Since TAP opened almost two years ago, it looked like Mong Kok’s bar scene was about to get serious. Yet nothing of note has opened since.
Could it be just a one-off? Not if new bar Snkrholic has anything to say about it. This new drinking hole was opened by a sneaker lover and it shows, with kicks lining two of the walls and a neon basketball court outline hanging from the ceiling.
Picking up where TAP left off, Snkrholic has a very tidy selection of craft beers, with an interesting mix of labels from home and abroad. We go straight for the oversized cocktails, however, and order a Sake Rita ($58). The fishbowl-sized glass contains a tangy mix of apple and grapefruit with a kick provided by a bottle of soju inverted into the glass. Next up, the Makgeolli Shake It ($68) is equally interactive, a mix of the Korean rice wine and apple purée served in a cocktail shaker. It starts very sweet but again we’re surprised with its clean finish. It’s refreshing and a good foil for a fresh serving of crispy prawn toast ($58).
Given it’s one of our city’s main hubs, Mong Kok doesn’t exactly have the best reputation. Drinking in what feels like a sneaker store so close to Sneaker Street makes Snkrholic a uniquely MK experience. But in this case, that’s no bad thing at all. Dean Adamantides