HOME & PROPERTY At Home With… Anne & Chris Cheung We meet the entrepreneurial siblings behind two of the city’s coolest eateries: macaron paradise Jouer and artisanal sandwich joint Bread & Beast. BY RACHEL READ PHOTOGRAPHY MICHELLE PROCTOR 2 2 DEC 17-JAN 18 DEC 17-JAN 18 23 HOME & PROPERTY You’re both Hong Kongers but in the art field in New York and London, tastes in food and views on food culture. disadvantage of where we are is the long have taken a rather circuitous route before coming back to Hong Kong in 2008 He’s also the only family member who uphill walk back home on late nights and to get back here! Tell us more to work as an art consultant. I then jetted would go on crazy food trips and obsess the difficulty getting taxis (leading to an about your backgrounds and what off again – to Paris this time – to complete over American food shows with me! appalling Uber bill!). made you return. my Patisserie Diploma at Le Cordon Bleu Chris: I was born in Sydney, but moved Any hidden gems around Prince Paris. I finally came back in 2011 to start You live in Prince Edward. Can you back to Hong Kong at the tender age of Edward? my own lifestyle and pastry brand, Jouer. tell us about the pros and cons of one! I then grew up here and attended this neighbourhood? Anne: Hay Fever is a florist-café in a local boys’ school until tenth grade; Was it a coincidence that both of Anne: I love how where we live is super the Flower Market that serves excellent following this, I went to boarding school you ended up working in food or is peaceful with lots of trees and plenty of hand-drip coffee and a pretty good and college in the US. I worked in New it something in the Cheung genes? fresh air, but once you walk down the lemon meringue cake; the best part is York for another two years and relocated Chris: It is and it isn’t! It’s coincidental hill, it’s the quintessential Hong Kong life that there’s no Wi-Fi, with a sweet sign to Shanghai with the company I was because I met my business partners – where you can find curry fish balls, soft- reminding you to stop and smell the working for, before eventually returning separately, and the inspiration and serve ice cream trucks and street vendors flowers or read a good book. Kam Wah to Hong Kong. Family was the main philosophy behind Bread & Beast and selling everything from phone accessories Cafe on Bute Street serves arguably the reason for my move back; after spending Jouer are very different. However, growing to pyjamas on Fa Yuen Street. In a short best pineapple buns in town; its chicken a decade living abroad, the time felt up, Anne was always “grooming” me, five-minute stroll, you stumble into a pies and Mexican buns are also delicious. ripe to go home and apply myself to educating me about food, wine, cocktails completely different world – it’s amazing! Near the Sham Shui Po side, there’s my something new, which is how Bread & and other expensive hobbies! So my I also love the Flower Market nearby; favourite neighbourhood izakaya, Yoshi Beast was born. passion for food was definitely nurtured it’s become my weekend ritual to shop Yoshi – I get my late-night sake and by my eldest sister. Anne: Like Chris, I was born in Sydney, there for flowers to decorate Jouer, small-bite cravings fixed there. Then you raised in Hong Kong and went to college Anne: Growing up, Chris was always my and I haven’t ordered bouquets from can walk over to BOUND on Boundary in the States. After graduating, I worked partner-in-crime and we share very similar expensive florists since. The only slight Street for a craft beer, G&T or even 2 4 DEC 17-JAN 18 DEC 17-JAN 18 25 HOME & PROPERTY nightcap espresso; this neighbourhood Anne: I’m less minimalist than Chris bar is the hip place to be right now but less bold and elaborate than Laura. on the dark side and is frequented by I like white and pastel colours, vintage stylists, musicians, designers and artists. furniture, Art Nouveau décor and It reminds me of the Lower East Side in contemporary art on the walls. New York; it’d be even more amazing if You’ve clearly both got they served food. entrepreneurial spirits – what was the inspiration behind your What’s it like living together as businesses? siblings? Any ups and downs? Chris: I’ll credit our parents. They’ve not Chris: We’re very lucky to have