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The Hindu
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
How to navigate some of Asia's best bars, in Hong Kong
Leave your stilettos at home. Sure, Hong Kong cocktails bars can be dressy, but martini nights in this glittering high-voltage city seem to involve either sprinting up brutally steep stairs or standing in long, patient queues waiting for admission. It takes me a couple of days to get used to bar hopping in the mid-levels. There is a clever escalator that takes you up the hill, with a convenient pause at Tai Kwun, where you can sip a relaxed Aperol spritz. But I lose my way frequently, usually distracted by pastry (make sure you pause at Bakehouse for a sourdough egg tart, or three) and boutiques. Inevitably, every wrong turn leads me to yet another steep ladder street. Nevertheless, I am determined to hit some of the spaces that made Asia 30 Best Bars list, announced recently in Macau to try some of the continent's best cocktails. Bar Leone Naturally, I start with Asia's best bar, which turns out to be disarmingly friendly. Ranked second on the World's 50 Best Bars list, after Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico, Bar Leone has been listed as Asia's best bar once again this year. With warm buttery lighting, puddled with pools of flickering candles, the space is cluttered, but by design: I spot a green toy train and retro posters under a disco ball straight from the Seventies. The space hums with conversation, punctuated by the clink of glasses and cutlery. Founder Lorenzo Antinori defines the bar as cocktail popolari, which in Italian means 'cocktail for the people'. Discussing what sets it apart, he says, 'We're not trying to reinvent the wheel at Bar Leone, we're just making sure it rolls well. I think what makes us different than other bars is that we focus on the overall bar experience: quality cocktails and food, a curated playlist, the right lighting, and warm service.' That is evident as I settle into my seat, guided by a chatty waitress. She recommends the olives, which are big, smoked, and juicy. I pair them with an easy Garibaldi, bright with campari and orange. Then dig into warm slabs of focaccia, hefty with mortadella, creamy whipped ricotta and pickled chillies. Lorenzo says his personal favourites on the menu are probably the Filthy Martini and the Olive Oil Sour. Then adds, 'But honestly, the best part of Bar Leone isn't what's in the glass, it's who's around it. The vibe, the people, the community we've built… that's the real magic.' Coa Jay Khan has been called Asia's hottest bartender, and for a good reason. Born and raised in Hong Kong, he started bartending at 18 at a karaoke club, worked in Melbourne and then discovered the charms of Mezcal in Mexico. He ended up launching Coa in 2017, to celebrate all things agave. Coa shot up Asia's 50 Best Bars list, and is currently at No 17, while Jay won the Roku Industry Icon Award this year for being 'The agave evangelist shaping Hong Kong's cocktail culture.' I meet Jay when I am standing in a long and friendly line to get into Coa. As he walks me in, I'm captivated by the bar's seductive, shabby-chic vibe. It's like stumbling upon a particularly juicy secret: pulsing with music, mirrors and frequent peals of laughter. Scrawled across a wall, I read, 'You don't find mezcal, mezcal finds you.' A pepper smash finds me. An assertive agave-based cocktail, blending jalapeno-infused tequila, Cointreau, fresh shiso and capsicum juice, it's herbaceous with an addictively spicy kick. The food is from Chicano, a neighbouring Mexican restaurant. I try their popular Al pastor tacos, generously filled with pork and pineapple, as well as the quesadillas rich with Oaxacan cheese and cool dollops of guacamole. 'When I opened this space, I was quite naive. I was driven by passion,' says Jay, adding that it took a year-and-a-half for people to really discover them. In 2021, however, they won Asia's best bar, and then went on to top the list for the next two years. His secret? Jay's been building a culture, not just creating memorable cocktails. 'We always have something in the loop, we constantly have new things coming up...' He says, adding 'We are trying to activate the community.' Savoury Project Opening this bar took guts. Focussing on spicy, savoury notes instead of the more traditionally accepted sweet fruity flavours, Jay Khan and Ajit Gurung launched The Savoury Project in May 2023, and were quickly rewarded by zooming up the list of Hong Kong's favourite bars, Currently listed as 32 on Asia's 50 best Bars list, the Savoury Project, set in trendy Soho district, jostling with beautiful people, is dominated by a custom-made hexagonal bar that encourages customers to chat with the bartender. Realising that more guests were choosing savoury cocktails, the partners decided to create a menu pivoting on umami. While the menu is short, with just eight signature cocktails (as each one requires hours of prep), there is plenty of variety, from a salty Michelada made with clamato, habanero, pickle and lager, to the deliciously intense Pepper + Corn, heady with mezcal and cumin. 'We char the husk, and that aroma reminds you of Mexican barbeque,' says Ajit. There's also a Temperance section, which includes a nutty Teriyaki freeball, with Japanese white soy sauce, and Seed of Life that includes papaya seeds and ginger kombucha. Ajit says is getting increasingly popular as more people give up alcohol. I am not one of them. He slides across a Chilled Biryani, a cocktail made with ghee, biryani masala, tequila, plum, pineapple and peppers as we chat. It is both familiar, and intriguing. Says Ajit, 'People believe savoury cocktails are like a glass of soup, but they're actually light.' He explains why being 'commercially successful' was not enough for the ambitious partners. 'It's like selling your soul to the devil,' he says, adding that they decided it was time to try something new. 'Not because we wanted to be cool or stand out. We looked at what defines us as founders. You don't want to be too ahead of the curve, but you don't want to be too late either.' I sip on my biryani reflectively. Fortunately, like Goldilocks, their timing and flavours are just right.
