Bar Review #24: House Welley Bar (Hong Kong)

For our 24th bar review, we visited HK's latest whisky haunt, House Welley Bar in the heart of Central. HK whisky lovers who visit will likely recognise the familiar faces of Vincent, Eric and Jason, known for their friendly hospitality and impressive whisky collections, which now form the basis of the bar.

The space is open, large, and features an edgy design with a noticeable departure from the "average" whisky bar (whatever that is these days). It works - it's a striking venue that places whisky at the fore, but at the same time feels comfortable and inviting.

Of course, you don't come to a whisky bar for the space or decor, you come for the whisky, and House Welley Bar doesn't disappoint there. The back bar is split by region and style (there are sections for "Speyside", "Islay", "Blended", "Japan" etc...) and reflects the tastes of the owners, who are all too happy to make a recommendation.

You'll find OBs, sure, but not the average ones you'll find at the supermarket. Here you're more likely to find single cask, limited edition, distillery exclusive OBs, alongside a number of interesting IBs, from bottlers both established and obscure. It's not just modern releases filling up the back bar either - vintage Clynelish, Bowmore, Macallan and others can all be found too.

During my visit I tried a stunningly fruity Cooley from SMWS (117.1 no less, in the old "paper label" bottle style), a secretive 29yo Scottish malt, a 30yo Islay Blended Malt (which tasted suspiciously like Bowmore) and the now-famous 25yo 1975 Macallan from Casa de Vinos (it's excellent, but give it a lot of time in the glass). Prices were reasonable, everything is available by the half-dram, and there were several more bottles I spied on the back bar for which I'll definitely be coming back!

Whether you're a whisky geek, or just starting out on your whisky journey, or anywhere in between, House Welley Bar will have something to suit your tastes, from an obscure IB, rare Japanese single cask, to a sought-after OB.

Note: At the time of writing (21st Jan 2020), House Welley Bar is open by private appointment only, but we hope that changes shortly.

Cheers,

Martin.

Bar Review #23: Highlander Bar (Stamford Hotel, Sydney)

For Scotch Malt Whisky Society members who frequent the Royal Automobile Club of Australia, they might be familiar with a quaint cosy bar right next door at Sir Stamford, Circular Quay.

Earlier this month, the bar has re-launched itself as the Highlander Whisky Bar, complete with a refreshed set of world whiskies as well as whisky centric offerings, which include Whisky High Tea - who wouldn't love a good dram as an alternative to champagne. Highlander Bar will also feature "Whisky of the Month" as well as host bi-monthly Whisky masterclasses.

“Sir Stamford at Circular Quay has already established itself as the home of great whisky events, from hosting annual whisky shows to regular Whisky & Cheese tastings. Our Highlander Bar will offer a unique platform to build on these events with dedicated offerings to guests and locals who share a love of fine whisky,” said General Manager, Sir Stamford at Circular Quay, Jacky Cheung.

We attended the media launch which showed the bar in different limelight and provided an opportunity to preview the refreshed bar as well as the refreshed cocktail offerings. On normal evenings, the Highlander Bar actually offered a more cosy, relaxed and warm ambience.

As part of the re-launch, the Bar Menu has been updated, with the help of David Ligoff of Alchemist Events, to include an extensive set of world whiskies - everything from your classic Glenmorangie 10yo, Glenfiddich 12yo to Chichibu Chibidaru IPA Cask, Lark Classic Cask and more.

David Ligoff is the co-founder of World of Whisky and owner of Alchemist Events which runs The Whisky Show across Australia as well as other similar events. Sir Stamford partnered with David to refresh the menu and the bottle selections.

“I’m very pleased to be working with the Highlander Bar and bringing some rare offerings to the table.  The perception is often that these whiskies will be very expensive, but this is not the case. Our research team has created a portfolio of unique whiskies, many of which have never been seen before in Australia,” said David.

