How did you first get involved with The Opposites bar?As a cocktail enthusiast, I have always found joy in savouring a mixologist’s creations and in the experience of pairing them with delicious small bites. At Jouer [the cake shop Cheung founded in 2014 in Wan Chai], in addition to our cakes and pastries, we specialise in event catering, where we serve canapés and mini desserts with champagne at cocktail parties. When the team [at The Opposites] approached me with the exciting opportunity to collaborate on a new bar, I was thrilled.
What expertise do you bring to the table?After graduating, I worked in art galleries in New York City and London. When I came back to Hong Kong in 2008, I co-founded MobArt Gallery with [my friend] Stephanie Chung and spent a year working for an art consultancy on hospitality and commercial projects. While my time in the art world was fun and fulfilling, I have always had a deep passion for food and beverage, particularly for pastries.
In 2011, I decided to pursue this passion by enrolling in the Diplôme de Pâtisserie [pastry chef course] at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Those nine months inspired me to create something of my own from scratch. I envisioned bite-sized macarons as the perfect medium to showcase unconventional flavour combinations. Upon my return to Hong Kong, I started Jouer, my personal playground to bring together art, lifestyle and dainty desserts. At Jouer, I adopt a playful approach to flavours and presentation, merging culinary styles and traditions from diverse cultural contexts to create unexpected contrasts. My background has inspired me and given me a unique perspective to develop the food menu for The Opposites.
Anne Cheung (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong)
The Opposites is described as combining the contrasting yet complementary styles of mixologists Antonio Lai and Samuel Kwok. Tell us more about that.The two master mixologists have worked together for years. They understand exactly how each other’s styles and strengths can produce outstanding results. It has been a real treat to observe how they collaborate. This process has given me the confidence to think outside the box too. We started off with the common theme of reinventing classics. For the drinks, it’s reinterpreting vintage classic cocktails with two different approaches. Samuel’s approach is gastronomy-inspired, employing traditional culinary techniques to build layers of complex flavours. Antonio’s approach is more theatrical and whimsical in presentation—he utilises avant- garde molecular techniques to tell a story or create a spectacle [that] often features a surprise element.
For the food menu, instead of reinventing each classic dish in two opposing styles, we merge comfort food and street food staples from two different cultures into a single dish. An example is our curry fishball. This dish takes the form and texture of a Spanish cod croquette but is infused with the distinctive flavours of Hong Kong-style curry, reminiscent of the street snack we grew up enjoying. We came up with the wildest ideas.
Anne Cheung (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong)
How does your background in art impact your creative process when cooking?While I like to think that my experience in the art world has given me a keen eye for aesthetics and presentation, I believe its impact extends beyond visual standards. To fully appreciate a work of art, it helps to understand the cultural context in which itwas created. Learning about the creator’s background, personal experience and emotional state often enhances our appreciation of the piece. I take a similar approach in cooking. Researching a cuisine’s cultural and historical context, and understanding people’s dining traditions and preferred flavour profiles are often my favourite parts of conceiving my own dish.
Travel plays a significant role in this as well. When I travel, my itineraries are almost exclusively filled with gallery and museum visits, along with seeking out dining destinations—both local eateries and star-studded establishments. My background in art inspires me to explore diverse and culturally rich places around the world, which is paramount to sparking creativity in cooking and menu design.
Anne Cheung (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong)
What has been the most memorable part of your journey with The Opposites so far?The process of developing a menu, for both drinks and food, involves a considerable amount of tasting and critiquing. I found myself looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. On one hand, I was so excited to taste Samuel’s and Antonio’s new creations, and to receive their feedback on mine. On the other hand, it was so much fun tasting all the food and drinks that I’m fairly certain I consumed more fried food and alcohol than I should have during those months. Working with a group of talented individuals with high hospitality standards and highly trained palates was a truly precious experience.
For someone visiting The Opposites for the first time, what is a must-have on the menu?My personal favourites are Samuel’s Soya Sour and Antonio’s PBJ. The former is a play on a pisco sour, with the egg white replaced with a tofu and ginger foam, inspired by the Chinese gingko and beancurd dessert soup. It’s truly inventive and super delicious. The latter is Antonio’s take on the classic boulevardier cocktail, featuring peanut butter redistilled bourbon, strawberry jam and clarified banana. Its presentation makes this drink a showstopper, which I’ll leave as a surprise for anyone who hasn’t tried it yet. Recently I’ve become quite addicted to both of their Bloody Mary interpretations too, should you have room for another round.
For food, you can’t leave The Opposites without trying the curry fish balls. Don’t miss the mini dongbo griddle either—it’s our bite-sized version of the ubiquitous griddle sandwich, filled with Shanghainese sweet soy-braised pork belly.
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