Once you find a good bartender, you usually stick with them. Discerning drinkers know that the right bartender is more valuable than any bar loyalty, and will often follow their favourite purveyor wherever they go. Such is certainly the case for up-and-comer Lok Gurung.
He has worked in two bars in Tsim Sha Tsui and one in Sheung Wan, and next week he starts at Restoration, a Creole-themed restaurant on Wyndham Street in Central. His fans, and anybody else who enjoys an expertly made cocktail, will be thrilled to hear that Gurung also now has his own space, a private bar called Green Lab on a secluded rooftop in Wan Chai, and service is by appointment only.
Gurung first came to Hong Kong three years ago. At home in Nepal, he had trained to be in the British army. Although he says he never had any interest in bartending - he doesn't even drink - he was drawn to the hospitality industry and took a few classes in hotel management. In Hong Kong, he looked for a hospitality job but was hungry for something more physical, a job that would keep him moving. Bartending was an unexpectedly perfect fit.
Gurung brought the intense focus needed in the military to his new job, concentrating on perfecting the basic techniques.
"I see myself as a professional who does everything in the proper way, from stirring to shaking to garnishing. The basics are very important. It's something that a majority of bartenders these days seem to lack," says Gurung.
The Green Lab really is a laboratory, Gurung's personal workshop. It is where he can come after work to try out new recipes and perfect his technique. He describes the vibe as chic and shabby.