The Whisky High Tea which is a bespoke twist on the hotel’s famous high tea offerings, with a selection of savoury items mixed with whisky infused treats including Jack Daniels Apple Mouse Slice, Jim Beam Bourbon Crème Brulee Tart and Johnnie Walker Caramel Square, and paired with a Chivas Regal whisky flight. The High Tea is served from 11 am - 4 pm,  Monday to Sunday, and costs $79.

The Whisky of the Month pays homage in the centre of the bar and served with tasting notes. The whisky is said to be unique from month to month with an example being the limited-edition single cask bottling of a 20-year-old Ben Nevis, the Highlander Inn.

Highlander Bar will also host bi-monthly Whisky Masterclasses with themed tastings such as ‘Malts in the Movies’ class which highlight the product placement of malt whiskies in classic movies,  a ‘How Whisky Made the Mob’ class, exploring how organised crime and prohibition defined the whisky we drink today. And as a classic set, the ‘Whisky Old Enough to Order Itself’ class will celebrate all 18-year-old whiskies.

The Whisky Masterclasses will vary in cost, depending on the theme and range from $80 to $130 per person. Duration will be around 90 minutes, with five to six whiskies presented.

The Highlander Bar is open now, for both reservations and walk-ins , Reservations can be placed either online or by telephone at 02 9252 4600 or email BarReservations@SSCQ.Stamford.com.au.

Thanks to Blue Planet PR for having us at the event.

Cheers
Hendy

Bar Review #22: Please Don't Tell (PDT) Hong Kong opens...for good

If an article about PDT opening in Hong Kong on this site sounds familiar, that's because we wrote that very article two years ago. That was a temporary pop-up though, and as impressive as it was (and it really was), after a few months it was gone....until now.

Clearly buoyed by the popularity of 2016's pop-up bar, New York's world famous "PDT" (aka Please Don't Tell) has returned to Hong Kong, filling the same space (the mezzanine above MO Bar in Landmark Mandarin Oriental), in a much more permanent fashion. We attended the media launch last week, which gave us a good chance to explore the new space, sample the new cocktails and try the new menus (fear not, it's still hotdog-heavy).

The entrance is (of course) via a phone booth (hint: Press 1) and the space, whilst small, has large booths for 5 groups, and counter seating for 8. The drinks menu features 15 drinks (our preview night menu had 8), and again includes a number which have been given a Hong Kong / Asian twist, including:

• Big Fan, a refreshing shandy served with Cabeza tequila, lime juice, pink peppercorn, guava and Moonzen Fuijan radler
• Safari, combining ELephant Gin, Italicus Rosolio, Kabosu, Shiso and East Imperial Burma Tonic
• Umbrella, a refreshing aperitif combining Blandy's Rainwater Madeira, Tio Peppe Fino Sherry (YES!) and Kamm & Sons British Aperitif.
• Bad Hunter, a John Collins prepared with Chivas blended Scotch whisky, Fernet Hunter, lemon juice, dragon eye and Moët Brut Imperial Champagne
• Milky Tea Punch, a rich flip composed of Ron Zacapa Centenario rum, Hennessy V.S.O.P. cognac, Rickshaw tea, condensed milk, Tayouran egg and Angostura bitters; and
• Pear of Peres, a short, sharp cocktail with Rye, Cocchi, Genepi, Pear Brandy and Ango bitters.

The food menu echoes that of the pop-up (and the original in New York), with hot dogs including the Honkie Dog (fried pork dog with sakura shrimp and XO mayo) and Kimchi Dog from the New York menu (bacon-wrapped, deep-fried pork dog with Kimchi). Tater tots are back, and the Takoyaki Tots are a must - deliciously snakcable!

Drinks-wise, the Safari was a great way to kick things off (think of it as a slightly more complex G&T), followed by an Umbrella, which was a perfect aperitif. Bad Hunter was refreshing and complex (and a great use of "Fernet Hunter", which seems to be popping up everywhere in HK), and Pear of Peres was the perfect nightcap - short, brown and bitter, just the way we like 'em!

Industry legend / PDT owner Jim Meehan was mixing the drinks all night, and providing great chat too - giving some helpful suggestions / insights regarding a few recent vintage spirits bottled I'd acquired.

