Cover We Are Ona x Alexandre de Betak against the Hong Kong skyline
We Are Ona x Alexandre de Betak against the Hong Kong skyline
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To kick off Art Week in Hong Kong, We Are Ona hosted a one-night-only culinary event that brought together fine dining, design and culture
Art Week in Hong Kong opened with a fusion of gastronomy, design and culture as We Are Ona, the globally renowned nomadic dining collective, staged a one-night-only immersive experience at Exchange Square.
Led by founder Luca Pronzato, creative force and artistic director Alexandre de Betak and Elena Reygadas, leading chef and a pivotal figure in contemporary Mexican culture, this exclusive event marked the second chapter in a three-part global pop-up trilogy, following its Paris debut and preceding its final installment in New York.
The evening began with a welcome address from Pronzato, who has spent the last five years redefining the intersection of fine dining, architecture and design. Michael Smith, CEO of Hongkong Land, followed, expressing his intention to open every subsequent Art Week with an immersive cultural experience at Hongkong Land.
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Alexandre de Betak, Veronica Chou
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The guest list featured some of Asia’s most influential figures in art, fashion and culture such as Takashi Murakami, Silas, Celia and Veronica Chou, Arthur de Villepin, Federico Tan, Alexander Li, Dr Woo, Kevin Poon, Fiona McLeish, Matt Abergel, Lindsay Jang and Lauren Tsai.
At the heart of the evening was a menu crafted by Elena Reygadas, chef-owner of Rosetta in Mexico City and one of the world’s most celebrated female chefs. Known for her focus on seasonality and sustainability, Reygadas crafted a menu fusing Mexican and Asian influences, featuring beetroot al pastor, a smoked black bean corn mooncake and chile meco nicuatole (a Mexican panna cotta-like dessert infused with tamarind and piloncillo.)
Beyond the flavours, the evening was a sensory immersion, thanks to de Betak, the multidisciplinary artist and the mastermind behind Dior, Saint Laurent, Gucci and Prada’s most theatrical runway productions.
For We Are Ona, de Betak conceived a bespoke scenography under his Takbe Studio, featuring 1,500 handcrafted Japanese ceramic pieces, wood-fired to complement the raw, organic nature of Reygadas’s cuisine and a 30-metre-long light installation, designed as an equaliser of flickering flames, setting a hypnotic rhythm against Hong Kong’s skyline.
Alexandre de Betak, Elena Reygadas, Luca Pronzato
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Spearheaded by Pronzato, who was a former sommelier at the iconic fine-dining restaurant Noma, We Are Ona continues to push the boundaries of fine dining. With more than 100 culinary events a year, Pronzato’s work spans partnerships with Chanel, Saint Laurent, Jacquemus and major cultural institutions worldwide.
With its final chapter set for New York, this trilogy of pop-ups is shaping the future of luxury hospitality and artistic dining.
Stay tuned for an exclusive Tatler Asia interview in our June issue with Luca Pronzato, Alexandre de Betak and Elena Reygadas, where they reveal the inspiration behind the evening, the future of experiential luxury and why Asia is the next frontier for immersive dining experiences.
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Photography: Paul Ching
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