Singapore and Bangkok may be Asia’s current cocktail queens but three young mixologists are shaking up China’s fast-evolving scene. When they all worked under the Hope Group banner, Jackwing Yao (SanYou bar in Guangzhou), Lola Liu (Hope & Sesame, Shenzhen) and Tiger Liang (Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou) created a new speakeasy narrative that they continue to riff on. They embrace high-spec techniques, such as dry-ice distillation and centrifugal clarification, as much as traditional Chinese culture, whether that’s the use of ingredients such as sand ginger and exotic teas, or rescuing baijiu (a spirit made from sorghum) from their grandparents’ drinks cabinet.
Their take: Liu says: “Over the past few years, we’ve seen great bars open in second-tier, even third-tier, cities. Women are behind many of these launches.”
Get a taste: Liu’s For Fxxk-Sake Tini mixes up sake, gin, seaweed, shiso and watermelon with grapefruit and sherry. “I wanted something that reminds people of an omakase experience,” she says.
Local tip: “Shanghai’s Pop Corner bar, run by Lucky Huang, who used to be at Union Trading Company bar,” says Liu. “We like her attitude because she’s being herself and has created what feels like a proper Chinese neighbourhood bar, a place to drop in for nibbles and drinks that take you back to childhood.” hopeandsesame.cn
Debora FadulJose Cal
Debora Fadul
Guatemala’s food-diversity champion
We’ve long been on first-name terms with Peruvian ceviche and Mexican tacos, but where does Guatemala figure in the Latin American cookbook? Working with farmers, biologists and even archaeologists, Debora Fadul has been investigating the biodiversity of her country and showcasing her finds at Diacá, her Guatemala City restaurant, and her food lab, where guests can taste ancient corn varieties as they would coffee or wine.
Her take: “I’m all about reconnecting people with the soil and consumers with producers. When you know the backstory of an ingredient, it changes your sensory and spiritual connection with food.”
Get a taste: Her menu is built on corn, papaya, tomato, watermelon and beans, with several surprises: pairing white fish with chocolate, for example, and drawing out the savoury notes of fruit with her papaya ragu and watermelon tartare.
Local tip: “Guatemala’s Quetzalteca region has some inexplicable flavours, best sampled at Chaito Alvarez’s restaurant in Xela.”
