Hong Kong’s Yardbird restaurant has become a de facto gathering point for some of the city’s most creative minds. Owners Lindsay Jang and Matt Abergel managed to put together more than just an amalgamation of food, drink and friends in a relatively short period of time; Yardbird has established itself as a weekly jaunt for many of Hong Kong’s artist and influential members of the creative community who crave a contemporary take on Japanese foods. Their advice for aspiring restauranteurs? Don’t pay anyone to teach you how to cook, start from the bottom, and be prepared to work extremely hard.

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