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025: Bar Leone named Best Bar in Asia for second year in a row
Asia's 50 Best Bars has just wrapped up its 10th annual award ceremony, and this year, the prestigious event took place for the first time ever in Macau and was held at Wynn Place on July 15. 2025's list comprises bars from 23 different Asian destinations, with 20 brand-new entries. Hong Kong was represented by a total of six venues on the list, which include Gokan (No. 33), The Savory Project (No. 32), Penicillin (No. 27), Coa (No. 17), Argo (No.11), and most notably, Bar Leone, which retained its title at No. 1. In addition to the prestigious list, the ceremony also appointed venues such as Hanoi's Workshop14 with the Campari One to Watch award, Andrew Ho from Guangzhou's Hope & Sesame with the Altos Bartender's Bartender award, and Kathmandu's Barc for the Michter's Art of Hospitality award. Penang's Back Door Bodega nabbed the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu award, followed by Jakarta's Modernhaus taking home the Three Cents Best New Opening award, Phnom Penh's Sora secured the Ketel One Sustainable Bar award, and Jay Khan from our city's very own Coa was honoured with the Roku Industry Icon Award. The annual 50 Best Bars list is curated by over 300 industry experts, including esteemed consultants, influential writers, and talented bartenders from across the region. See the complete list of Asia's 50 Best Bars for 2025: 1 Bar Leone, Hong Kong (Best Bar in Hong Kong) 2 Zest, Seoul (Best Bar in Seoul) 3 Jigger & Pony, Singapore (Best Bar in Singapore) 4 Bar Us, Bangkok (Best Bar in thailand) 5 Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, Bangkok (new entry, Highest New Entry) 6 Bar Cham, Seoul 7 Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou (Best Bar in mainland China) 8 Lair, New Delhi (Best Bar in India, new entry) 9 Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo (Best Bar in Japan) 10 Penrose, Kuala Lumpur (Best Bar in Malaysia) 11 Argo, Hong Kong 12 Modernhaus, Jakarta (new entry, Best Bar in Indonesia) 13 Alice, Seoul (Highest Climber Award) 14 Smoke & Bitters, Hiriketiya (Best Bar in Sri Lanka) 15 Three x Co, Kuala Lumpur (re-entry) 16 CMYK, Changsha 17 Coa, Hong Kong 18 Virtù, Tokyo 19 BKK Social Club, Bangkok 20 Vender, Taichung (Best Bar in Taiwan) 21 Mo Bar, Shenzhen (new entry) 22 The St. Regis Bar, Jakarta (new entry) 23 Offtrack, Singapore 24 Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore 25 Yakoboku, Kumamoto (new entry) 26 G.O.D, Bangkok (new entry) 27 Penicillin, Hong Kong 28 Soka, Bengaluru (new entry) 29 Vesper, Bangkok 30 Boilermaker, Goa (new entry) 31 ZLB23, Bengaluru 32 The Savory Project, Hong Kong 33 Gokan, Hong Kong (new entry) 34 Carrots Bar, Jakarta (new entry) 35 Barc, Kathmandu (Best Bar in Nepal) 36 Punch Room Tokyo, Tokyo (new entry) 37 Bar Spirit Forward, Bengaluru (new entry) 38 Cosmo Pony, Jakarta (new entry) 39 Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur 40 The Public House, Taipei 41 To Infinity & Beyond, Taipei (new entry) 42 Moonrock, Tainan (new entry) 43 Opium, Bangkok (new entry) 44 Cat Bite Club, Singapore (new entry) 45 Native, Singapore 46 Lamp Bar, Nara (re-entry) 47 Reka, Kuala Lumpur 48 Bar Sathorn, Bangkok (new entry) 49 Bar Libre, Tokyo (new entry) 50 Le Chamber, Seoul Before you begin to feel bittersweet after the big night's over, there are still plenty of exhilarating bar shifts to catch in Hong Kong and Macau to wrap up the week of celebrations. Rewatch the Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 ceremony on their YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
The Best Bar in Asia Is Hong Kong's Bar Leone, Again
Hong Kong's Bar Leone, once again, has been crowned Asia's best bar. In fact, the top three of Asia's 50 Best Bars remained unchanged, with Seoul's Zest and Singapore's Jigger & Pony coming in second and third again. It was a momentous night for Bar Leone, the Italian-vibed spot that shook up the drinks world in 2024 when it debuted at the top of the list — barely over a year after opening. In the process, it dethroned Hong Kong's Coa, which held the coveted distinction for three consecutive years.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Coachella goes back to its roots — and regains its cool
