Two innovative minds come together at The Opposites, Hong Kong’s newest cocktail destination.
If you need proof that things in Hong Kong are (slowly) returning to normal, all you need is an innovative new bar concept. Fortunately, two of the biggest names in the local mixology scene – Antonio Lai and Samuel Kwok – have come together to create The Opposites, an intriguing new venue on Hollywood Road.
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If you like the odd cheeky libation, you’re likely to know these two innovative lads. Antonio Lai is an award-winning bartender who’s also part of the creative force behind Room 309, Draft Land Hong Kong, The Envoy and CHAKO, while Samuel Kwok helmed Lai’s bar Quinary for almost a decade.
Now, the duo has created a bar that presents the artistic spirit of juxtaposition through a series of paired cocktail offerings, founded on the complementary mixology styles and personalities of the two barmen. Where Antonio plunges headfirst into realms of theatrical mixology techniques with his overflowing creativity, Samuel elegantly cultivates classics with an adventurous approach to ingredient combinations.
The resulting concoctions are presented in an intimate, Art Deco-esque space dressed in smokey amber and royal blue hues (the contrasting colours symbolise each bartender’s approach to cocktails), with geometric motifs and touches of brass.
The Opposites features 48 seats in a cosy sofa area, perfect for intimate conversations or larger gatherings, and 12 seats at the opulently designed bar station, where Antonio’s side showcases laboratory equipment like the pressure homogeniser Squasher and GIROVAP Reducing Distiller, alongside bespoke glassware for innovative cocktails, while Samuel’s station perfectly embodies his perfectionism with its pristine display of bottles and delicate classic glassware.
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The bar features a lineup of 16 cocktails, presented in pairs, with each pair demonstrates a contrasting reinterpretation of eight classic cocktails. For example, the classic Pimm’s Cup has been presented as both the Son of Pimm’s, with Pimm’s No.1 given a touch of sophistication and complexity with strawberry, shiso leaf, and mountain begonia; and Selling Seashell, which uses molecular gastronomy techniques and the same ingredients to create strawberry and mint flavoured caviar pearls and which is finished with a soft cucumber air for an alluring finesse.
Another interesting take is the pair’s interetation of the Pisco Sour. Inspired by a beloved Hong Kong dessert, the bean curd sheet sweet soup, Samuel presents his unique take, the Soya Sour, by incorporating commonly used ingredients in Hong Kong cuisine, including velvety tofu and ginger foam, adorned with a sprinkle of housemade matcha and green cardamom powder.
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Also look out for the Scoop Me Up, served in an eye-catching glass ice cream cone and crafted with pink guava redistilled pisco, camellia, and kaffir lime leaf, topped off with a layer of white tea foam.
You’ll also be able to sate your appetite with a snack menu in which each listed dish is carefully crafted, blending the essences of two contrasting cuisines. For example, the Hot Wave Fries is a perfect-for-sharing snack seasoned with the flavours of Hong Kong’s popular Hot Wave chips and paired with a signature typhoon shelter-flavoured aioli; while the Sichuan Sour Fish Fingers is a fusion of British tradition with a touch of Sichuan flair, accompanied by a tangy pickled cabbage dip.
Isn’t is amazing what alternative thinking can conjur up
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