Between
LIFE AND
INNOVATION

Between LIFE AND INNOVATION

What is the definition of a good life?

PMQ is a versatile location for creative design to gather various aspects of a good life. These notions ferment across time and refine in the space itself. There is gourmet food, coffee, gatherings, creations, and experiments in a good life. You can have fun in the events with wonderful installations and bazaars in the Courtyard & Marketplace curated by the PMQ team or wander around the shops to experience the living concepts and proposals from the designers, artisans, and craftsmen. You can even discover and taste the magnificent culture of gastronomy in the food-related programmes in PMQ. When we have time to live, eat, and play, we can experience and discover more in life and reimagine our future.

With all urban wanderers who are enthusiastic about life, let us build a creative oasis amidst the bustling city together. 

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Au Yeung Ying Chai (Craig) regards food as the root of creativity. This is why PMQ, as a creative design landmark, has been committed to promoting the development of local culinary arts. An array of restaurants and cafes in PMQ, Taste Library and experimental culinary projects like Taste Kitchen (Taste Academy) prove that food is not only a necessity in life but also an enrichment to creativity.

As an experienced intermedia creator and culinary culture curator, Craig has played a multifaceted role to promote, execute, and cultivate design in different culinary projects at PMQ. Stephanie Wong, the restaurant founder and award-winning chef, made an important step in her food career path during her participation in Taste Kitchen. They talk about food while cooking tête-à-tête, recalling their memories of food and PMQ, as well as their views on creativity and the development of Hong Kong’s food culture. The two dishes they created respectively are reminiscent of their significant relationships with PMQ and also reflect their experiences, passion, and hopes for the food industry in Hong Kong.

Stephanie Wong — Left / Craig Au Yeung — Right

Food as a Root
of Creativity

Stephanie:

My memories come from food. When we think of a certain kind of food, what we have in mind is the taste as well as the feeling and memory of that time.

I always cook home style dishes with a new approach based on my childhood memories. I grew up in Hong Kong and Canada, but I didn’t know how to cook Chinese food. Now I’ve gradually recalled the cooking methods of my grandma and my mum. I believe that creativity comes from memories.

Craig:

I agree that food evokes memories. Also, there is a direct impact taste buds have on a person and his creativity. Take me for instance, my grandparents were Indonesian Chinese and they studied in Shanghai when they were young. After they got married, they encountered the war period and started to live as refugees fleeing to Fujian, Japan and finally to Hong Kong. The experiences in different places had a great impact on their knowledge of food. Although their flavours might change from time to time, the “Nanyang (Southeast Asia) style” remained their root of taste. So, my dining table was always filled with dishes of different styles when I was little. These foods not only inspired my tastebuds but also broadened my horizons. I’m in the creative design industry now and I can say that my creativity has originated from my eclectic and open-minded experiences of food since I was little.

Stephanie:

The experiences accumulated are often subconscious. You may not realise it when it happens, but some experiences will awaken your memory and help you create new things at the right time. ‘French cooking with Chinese ingredients’ has always been my culinary technique. It originated when I re-experienced the taste of “home” during my training in Paris. The classic French pot-au-feu is almost the same as the Hong Kong-style beef brisket in broth. That was the moment I discovered the similarities between French and Chinese cuisine.

Craig:

So, different creative ideas can be interlinked at a point. The diversity and freedom of choices are fundamental to creativity, while both local ingredients and international influence can coexist. In recent years, people often say “the more local, the more global”, which means that a thorough understanding of one’s own culture allows them to be able to succeed on an international level.

Stephanie:

I totally agree that we need to understand our roots first and then continue to evolve. When I participated in Taste Kitchen, I came up with the idea of Cantonese Quiche. I didn’t have any intention to have a Chinese-French fusion style at that time. I just thought that the quiche was perfect for lunch and I wanted to make it special. So I gradually developed the dish. It has been four years since I participated in the project. During these years, I’ve slowly established a mix of Chinese (Cantonese) – French style.

