Kevin Poon’s Guide To Hong Kong

An entrepreneur, fashion designer, café owner and event organiser, Kevin Poon has his fingers in a lot of creative pies. His streetwear brand CLOT was inspired by a love of music and basketball and is sold in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei and Los Angeles. He may seem to spend more time on a plane than on the ground, but Hong Kong will always remain Kevin’s home—he says the city is “one of the most vibrant places in the world and a real melting pot in more ways than one.” Dive right into it with these top tips.

WHERE TO GO FOR DINNER

“If I ever have clients in town, I take them straight to La Rambla as I know they’ll love it. I’ll order the caviar churros or the chateaubriand beef sandwich, but everything is good. The patio looking out over Hong Kong is really special and they always have good music playing. Cipriani’s is also always a classy venue. It’s really exclusive because you have to be a member to go, but it also feels like a classic Italian institution. I love the cod and zucchini noodles.”

WHERE TO STAY

“Rosewood Hong Kong is incredible. I love that they built it on the Kowloon side as it has this amazing energy, and as a result it’s become a home away from home for me. It’s also very luxurious with good attention to detail and no expense spared. Although maybe I’m just in love with its views of Victoria Harbour.”

WHERE TO PARTY

“The Diplomat isn’t even open yet, but I already know from their pop-ups that it’s going to be great once it does. I love Dragon-i because it’s been around forever and it’s hard to have bad time there. Whenever I go out, I order Don Julio 1942 [tequila] shaken with ice.”

WHERE TO GET CULTURED

“M+ [a museum of visual culture] is going to be incredible once it opens—the architecture looks beautiful and there are lots of cool people involved in it. I would definitely advise visitors to go to Tai Kwun too. I try to stay up to date with all the new exhibitions at my favourite galleries—gagosian, Perrotin, Hauser & Wirth, Pace, Shop Taka Ishii Gallery and Woaw to name a few.”

WHERE TO SNACK

“Elephant Grounds without a doubt. It’s always packed with young entrepreneurs and yoga people going in for a quick bite, and I love the energy and the interiors. I always order a fillet of fish and an iced oat milk flat white with a single shot.”

WHERE TO BE A TOURIST

“Everyone has got to visit the Peak and do the Peak circle walk—the views are amazing. The Big Buddha [one of the largest bronze Buddha statues in the world] is also a great shout if you’re in the mood for an adventure.”

WHERE TO RELAX

“Ten Feet Tall for a foot massage. It’s the best place in Hong Kong for reflexology and if I ever feel tired or washed out, it makes me feel better all over—like I’m walking on clouds.”

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Hong Kong Art Week: November 21-30