The head of Christie's Asia takes us on a jaunt of his favorite hotspots in Hong Kong.
EAT
Hong Kong, a rich confluence of East and West, is a rare mix of historic and modern, capitalism and exoticism, cultural island, and frenetic city all at once. For Francois Curiel, President of Christie’s Asia, it’s nothing short of a stimulating playground.
Curiel, who first joined the auction house in 1969 as a jewelry specialist in London and later became head of Christie’s in France, has lived for four years in the city that is as renowned for its traditional Cantonese cooking as its international flavors, and where dining, after all, is also an important form of business etiquette and social bonding.
While he often skips lunch or just has a sandwich at his desk, he loves the authentic yum-cha experience at Maxim’s Palace Chinese Restaurant at City Hall in Central when he goes out. “Dim-sum is served on carts the old-fashioned way, with an iPad in front of the cart so that [the foreigners] can tell what’s on the cart. The spectacular view of the Victoria Harbour doesn’t hurt either. But go early,” he advised, “as queues can be long.”
Maxim’s Palace Chinese Restaurant
2/F, Low Block, City Hall, Central, +852 2521 1303
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Clipper Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental is another favorite, as “service is wonderful and the setting incredibly warm,” noted Curiel. “[Not only do they serve a] great buffet, but also wonton soup and Hainanese chicken rice. It just never disappoints.”
Clipper Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental
5 Connaught Road, Central, +852 2825 4007
STAY
As a hotel, “nothing beats the Mandarin Oriental, with its perfect location,” Curiel added. “The French would call this ‘la place de village,’ the centre of a small town that one must cross many times a day, where you get to see everyone.”
And, if the Parisian ever gets homesick, “’Atelier de Robuchon at The Landmark is where he goes for “a bit of Paris” in Hong Kong, “I love the ambience of a casual lunch at the bar.”
Mandarin Oriental
5 Connaught Road, Central, +852 2825 4007
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
15 Queen's Road West, Central, +852 2166 9000
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Although Curiel, 63, professes not to be a night owl, he has firm recommendations for the best nightlife in the city where people work hard and perhaps play harder.
“I am not much into bars, but I tell my friends to go to Sevva at Prince’s Building, which is a fabulous place for cocktails, with stunning views of the city,” he said. “The 4th floor terrace of Duddell’s is a great place to hang out, as there are always plenty of folks from the art world there—just in case I haven’t seen enough art people during the day.”
Sevva
10 Chater Rd, Central, +852 2537 1388
Duddell's
1 Duddell Street, Central, +852 2525 9191
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If you do want to find art people during the day, though, Curiel recommends the new Liang Yi Museum on Hollywood Road. “It’s where Hong Kong connoisseur Peter Fung houses his impressive collection of antique Chinese furniture and French vanity boxes. He’s one collector with two collections of distinctly different fields that are equally exquisite. I find this highly fascinating,” he mused.
Liang Yi Museum
181-199 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, +852 2806 8280
There are also three buildings, all within walking distance from each other in Central, that house many great galleries, including Gagosian Gallery, Ben Brown, Pearl Lam, Simon Lee, and Lehmann Maupin at 12 Pedder Street; Galerie Perrotin, Ravenel, and White Cube at 50 Connaught Road; and Edouard Malingue Gallery at 8 Queen’s Road Central. Plus, from there, it’s just a stone’s throw away from the James Christie Room, Christie’s newly-opened gallery space at Alexandra House. “It’s beautiful, spacious, state-of-the-art, and has stunning views of the Victoria Harbour… I can go on forever,” said Curiel.
Of course, Hong Kong, with its undulating terrain, boasts many other architectural marvels. Some of Curiel’s favorites include The Bank of China tower, the most recognizable skyscraper on the Hong Kong skyline designed by I.M. Pei, and the HSBC Building by Norman Foster, with its dramatic skeleton exterior, open atrium and interior. The Asia Society Hong Kong Center is another—created by architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, the building demonstrates the duo’s prowess at blending new construction and renovated historic structures into a landscape.
SHOP
The other thing Hong Kong is known for is being a tax-free retail paradise. Curiel professes not to have much time to shop—and why would he, when he can regularly ogle and partake of fine art, jewelry and fashion auctions from the collections of, say, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, while at work—but he regularly dispatches friends to shop at Pacific Place and IFC, two of the swankiest malls housing equally upscale local and international retailers such as Bulgari, Chanel, Harvey Nichols, I.T. and Lane Crawford.
Pacific Place
88 Queensway, Admiralty, +852 2844 8900
IFC Mall
8 Finance Street, Central, +852 2295 3308
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As for must-do experiences, Curiel suggests scaling The Peak, which is the highest point of the city, via the historic funicular, the Peak Tram, which has been running up and down the hill since 1888. Go for the view, stay for some lunch: The Peak Lookout (built on the site that was originally used as a rest place and workshop for British engineers that constructed the Peak Tram line and formerly known as the Old Peak Cafe) offers everything from Asian favorites to classic Western dishes with a nostalgic interior design, a wonderful collection of historic photographs, and a terrace with a panoramic view of the Aberdeen as a complimentary side dish.
For an interesting slice of “old” Hong Kong, be sure to walk along Hollywood Road to see the art galleries, folk art and antique stalls and specialty shops lining it.
The Peak
33 Garden Road, Central
Curiel also has tips for first-time visitors who may find themselves overwhelmed by the bustle of Hong Kong International Airport, which has the reputation of being the world’s 11th busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic. “The Airport Express is a godsend. It is reasonably priced, impeccably clean, and the fastest way to get from the airport to town,” Curiel advised. Once you’re in town, getting around is easy with the Octopus card, “which allows you to ride pretty much all public transport and also to pay at many retail outlets and even for medical services at public hospitals!”
While Curiel spends a majority of his time in the Central district—where his office, favorite restaurants and friends are—he prefers to escape the madding crowd by simply getting away from it.
“The city is one of the most densely built places in the world, but paradoxically, lush greenery can be just a short ride away. Fantastic hiking trails are within easy reach of the city. For a quick walk, I go to the Peak along Old Peak Road. If one wants a real workout, one can start from Parkview, over Violet Hill, and finish at Stanley,” he said. “If you have access to a boat, the quiet beaches and beautiful coastlines of Hong Kong can calm any troubled soul. To me, it is the best Hong Kong experience.”
