Something new: Pawning off The Pawn
Olivia Rosenman
"I'd like a vodka martini, two of your bar stools and the vintage till."
No, Ikea hasn't opened a cocktail bar (thankfully) - rather, for one weekend The Pawn restaurant in Wan Chai will revert to the building's original purpose, and pawn off the entire contents of its interior in preparation for its rebirth as a fine-dining restaurant in October.
From French boudoir-esque lamps to old-school adding machines, everything must go. And prices are surprisingly reasonable.
Remember those beautiful green cinema seats? Yours for the price of a Speyside malt whisky (HK$100). Art-deco bar stools start from HK$100 apiece, while you can snag a set of three chairs and a table for HK$500. Fancy that large, retro brown leather couch that was impossible to get up from after one or two cocktails? You could take it home for HK$3,000 … provided you get there before other early bird treasure hunters.
Fans of the three-storey building, comprising four tong laus and a beautiful colonial facade, need not fret. The new restaurant, lead by British chef Tom Aikens, will retain the heritage-chic vibe that founders Alan Lo, Paulo Pong and Arnold Wong put on the map with The Pawn's debut in 2008.
Crucially, the 19th-century building will remain unaltered, and they're keeping the name that nods to the original Woo Cheong Pawn Shop. We'll raise a glass to that.
"Pawning the Pawn" will take place from 11am to 6pm next Saturday and Sunday. All items will be sold at a fixed price with 20 per cent of the proceeds going to Liberty Asia, a charity that works to end slavery. The Pawn is at 62 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2866 3444.
