What was the process like to develop the menus for The Sixteenth?

Dan Segall: For the Japanese restaurants, I had a really short lead time, right? I mean, I did my first tasting like about four days after I got out of quarantine, so it's been a little bit busy. My first project was to redo Honjo—there were things that I loved and there were things that I didn't love, and I think that Manuel [Palacio, group co-founder and CEO] and folks were were interested to see change, so we took what they had and used that as a platform to just make better food. And then we had a really great opportunity here because the sushi bar at Honjokko is gigantic. We really wanted to grow this sushi concept, and that's why we named it a sushi club. I created a new array of menu sections for the sushi bar like the Nigiri Experience, the Art of Gunkan, the KKO Makis, so that we could just develop and diversify our portfolio.

AV: La Favorita is a concept that we've been working on for the last three years or less. Before happening here, we had explored doing it at two other addresses. It just was the right concept but we couldn't find the right space for it, until now. At La Favorita, we were finally able to express ourselves a little bit. We're extremely happy about Pici, but [its scope is] very, very narrow, right? It's because there are a set number of courses on the menu at Pici, and on top of that, it's a very strong brand: it has to be fresh pasta in a particular portion at a certain price. 

At Pici the kitchen is very small. At the table, you can't do big portions or table-side service. So when we found out that [we were creating] a brand new concept, we could really pitch new ideas that get absorbed pretty well. What was happening during [our time spent developing the menu] is that instead of eight starters, we were throwing on the table 20 starters because we kept having ideas of all the things that we weren't able to do before. 

See also: How Pirata Group Has Grown Despite The Challenges Of A Global Pandemic

How does the surrounding neighbourhood of Quarry Bay differ from Pirata's usual haunts in Central and Wan Chai?

DB: Well, we analysed three key parts of the business: lunch, dinner, and brunch on the weekends. Definitely, lunch during weekdays is very office-oriented. In Central, especially for Pici, what we see is it's not purely office [workers]. There are also some residents or tourists. Now, the people we're targeting are more for executive-level business lunches. We have guests staying until 3pm chatting or having coffee, so it's definitely not a quick lunch. At dinner time, what we are targeting are the residents around here, but they're different from Central or Wan Chai. We are not yet sure what's going to bring the business.

DS: In my experience, parking space is one of the key points [for The Sixteenth] because it's comfortable. You get here, you leave your car downstairs, and that's how we feel about this place—much more as a destination. It's a place where you might spend a bit more of the whole night. Elsewhere, you'll have your dinner and then you go out for drinks. Here, the way we're seeing it a little bit more is that you come, you have your dinner and then you might spend some time here on the terrace. And you want to spend the night with the friends who are not really looking for the biggest club in town. 

In case you missed it: Neighbourhood Guide: What To Eat, Drink And Do In Quarry Bay

Why have multi-concept restaurant complexes been gaining popularity in recent years?

DS: I think the right spaces have become available, and it's easier for developers to have one person paying rent. So you get these opportunities for restaurant operators, or for Pirata, where if we open just one restaurant here, we'll get somebody once a week or every other week. But now that we've got four places we might get you coming in on Monday for drinks, Tuesday for dinner at TMK, Wednesday or Thursday for an early dinner at La Favorita, then a late dinner on Friday at Honjokko. We provide a lot more opportunity for people to get to know us.

What we've seen here is that we're able to take concepts and kind of morph them into into new things, and it wouldn't surprise me if we had like a little [offshoot of La Favorita] called La Fav in the future. I mean, we've got TMK Punk & Rolls, Rap & Rolls, and Funk & Rolls, right? So we could even have a Jazz & Rolls—although I don't think we will ever have an Easy Listening & Rolls! [Laughs]

AV: It really comes down to the people. At the end of the day, of course, this industry is very much four walls, some tables and chairs and people inside, and it really depends who do you have working with us and how do they want to grow. Right? 

DS: Yeah, to be able to do that and maintain consistency, to maintain our delivery and provide unconditional hospitality, that is our driving goal with Pirata Group. We get that opportunity every day, which is a nice thing to wake up to.

The Sixteenth, 2/F, Oxford House, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong; +852 2788 3011

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