Step Out the Kitchen and Go Global

Craig:

My relationship with PMQ began when I was involved in its conceptual stage.

This pure Spanish style garlic shrimp (Gambas al Ajillo) represents my relationship with PMQ because it’s the dish I cooked in a Taste Library event with the theme of nomadic cuisine. It’s the most typical Spanish tapas.

I think Spanish tapas and Cantonese dim sum have something in common, as dim sum is one of the local food cultures that can go global. It symbolises one of the roles of Taste Library as a bridge linking overseas and local food culture. Taste Library actively introduces new elements to Hong Kong and helps to bring the distinctive local food culture to an international level. You might not find the answer during the exploration, but we are happy to provide a space for cultivation and discussion. So, the Taste Library events usually focus on the issues that we hope to explore.

The annual summer programmes for kids are an example. We named ‘rice’ as the theme of the year and we took the children to visit the shops selling rice, noodles, and congee, etc. near PMQ. Some parents didn’t allow their children to go in the kitchen as they were too little to help. But at that event, we asked the parents to wait outside and let the children cook by themselves in the kitchen. They learnt the different types of rice and had hands-on experience on draining the rice, soaking rice noodles and cooking. It was a vivid cultural activity.

Taste Library holds a collection of four thousand books covering different food cultures from around the globe

PMQ — The Place for Inheriting Food Culture

Stephanie:

The most valuable thing about PMQ is that it provides a space to record and promote food culture, which is one of a kind in Hong Kong. In France, you can find detailed recipes from 300 to 400 years ago. But in Hong Kong and the Mainland, recipes are mainly inherited through word of mouth between masters and apprentices, and they are easily lost. Therefore, the archive of Taste Library is very valuable.

Craig:

The background was that William To asked me to discuss the possibility of PMQ during the preparation period. I have always been very interested in gastronomy and have collected thousands of books and magazines related to food. In the past, it was such a pity that they were only used by me and my team, so I took this opportunity to share all these with the public. I also hope to use this kitchen as an open platform for gatherings and sharings. As a result we have a kitchen with a library connected to each other.

Stephanie:

The Internet is extremely popular and there are many ways to share knowledge. But I think the advantage of the library is that it fills the gap of lacking the gastronomic knowledge in Hong Kong, and serves as a place with a complete record and heritage. When I participated in Taste Kitchen, I did my research in Taste Library from time to time. There is a wide variety of book collections covering Chinese, Indian, Southeast Asian, French cuisines, and many more. Chinese cuisine is also sub-categorised according to different provinces. For many times I tried to look for a French cookbook for reference, but I ended up immersing myself in a Southeast Asian cookbook. It was like discovering a new world.

Of course, you can’t always apply the knowledge immediately after you finish reading a book as it takes time for you to digest. The last time I read a book in Taste Library was three years ago.

Craig:

This is exactly the result we hope to bring to visitors. I hope that it’s a continuous process of discovery but it does take time. Just like you need time to cook, read, and cultivate. In this industry, we don’t really have time to calm down and think, and attempt to do experiments repeatedly. After all, it is a rapid and commercialised society.

A Breakthrough of Business Model with Free Innovation

Stephanie:

There was no pressure on rent payment and this was the most overwhelming part of joining Taste Kitchen. Money definitely matters! It’s like your parents get you a parachute saying that you can jump and everything will be fine. Even if you fall and hurt yourself, you won’t die. Creativity is derived from a very subtle feeling and it’s just like a wish. But your fears inside, opinions from others, and financial challenges will suppress the seeds of creativity. I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t have started a restaurant if I hadn’t joined Taste Kitchen. My two experiences at Taste Kitchen have made me realise that I can fully handle this and know how to arouse attention with certain kinds of dishes. Only with these experiences, no matter what other people say, I know I can go through the ups and downs and it’s not that bad at all.

