from 5pm-2.30am Monday to Thursday, from 5pm-4am on Fridays, 6pm-4am on Saturdays and from 6pm-2am on Sundays. Lily is excellent for the late-dining bar patron and last orders are taken at 2am on weekends.
6/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Central
Tel: 2810 6166
Phoenix is the type of old-style English pub British expats yearn for in Hong Kong. Tucked away on the right, three escalator rides up from Staunton Street, it is a gem of a spot where you can remove yourself from the bustling bar scene below. You are greeted by a blackboard chalked with specials that change weekly. The weekend roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and roasted potatoes is a favourite. Pub staples such as fish and chips are done well, but Phoenix also has a few adventurous surprises up its sleeve.
Phoenix is open from 4pm Monday to Thursday, with breakfast and lunch menus on Fridays when it opens at 11am. Early menus are also available on weekends when they open at 9am.
G/F, 29 Shelley Street, Mid-Levels, Soho, Central
Tel: : 2546 2110
With its bright red exterior proudly proclaiming its British inspiration, you can hardly miss Yorkshire Pudding on Staunton Street. But forget appearances, it is the menu that keeps its loyal band of diners coming back for more. On top of its collection of hearty pub meals – complete with a scrumptious selection of pub pies and fried, comforting fare – it recently added a “Far East corner” serving sweet and sour pork, Malaysian satays and Chicken tikka masala.
On top of the food, Yorkshire Pudding is a comfortable place to enjoy a British ale or cider. Take your perch in one of its two floors of bar and dining space or take advantage of its open front to watch Soho’s traffic flow by.
Yorkshire Pudding is open daily from10am-midnight.
6 & 8 Staunton Street, Soho, Central
Tel: 2536 9968
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