Eng | 繁
Fang Fang’s Bar Manager and Mixologist, Gagan Gurung, uses the traditional Chinese five elements as inspiration for his creations. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with him and ask him a few questions:
Q1. Where are you from?
G: “I am from Nepal, but have been living in Hong Kong for half my life.”
Q2. When did you become interested in tending a bar?
G: “I started out as a waiter, then became a chef when I grew more interested in working with different flavours. However, people that work in the kitchen are usually individuals with more quiet personalities, which I don’t have. I saw that being behind the bar was my perfect opportunity – I can work with flavours but be a host and chat with diners at the same time.”
Trái DÂt (Left): The combination of pineapple, turmeric and coconut milk is refreshing and a reminder of Southeast Asian flavours.
Omikuji Girl (Right): Made of yuzu, shiso and tequila, this cocktail is sweet and smooth on the palate.
Q3. Can you share with us the most memorable experience in your career?
G: “I once spilt a glass of red wine on a lady who was on her first date. She was wearing a white dress too!”
Q4. What is your current favourite, or go-to cocktail?
G: “Daiquiri – because I have a huge love for rum – and it’s a cocktail which doesn’t have too many ingredients but is still flavourful. It only has rum, lime, and sugar, but it tastes amazing. Give it a try!”
Daiquiri: A classic cocktail with the natural sourness of lime and an astringent spirit.
Q5. Can you name 3 behind the bar essentials you cannot do without?
G: “Music, which sets the vibe and ambience for the night. Then sugar syrup, because it’s hard to create most of the delicious cocktails without it. The last one is sanitizer liquid which plays a vital role because of the importance of hygiene.”
Q6. What is the most frequently requested drink by customers?
G: “The most frequently requested drink is the Old Fashioned, probably because the Hong Kong cocktail culture is still relatively young compared to other big cities. Most customers in other cities go for the drinks they know well, as there’s no risk if you know the flavour. On the other hand, consumers in Hong Kong are very willing to try out different cocktails that they haven’t tasted before.”
Q7. What is the most unusual drink request you have received?
G: “Someone once said to me ‘make me a non-alcoholic margarita, but it has to taste like a margarita’… but margaritas are supposed to taste like tequila. It’s like ordering pizza without dough!”
Q8. What do you think are the qualities of the perfect cocktail?
G: “I would say a balanced proportion of ingredients because if you’re not careful enough with the measurements, you can turn a beautiful drink into a terrible drink. Consistency is also important, as you don’t want your the cocktail tasting different if it was reordered. To ensure this, we need to train our team well.”
South Easterian: A special cocktail made by Gagan, which is sour and complex. Lemongrass is used as a straw, which is interesting and adds another layer to the drink.
Q9. Can you introduce Fang Fang’s features?
G: “Our cocktails are very experimental and a little bit out of the box in terms of flavour, but we also have easy low-risk cocktails too. By risky drinks, I mean we have cocktails featuring kimchi, squid ink and chickpea, so it depends on the guest’s palate and preference. The low-risk cocktails include classic cocktails with a slight twist, such as Garden Old Fashioned, Forgotten Sour (Whiskey Sour) and Fangroni (Negroni). Environment sustainability is also one of Fang Fang’s concerns. Our cocktails are all served with eco-friendly straws made from potato starch, paper or lemongrass.
【Limited Time Offer】Chope now and enter the promo code: FFPANDA to enjoy 25% off at Fang Fang during dinner, when you book through the Chope app or website from now until 31 August 2018!
Terms and Conditions:
- Offer is valid for dinner.
- Offer is valid from 6 July 2018 to 31 August 2018.
- Offer cannot be used in conjunction with Chope vouchers, other offers, discounts and/or promotions.
- Offers are non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash or credit.
- In cases of any disputes, Fang Fang reserves the right to make the final decision.
