Words by Aude Camus
I’ve been meaning to visit Kinsman for ages (well, since its opening) — and, as it turns out, my timing couldn’t have been better. Two years after putting Cantonese spirits firmly on Hong Kong’s mixology map, the bar has launched A Tale of Chinatowns, its most ambitious (and arguably most poetic) cocktail menu yet.
This third chapter in Kinsman’s evolving story celebrates five historic Chinatowns — Singapore, Manila, Kolkata, Bangkok and Lima — each represented through a duo of cocktails and brought to life with lush illustrations by Hong Kong artist Stella Lam. But beyond the visuals, what really makes this menu sing is its spirit: a tribute to migration, adaptability, and the shared stories of communities that carried their culture — and their flavours — across oceans.
I’ve been meaning to visit Kinsman for ages (well, since its opening) — and, as it turns out, my timing couldn’t have been better. Two years after putting Cantonese spirits firmly on Hong Kong’s mixology map, the bar has launched A Tale of Chinatowns, its most ambitious (and arguably most poetic) cocktail menu yet.
This third chapter in Kinsman’s evolving story celebrates five historic Chinatowns — Singapore, Manila, Kolkata, Bangkok and Lima — each represented through a duo of cocktails and brought to life with lush illustrations by Hong Kong artist Stella Lam. But beyond the visuals, what really makes this menu sing is its spirit: a tribute to migration, adaptability, and the shared stories of communities that carried their culture — and their flavours — across oceans.
“Why should Cantonese spirits be put in a box?” asks co-founder Gavin Yeung, who sees this menu as a way to prove their global versatility. And indeed, each drink travels beautifully — rooted in heritage but open to reinvention.
A world tour through flavour
A world tour through flavour
We begin in Singapore, where the Miss Joaquim (HK$ 130)— named after the city’s national flower — is a bright, floral twist on the Paloma. Osmanthus rice wine meets elderflower and rose tofu, a nod to the nostalgic pink bandung drink many grew up with. But I chose the Kaya Toast (HK$ 140) — a liquid homage to one of the Lion City’s most beloved treats. Here, toast, butter and kaya coconut jam (first brought to the city by Hainanese migrants in the 19th century) are re-imagined in a clarified version: clarified brioche vodka, banana cream, coconut water, pandan, green apple and gula melaka. It tastes every bit as good as it sounds.
Next stop Manila’s Binondo, — the world’s oldest Chinatown, established in 1594. The traditional Teochew dessert of steamed sweet yam paste (orh nee) takes liquid form in Orh Nee 2.0 (HK$ 120): a creamy mix of taro purée, coconut milk and black glutinous rice wine, topped with purple sweet-potato foam.
But I chose to visit Kolkata, where the Raita Gin Fizz (HK$ 170) blends Two Moons calamansi gin with soda, cucumber, cream, egg white and Chu Yeh Ching herbal liquor — a refreshing spin on the Gin Fizz and a nod to both India’s cooling yoghurt raita and the city’s once-thriving Chinese community. I also had my eye on the Chai-Wallah (HK$ 140) ), marrying the spiced comfort of Indian chai with Hong Kong’s essential yuen yueng coffee-tea blend.
Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road inspires the Bloody Boat Maggi (HK$ 140), a punchy, umami-packed reimagining of Thai boat noodles, complete with Maggi seasoning and a house onion port wine reduction. It’s bold, savoury — a Bloody Mary taken up a notch (and this girl loves a good Bloody Mary).
And finally, in Lima, Peru, the Palo Saltado (HK$ 140) riffs on lomo saltado — a Cantonese-Peruvian classic of stir-fried beef. Made with rice baijiu, Scotch, soy sauce and palo santo smoke, it’s smoky, aromatic, and perfect for Old Fashioned lovers.
More than cocktails
If you’re just as happy with a bite as you are with a drink (guilty), Kinsman’s new small plates menu is reason enough to visit. Think chilli crab spring rolls, whipped mala feta, and a baijiu-spiked mango pomelo sago that ties everything together with a playful wink to Cantonese roots. I personally loved the shrimp toast (HK$ 128) and the eggplant chencun noodles (HK$ 88).
Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road inspires the Bloody Boat Maggi (HK$ 140), a punchy, umami-packed reimagining of Thai boat noodles, complete with Maggi seasoning and a house onion port wine reduction. It’s bold, savoury — a Bloody Mary taken up a notch (and this girl loves a good Bloody Mary).
And finally, in Lima, Peru, the Palo Saltado (HK$ 140) riffs on lomo saltado — a Cantonese-Peruvian classic of stir-fried beef. Made with rice baijiu, Scotch, soy sauce and palo santo smoke, it’s smoky, aromatic, and perfect for Old Fashioned lovers.
More than cocktails
If you’re just as happy with a bite as you are with a drink (guilty), Kinsman’s new small plates menu is reason enough to visit. Think chilli crab spring rolls, whipped mala feta, and a baijiu-spiked mango pomelo sago that ties everything together with a playful wink to Cantonese roots. I personally loved the shrimp toast (HK$ 128) and the eggplant chencun noodles (HK$ 88).
And if you, like me, have been particularly drawn lately to rich, vintage Hong Kong style, Kinsman nails it. From the moment you slip past the understated white-arched façade and inner wooden doors, you’re transported into a cinematic world where mosaic-tiled flooring, arched entrances and green-metal window-grids nod to the colonial shophouses of old. Inside, plush velvet booths, low lighting and brass accents evoke the atmosphere of a Wong Kar‑wai film — intimate, nostalgic, yet unmistakably modern. The bar’s back-bar mural by local artist Mally Cheung, the angled mirrors that let you glimpse across seating booths, and the thoughtful interplay of sight-lines give the place a sense of crafted memory. In short: Kinsman isn’t just about cocktails — it’s about stepping into a beautifully imagined Hong Kong moment that feels timeless
What I love about Kinsman is how it never feels like it’s trying too hard — the storytelling is rich but never heavy-handed, and the drinks, while inventive, are genuinely delicious. You don’t need to know the history of the Chinese diaspora to enjoy them, but you’ll definitely leave wanting to know more.
Kinsman
1/F, 26 Cochrane Street, Central
https://www.singularconcepts.com/kinsman
What I love about Kinsman is how it never feels like it’s trying too hard — the storytelling is rich but never heavy-handed, and the drinks, while inventive, are genuinely delicious. You don’t need to know the history of the Chinese diaspora to enjoy them, but you’ll definitely leave wanting to know more.
Kinsman
1/F, 26 Cochrane Street, Central
https://www.singularconcepts.com/kinsman
This article is based on a complimentary tasting - hosted by Kinsman. No money has been paid to publish this review which is entirely based on the genuine opinion of its author.
