Take a look at our visit to Gokan in the reel below:
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With the highly anticipated annual Asia’s 50 Best Bars ceremony taking place on July 16, and being less than a month away, things are ramping up in Hong Kong’s bar industry. Countless new bars are set to open around town, such as legendary bartender Antonio Lai of Quinary and Room 309 launching Opposites with fellow World Class champion Samuel Kwok, and Sandeep Kumar of The Wise King gearing up to open a 1920s post-war era inspired bar this summer.
Joining the lineup of mixologists unveiling new drinking dens is industry icon Shingo Gokan, founder and representative of SG Group, proprietor of award-winning venues such as The SG Club in Tokyo, Sober Company in Shanghai, and many more. Less than a month after unveiling a brand-new watering hole, SG Tavern, in Tokyo’s Marunouchi district; the Japanese bartender is getting ready to launch his first opening in Hong Kong this July.
“Hong Kong is a city I’ve been interested in for a while. It’s close to my bars in Shanghai, Tokyo and Okinawa, and I have a lot of affinity for the city”, says Shingo. “ However, I wanted to do it with the right people at the right time, and GOKAN was the perfect opportunity to do so”, he adds.
The new bar, Gokan, will be located on Ice House Street in Central, situated beside historic buildings such as the Fringe Club and the Foreign Correspondent Club. Gokan, meaning ‘five senses’ in Japanese, is a crucial part of the venue’s philosophy. The bar will incorporate factors like the five senses and taste elements, as well as colours, cooking methods, and appropriates into every aspect of its venue and offerings.
Running the bar is Kaito Ohba, formerly from Osaka’s Bar Beso, as well as Morris Chang, formerly from Hong Kong’s eco-conscious bar Penicillin. Customers can expect craft cocktails based on the five tastes and colours, which are exclusive only to Hong Kong. Gokan’s culinary team will comprise of renowned chef-owner Zaiyu Hasegawa of Tokyo’s two-Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant Den, alongside head chef Tsukasa Uraguchi, formerly from French restaurant Arbor. The menu will present an array of original dishes using the five cooking methods – raw, simmered, grilled, fried, and steamed.
Designed by Atsuhiko Sugiyama of The Wholedesign, Gokan’s venue will offer a space that blends classic Japanese and American vintage elements, following the five appropriates – appropriate temperature, ingredients, amount, technique, and timing.
Gokan will be located at 30 Ice House, Central, and will operate on Monday to Saturday from 5pm to 2am.
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