To be honest, I didn’t have a plan to open a restaurant when I participated in Taste Kitchen. I used to work in the banking industry. I learned from another perspective that most of the people ended up failing in running restaurants. But later I met Twins Kitchen who was responsible for the Taste Kitchen project. They encouraged me to give it a try and then I found out that I like operating a restaurant even though it is a crazy business. I also realised that I’m good at planning menus, decorating, plating and taking care of everything as frontline staff. The first time I participated in Taste Kitchen was in March 2018. I received good responses within these three weeks, but still I was a little bit hesitant. The second time was in July the same year and I knew that there would be fewer customers in the summertime. It was a chance for us to try new things. Some dishes were just planned one day before it went into the menu. This quiche dish was developed at that time and it was well-loved. This experience assured me that I wanted to have my own restaurant.

After the official opening, there came other challenges. The nature of Taste Kitchen allows you to estimate if you’re passionate and suitable enough to be in this industry. There are different business models in the food industry and it’s not a must to open up a restaurant. After all, it’s a crazy life being in this industry but I’m so into it.

Craig:

We can see PMQ as a place to gather different people with its doors opened for the right people. It offers proper encouragement and the opportunity to make things possible. Taste Kitchen and Taste Library are such a luxury.

Taste Kitchen was one of our earlier initiatives for PMQ. However, we decided to set up Taste Library first. After getting a foothold around three years later, we started Taste Kitchen with the coordination of different parties and the sponsorship from Debbie Lo Creativity Foundation. It’s the painstaking effort of many people behind this glorious scene that we kept adjusting along the way to make it as it is today.

Taste Library regularly organizes different food culture related activities

Team Effort and Open Dialogue

Stephanie:

Taste Kitchen is a vivid and dynamic place. It’s filled with people from all walks of life and every creation can be completely different. People keep flowing in and out like water. When I participated in Taste Kitchen the second time, I was much happier even though the business was not as good as the first time. I didn’t have the pressure of embracing failure and proving myself. During the five-week project, we were able to launch three innovative menus because we had sufficient time and got completely used to the free experimental mode of business without any pressure of rent. We became bold to trials.

Taste Kitchen started to gain popularity at that time and attracted office workers from Central to dine in here. This allowed me to know more about different people. And as customers were clear on the role of the restaurant as a training place, they were more willing to express their opinions. This won’t happen in other places as Taste Kitchen is a place for open dialogue and we can spark off ideas here. The vibrant atmosphere is derived from the suggestions and efforts made by different people.

Craig:

Taste Kitchen and Taste Library are interrelated and they’re distinctive to the local and overseas food industry. The catering industry is rather commercial, but the two creations have made discreet yet active contributions from the sideline. I often remind myself to seize these opportunities. I appreciate that this unique experience was part of my creative career. They can exist in this city because of the undefeatable spirit of Hong Kong people.

STEPHANIE WONG
Founder of Roots Eatery and participant of PMQ Taste Kitchen (Taste Academy)

The chef-owner of Roots Eatery, Stephanie worked as a banker of international banking in HSBC. She left the banking industry and went to Paris to pursue her dream. She received her Culinary Arts Diploma from world renowned Michelin starred Chef Alain Ducasse then worked in Michelin starred restaurants, Hostellerie de Plaisance in Saint Emilion, France and Amber, Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong before starting Roots in 2018.

Stephanie participated in PMQ’s Taste Kitchen project twice and she established Roots Eatery, a restaurant in Cantonese- French style, in the following year. In 2020, Roots Eatery was rated one of the “Best 20 Restaurants In Hong Kong”, and Stephanie was also honoured with the “Rising Star Award” in Tatler Dining 2020. In 2021, Roots Eatery was ranked in the list of “Essence of Asia” as one of Asia’s 50 best restaurants.

CRAIG AU YEUNG
Intermedia Creator &
Curator of PMQ Taste Library

Experienced cross media creator and culinary culture curator.

Craig has been observing and researching the lifestyle of contemporary society in China. He has published interviews on home-living with creators in Hong Kong, Macau, and China, as well as critics on the works by international designers. In the recent decade, he focused on the consolidation and exploration of the global and local food and travel culture, publications of private recipes and city guides on food culture, as well as curation of art and culinary experience for different arts and culture organisations and commercial institutes. His curation and creation on physical culinary projects included Taste Library at PMQ, Craig’s Half Full Kitchen at Star Gallery in Beijing, Localand cultural complex in Xi’an, as well as the bistro and private kitchen “Ban Bao Ban Zui” in Shenzhen.