The whisky selection is good, with a selection of Japanese, Scottish, Irish and American whiskies, but really, you're here for the cocktails, and they're fantastic.

PDT Hong Kong is open now, for both reservations and walk-ins (although we suspect the latter will be difficult at first), Reservations can be placed one week in advance for parties of up to 6 people by telephone at +852 2132 0110 or email to lmhkg-pdt@mohg.com.

 

Cheers,
Martin.

Bar Review #21: J.Boroski Hong Kong

A month or so ago, a mate tagged me in a Facebook post highlighting a new cocktail bar in Hong Kong opening soon, called J.Boroski. Not being familiar with it, I did a little Googling which promptly turned up exactly one result, with no details whatsoever.

A little more Googling told me it was the HK outpost of a popular Bangkok bar by the same name, with both interiors designed by Aussie Ashley Sutton (of Iron Fairies Bangkok and Ophelia Hong Kong fame). Despite only opening a few years ago, the cocktails at the Bangkok bar were said to be world class, so obviously we were keen to see how the HK version stacked up.

So a few weeks ago I reached out to Joseph (the "J" in "J.Boroski") and made a reservation for Steph and I for a Saturday night. Finding the place was a challenge at first (the directions were something like "go down a little laneway, look for the graffiti, go down the hallway, through the door at the end, turn right" but we managed, and after confirming details with the host, were taken to our bar seats.

The first thing that strikes you is just how simultaneously exquisite and refined the space is. It's unique (how many other bars have their walls/ceiling adorned with life-size Rhino beetle tiles!?), but it works brilliantly when coupled with the warm wooden furnishings and comfortable suede chairs.

The other thing that struck us was how quiet it was. We arrived at 8:30pm on a Saturday and had the entire place to ourselves (literally) for almost 2 hours. Of course, I should mention that at that point, the bar hadn't even been in "soft opening" mode for a week, and still wasn't officially open. I returned a few weeks later on a Monday, and as expected it was much busier, with the bar seats all full by 10pm.

J.Boroski HK operates on an "invitation only" basis and whilst that might initially seem a bit wanky, it's purely to ensure there's space for guests so everyone can be looked after. It's a small, intimate space, and they want to ensure every customer gets the appropriate amount of attention. Invitations can be requested by e-mailing hk@jboroski.com.

One look at the backbar (an eclectic mix of American and Scottish whiskies, gins, rums, tequilas, Mezcals, and more infusions and home-made syrups than you can imagine) and you could tell this was a serious cocktail bar. You might reasonably expect they'd have a pretty incredible cocktail menu too, but you'd be wrong! The bar eschews menus in favour of the bartenders discussing flavours / preferences with customers, and creating a drink to suit.

We love bars that back themselves enough to "throw away" the menu, and it's done brilliantly at J.Boroski HK.

Feeling in the mood for something similar to a Negroni to kick things off, our bartender Nathan Tse (previously of Bitters & Sweets) suggested a variation made using a Thai gin. Slightly smoky, bitter and perfectly balanced, it hit the mark wonderfully - a theme that continued with every drink we tried.

On a later visit our group requested a mix of "Classics with twists" and "Classics" - from a smoked Manhattan-style drink with coffee-infused Bourbon, to a crisp, sharp classic daiquiri, every single drink was spot on. The team here might be new, but they're already matching the best Hong Kong has to offer.

Drink prices are on par with any other high-end cocktail bar in HK (expect cocktails to be around $150HKD, depending on base spirit) and considering the thought and effort that goes into each (not to mention the fantastic end result), and the personalised service, it's a fair proposition.

If you're a fan of cocktails, we highly recommend making a booking and getting yourself down to J.Boroski sooner rather than later. You won't be disappointed, and you'll probably be blown away.

Cheers,
Martin.

Bar Review #20: Foxglove (Hong Kong)

If you read our write-up from the "House of Chivas" Icon HK launch last year, you may have noticed the stunning venue in the background of the photos. That venue was the newly-opened Foxglove, which we returned to recently for the official media launch and more in-depth tour. 