only been my inspiration, but have also separate rooms, ha ha! No, it’s mostly been so incredibly supportive along the nice, except for when my other sister way. I wouldn’t have been able to do this Laura [founder of home décor store Lala without them. Curio] does a photo-shoot – she ends up moving everyone’s belongings from the Anne: Same! I’m also too free-spirited to dining area into my room! Otherwise, work in corporate environments. it’s a happy family. “I like white What are some of the biggest Anne: We live under the same roof but and pastel challenges you’ve faced in starting I barely see him! your businesses? colours, Chris: Probably inexperience and ego; What are some of your favourite inexperience has led to many costly features in your home? vintage mistakes, and ego has led to many Chris: The meditation room and the furniture, unnecessary head-butts with my team. garden are my favourites. They’re very open and simple spaces; I meditate and Art Nouveau Anne: I haven’t lived a day without new read there because it calms me very décor and challenges since I started Jouer – difficult easily. The garden is a lovely communal catering clients, staff management, space where we sometimes have family contemporary logistics planning … and I’m still in the brunch or friends over for a barbecue. art on the process of learning. Anne: I love the long horizontal Victor walls.” As foodies, can you give us the Pasmore artwork spanning across the – Anne inside scoop on where to shop for dining room wall, which we acquired ingredients and kitchen gear in while I was working at Marlborough Fine Hong Kong? Art in London. I also fell in love with our Chris: Wan Chai Wet Market – it’s so spiral staircase the instant I walked into convenient and usually has everything our new home five years ago. that’s on my shopping list. Anne: How would you describe your I go to Shing Fat Coconut style in terms of décor? Who gets Company on Spring Garden Lane for to call the shots in terms of your spices and condiments, and Shanghai interior design? Street in Yau Ma Tei for baking equipment. Chris: I’m a minimalist and prefer soft colours on the wall with dark Finally, how do you think your wood furniture to offer some contrast. relationship has changed over the years? Unfortunately, being the youngest in Anne: the family, I don’t get to call the shots I’ve gone from seeing Chris as a on anything, not even my own room. little brother to a business partner and a Laura is the interior designer and my comrade who I can discuss work with. room was her idea when I was still living Chris: It’s matured and aged, like a in New York! vintage Bordeaux! 2 6 DEC 17-JAN 18 DEC 17-JAN 18 27 Recommendations HOME & DÉCOR Bakudanya 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana Shop 1103, 11/F, United Success Shop 202, 2/F, Landmark Alexandra, Lala Curio Commercial Centre, 18 Chater Road, Central 32-33 Sau Wa Fong, Wan Chai 508 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay 2537 8859 | ottoemezzobombana.com 2528 5007 | lalacurio.com 2891 1530 facebook.com/bakudanya.cwb PRINCE EDWARD Tequila Kola Unit 1-7, 1/F, Horizon Plaza, No. 5 Italian Cafe Hay Fever 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau G/F, 21 Brown Street, Tai Hang G/F, 62 Flower Market Road, 2877 3295 | tequilakola.com 2504 2111 Prince Edward 2397 0638 Ziinlife Neighborhood 4/F, Flat D, Man Hing Lane Kam Wah Cafe Good Luck Industrial Building, (entrance off Peel Street), Central G/F, 47 Bute Street, Prince Edward 105 How Ming Street, Kwun Tong 2617 0891 2392 6830 2180 8015 | ziinlife.com.hk VEA Yoshi Yoshi L’s Where 29-30/F, The Wellington, 198 Shop H2, 2 Maple Street, 10 On Wo Lane, Central Wellington Street, Central Prince Edward 2838 1271 | lswhere.com 2711 8639 | vea.hk 5199 4233 BOUND by Hillywood FOOD & DRINK Butler 5/F, Mody House, 30 Mody Road, 32 Boundary Street, Prince Edward Bread & Beast Tsim Sha Tsui 2396 6488 G/F, 3 Swatow Street, Wan Chai 2724 3828 2237 1868 | breadandbeasthk.com Ping Pong Gintonería Jouer L/G, Nam Cheong House, G/F, 1 Sau Wa Fong, Wan Chai 129 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun 2528 6577 | jouer.hk 9835 5061 | pingpong129.com Fung Shing Sun Hung Yuen Le Quinze Vins 18 Cross Street, Wan Chai 9 Swatow Street, Wan Chai 2892 0836 2673 7636 2 8 DEC 17-JAN 18.