Cover Cindy Chua‐Tay at the Polo Bar
Cindy Chua‐Tay at the Polo Bar
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Cindy Chua-Tay lives in Hong Kong, but spends a lot of time in New York City, where she has been on the Guggenheim Museum’s board of trustees since 2015, making her one of the youngest board members and the first Asian. Here, she shares her NYC hotspots
While Cindy Chua-Tay currently lives in Hong Kong, she still frequents New York City all the time. Cindy and her husband Tay Liam Wee, who formerly ran Sincere Watches and is now a co-founder of Watchbox, lived in New York prior to the pandemic. Her dedication to the arts saw her being appointed to theGuggenheim Museum’s board of trustees in 2015, making her one of the youngest board members and the first Asian. We asked her to share some of her recommendations to the Big Apple.
I love NYC...
because like no other city in the world, it envelops you. It touches you in so many ways, all your senses are awoken the minute you arrive in the Big Apple. It’s invigorating!
One of the things I love best about the city is...
that it allows you to generate any kind of story wonderfully. It challenges you to try something different. It’s liberating and intoxicating.
My favourite museum is...
the Guggenheim for all its splendour—its iconic rotunda that encircles you when you gaze up. It diverts your attention to the works of art surrounding you, inviting you to look and appreciate their beauty. Something about the light streaming down and through that makes it magical. It also has some of the most pioneering exhibitions in the city.
My go‐to galleries include...
56 Henry for up‐and‐coming artists with progressive visions; Salon 94 for the most thoughtfully curated exhibitions in the most stylish of settings; Tina Kim Gallery because Tina (its eponymous founder) rocks and is such a wonderful patron of the arts; Acquavella for serious old‐school, traditional masters; Gagosian because you just must be in the know of what the largest gallery network is showing and who it’s representing; and Art Intelligence Global, which isn’t a gallery per se but always has some gems on the walls.
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Chua‐Tay at The 1916 Company Lounge with her husband Tay Liam Wee
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If I head out for breakfast or brunch...
and realise I have a leisurely morning ahead of me, I head to Sadelle’s. It’s somewhat of a predictable spot, but it always delivers on food, ambience and delicious bagels. If I want to be alone and catch up on e‐mails or finish a book and relish in some alone time, I love Via Quadronno. It serves the best paninis.
My favourite date night restaurant is...
Sushi Noz. Authentic, simple, clean Japanese omakase.
Above The
Guggenheim in
New York
The Guggenheim in New York
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I always take friends visiting from out of town to...
the Polo Bar because it’s quintessentially New York. The food is divine, the ambience unparalleled, and you always spot personalities and celebrities.
Something very New York that I adore is...
going for a run at Central Park.
My favourite boutiques in NYC are...
Bode on Hester Street—the store communicates the whole narrative of the brand brilliantly: quirky, unique handcrafted collectibles; the finely appointed The 1916 Company Lounge in Fuller Building, beautifully designed by Studio Mellone, to behold glorious timepieces; and Aida Bicaj, because Aida (founder of the namesake beauty salon) has magic fingers and I just adore her!
My favourite secret spot in the city is...
my home. After my usual trips to museums and galleries, and catching up with friends from the city, I savour the peace and quiet my little abode affords me. It recharges me for yet another brand‐new day in the city.
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Credits
Photography: Cindy Chua-Tay
About
Aun started his career in media, working at illustrious publications in NYC, Paris, and Hong Kong before launching his own Asia-regional lifestyle magazine, East, that was called "Asia's hippest magazine" by Asiaweek and "an Asian Vanity Fair" by Fortune. Committed to community service, Aun has helmed the visual arts and literary arts divisions for the National Arts Council in Singapore; led the marketing, communications, and corporate community investments teams at the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre; was the founding Chair of the Pangdemonium Theatre Company; and currently sits on the Board of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. In 2006, Aun co-founded The Ate Group, a content strategy and communications agency specialising in F&B, hospitality, luxury and lifestyle. Aun has run the content and communications teams at Tripadvisor; similarly run content and communications at a sustainability focused tech start up; and run marketing and communications at a global BPO with over 17,000 employees worldwide. Aun has also been a consultant for Mediacorp and has produced and hosted two food & travel television series for them. In 2015 he began working on the creation of a private members club, Straits Clan, which he launched in 2019 and sold the following year. Returning to his roots, Aun joined Tatler Asia in 2023 as editor-in-chief in Singapore and is committed to telling great stories of change makers through Tatler’s online and offline platforms.
Work
As Editor-in-Chief of Tatler Singapore, Aun leads all the content teams: branded content, print, digital, and the creative teams. He works closely with the heads of each team to ensure that Tatler continues to cover the most important, inspiring and exciting stories that are affecting Singapore and our region. He also works closely with the events and commercial teams and is always excited to collaborate on new ideas and projects that the Tatler team can activate.
Follow Aun on Instagram at @aun_koh (primarily a food account) and on Linkedin here.
