In The Know with Jason Dembski

I am an architect/designer/curator originally from Columbus, Ohio. I’ve been living in Hong Kong for 6 years where I have my own small design practice and am one of the founders of HKwalls, an annual street art festival which takes place each March in Hong Kong.

For super cheap and quick eats, I go for street skewers or dai pai dong. Fish balls, squid balls, shu mai etc. or a macaroni noodle soup. That or a cooked food market… My go to spot is Queens St Cooked Food Market in Sheung Wan; usually for curry at Chautari but occasionally eat at the Thai place or the Beijing Dumping place as well.

Comfort food, I revert to my roots a bit and look for western food. Macaroni and cheese from Beer & Fish in Central, usually complimented by their staple fish and chips and cider is my go-to lately.

Nice dinner or night out… Depends on what else is on the agenda but my wife Maria and I love trying new places, next on our list, is Moonshine for the Cajun Seafood.

I like to get out to an outlying island or to Sai Kung, just to relax near the water and have a beer. Mavericks at Pui O is one of my favorite chill spots.

It’s rare for me these days, but for a bit of exercise and escape, I go rock climbing; it’s great in Hong Kong. The best is taking the ferry to Tung Lung Chau where you can hike across the tiny island and climb right on the side of the Ocean. Be sure to stop at the “Holiday Shop” for home made tea and instant noodles. Or for a quick half day, you can actually walk 10 minutes from midlevel’s to a decent crag and be hanging off the side of a cliff over-looking the city; gives you a whole new perspective, literally.

Haha, I don’t shop, not in the traditional sense I guess… For clothes, I know what I need before I go, and I get in, and get out as fast as possible.

But… I do love a wander down Apliu Street … 6 years on, the things you can find there still amaze me. From LEDs, drones, 3D printers and FauxPros (knock off Go-Pros), to second hand cell phones, refurbished power tools, insanely strong magnets, and zip ties big enough to strap 2 people together, it’s awesome. Have you ever heard of Radio Shack?.. Radio Shack was an American chain store that can best be described as geek heaven, selling new electronics but also anything you needed to build or repair your own… Well, Apliu Street is like Radio Shack on crack.

Generally I just keep watch for what’s new and fresh. Above Second in Sai Ying Pun is a gallery that always has something interesting on. Music is pretty hit and miss in Hong Kong, but I love more underground venues like Hidden Agenda in Kwun Tong or XXX in Tai Kok Tsui, both for their raw unfinished feel and they usually have bands and DJs you won’t find elsewhere in HK.

Haha, it’s lost on most people, but my favorite is the electric tennis racket / mosquito zappers; kids back home love those things. For the more mature, the latest FauxPro, a.k.a. SJ9000.

I’m still working on that one… When on the street and it rains, hit as many people in the head with your umbrella as possible, and when it’s not raining, do the same thing but call it a sunbrella… and never walk in a straight line.

Discover the songs that make Jason tick with his playlist for our Tribute Hotels Spotify Channel.