Jennifer Liu
Ever wonder about the story behind your morning cup of joe? At her her coffee roasting academy, Jennifer Liu—the founder of Sir Hudson International, which runs the Caffe Habitu chain of coffee shops as well as other restaurants—talks to Hana R. Alberts about architecture school, allergies and why she doesn’t want to sell frozen yogurt.
I grew up here until grade eight, so I managed to pick up early some bits of Chinese culture and Chinese history before I went to boarding school in Canada.
It was in that period when everybody was trying to have a second home. It was the time when everyone needed a different passport.
Architecture school showed me a crazy spectrum of architectural styles and a different approach to space. I like buildings that have their own character, that serve the public, like Zaha Hadid’s. As a female, she really did something very different for this era. {I also like] Rem Koolhaas.
Hong Kong sometimes is a bit too conservative with design or new ideas. It’s always somehow a few steps backwards, even compared to Singapore or nearby cities.
I graduated in ‘97, so that was the time of the handover. At that point my parents wanted to see if I wanted to come back and experience the whole thing myself.
I worked at an architecture firm in Hong Kong for two years. Then I started a new internet business. And then after that business was sold, I took a year off to travel. That was the time I realized that food and coffee and fine wines are quite good things to do as a career.