Cantonese Quiche

Makes one 6-8 inch quiche

Pie crust ingredients

Butter
All purpose flour
Egg yolk
Water
Salt

65g
125g
25g
13g
2g

Custard ingredients

Milk
Whole egg
Egg yolk
Leeks
Grated parmesan cheese
Chinese sausage (LAP CHEONG) 
Chinese sausage (YUN CHEONG) 
Red eye chilli pepper

Milk250g
Whole egg1 PCS
Egg yolk1 PCS
Leeks50g
Grated parmesan cheese50g
Chinese sausage (LAP CHEONG)1/2 PCS
Chinese sausage (YUN CHEONG)1/2 PCS
Red eye chilli pepper1/2 PCS

 

250g
1 PCS
1 PCS
50g
50g
1/2 PCS
1/2 PCS
1/2 PCS

1. Pastry for Pie Crust

Let butter warm to room temperature before mixing all the ingredients and working into a dough. Mix well until the dough becomes smooth and wrap with cling wrap and let it rest in the fridge overnight.

The next day: Bring dough out to loosen and start rolling the dough out into a thin layer of 2-3mm in thickness. Lay the dough over the tart ring and gradually push the dough into the ring to form the tart shape. Cut off any excess dough so you have a clean shape of the tart. Place the formed tart into the fridge for 1 hour to firm up before baking.

1 hour later: Take the crust from the fridge and place pastry weights onto the shell of the tart so that the pastry does not puff up when being baked. Have your convection oven preheated already at 180°C and place the tart shell to bake for 12-13 minutes at this temperature. The tart should be fully cooked without it browning.

Let the crust cook and remove the tart weights from the shell, ready for the second part of the recipe.

2. Custard

First mix well the liquid ingredients and set aside. Then work on the filling ingredients.

Filling ingredients: Dice the leeks, chillies and Chinese sausages in roughly the same size and cook lightly by heating in a frying pan. Have the parmesan cheese grated. Set aside all ingredients for final assembly.

3. Final Assembly and Baking

Have ready your baked tart shell. Fill the cooked filling ingredients up to a quarter of the tart shell, scattered evenly. Then add the custard liquid and fill up to 90% of the tart shell. Then layer evenly the grated parmesan cheese. The quiche is ready for baking now. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 180°C until the custard is golden brown. Let the quiche rest for 10-20 minutes after baking before cutting through to eat or serve. The quiche can be consumed at room temperature or by reheating again via oven or microwave.

Spanish Garlic Shrimps (Gambas al Ajillo)

INGREDIENTS

Fresh Shrimp15 pcs
Garlic2 gloves
Red Chili Pepper3 pcs
RosemarySmall bunch
Baguette1 loaf
Olive Oil80ml
  
  

Fresh Shrimp
Garlic
Red Chili Pepper
Rosemary
Baguette
Olive Oil

15 pcS
2 gloves
3 pcS
Small bunch
1 loaf
80ml

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Peel the garlic gloves and slice. Remove the seeds from red chili peppers and cut into thin strips. Set aside.
  2. Chop off the shrimp heads, remove the shells keeping the tails on.
  3. Devein the shrimp with a toothpick.
  4. Heat the pan with olive oil and add the sliced garlic and rosemary.
  5. Fry the garlic until golden brown, add the red chili peppers and stir fry. Turn off the head and take out all ingredients. Leave the chili garlic oil on the pan.
  6. Heat the pan again and stir fry the shrimp on high heat.
  7. Add the fried garlic and red chili pepper.
  8. Turn off the heat. Add ground sea salt to taste. Serve with sliced baguette rounds for dipping in the chili garlic oil.

