Editorial Review

Like Beijing and its hutongs, Hong Kong has a thorny relationship with its historical, crumble-like-a-cake-any-minute-now buildings. This three-story pre-war pawn shop, one of the most visible and gorgeous last survivors in Hong Kong, had been left untouched for many years, looking like a precious bookcase in a factory, an oasis in a concrete desert. It was turned into a restaurant/pub in 2007. There’s a huge balcony on the second floor and a roof garden on the third. The food is average, and you might find the reinvention of a venerable institution sacrilegious and tacky. But at least it’s still here, and it’s a joy to veg on the balcony with a beer. If you’re there before midnight, the best part is hearing the tram glide by: Ding, ding, ding went the bell. Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings.