As our Operations Director, Tony has been a long-time fixture on the Hong Kong hospitality scene – one of the rare people whose contribution to the community can be felt far beyond the scope of his day to day job. Whether it is helping spur community initiatives, prioritising the safety of residents during pandemic times, or just being the friendly face infusing the neighbourhood with warmth and energy, Tony has been a constant and welcome presence over the years.

Born in Hong Kong, Tony spent his childhood in Vancouver, but could not resist the pull to return to his hometown and become a part of the city’s dynamic restaurant scene. When he is not pounding the pavements in-between restaurants meetings on both sides of the harbour – checking that every immaculate detail is in place – Tony can be found raising staff morale in our Team Canteen, defending his beer pong title at The Last Resort, and spending an inordinate amount of time styling his hair (“I take grooming very seriously,” he says). Below, he walks us through his typical jam-packed schedule in his Day In The Life diary.

5am: I wake up and proceed to write in my journal (just kidding). I grab a sip of water and proceed to go back to bed. I work in restaurants; I don’t wake up at 5am – unless I’m still at the bar from the previous night!

8am: Straight out of bed and into my gym clothes. Brush my teeth and drink my apple cider vinegar with water and probiotics. Grab my pre-workout drink and I am out the door.

10:15am: Hit the showers. Drink a protein shake. Take my supplements and listen to some sort of inspirational track from The Rock. I get ready for work, and take extra time to groom my hair. I take my hair grooming very seriously. Apply deodorant, and I am out the door.

10:45am: In the taxi, I go through the rest of my messages and emails. On most days, I get at least half my inbox cleared at the gym (in-between sets of course).

11am: I’ve arrived at Stazione Novella for my first catch-up. My notes are written down the night before, so I’m not scrambling to jot stuff down. Unless I’m hungover… then I’m scrambling to jot things down. Every day, I have an internal struggle whether to have green tea or coffee.

11:30am: Second one on one, phone check to see if I have missed any important messages, especially from Asim (our Founder).

12pm: I’m getting hungry by now – if the first two catch-ups were inspiring. However, if they weren’t as fun as I thought they’d be, I’ll eat a small bowl of potato chips. I know, I know… but if you have ever tried the chips from Stazione Novella, they are addictive. Time to truck on and move on to the next catch-up.

12:40pm: I’m checking all of the restaurants in SoHo, and Messina. I’ll look for the flow of service, and energy in the dining room and in the team members. I’ll check the toilets to make sure they are clean and peek inside the kitchen to make sure all things are humming along. The kitchens are usually the last of my worries: our chefs are world class. However, if they need support during service, I’m readily available.

2pm: My last stop on my rounds is the Team Canteen (not least because it has the best air-con). I’ll go around saying hello to everyone, make sure the toilets are clean and everyone is cleaning up after themselves, and say hello to the kitchen. I might grab a little lunch; it’s difficult to choose between Chefs Palash, ArChan or Matthew K.

2:30pm: Time to go over my restaurant meeting notes and message the teams to see if they are ready.

3pm: Restaurant meetings start. Today is Wednesday, so it’s Belon, Chôm Chôm, Hotal Colombo and Taqueria Super Macho. Very fun line-up.

4pm: I need a candy break. Maybe even a toilet break if I feel like I’m going to treat myself.

4:50pm: The last meeting was a good one, so I’ve got a pep in my step. I take this break to pop by home and refresh myself. Brush my teeth, re-apply deodorant and add more product to my hair.

5:30pm: I usually pick one restaurant to join in briefings. Today, it’s Maison Libanaise. Ali and Chef Teya deliver a fiery pow-wow; I’ll usually back them up or just listen. I always learn a thing or two as well.

6pm: It’s show time. I check my notes for VIP guests and see who’ll be dining with us tonight. I’ll make sure I go say hello to everyone on the lists, recognition is key! Time to make my way around SoHo.

6:45pm: I see my counterpart, Amy Stott, on the street helping random strangers and showing them directions to places. Together with her bright pink jacket and outfit, she IS hands-down the best at this.

7:30pm: I spot our first VIP guest in SoHo, who is dining at Fukuro. Tonight, he’s at a work dinner with colleagues, so I’ll pull back the familiarity and use my business voice. But of course, I am still going to do a shot of sake with him. Business doesn’t have to be boring.

8pm: I make my way up to The Last Resort, and see a few familiar faces. Someone challenges me to beer pong; I tell them I am working, so ONE game only. The game settles amicably (I win). It’s time to move on and check on La Vache!.

8:30pm: La Vache! is heaving with guests. I check the dessert cart and make sure it’s manicured properly. Music volume sounds good. I see Chef Sam at the pass, and taste a few fries. They’re good… so I taste a few more. Lastly, I check the toilets; after picking up a few tissue papers and wiping the sink, I move on.

9pm: Gelato time! At Messina, this is the time of day when things get hectic. Suraj and the team are handling the rush with ease; they are used to this pace. I see Chef Jared and Karys (newlyweds!) in the back spinning gelato. I find the perfect opportunity to interrupt them and ask for a scoop of the new flavour they are working on. It’s important to “test” it for quality.

9:30pm: Heading over to Tsim Sha Tsui. La Vache! was our first place to open in TST, and now we also have Butter at K11. I love walking to TST; it gives me time to think and reflect upon my day or simply just think about nothing.

As I approach La Vache!, I’m greeted by a queue still waiting out the door. Strong night tonight. I walk in to a loud “Bonsoir!”, high-five our manager Apsana and proceed through the dining room. I check the dessert cart, visit the kitchen, taste some fries, check the walk-in cooler and again, check the toilets. On my way out, I see a guest with their hand up, and walk over to see if I can help. “Check, please.” Check it is.

10:45pm: My final stop for the night is La Vache! Pacific Place. By now, most of the guests have left so I say my hellos to the team members. I’m sitting at the corner of the bar, contemplating if I should have a beer or a glass of wine to take the edge off. I see Antim, our restaurant manager, and wave her over. I ask her how her night was. Two glasses of wine later, I clear the rest of my inbox and it’s time to go home.

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Craving more? Read more ‘Day In The Life’ stories here and here to find out what our teams do to make that Black Sheep magic happen every day.

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