PMQ Taste Library

Presented by PMQ and experienced cross media artist Craig Au Yeung, the PMQ Taste Library holds a collection of four thousand books covering different food cultures from around the globe: from classic recipes to travel and living; from food history critics to cities’ food guides and lifestyle publications. Apart from the open kitchen area, the magazine reading room is open to the public, while the library reading rooms are exclusive for members. Various food-culture cross-disciplinary events will also be held onsite regularly.

*This project is sponsored by MK Lau Foundation

PMQ Taste Kitchen (Taste Academy)

Co-organised by PMQ and Twins Kitchen, Taste Kitchen (Taste Academy) is the city’s first-ever F&B incubator programme in the industry. With the support of PMQ and sponsorship by Debbie Lo Creativity Foundation, as well as the guidance of Caleb Ng and Joshua Ng, the founders of Twins Kitchen, the incubator programme allows culinary talents to showcase their creativities and menus in the well-equipped space to operate their restaurants. The experience gained here is the stepping stone for future restaurateurs to start their dream career in the F&B industry. PMQ Taste Kitchen (Taste Academy) was given the DFA Design for Asia Award in 2018.

*This project is sponsored by Debbie Lo Creativity Foundation

CHEF LIST

Date / Period Chef Restaurant
2017 Cam Wong /
2018 Mrs. Fan
Siam Sattayaphan
Stephanie Wong
Zahir Mohamed
Gary Suen
Claire Kim
Tiff Chan
Annie Choi
Wingo Hung 		Mrs. Fan’s Kitchen
Fat Leg’s BBQ
Roots Eatery
Baked Bistro
Gary Suen’s Pop Up
Claire de Lune
T Lab by Chef Tiff’s Kitchen
Veggie Mami
Wingo Hung’s Pop Up
2019 Jack Law and Elliot Nicholas
Douglas Forest and Leonard Cheung
/
/
Charlene, Tony and Jessie
Louis Tam
Amy Mak and Jaicy Cheng
David Ko 		Wingman
Incongruous
Sando Ba
Cafair Taste
Root Three
Infinity
What Da Duck
Roasita’s
2020 Daniel Kang Osteria Orzo
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Life is ever changing just like the seasons. At PMQ, we serenade our beautiful life while having a sip of coffee in the sunset, cooling off and exploring in the summer, or having fun in the winter. PMQ has organized a wide range of events for the public and proposed suggestions to realise creativity in our daily life. These events help us enjoy life and provide opportunities for the public to get involved in design and creativity. Setting off with the Festive Programme, Mass Programme and Coffee Agenda, we have connected with different communities to experience a taste of life through design and creative minds.

From Design to
Tasting Life

The coffee concept is a way of thinking that infuses design concepts into the lifestyle. It is a pursuit of the art of coffee and meticulous craftsmanship. Café is also an intellectual design landscape for nurturing urban humanity. PMQ has teamed up with baristas and craftsmen to share the passion and pursuit of coffee. Since 2018, a series under the name of Coffee Agenda has been held to provide a sustainable platform for baristas to constantly explore the craftsmanship of coffee.

The first year of Coffee Agenda was a success. It brought together a group of excellent local cafés and coffee lovers, as well as allowed individuals to collaborate with the local coffee media platform Coffeeder to feature some distinguished coffee brands from all over the world. We collaborated with Hong Kong Specialty Coffee Association to launch the Hong Kong Latte Art Championship and Hong Kong Coffee in Good Spirits Championship in the following year, in which the winner represented Hong Kong to take part in the World Latte Art Championship and World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship in Berlin. We also held an open call for baristas in order to provide a platform for the winners to showcase their coffee craftsmanship. During the pandemic in 2020, Coffee Agenda kept active online with a series of online sharing sessions, coffee outing, online live broadcasts and workshops for audiences to have an authentic taste of coffee without boundaries.

