(Source: Balnac)
It really is a dog eat dog world out there and with huge dollops of cattiness and petty jealousies thrown in along with the usual cast of flim flam men.
(Source: Jesse Rota Fortunae)
A group of us were sitting next to a table comprising expats chefs this week and our ears were burning up listening to what was being said and just how dysfunctional and fake, fake, fake things are in the local food and beverage business.
Some of the fakes and cons heard put Sally’s fake orgasms in front of Harry to shame.
Still going on, apparently, is the M1NT saga where Alistair Paton came to Hong Kong after the private club with the same name in London went tits up and left investors with nothing to show for their trust- and greed- in the concept except for creative accounting.
(Source: EDU Blogs)
It all made the role of Zero Mostel in “The Producers” look like kids stuff.
Undeterred, Patton and his silken and persuasive skills convinced many in Hong Kong to invest in what was meant to be the city’s most upmarket private club.
(Source: Hong Kong Hustle)
Perhaps, having a giant shark tank was a sign that these investors were swimming with sharks.
After much hype, the key executives of M1NT parted ways in an acrimonious manner and Paton took the brand name to Shanghai where it still is and becoming a bit passé in that city’s move away from pretentiousness.
(Source: Guide Pal)
Paton left China quietly for Australia, M1NT is up for sale in Shanghai while the partner who inherited the club in Hong Kong plodded along with it, changing its name and concept, dodging shareholders, and finally closing down the whole joke.
Apparently, Andrew, this third cog in the wheel, slinked back recently to Hong Kong to sell the premises where M1NT once was and left with a few cool millions. Hong Kong can be so fucking forgiving and stupid.
The talk amongst the coterie of chefs then turned their conversation to Cafe Deco, once such a success under the leadership of Graham Reading.
(Source: V Tourist)
Now, under new management and run by a Malaysian who, apparently, is not the sharpest knife in the tool shed, Cafe Deco and all that fly with this Mothership said to be under the gun. With a lack of sales and quality, cutbacks are said to have already begun.
I was at Cafe Deco over the weekend and was appalled at the quality of the service and the cuisine. Watch Cafe Deco vanish from the Peak.
(Source: Cartoon A Day)
Elsewhere, we heard about the closure of Rayne which some have questioned Amex about a rash of strange transactions, the politics of those who once ran Brickhouse, the rash of Spanish tapas bars opening up with “authentic chefs from Spain” who can barely spell the word Barcelona, and so many trying like hell to secure a venue at the old Central Police Station.
(Source: Go Hong Kong)
After all, a venue there is money in the bank as bars and restaurants in Lan Kwai Fong, Sheung Wan and Soho and even the pricy Pawn and its pretentiousness going down the crapper.
(Source: Hong Kong Hustle)
And let’s not even mention all the money that Steven Lo and his partners piled into that white elephant called Tonno.
(Source: My Life Style)
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