The Hong Kong Contemporary Art Show was conceived as a way to expose the "under-served" market of accessible art. By accessible, the Show means pricing at around 30,000 to 80,000 HKD, although there were certain lovely limited edition prints for as low as $2,500. In short, visitors are meant to come with wallets out. And in a charming and whimsical concession to the simplest-minded buyer--one who's not there for a savvy investment but rather for the pleasure of enhancing their living room--the art is displayed in the Grand Hyatt's plush hotels rooms, one room for each gallery represented. It's halfway between the ideal minimalism of the gallery and the reality of a domestic setting. 

Of course, even for the purely observational visitor, the Show is rewarding. The art spans a wide range of tastes and styles, culled from over a dozen countries in Asia. There are more than sixty hotel rooms to choose from, creating a labyrinthine, playful atmosphere that's fun and exciting to explore. 

“We created the Asia Contemporary Art Show with the objective of forming a community of art lovers that are focused on up-and-coming artists introducing new blood and a wide range of works from emerging art markets rather than highlighting the top end of the market,” said Mark Saunderson, Director. “By creating a platform for discussing and acquiring reasonably priced artworks, the Show changes the game, bringing a vibrant selection of exciting new works and artists to Hong Kong whilst also creating a community where first-time buyers, art lovers and collectors can interact with artists and gallery owners in an intimate setting.”

Banksy, Sheppard Fairey and Federico Fiorentini on display at Above Second Gallery

The bathroom at Above Second

Marcel Heijnen's Residue Series

Installation using dental materials at Mon Espace D'art

Miro and co. on display 

*all photos by the author

Socialito is both the newest of Hong Kong's Wyndham Street glass-fronted, overflowing dens of debauchery, and the latest of its crop of fancy-pants Mexican restaurants. What distinguishes the "Tacqueria-Ristorante-Discotheca" from other recent Western imports Chicha and Brickhouse is not its classic menu of tacos, tostadas and ceviche, but rather hyper-cool management by Buzz Concepts, the people behind the perennially popular Fly and Volar. 

The Glass joined Socialito for their opening fiesta last week to see if the new venture lives up to its legacy. 

Revelers by the bar

The bartenders hard at work

Tasty margaritas

A gaggle of grey-shirted guests

The requisite line of Tequila shots

The verdict? Fun! The space is dark, warm and inviting. Some small tostadas were passed around, which were pleasingly addictive. The food might not be on par with Chicha or Birckhouse (yet!) but the atmosphere is bumping. Our favorite part? The Micheladas--a Tecate beer mixed with lime juice and chili. Brrr- fresh!

There may be too much of some good things, but there's never too much good sushi. 

Luckily, Hong Kong has been graced with a new, cool sushi star, Masu Robayataki and Seafood. The restaurant, which sits on the ground floor of the On Hing Center in Central, is run by the Prive Group and distinguished by its generous use of the little "masu"-- a square wooden box traditionally used to measure portions of ricce during Japan's feudal era. 

Today, masu are often used to serve sake, and we had some of the most delicious sake of our lifetime at Masu's opening on Wednesday. The box lent a slight, sandalwood-y quality to the taste of the sake that was both warm and refreshing. 

As the full name suggests, Masu focuses on thickly cut fresh sashimi slices and on chunky, simmering robayataki, barbecued meats and vegetables. We also loved the popcorn-like karaage (Japanese fried chicken). 

The opening was full of Hong Kong's usual movers and shakers, but the guest of honor was an enormous tuna, who generously allowed himself to be cut up and served, to the delight of Masu's guests. 

For more information, visit www.masu.hk

*Top image courtesy of Masu