Dim sum master Wong Yiu-por created Eugene Bao, a bun with wagyu beef filling named after jazz guitarist Eugene Pao. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The red brick and stucco clad building wedged between Wyndham Street and Lower Albert Road has long been a showcase for Hong Kong’s cultural smorgasbord. Built by Dairy Farm in 1892, it was originally a cold storage warehouse that later contained a dairy shop and meat smoking room. After the Fringe Club took over the premises in 1984, the dilapidated structure was lovingly converted into visual and performing art spaces. 

“We first used the corner space facing the Glenealy and Lower Albert junction as our office,” recalls Benny Chia, the Fringe Club’s founder and director. “It was in better condition than the other rooms.”

Chia met Michelle Garnaut and Greg Malouf when the young Melbourne couple were caterers and sought a permanent restaurant. The collaboration led to M at the Fringe, one of Hong Kong’s first and most popular upscale independent restaurants that continue to inspire nostalgic longings in the hearts of local gourmands. 

Dim sum master Wong Yiu-por created Eugene Bao, a bun with wagyu beef filling named after jazz guitarist Eugene Pao. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

In 2009, M at the Fringe closed after 19 years in operation as the building began a series of renovations to meet contemporary safety codes, including installing a secondary fire exit. The process took eight years. “We had to deal with about 10 different government departments,” sighs Chia. “During that time, we were upgraded from a Grade 3 to Grade 1 historical building.” 

Chia was introduced to Italian Chef Umberto Bombana through Chef Talks, a series of lectures by leading Hong Kong chefs held at the Fringe in 2015. “Bombana loves art and that became our common language. He told me about his idea for Nove and the chefs from the Tang restaurants who wanted to open their own place. It was a good opportunity.” 

Nove Chinese Kitchen is the first Chinese restaurant in Bombana’s Octavium Group. It opened in an alley in Hong Kong’s Central in 2019. Although it drew a solid lunch crowd from the nearby banks and finance firms, the area is quiet in the evenings. Julia Wai, Bombana’s wife and publicist, wanted a secondary space nearby that could share its kitchen output. When the couple saw the vacant former M at the Fringe, they realized its potential. 

“They opened Nove at the Fringe in the middle of the pandemic,” exclaims Chia with a grin of admiration. “It is a rare place. Although I was sceptical that the size was big enough for a proper Chinese restaurant, the kitchen there is like an artist’s studio. It has its own rhythm.”

Dim sum master Wong Yiu-por created Eugene Bao, a bun with wagyu beef filling named after jazz guitarist Eugene Pao. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The recipe for stir fried rice, Cantonese-style, is contributed by Chef Chan Hing-kei. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Nove at the Fringe features the talents of dim sum master Wong Yiu-por, a half-century veteran whose resume includes China Tang and one Michelin-starred Island Tang. Poon Kwai-chung was formerly a chef at Chiu Tang and oversees the cooking of chiu chow delicacies including the succulent marinated goose and pig’s trotters. Cantonese favorites such as sweet and sour pork and stir fried rice are created by Chan Hing-kei, who boasts more than 30 years of experience across restaurants in China. Mixologist Kama Ma supports the trio with tea-based cocktails, dim sum prosecco pairings and sophisticated tipple to match the vibe. 

The restaurant strengthens its ties to the venue by paying homage to artists closely associated with the Fringe Club. Wong created Eugene Bao, a savory wagyu beef filled sweet bun named after jazz guitarist Eugene Pao, and Ted Lo So — a melt in the mouth crispy turnip pastry in honor of the jazz musician. 

“I told Eugene that his name lends itself to a great dim sum—we laughed about it,” says Chia. “After he tried the bao, he loved it. Both Ted and I tasted the pastry; I suggested that it could be layered like millefeuille. Chef Wong then came up with a great texture for the dish.” 

Art gracing the walls of the space designed by Albert Kwan were carefully selected to reflect artists who have exhibited at the Fringe Club. “Ink artist Chak Chung-ho was one of our first rooftop painters,” Chia notes. “Showing his work connects the space back to our beginnings. Painter Tsang Chui-mei had her first show here in the 1990s.” 

Chia is delighted to witness Nove at the Fringe transform into a place that blends gastronomy and art. “Yum cha is part of our local culture and is popular all around the world,” he believes. “I just never expected it to happen here.”