Kinsman
My first taste of Wong Kar-wai was in the lecture halls of university. In some whirlwind concoction of homesickness, Asian pride, and artistic curiosity, I found myself with a newfound enthusiasm for Chinese pop culture. Mandarin ballads filled up my head with Eric Chou’s latest album, more weekend dim sums than I’ve ever had in Asia, and a sudden impulse to take Hong Kong cinema.
I never followed the local trends growing up in Hong Kong, preferring the likes of Disney to that of Golden Harvest or the Shaw Brothers. But somewhere along the way after I got off the plane in Canada, I found out what it means to stay close to your roots.
Time and nostalgia. Two concepts that intertwine in perfect unison in life and on the silver screen. Take the first step into Kinsman on Peel Street and you’ll feel the worlds colliding. Reminiscent of old colonial Hong Kong with a distinct hint of euphoric rebellion – Gavin achieves a picturesque, almost Hopper-like (or a Chinese version of it at least) snapshot of what could have been a movie still from Chungking Express.
With my cousin in tow, we sat at a cosy table in the middle of the action. From the groups of friends gathered in the red booths to the bartenders shaking up cocktails in front of a richly painted mural of the city, you can feel the melange of history and innovation with a dash of trendiness and a twist of memories. Exactly how I would describe the cocktail I ordered when I took the first sip.
I won’t pretend to know the process behind the “Kowloon Dairy” or the ratios between monk fruit spirit and Pu’er tea, but it’s the salted cream foam that brought up all the sentiments of my past, the memories dancing at the tip of my tongue.
The surprise of the night, which Gavin was kind enough to bring out from his stash at the back for my cousin’s birthday – a locally distilled spirit made from black glutinous rice. A pleasant nuttiness hummed as we took the shot and astonishingly, has been the most inviting one I’ve ever taken in my life.
So just like we said that night, cheers to Shau Kei Wan and to Kinsman. Who knew that some of the best hidden gems were right in our own backyard?