Hong Kong: Cause and FX
rban Asian chaos is becoming a consumer art form in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay. Cuddled by the green sweep of Victoria Park, peppered with ramshackle apartments, and lined on its far edge of Hennessy Road with a seedy red light district that melts into Wan Chai, CWB has always been on the radar. But it is only recently that the varied character of the place began to gel. That's precisely the appeal: with Tokyo's density and a vibrancy that recalls New York (given the obscene amounts of neon lights here, it is no coincidence the flagship mall is called Times Square), knowing where to go is everything. Fashion magazines like ZIP, an abundance of film production companies (Wong Kar-Wai's included), advertising firms and artists have all made this their centre, and are invariably one secret-handshake cafe ahead of the game. Where To Shop
The tidal wave of consumers swarming beneath the towering neon SOGO sign is a signature sight in Causeway Bay. Once the traffic stops, punk teens, dark sunglass-wrapped Soho types, and Tokyo platinum card-toters roam between the famed Japanese department store and local behemoths like Times Square and Lee Gardens. But those in-the-know bring their maps and ferret out the growing lots of young designers hidden down side streets and unlikely buildings.
Island Beverley, close to Great George Street, is one such spot where youth culture breeds in a rabbit's warren of shops. Hong Kong's answer to Bangkok's Siam Square, it houses stacks of shop-cum-cubicles where younger designers ply knock-offs and one-offs straight off the truck. Women love the scads of shoes and bags at Lacoati (Unit 829, Island Beverley; +852 2890 8628) and there is an impressive menswear shop in No Name (Shop 311, 3/F, Po Foo Bldg, 3-5 Foo Ming St; +852 2805 7728). Azalea by Isis (G/F, Po Foo Bldg, 3-5 Foo Ming St; +852 2808 4183) has ever-changing racks of sophisticated city style in spunky tones, bias cuts and different textures. Henry Lau's SPY (11 Sharp St East; +852 2576 3172) label is another HK-boy-made-good story. His shtick is street corner edgy and a bit theatrical to boot. More on the Lane, on sloping Lan Fong Road, will attend to retro needs. Finally, a great one-stop depot for accessories, the odd vintage piece and trainers is Fashion Walk, a pedestrian arcade nearby Kingston Street.
The glassy towers and '60s office blocks in Causeway Bay have long been favoured by designers, architects, and other lifestyle-loving types. But it was not until recently that the area had a set of shops to match their built-in target audience. In the last year, a well-detailed belt of (pricey) Wallpaper*-inspired design shops have sprouted near the Park Lane Hotel. The VW bug-sized Aluminium (8 Kingston St; +852 2577 4766) is the best of the lot with enough pod-inspired chairs and '70s coffee tables to satisfy any vintage freak. GOD (Leighton Centre, Sharp St East; +852 2890 5555) has a catalogue that includes urbane housewares and quirky notebooks printed with old Chinese archival photos. Their latest collection was inspired by the old Taikoo Sugar Factory. Playing second fiddle in the volume category – but perhaps with more consistent quality – is Muji (3/F, Lee Theatre Plaza, 99 Percival St; +852 2808 0622). Honey to the area's designer bees is a Singapore-owned shop called Basheer (1/F, Island Bldg, 439-441 Hennessy Rd; +852 2126 7533), which stocks thousands of titles on graphic art, photography and architecture. For electrical goods, there's no place like Fortress Zoom/Fortress Digital (59 Russell St; +852 2504 4525), which specialises in anything with a visual component.
Where to Eat
Shops may come and go, but Causeway Bay will be hard-pressed to lose its status as a food destination. The open-air storefronts on Jardine's Bazaar are justly famed for hand-folded wanton, fresh soymilk and roast duck. Goldfinch Restaurant (13-15 Lan Fong Rd; +852 2577 7981) is a vintage cafe where you can enjoy steaks and fried pork chops in a wondrously musty atmosphere, and Tai Ping Koon (6 Pak Sha Rd; +852 2576 9161) has fabulous eggs and curry, served by grumpy waiters sporting white blazers and black ties. These famous Chiu Chow restaurants are the bedrock of the area's reputation for 'soy sauce western cooking' – foreign food cooked for the Asian palate – and haven't changed in decades.