Foxglove is the new venue from Ming Fat Group, who in 2014 brought us the excellent Mrs Pound in Sheung Wan. At over 4,000sq ft, it's cavernous by Hong Kong standards, yet retains an intimate feeling in every one of the 4 distinct areas.

Starting in a room which can only be described as an upmarket First class train carriage from the 1930s, we admired the red leather lounges encircling the room, the umbrellas lining both sides and the convex mirror which is sure to make for some fun Instagram photos. We're told the room will be available to patrons most nights, as well as being used for the occasional intimate gig. We've already seen it being used to good effect for whisky masterclasses too.

Moving onto the bar, we were given a decent taste of the cocktail menu on offer, starting with the "Bitter Truth", using an Angostura Bitters base (along with house-made orange cordial, Kraken spiced rum and fresh apple juice). Delicious, and a great way to show the versatility of Ango.

Then (of course) was onto the whisky cocktails - starting with the "Empire Boulevardier" which replaces Bourbon with Hibiki 12 and features house-made cardamom bitters. Citrus forward and bitter, this was right up my alley. The "Whisky Smash Twist" based on Tonka-bean infused Buffalo Trace wrapped things up with a herbal, earthy flavour. Interesting, but delicious.

The spirits selection is impressive too, with a library of old, rare cognacs and whiskies, some dating to the 1950s and many from mothballed distilleries (below is just a small taste of the bottles on offer - many of which are reserved for the VIP room - more on that later).

Next we moved onto the dining room, which the venue bills as the perfect spot for a working lunch. Hmm...we see where they're coming from, but those blue leather chairs are so comfortable (and the food / drinks so good), I don't think we'd want to go back to work after a visit!

We tried a number of dishes from both the bar snacks and dinner menus - beef tartare with Kimchi, ham and cheese toastie (with 4 types of cheese, no less), melt-in-your-mouth wagyu, and lobster tagliatelle to name a few. All fantastic.

 

Our final stop for the tour was the secret VIP room (which doubled as the Chivas Heritage room a few weeks earlier), for a tasting of Hine Cognac with Hine's Asia Pacific Brand Ambassador Mathieu Jeannin.

The small, but impressively decorated room holds a small bar (with 4 bar stools), a "library" of rare spirits, and a ceiling resembling a bookshelf. Easily one of the most impressive rooms in any bar we've seen in Hong Kong, it will be available to guests ordering rare, special or high-end spirits, and other VIP guests.

Foxglove is located at Printing House 2/F, 6 Duddell Street (also accessible from 18 Icehouse St), Central, and is open from Midday (Mon-Sat) until 1am (Mon-Thurs) or 3am (Fri-Sat). Well worth a visit for dinner, drinks, or (ideally) both.

Cheers,

Martin.

Please Don't Tell (PDT) Pop up Bar - Hong Kong (Bar Review #19)

As we mentioned last month, the legendary New York cocktail institution PDT (Please Don't Tell) has made its way to Hong Kong, setting up a month-long pop up bar at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong.

Far from being a half-hearted, branded attempt to cash in on the continuing success of one of the world's most famous cocktail bars, the pop up (a collaboration with Diageo World Class) is about as authentic as they come.

Not only has the upstairs bar been faithfully transformed (including a back bar that looks exactly like the original, taxidermy, exposed brick and yes, a phone booth entrance), but the bar's founder Jim Meehan, General Manager (and World Class USA Bartender of the Year 2013) Jeff Bell, and bartender Nick Brown are all in Hong Kong, manning the bar each night (though we're told Jim leaves at the end of this week).

 

Steph and I visited on Friday, and I returned yesterday for the media launch, where we learnt of the effort which went into planning the event over the course of a year (including discussions with a Shenzhen-based taxidermy company who didn't have a taxidermied bear, but said they "could get one". The organisers declined....)

