Maximal Concepts and Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong are delighted to introduce The Aubrey, an eccentric Japanese izakaya located on the 25th floor of the hotel. Opened on 17th February 2021, the space will feature three distinctive bar experiences, as well as a drawing-room, a curio lounge and a leading culinary team that will form the city’s most creative hospitality destination.
Set to be a home-away-from-home for local Hong Kong and global guests alike, The Aubrey is inspired by ‘the journey of a hungry mind’ and channels the vibe of Japanese izakayas in Ginza. Using high-quality Japanese ingredients and traditional cooking techniques, guests will enjoy culturally rich beverage and dining experiences.
Leading The Aubrey’s bar programme is Devender Sehgal, most recently bar manager at Otto e Mezzo Bombana and a popular and renowned drinks professional celebrated in Hong Kong and India. At the first of The Aubrey’s three bars – known as The Main Bar – Devender and his team will offer a core selection of Highball and Chuhai cocktails, a signature cocktail menu inspired by the game of chess and a rotating selection of three seasonal cocktails based off a singular Japanese ingredient.
The second bar is the four-person Omakase Cocktail Bar which reinvents the omakase experience and where resident bartenders will take guests on a unique drinks journey across Japanese spirits and flavours. Finally, the third bar – The Champagne and Sake Bar – will celebrate the age-old tradition of oysters and champagne, while also playing with sparkling sakes.
Dining at The Aubrey falls under the watchful eye of Chef Yukihito Tomiyama, a Japanese national most recently at the one Michelin-starred Shinji by Kanaseka in Macau. At lunch, elevated bentos are created with decades of core Japanese cooking experience. Presented in beautiful hand-crafted wooden boxes, their layers reveal fresh ingredients made with impeccable technique from The Aubrey’s raw, tempura and robata menus.
Guests will also appreciate the world-class sushi and sashimi skills of Chef Tomiyama and his team, specializing in traditional Edomae sushi-making techniques. The robata grill takes diners on a journey from the ocean to the soil where prime ingredients are cooked over binchotan charcoal, while the tempura menu shows the cuisine’s art, craft and lightness.
Sustainability is one of the key tenets for both Maximal Concepts and Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, impacting every decision taken at each level of the development of The Aubrey. From using the world’s first viable compostable clingwrap to bamboo and paper products from sustainable sources, The Aubrey is as much as possible zero-waste with the goal to remove single-use plastic from all operations.
Designed by Maximal Concepts and Silverfox Studios, The Aubrey’s design was inspired by Japanism, a 19th-century European movement influenced by Japanese art.
About Maximal Concepts
Maximal Concepts is an international restaurant group based in Hong Kong, helmed by Malcolm Wood, Xuan Mu and Matt Reid. Since 2012, the group has been responsible for opening award-winning F&B concepts in Hong Kong and beyond, including Mott 32, John Anthony, Sip Song, Limewood and many more.
The group’s vision is to build the first global luxury Chinese restaurant brand originated and from Hong Kong. Mott 32 was the first luxury Chinese restaurant to be franchised from East to West and currently has four locations; Hong Kong, Vancouver, Las Vegas and Singapore – and with nine more locations set to open between 2021- 2024. Mott 32 is named after 32 Mott Street – the location of the first Chinese convenience store that opened in New York in the 1800s, the epicentre of the area that is now known as Chinatown.
The unique interior of each Mott 32 location has been created in partnership with award-winning designer Joyce Wang Studio. The group most recently partnered with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to open The Aubrey, an eccentric izakaya, set to open in February 2021 on the 25th floor of the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.
About Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, resorts and residences. Having grown from its Asian roots into a global brand, the Group now operates 33 hotels and seven residences in 23 countries and territories, with each property reflecting the Group’s oriental heritage and unique sense of place. Mandarin Oriental has a strong pipeline of hotels and residences under development and is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group. Photography of Mandarin Oriental is available to download in the Photo Library of our Media section, at www.mandarinoriental.com. Further information is also available on our Social Media channels.