Regional Chinese is also booming. The sleek antique wooden fixtures of Water Margin (Shop 1205, 12/F, Food Forum; +852 3102 0088) make a dramatic setting for Calvin Yeung's personalised takes on traditional tastes from Hunan, Sichuan and beyond. A Shanghai classic, Xin Ji Shi (2/F, Lee Gardens Two, +852 2890 1122) has brought its braised pork, crab-laced tofu, and crispy yellow croaker fish recipes to town. It's already a favourite amongst Hong Kong powerbrokers, so reserve ahead. Aromatic lamb roasts, Persian-style spices and Chinese Muslim curries are all part of the appeal at Pasha's (Shop C1-C2, Cleveland Mansion, close to Fashion Walk; +852 3162 3544), whose good taste overcomes a food court-like location. Red Ant (5 Sharp St East; +852 2890 3323) has made west-east fusion a hip reality with chilli-laced baked rice dishes, fish ball noodles and baked snails sharing the menu with cocktails and lattes. Of the two Causeway Bay locations, we prefer the Sharp Street haunt for the exposed white brick walls and graffiti-style art. Berry Bros and Rudd (Shop 307, Lee Gardens; +852 2907 2112) is an excellent wine shop which stocks hard-to-find varietals from the US and Australia and traditional French blockbusters. BYO is accepted at most Hong Kong restaurants – and heavily practiced by locals.
And finally, capturing the CWB zeitgeist with their blend of casual-chic and global-local, is the pair of eateries at JIA (1-5 Irving St; +852 3196 9000). Y's is a laidback update on the beloved vintage cafes with common tables, booths and a come-as-you-are vibe. The menu mixes pan-Asian street foods like laksa and Singaporean mee goreng with Med-style pastas and burgers. Up a dramatic set of stairs, lined by smokey mirrors, is Opia. It has the demure feel of a supper club with blush lampshades, a dapper bar and moody music by a resident DJ. The menu reflects the Mod Oz, free-wheeling style of Melbournian chef/owner Teage Ezard: think scallop ravioli with Yarra Valley salmon roe, oyster shooters, and roasted snapper with chilli jam, papaya salad and coconut cream.
Where to Drink
Many of CWB's coffee shops, bars and lounges are hidden down alleys or lofted high in faceless towers. The variety is impressive, though, and crowds range from boozy suits to Canto-pop stars. Coffee is the common currency and the likes of Pumpernickel Cafe (13 Cleveland St, Fashion Walk; +852 2576 1302) have turned it into a cult business. Great homebaked cookies, scones and pies supplement the cappuccinos. Those seeking a touch of Zen calm should reserve at MoonGarden Teahouse (5 Hoi Ping Rd, +852 2882 3520), an Osaka import with a selection of handpicked green tea from Japan, Taiwan and mainland China. It's rumoured to be a favourite of director Wong Kar-Wai, whose offices are nearby. Solace-seeking sophisticates will enjoy Shelter, on the 27th-storey of Henry House. It is done up like a minimalist studio apartment with low-slung grey couches and Japanese animation beamed onto one wall. Directly across the street, After School (2/F, 17 Yun Ping Rd; +852 2983 2130) recalls the culture of New York's tiny East Village coffee shops. It's run by an artist named Pokit and is decorated with old school desks. Fashion editors, writers, designers and chefs all show up here. Higher on the wow-factor, but past its hot young thing days, is the red velvet naughtiness of the bar at Wasabisabi (13/F, Times Square, 1 Matheson St; +852 2506 0009). Perhaps most famous of all is Causeway Bay's surfeit of karaoke lounges. Red Box (9/F, Windsor House; +852 2882 6188) and Green Box (8/F, Windsor House; +852 2881 5088) are popular with the beau monde party set.
Where to Stay
JIA (see above) has the slim body of a European hotel and the eclectic, tuned-in wardrobe of a jet-setter. The 26-storey building shoots up like a blade of grass and is clad in neutral-toned tiles that hint at its former life as a 3-star. Given that one must buzz or use a key card, ducking in and out of the entrance becomes a private pleasure for guests. The rooms and lobby bear the quirky imprint of designer Philippe Starck. Some of his projects may be so cool they're cold, but JIA is functional and warm, evoking the feeling of being in a good friend's stylish apartment. The lobby serves as a living room where guests share continental brekkie at a common table topped with candelabra-shaped lights. The apartments come in studio and multiple-bedroom varieties and have stocked kitchens (great for entertaining or bringing back local food) and full entertainment centres with DVD, flat-screen TV and lighting-fast broadband. The word DREAM is spelled out above the bed.