There's something different about Coachella 2025. The music festival that draws thousands of fans to the desert of Indio, Calif., for two weekends every April has faced criticism in years past for becoming a hotbed for influencers, content creation and extravagant displays of wealth. All of that is still there — influencers were skewered for their brand-sponsored outfits and $10,000-per-night tents — but something else seized headlines and generated tons of viral social media posts: Huge musical acts giving can't-miss performances. Lady Gaga put on a dazzling display in her return to over-the-top pop bangers, further signaling the dominance of recession pop. Charli XCX brought out a number of surprise guests and internet darlings, reviving the club kid ecstasy of Brat summer. Post Malone's country tilt stirred conversation, and physically demanding sets from impressive performers like Benson Boone, Lisa and Megan Thee Stallion invigorated even audiences watching from home. Missy Elliot and Green Day sparked nostalgia with energetic sets. Even T-Pain, once shunned for ruining pop music with autotune, received a warm reception from the crowd. Contrasting 2024's concerningly low ticket sales numbers, more than 60% of the estimated 80,000-plus attendees at Coachella used payment plans to fund their tickets, according to Billboard. That's both a testament to the soaring cost of musical events and the passion of fans willing to invest in the experience of seeing their favorite artists live. It helps that, according to the Guardian, this year's artists were just more popular than last year's, with 24% higher global Spotify streams than the previous set. In Coachella's post-COVID years, the festival offered an opportunity for people to gather — and to post on social media to signal that they're doing something significant. Beauty creator Naomi Mahdesian said in a 2022 TikTok post that Coachella felt like an 'influencer work event.' In 2025, it's a fandom pilgrimage worth weathering hours of traffic and sweltering heat. Other festivals could be taking note. Pop girls like Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Gracie Abrams are headlining more flagship events this year, taking over a traditionally male-dominated space to unite their fans and put a focus on the musical element of festivals once again. It's possible that no musician will ever deliver a performance as iconic and transformative as Beyoncé's 'Beychella' in 2018, but it's been long enough that her influence could be considered more inspiring than intimidating. Though celebrities are always present in the crowd at Coachella, it seemed that influencers had less of an impact on the overall vibe. Many of the top-performing TikTok posts about the festival showcased performances and surprise guests rather than outfits of the day. There were still plenty of viral videos about influencer style and reemerging 2000s fashion trends, but whereas brands used to offer creators an opportunity to experience Coachella in an air-conditioned, minimally dusty environment away from common folk, they attempted to be more subtle and helpful to all this year. 'I think brands are catching on to how they contribute to the overall experience of general consumers and influencers,' Erin Schickner, director of music and brand partnerships at marketing company BENlabs told Yahoo Entertainment. 'Instead of forcing themselves into the experience, they're elevating the experience for the consumer.' She attended Coachella Weekend 1 and said she noticed coffee trucks from creamer company International Delight offering fuel to festivalgoers, Neutrogena offering sunscreen in record heat and Loops earplugs offering a break from the noise. 'Brands are really understanding with their activations that fans are looking for a cooldown moment — they're blasting AC and fans, offering shade and … a [place] where you can charge your phone,' Schickner said. Some people aren't convinced that there's been a positive vibe shift at Coachella, though. Comedian Reggie Watts wrote in an Instagram post that its 'soul feels increasingly absent.' Commenters agreed. 'There's no real sense of love coming from the festival toward the people. No care. No reverence. Just vibes curated for influencer culture. You'll catch glimpses of something real — an artist pouring their heart out on stage, a sudden moment of connection — but those moments are fleeting,' Watts said. 'They're easily lost in the chaos, buried beneath the logistics, the brand activations, the overpriced everything.' Some social media users critiqued the crowd at Coachella for being low-energy, often failing to dance along or show enthusiasm for non-headlining performers. Los Angeles magazine praised the livestream as the best (and cheapest) way to take in performances, anyway. Even if music and fandom are at the heart of the festival, the desire to be present and posting along is necessary for ticket sales. Wealth is trending, and algorithmically based social media sites reward the aspirational, showcasing influencer posts to people who don't even follow them. So long as there's money to be made from Coachella, brands and influencers will always be there. Regardless of who attends, it's still technically a music festival, so fans and artists still have a chance to make their mark during Weekend 2 and beyond.