【專訪調酒師Gagan Gurung 最尷尬的時刻是什麽？】
Eng | 繁
燈紅酒綠的蘭桂坊，是賣醉狂歡的天堂。吧檯後的調酒師，用一杯杯美酒，陪伴客人渡過歡樂與憂傷的時候。這次我們來到蘭桂坊的Fang Fang，專訪酒吧經理Gagan Gurung ，了解他當調酒師的難忘經歷和趣事！
Q1. 你來自哪裡?
G：我在尼泊爾出生，年幼時搬到香港。
Q2. 你什麼時候開始對在酒吧工作感興趣？
G：在廚房工作的人性格通常會獨立工作，工作環境較爲安靜，而我卻較喜歡與人互動。我最初任職侍應，後來發現當調酒師更自由，寓工作於娛樂。
Trái DÂt（左）: 熊貓造型可愛，菠蘿、薑黃、椰奶等的組合味道偏甜，帶東南亞風味。
Omikuji Girl（右） : 柚子、紫蘇葉、龍舌蘭酒的配搭酸中帶甜，容易入口。
Q3. 你在職業生涯中最難忘的經歷是哪一次？
G：我曾經不小心灑了一杯紅酒在一位女士身上。她當天穿了白色的裙子，更是第一次約會，我幾乎被大家殺死，哈哈！
Q4. 你最喜歡什麼雞尾酒？
G: 「Daiquiri」，因為我很喜歡朗姆酒，Daiquiri中沒有太多配料，只包含朗姆酒，青檸和糖，味道令人驚嘆，值得一試！
Daiquiri：經典的雞尾酒，青檸的天然酸味和微澀令人精神爲之一震。
Q5. 你認爲酒吧中最重要的三個元素是什麽？
G：第一是音樂，因爲它可令環境和氣氛更好。第二是糖漿，因為如果沒有它，就很難製作出大部分美味的雞尾酒了。最後一個是衛生消毒液，在酒吧衛生很重要，不能忽略。
Q6. 哪一款飲料最受歡迎?
G: 最多客人點的是「 Old Fashioned 」，可能因為香港對比其他大城市，雞尾酒的文化還未普及，大家都很樂意嘗試不同口味的雞尾酒，而其他城市的人則偏好經典口味，因為味道熟悉，不會不合口味。
Q7. 你收過最奇怪的客人要求是甚麼?
G: 曾經有一次，客人希望我調製一杯沒有酒精的瑪格麗特，但味道要像瑪格麗特一樣。可是瑪格麗特的主要成分是龍舌蘭酒，若沒有酒，就像披薩沒有麵糰一樣！
Q8. 你認為一杯完美的雞尾酒應具備甚麼條件?
G: 我覺得成分的比例平衡最重要，要是不能拿捏準確，那麼整杯雞尾酒便會毀掉。另外，保持品質一致亦很重要，水準不一會影響客人的印象。為了確保出品，我們需要多次的訓練。
South Easterian：由Gagan調製的特色雞尾酒，酸味濃烈且複雜，用香茅作飲管相當有趣，更能令飲品添上層次。
Q9. 你可否介紹一下Fang Fang的特色?
G: 這裡的雞尾酒大致上課分爲兩大類，除了經典雞尾酒的變奏，如Garden Old Fashioned, Forgotten Sour和Fangroni外，當然亦有些非常實驗性的，如加入泡菜、墨汁、鷹嘴豆等等，味道頗為創新，取決於客人的口味和偏好。另外，我們注重環境保護，因此選用以香茅、薯粉及紙製作飲管，天然又環保。
【限時優惠】由即日起至2018年8月31日，透過Chope網上或手機應用程式訂座，輸入促銷代碼 : FFPANDA 於 Fang Fang 訂座及享用晚餐，即可獲75折！
條款及細則:
- 此優惠只適用於晚餐時段。
- 此優惠有效日期為 2018年7月6日至 2018年8月31日。
- 優惠不可與Chope美食優惠劵、酒店其他推廣或優惠同時使用。
- 此優惠不可轉讓他人、兌換成現金或電子貨幣。
- 如有任何爭議，Fang Fang對此優惠的所有相關事宜保留最終決定權。
