Would a trendy area really be a trendy area without a hype coffee shop serving good coffee, yummy toasts and yogurt bowls? APT., opened in March, serves all this in a cool Scandinavian atmosphere and also offers a cute little terrace on Moon Street. 
 
Shop A&B, G/F, 2-12 Moon Street 
 
 
 
2. Artemis & Apollo

Another recent addition to the neighborhood, but a seriously pornfood one. Can anyone ever have too much tzatziki, hummus and souvlaki? 
 
REDISCOVER OUR REVIEW OF THE RESTAURANT HERE
 
G/F, 9-11 Moon Street 
 
 
 
3. Artisense

A creative fragrance studio where you can discover the subtle art of perfumery but also have your very own fragrance created just for you after meeting one of their consultant or even join a workshop to imagine your personalized perfume. 
 
Shop C, G/F, 2-12 Moon Street 
 
 
 
4. BASAO Tea

A haven for the tea-lovers out there. Opened end of 2018, BASAO Tea is the teahouse of tea brand BASAO offering Asian single-origin clean-grown teas. Teas are to be enjoy on-site, in the beautiful and quite minimalistic space run by in-house tea-master Katherine, or are also available for take-away. 
 
17 Moon Street 
 
 
 
5. Edgar

A bulk grocery store storing natural goods and organic grocery sourced from all over Europe. 0 waste definitely is trendy. 
 
5 Moon Street
 
 
 
6. Francis

I am not the kind of girl to say no to Middle-Eastern flavors, serious wines, non-serious prices and great atmosphere. Francis is the shortest and easiest way to go to Tel Aviv from Hong Kong. 
 
REDISCOVER OUR REVIEW OF MR BROWN, THE HOTTEST GRILL IN TOWN AND FRANCIS’ SISTER RESTAURANT, RIGHT HERE
 
4-6 St. Francis Street 
 
 
 
7. Honbo

One of my fav neighborhoods in town definitely had to have a good burger joint and burgers at Honbo are not just good, they are seriously good. Nothing surprising knowing that they only work with local farmers and have everything delivered fresh to their doorstep every day.
 
 
G/F, New Sun House, 6-7 Sun Street 
 
 
 
8. Kapok

One of the best lifestyle and fashion concept-stores in town. I am absolutely obsessed with everything they store: candles, beauty products, fashion accessories, clothes, coffee-table books … 
 
REDISCOVER OUR INTERVIEW OF KAPOK’S FOUNDER, ARNAULT, HERE
 
8 Sun Street 
Kapok’s sister shops in the area: O.N.S (3 Sun Street) / Pop-up on 5 St Francis Yard
 
 
 
9.  La Petite Maison XXII
EDIT: This concept-store is now closed

A beautiful lifestyle and food concept-store, inspired by Provence and dedicated to bringing the essence of European living to Hong Kong through a unique selection of hand-picked importer products.  
 
REDISCOVER OUR VISIT TO LA PETITE MAISON XXII HERE
 
15 St. Francis Street 
 
 
 
10. Le Garcon Saigon

A cute modern brasserie serving vibrant and flavorful Saigonese cuisine. I love the beautiful mural, created by French illustrator Merakilya (who also designed our logo) and Le Petit Saigon next door serving dope Banh-Mi. 
 
12 Wing Fung Street 
 
 
 
11. Le Labo

Inspired by Grasse but first opened in New-York, Le Labo is a niche perfume and candle brands featuring 15 handcrafted unisex perfume. Beautiful packaging’s and highly addictive scents. 
 
G/F, 2F Star Street 
 
 
 
 
12. Monocle

A space true to the essence of the iconic city-guide and where you can pick-up the latest issue of Monocle’s magazine but also discover limited-edition lifestyle collaborations. 
 
1 St. Francis Yard 
 


13.Pici

Freshly made pasta … Do I really need to add anything? Well, if you really want to know, my favs are the Orechiette Picante. 
 
G/F, 16 St. Francis Yard 
 
 
 
14. Roots

A cute French Canto bistro with laidback atmosphere but seriously good food. And yes, French Canto food is a thing. Just give it a go, you’ll love it. 
 
REDISCOVER OUR REVIEW OF ROOTS HERE
 
7 Sun Street, Wan Chai 
 
 
 
15. Spa L’Occitane

Newly renovated Spa L’Occitane is looking better than ever and is a perfect quiet haven in the heart of busy Wan Chai. Offer yourself a well-deserved break in Provence! 
 
