The legendary Shingko Gokan—founder of inspired bars across the globe, including New York’s Sip & Guzzle—brings his considerable chops to Hong Kong with this eponymous lounge on Ice House Street. Low ceilings, moody lighting, textural tile work, and big banquettes make Gokan a stylish place to park for a long night of catching up with friends.
The menu sets out a few organizing principles. Firstly, there’s taste: Sweet, Sour, Spicy, Savory, Bitter—and, boy, do they hit the mark; the Figaroni, a Negroni riff with fig leaf, is bitter medicine, indeed. Then there’s dilution, each taste category offering a highball, a rocks drink, and an up drink. But that sort of grid of choices doesn’t hamper the fun; the list is filled with jokes and surprises. Pizza Wine, for instance, tastes like it sounds, with the slice-centric flavors of tomato, olives, and basil—in part in a big, showy garnish—infusing Don Julio rum and, of course, rosé wine. The Grilled Corn Colada brings on the Japanese ingredients—shochu, shoyu, corn from Hokkaido, sake lees—combining them with pineapple for a disarmingly delicious morph of tropical cocktail and corn chowder. You’ll sip the creations out of hand-blown vessels designed by Gokan and Tokyo’s 115-year-old Kimura Glass. And there’s plenty to snack on here, too. Order the mountain of shaved ice, let the floor staff take excellent care of you, and relax.