There's no doubt about it - this has got to be the most authentic "pop up" bars we've seen, but thankfully there's been lot of local flavour injected too, with 6 (of the 12) cocktails made especially for Hong Kong. Rather than list them all here, we recommend checking out the bottom of this Lucky Peach article, written by Jim's brother. We do recommend trying both the "Red Velvet" and "Benton's Old Fashioned" though - the former because you simply won't believe how wonderfully weird coconut water and bourbon can be until you try it, and the latter because it's "the" famous PDT cocktail (and works brilliantly when made with Bulleit, which has just launched in HK).

The food menu also gets a Hong Kong touch, with four of the hot dogs designed by famous Hong Kong restaurants:

• "Demon Dog", by Demon Chef Alvin Leung from BO Innovation (how often do you get to eat a hot dog made by a 3 Michelin-starred chef?)
• "Yardbird",  by Matt Abergel of Yardbird
• "Bahn Mi Trap Dog", by Jowett Yu of Ho Lee Fook (probably our favourite HK restaurant)
• "Frenchie", by Richard Ekkebus of amber. 

(Chef Richard Ekkebus described it as an exercise in "comparing wieners").

  

The event is almost fully booked (though bar seating is available for walk-ins), and it's not hard to see why. The drinks are fantastic, the venue is an incredibly detailed and faithful re-creation, the hotdogs are delicious and the whole experience is just that - an experience.

Don't think of this as "going to a bar for drinks", think of it as an experience (and a wonderful one at that).

PDT Hong Kong
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 5pm til late (until 30th January)
Location: MO Bar, Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
Reservations: +852 2132 0077 or lmhkg-mobar@mohg.com

Cheers,
Martin.

Bar Review #18: Malt Whisky Bar Sheung Wan (Hong Kong)

We mentioned recently that there's a new Hong Kong Whisky Bar, nestled neatly in the Tai Ping Shan area of Sheung Wan, on Hong Kong Island (just a short walk / MTR ride from Central).

That bar is Malt Whisky Bar, which officially opened in early December. Steph and I actually stumbled upon Malt walking home one day (as you do these days in Hong Kong...) so it was great to finally drop in for a proper look around (and maybe a dram or two).

After spending an hour or so chatting to the staff, admiring the collection and trying some fantastic drams, I have to say - Malt has exactly the right formula You know how some whisky bars have great collections, but can be overly stuffy, formal, or just so expensive that you don't feel comfortable staying for more than one? Not here. Consider this your "friendly local bar", with an awesome selection of drams, great cocktails and staff who know their stuff. The sort of place you could happily spend all night.

The collection currently sits at around 290 bottles (with more being added), and covers a good portion of the globe - with Indian, Australian, Scottish, Irish and Japanese all well represented. An impressive backlit "library" of ultra-rare malts greets you on entry (think OB Port Ellens, Hibiki 30, Karuizawas, rare Ardbegs and Laphroaig 32 amongst others - all available by the bottle), whilst the back bar houses an impressive selection,available by the dram. Prices are very reasonable for HK - with Glenmorangie 10yo for $90HKD, Nikka from the Barrel also for $90HKD, and Highland Park Dark Origins for $165HKD. It's also refreshing to see the bar hasn't added a ridiculous "Japanese whisky tax" like some bars, with Hakushu 12 for $150HKD and Yoichi 15 for $260HKD (not bad, considering what these bottles now sell for).

Flights are also on offer (including an "around the world" flight), and the bar also hosts various tasting events, like this upcoming event on 13th January hosted by Eddie Nara, which includes GlenDronach 21, Old Pulteney 17, Auchentoshan Three Wood, Springbank 18 and Octomore 6.3. For those who prefer their drinks mixed, the cocktail list is worth a look (the attention to detail put into the Christmas cocktail we tried was impressive).

The bar itself is quite small, with a narrow design, but they've used the space well and designed it to feel open and inviting. You could easily come here with a group of 6-8 and still feel comfortable.

We get the impression that the owners and staff here are just down to earth whisky lovers who want to share their love of whisky with the neighbourhood - which is exactly the sort of bar we want to drink in

Address: 19 New St, Sheung Wan

Phone: +852 2858 0058

Hours: Open until midnight Mon-Sat.

Cheers,

Martin.