Shop 3, Star Crest, 9 Star Street 






 

by Aude Camus
 
Ever heard about Kapok ? I absolutely love this multi-brand concept store and can’t help but crushing hard on their selection: candle, beauty products, small accessories, clothes from French brands I love such as Swildens, coffee-table books … It’s one of the only shops in town which I enjoy visiting even if just for window-shopping and inspiration. Probably because it reminds me of those concept-stores I love so much in Europe and more specifically in France. Nothing surprising knowing that Arnault Castel, the founder is French.   

I’ve been following Arnault on social media for quite a while now and we spoke by emails in the past but I’d never had a chance to meet him in person so thought the opening of Kapok’s brand new flagship store on Sun Street would be the perfect excuse to finally meet, discover this brand-new store (beautiful!) and discuss fashion, retail and entrepreneurship over a matcha latte …
 

Hi Arnault! Thanks for meeting me today! Can you tell me a bit more about Kapok? When, why, how did it all start?

You have to go back to 2004 … Time flies! Back then, I had my distribution business and was working with Moleskine. I was looking for an office and couldn’t see myself moving in one of those office towers, didn’t feel like he was a good fit for a lifestyle brand like Moleskine. I eventually found a great place in Tin Hau but it was way too big for a team of two, so I thought “why not use the extra space to open a lifestyle store?”. This is how it all started, no business plan, no plan at all actually, just a basic idea: recreating those lifestyle stores I loved so much in Europe and Japan but couldn’t find in Hong Kong. 
 
We started with lifestyle products only, didn’t have any clothes in the shop at first. The street where we were located was very cute but to be honest it was very quiet. Because we had a pretty nice space, I decided to use it to bring people over and started organizing exhibitions, parties … It was all before social media, but we managed to create a nice community of people. I was also lucky to get a nice support from the local medias which really helped me. 
 

Kapok … what is the meaning of this name? Where does it come from?
It actually comes from this first shop we had which was located in this cool small street with a big tree seating in the middle. Kapok is the name of that tree, it’s a quite common tree here in Hong Kong. And now you understand why we have a tree on our logo. 
 

How did you start growing and opening new stores?
To be honest, I didn’t really plan for any of it. Things were starting to run smoothly in our first shop and we suddenly learnt that the old building where the shop was located was set to be demolished. It was a year and a half after our opening. I thought about ending the adventure there but was enjoying myself way too much to just stop like that. So, I went on a hunt for a new location and immediately fell in love with the Sun Street/Star Street neighborhood in Wan Chai. It wasn’t as trendy as it is today back then, there were only a few local restaurants, but I just loved the vibes and opened the shop on St Francis Yard. It was way smaller than our previous one so we couldn’t host parties anymore … A year and a half after moving to Wan Chai, my landlord told me about another available space on Sun Street, just a few steps from our shop, and we therefore opened our second shop. This is when it all started to become quite a serious business. 
 
At the time, I still had my distribution business. I worked with Moleskine until 2014 when the brand took over the distribution in house. I also worked for Daniel Wellington. But two years ago, it became difficult to combine the two businesses and I decided to focus on my retail activity. This is when we grew even more, opening shops in PMQ and K11 and also opening the Buly and Maison Kitsuné shops. 

We have few Kapok stores around town now but I’m trying to have different vibes in each and every store because they are located in very different neighborhoods with very different history and atnopsheres. Here in Wan Chai, we stay very true to our original DNA and we mainly bring European brands whereas PMQ is closer to the local identity with a nice selection of cool local brands. 
 

What about the brands you first sold in the shops?
We first started with rather small brands. There are some really beautiful brands which we still have today and which we have seen grown with us, here in Hong Kong, such as Astier de Villatte or Maison Kitsuné. The toughest part is to get the first few brands but once you have a few things become easier. 

I don’t have any strict criteria when it comes to country of origin or type of products. A lot of people used to think we were only selling French brands but not at all. And in our shops, you can find products ranging from chocolate bars to leather bags. The only condition it that the product must fit the Kapok style. I have and clear vision of what Kapok is in my mind and I believe we have to stick to it. So yes, sometimes I do say no to things I find beautiful just because it’s not Kapok.  
 

Do you sign exclusivity clauses with the brands?

We were not signing any at first as I didn’t want to limit the growth of the brands. I believe it’s also good for us when a brand we are selling is growing. But I had a few experiences of brands growing thanks to us and then being taken over by big local distributors with exclusivity clauses so I’m now being more careful about it. 
 

And today, do you still bring new brands to the shops?
Of course. We have to reinvent ourselves, to bring new stuffs. It’s all about finding the balance between staying true to our roots and developing a long-term relationship with brands we love but also bringing some fresh air. 

