Cover Shane Osborn (middle) with team members Didier Yang and Michael Smith (Photo: Courtesy of Arcane)

The new restaurant group sets the stage for the Australian chef's more equitable vision of hospitality

While Hong Kong's restaurant industry adjusts to convoluted new government regulations, chef Shane Osborn is already looking ahead with the announcement of The Arcane Collective, a new restaurant group that his original claim to fame, Arcane, and sister restaurant Cornerstone will fall under—as well as a third restaurant expected to open in Landmark later this summer.

Styled as "a collection of independently-minded restaurants", The Arcane Collective will incorporate several principles formulated over Arcane's six years of operation. These include unpretentious, ingredient-driven cuisine, a forward-looking culture, socially and environmentally-aware conduct, empowering talent and championing creativity.

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Tatler Asia
Above The main dining room at Arcane (Photo: Courtesy of Arcane)

"We aim to mentor and provide opportunities for chefs, sommeliers and waiters to run their own restaurants under The Arcane Collective umbrella, and support a community of specialist and artisan farmers, growers and suppliers of the best produce locally and internationally," elaborates Osborn, citing Cornerstone—which is headed by Arcane alum Neal Ledesma—as a bellwether for this ethos.

Ledesma, who spent four years under Osborn's tutelage at Arcane, opened Cornerstone in 2019 to serve a pared-down menu of modern Australian cuisine, riffing off Arcane's tasting menus in an all-day, a la carte setting.

“I learnt so much in Shane’s kitchen; namely that food fosters human connection and sparks joy," he says. "Being a part of this culinary family has been an extraordinary journey for me, and I will always be grateful for the support I get from Shane and the rest of the team to really explore and innovate. I’m so thrilled that we are taking our next step into the future with the launch of The Arcane Collective.”

Stay tuned for details on Osborn's upcoming restaurant opening in Landmark as they become available in the coming weeks.

Related: Asia’s Most Influential: Hong Kong’s 42 Tastemakers 2021