From Design to
Experiencing Life

Mass programmes aim to engage public participation while experiencing design. Through a vivid approach with daily and seasonal themes, the programmes let the audiences understand the value of design and creative minds. Christmas is a time to celebrate love and we celebrate innovation and sustainable concepts to connect with designers to bring out the themes of “joy”, “conservation”, and “colour” at Christmas time every year. During the hot summer months, we invited young designers to create the “breezing” pavilion to demonstrate how design could solve problems in daily life and improve the experience/use of space. Some of the large-scale city-wise events e.g. 1600 Pandas World Tour in Hong Kong: Creativity Meets Conservation and Our Hong Kong, Our Talents – “Play Me, I‘m Yours” attracted a large number of visitors where they experienced PMQ and the concept of creative design in a immersive manner.

Mass Programme

As its name implies, mass programme aims to enhance public engagement on creative design in a vivid and friendly way to awaken the creative DNA in all of us!

1600 Pandas World Tour in
Hong Kong: Creativity Meets
Conservation

1600 Pandas World Tour in Hong Kong: Creativity Meets Conservation was a collaboration between WWF and acclaimed French artist Paulo Grangeon which showcased 1600 pandas made with recycled materials in the form of paper mache. It was featured at nearly 100 exhibitions and eventually landed in Hong Kong in 2014 with PMQ as our launch event. 1600 pandas and four new creations stationed in PMQ alongside an array of well-curated programmes and workshops. The event immersed the public in the panda world and also promoted a sustainable environment where humans and nature coexist. This event brought half a million visitors to PMQ.

Our Hong Kong, Our Talents –
“Play Me, I‘m Yours”

Our Hong Kong, Our Talents – “Play Me, I‘m Yours in 2015 was an international charitable piano tour by British artist Luke Jerram based on his belief that “everyone can play piano”. PMQ and Our Hong Kong Foundation brought this event to Hong Kong in which 16 pianos were artistically transformed by local artists and community groups. They were located at PMQ and in various public areas in Hong Kong under the guise that everyone was invited to play. Melodic music and a range of exciting interactive concerts and performances connected the public and brought about joy in the bustling city.

Summer Programme

Every summer, PMQ is transformed into a creative playground for local creators and designers. Through large-scale installations, workshops, and events, they could free their imaginations to create an eternal summer for the city.

-> 2017

In 2018, PMQ and AaaM Architects joined hands to fill the courtyard with iridescent bubble installations. In between the playground with spinning bubbles, workshops and musical reading sessions, visitors could enjoy a poetic summer in this bubble paradise.

-> 2019

In 2019, PMQ collaborated with KaCaMa Design Lab and thecaveworkshop to bring a cool summer to the courtyard with the Bamboo-copter Pavilion. Visitors could take a seat and cool off, or play with the drifting dragonflies. It was also a place for all people to enjoy the creative environment.
KaCaMa Design Lab & thcaveworkshop, 2019
CUBBLE BUBBLE, AaaM, 2018

Christmas Programme

Every Christmas, PMQ organizes various large-scale installations to tantalize audience members. Together with the themed bazaars and a variety of exciting events, we celebrate this festive day with concepts of joy, innovation, ideality, and sustainability.

-> 2016

Colourscape

In 2016, PMQ teamed up with LAAB to transform the site into a playful Colourscape by using colourful masking tape and 3D installations in different shapes to create a three-dimensional space.

-> 2017

Jungle All the Way

In 2017, PMQ collaborated with Green Power to promote green Christmas around the large-scale Christmas installations made by AaaM Architects. This project won many international design awards for AaaM Architects.
Jungle All The Way, AaaM, 2018

-> 2018

Floating Christmas

In 2018, PMQ teamed up with AaaM again in Floating Christmas which was made up of balloons floating in the sky.

-> 2019

PMQ Christmas Bazaar –
Gather for Gifts of Love

In 2019, British designer Morag Myerscough presented her signature colourful art world to enjoy the company’s joyful aura.

-> 2020

Merry Apart
Christmas Together

In 2020, Littleurbanmountain Design Ltd made use of a simple approach to connect people in the lighting of the Christmas jungle under social distancing.

Merry Apart Christmas Together, Littleurbanmountain, 2020

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