Opening at a time of mass emigration, this watering hole seeks to recreate a place of refuge for in-betweeners
Chinatowns are a living historical concept that many among our readership will be familiar with, offering a home and refuge, a slice of heritage in foreign lands for those who grew up, studied, or worked abroad. The largest and oldest in the world can be found in San Francisco; established in 1848, it has welcomed hundreds of thousands of Chinese émigrés over the decades, from those who sought riches in the California Gold Rush, to later waves fleeing economic woes and political persecution—a pattern which continues today.
This month, the unique hybrid culture of Chinatown comes full circle in Hong Kong with the opening of Sam Fancy, a cocktail bar in Central that attempts to condense the full range of culinary expression within the Asian-American experience. A play on the Cantonese name for San Francisco (三藩市 saam1 faan4 si5), Sam Fancy is spread across two floors and offers differing experiences that speak to the diversity of Asian-American food culture.
On the third floor are Association, a canteen-like dive bar inspired by the Benevolent Associations that aided immigrants with settling into an alien culture; and Lanai Lounge, a laidback tiki parlour with a focus on classic tiki cocktails and slushies. Meanwhile, The Merchant on the fourth floor pays homage to ingredients ubiquitous in Chinatowns through seasonal cocktail creations.
