Joyce is not here in Soho

Joyce is not here
38-44 Peel St., Soho, Central, Hong Kong
TEL: 852 2851 2999
http://www.joycebakerdesign.com/

The enormous Canadian flag outside this bar first captured my attention. That very time I was there was a Thursday night, so it was open mic and various people were performing. Forget the name of the gentleman playing the guitar but it was some of the best blues I have heard in a long time. My buddy Dennis and I was able to score a couple of seats at the back. The interior decor has a lot of personality, while there are chaos in the arrangement of paintings and small sculptures, the interior is well organized. As you enter this bar, you have high chairs on the right, a bunch of smaller couches on the left and the back is a small bar kitchen.

The overall atmosphere is extremely cozy and relaxed, and the clientele is a mixture of expats and locals. Joyce, the owner is also there on most nights, either chilling with her friends, updating her blog or hanging out with her customers. The staff there are also extremely nice and attentive. They also have one of the largest Jazz/Music DVD collection I have seen so far in a Hong Kong pub.

They serve mainly belgians, Hoegaarden Forbidden Fruit, Hoegaarden Grand Cru, Leffe, Duvel, Kwak and a couple of lambics that I have forgotten. What's a Canadian bar without Canadian beer? Occasionally, they serve Molson Canadian there for a helfty price, no offense to Canadian drinkers, but why? I personally prefer Steamwhistle from good old T dot, but get Moosehead or Keiths instead!

I have gone back to Joyce on many occasions; including private parties and afternoon coffee. They have poetry readings on Wednesdays which I have yet to attend. Joyce is not here, I highly recommends this place, it totally reminds me of having small house parties in my own basement back home.

A few photos:

Gecko Lounge in Soho

Gecko Lounge
Lower G/F, Ezra Lane Lower,
Hollywood Road (off Pottinger St.),
Hong Kong
TEL: 852 2537 4680

Located in a subtle location down an alleyway from Pottinger St, walking down that narrow passage, totally reminds me of that scene in the movie Swingers, where the best bars always have unmarked doors. On the outside, Gecko screams out a dive... and it is. On most weekends, it's insanely packed, and people over floats outside with drinks on one hand and cigarette on the other. As you get closer to the door, rather it is rock, jazz or something else you can always hear the music.

As you enter the narrow doorway, often you will be blocked by the many musicians. I think jazz is played on Tues/Wed nights (I would call them to double check), and the deal is basically a bunch of musicians having a jam session, so you will never know what you will get. It's hit and miss really but I think that's the way it should be. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to spot Rudy and Eugene for some quality jazz.

Their beer selection is limited, Carlsberg only on tap. The bottle selection is Kronenberg, Corona and a bunch other, nothing fancy. While the outside seems like a dive, the interior is actually quite nice. The plastered walls almost reminds me of the resorts down south like Mexico or Cuba. There are also rotating art work which makes the inside more interesting. There is also a small dance floor, it's tiny but do attract the occasional dancers.

This lounge is a great place to check out some live music in the Soho area. While the inside is not a good venue for casual conversations due to the loud volume, you can always scroll outside and chill there over some amazing live background music.


A few photos:

Southern Barbarian in Shanghai

Southern Barbarian
Life Art Space District E, Area 2F
56 Maoming Nan Lu (near Changle Lu)
Shanghai
TEL: 86 21 5157 5510

Haven't seen my buddy Foster for a while and he invited Jenkin and I to dine at this place on Maoming Nan Lu. Getting to this place was a trek on its own. First you have to go inside the Life Art Space building and find the map, then after some twist and turns, you have to go outside to the courtyard at the back. Finally you will see the stairs and after going up a couple of flights, you can finally locate the entrance. There are also no signs, so you hope it's the right place.

As you enter the restaurant through the traditional Chinese doors, you can see the kitchen and the grills on one side, the front cashier desk on the other and an open space with a bunch of tables. The interior decoration is Chinese modern, typical of that in an Asian fusion restaurant. As you glance on top of the cashier, it displays their extensive available beer selection. The inside is well lit, the walls displayed a bunch of black and white art photos from various parts of China.

I was quite impressed with their beer selection, since I didn't have any expectation of this place. I was only looking for food but got more than that. Top of my head, Belgians, they have Westmalle dubbel, triple, Kwak, Duvel, Maredsous and quite a few more. They have a handful of Australian and American brews as well. Not a surprise, the owner himself is an aficionado of beer. After downing a Gordon Biersch Marzen to reminisce those days on my last American trip, the owner recommended another American beer, Brother Thelonious, brewed in the belgian abbey style. As the name suggests, it was a tribute to the great Thelonious Monk, it was 9.4% beer, which I think it's a fusion of trappist styling while maintaining the American hoppy beer traditions.

Traditional Chinese beer/lamb/pork skewers along with a large collection of beers, what more can you ask for. I highly recommends this place for a beer and a bite.

A few photos: