Latest news with #MaxBajracharya
Time Out
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Socio's team opens cocktail bar and nightclub hybrid, Gossip in Central
We've all seen Socio and its queues outside that trails out along Staunton Street. If you enjoy their sustainability-forward Asian-inflected cocktails, then you'll be glad to know that the people behind Socio have a brand-new concept in their latest nightlife destination named Gossip. Knowing that cocktail bars don't usually have good music to vibe to, and that nightclubs usually only serve overpriced but uninspired drinks and pricey bottles with sparklers, Amir Javaid and Max Bajracharya have decided to give Hong Kong's night owls the best of both worlds by combining these concepts into a premium cocktail club. Their drinks menu is inspired by the many traditional masks of Asia, each with its own personality and story, and giving rise to its accompanying cocktail made with distinctly Asian ingredients such as mango sticky rice, Korean gochujang, and Sichuan pepper. Thotsokan, a lemongrass and coconut-washed Tanqueray gin-based cocktail, contains Thai flavour profiles with kaffir lime distillate, mango sticky rice, sparkling wine, and a piece of dehydrated fruit – it's light, refreshing, and the perfect first drink to start with. Some of our other favourites include the creamy, Japanese-inspired Hannya, made with yuzu koshō and kombu-infused Bacardi, lichiko, dry sherry, clarified pear, white chocolate, and topped with a foamy puff of matcha air. One of Gossip's best on the menu is the Nuoxi, which is a delicately savoury mix of Sichuan pepper-infused Ketel One, elderflower, fermented tofu, sesame oil, lemon, and pickled cucumber. Its tasting notes read somewhat like a grocery list, but the Chinese-inspired blend of florals, fermented fruit, and umami notes just work. The cocktail lounge hosts live music performances on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and when the clock hits midnight from Thursday through the weekend, Gossip transforms into a clubby atmosphere with the tables and chairs moved aside for a dancefloor and multicoloured light strips pulsing overhead. If you're bored of the thumping, techno-heavy beats that are spinning in most clubs, then you'll appreciate that Gossip focuses on playing R&B and hip-hop – a win in our books! Gossip is now in its soft-launch period and will officially open to the public in mid-July.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for June 27-29
It's a great weekend to catch up on new openings as we prepare to bid farewell to the month of June. The duo behind Socio have just opened their second concept, positioned as a 'premium cocktail club'. After Dr. Fern's closed in January, the doctor is back as The Pottinger opens gin concept The Doctor's Residence. Round out your weekend on Kowloon side as Nicola's Night returns to Terrible Baby with its second edition, dubbed The Italians. Thursday, June 26 Gossip opens in Central Gossip in Foco is being positioned as a 'premium cocktail club' in Hong Kong's Central district. Photo: Handout What: It's no longer just a rumour – It's no longer just a rumour – Amir Javaid and Max Bajracharya (two of the creators of Socio) have opened Gossip in the Foco building, in the heart of Central. The duo are positioning the venue as a 'premium cocktail club' that combines live music, plush surrounds, and a killer cocktail concept that draws inspiration from – of all things – traditional masks from around Asia, as well as ingredients sourced from the region. For instance, Hannya is named after a mask in Japanese Noh theatre, and combines yuzu kosho, kombu-infused Bacardi, Iichiko shochu, clarified pear, matcha air and shiso powder. Where: 3/F, Foco Building, 48 Cochrane Street, Central When: 6pm-2am Friday, June 27 The Doctor's Residence by Dr. Fern The Doctor's Residence by Dr. Fern in The Pottinger Hong Kong specialises in exotic gin and tonics. Photo: Handout What: When we reported on Dr. Fern's Gin Parlour's closure in January, Hong Kong's beverage scene waited with bated breath to see if and when the gin specialist would reopen. The Pottinger hotel gave us the answer just last week, as The Doctor's Residence began its soft opening at The Envoy's former location – one complete with a terrace. Bar manager Babit Burathoki returns to helm the concept, which continues to focus on exotic gin and tonics, alongside a series of gin-centric signatures like Brinewashed – comprising Tamras gin, coriander extract, chilli brine, mint, lemongrass and clarified watermelon – or Shroom Service, which combines Australian gin with Fernet Hunter, calamansi juice, almond liqueur, coconut oil and a mushroom foam. Where: 3/F, The Pottinger, 74 Queen's Road Central, Central When: 5pm-1am Saturday, June 28
