Devender Sehgal is the assistant general manager and head of the beverage programme at Hong Kong’s newest Japanese izakaya, The Aubrey. He reveals how he landed the gig creating cocktails for the city’s hottest new bar
What brought you to Hong Kong?
I would like to think that New Delhi’s greatest exports to the world are butter chicken and me. I grew up in India but work has allowed me to travel around the world. I was head bartender at one of India’s first cocktail bars, Ellipsis, in Mumbai before moving here in 2014. Hong Kong is so cosmopolitan and is a leading financial centre, which means it’ll always be in business. I recently received my permanent residency and I think it’s a very sweet reward for the time that I have spent here and the work that I have done.
How did you make your start in the hospitality industry?
By pure chance. Before this, I worked as a mechanic to make money to support my family. I came across the TV talent show 30 Seconds to Fame on Fox, which showed two people doing tandem flair bartending [in which bartenders entertain guests with tricks] and was fascinated with it. I left my job to pursue that instead.
Tell us how you joined the team at The Aubrey.
My previous experience as the head mixologist at [Italian restaurant] 8 1⁄2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana was invaluable, but I yearned to move somewhere that was beverage-driven. I heard about The Aubrey through industry connections and met up with the Maximal Concepts team who were partnering with the hotel.
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What makes The Aubrey different from other dining concepts?
Typically, at a Japanese izakaya you would find simple drinks such as a [shochu cocktail] chuhai or a highball but not a comprehensive menu. At The Aubrey, we have chuhais and highballs, but also seasonal drinks and a great selection of whiskies. We also have a dedicated four-person omakase cocktail bar that’s by-reservation-only. The bar experience is driven by cocktails with an added food element.
What was the process like, developing the menu for this bar?
The process is always tiring no matter what project you work on, and this was no exception. It was exciting working with ingredients we hadn’t explored before. Shochu is one ingredient that I feel has great potential to be featured more in the cocktail world. It has everything—depth of flavour, character and a great history.
How have you differentiated the three bars at The Aubrey?
All three have different concepts for the food and drinks experience. There’s the main bar, the omakase cocktail bar, and the champagne and oyster bar. The menu at the main bar is divided into three categories: seasonal, which will change every quarter; highballs and chuhais; and signature cocktails inspired by the game of chess.