I use Instagram a lot. One thing I also love doing is going to a place I’ve never been before and exploring the shops there to find some new brands. 
 

What’s next?
We have our own clothes and accessories brand for women, Future Classics, and I really want to push this one. We are also opening a new shop at Victoria Dockside this summer. 
 
Once the two above are done, I’ll start to seriously work on our website and e-commerce because today, it doesn’t look like I want it to look. 
 
But after 10 years, I believe we can definitely say that we’ve done the hardest part of the work. 
 

Is opening in other cities and countries something you’ll also be looking at?
We already have a shop in Singapore, it’s been 3 or 4 years. But yes, expanding abroad is something I have in mind. Victoria Dockside is also a way of testing the Chinese market and see if mainlanders like our concept or not. I just don’t want to rush anything. 
 
 









 

July 2022 edit: Roots on Sun Street is now definitely closed and you can follow chef Stephanie Wong on Instagram (@stephanieknwong) for updates on her next culinary adventures. 



by Aude Camus 
 
There is a word which I am not a big fan of when it comes to the FnB industry, it’s the F word: Fusion. Mainly because I very seldomly find fusion cuisine to be a success. It is me or is fusion cuisine more of a marketing concept rather than something truly meaningful? But you know what they say, rules are meant to be broken and there are of course some places which totally succeed in creating a meaningful and tasteful marriage between two cuisines. Roots is one of those. 
 
Let me take you out for dinner at this recently opened small eatery on Sun Street. I absolutely love the vibes of the Sun Street/Moon Street/Star Street neighborhood and Roots definitely does blend in perfectly well with its hip yet friendly atmosphere. 

 

But before ordering some food, allow me to share a bit more about Chef Stephanie Wong.  Each and every dish we will try tonight takes roots in Stephanie’s background. “Stephanie's passion for food and cooking roots from memories of dinners at home with her late grandmother as a kid. Food was love and happiness, extended from grandma's table full of classic Cantonese dishes. The dishes were simple, but they were never prepared short of heart and soul. And this became the basis of Stephanie's cooking philosophy.” But it took a few years for the Chef to follow her passion as she first worked as a corporate banker for a decade before moving to France to train at Chef Alain Ducasse’s cooking school. She then worked at Michelin starred restaurants and finally recently opened her own place. I was lucky to get a chance to chat a bit with Stephanie and loved her personality.   
 
If we were to describe the menu in a nutshell? A seasonal short menu on which every dish is infused with both Cantonese and French flavors making them resonate with both locals and French people. How intriguing, right? 
 
Ok, let’s dig in, shall we?
Kicking off with 2 Spring specials: 

Fine de Claire Oysters, Hong Kong and French styles (HKD 198/4 pieces), super fresh. Had the French style one and was expecting something very classic like vinaigrette but was presented with a sweet and unexpected take on the oyster, loved it. 

And the Baked Local Wiskered Velvet Shrimp with Herbal Butter (HKD 168), such a pornfood little thing! Local shrimps with very French herbal butter (you know that super yummy think in which we cook escargots) … a super yummy encounter between Hong Kong and France. 
 
Well, after those mouth-watering snacks we had to order starters, right? 

Had three of them (please don’t judge): the Roasted Heirloom Root Vegetable Salad (HKD 98), a surprising hot salad, the Spicy Creamy Local Clams with Black Bean Chive Oil (HKD 158) in which I greedily dip many pieces of bread, and last but not least the Beef Tartare Yu Kwan Yick Style (HKD 158). 

Yu Kwan Yick? A famous local chili sauce originated from Sai Ying Pun. I loved loved loved this dish. 
 
But watch out, the masterpiece is about to hit the table.

Say hello to the Signature Roasted French Spring Chicken with Glutinous Rice Stuffing (HKD 308). That chicken is so tender and flavorful! Took me back to Sunday roast in France …. 

Also love that it comes in a cocotte. Doesn’t it make you wanna dig-in? And the glutinous rice stuffing is a really nice twist. Remember I was telling you Chef Stephanie wants her dishes to resonate both with local and French people … well, my opinion is that this one is a total hit. 
 
Not that we need any more food at this point of time, but I still haven’t finished my glass of Chinese Chardonnay and I’m enjoying myself way too much to leave without first ordering something sweet. You are looking for something fresh? Order the Ginger Creme Brulee (HKD 58). And if you are just like and looking for ultimate decadence, I’d recommend going for the Pistachio Cardamon Financier, Black Sesame Ice Cream (HKD 68). 
 
I’ll be back very soon! 
 

Roots
7 Sun Street – Wan Chai 

 

This write-up is based on a complementary dinner offered by Roots (no monetary compensation).