Nawaraj Gurung

NawarajGurung

Afood and beverage fanatic, Nawaraj Gurung, bartender at JinJuu believes that hard work and dedication will always pay off. Having learnt a thing or two in his years behind the bar, Nawaraj enjoys fusing unique flavours together to shake up contemporary and great tasting cocktails.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN THE INDUSTRY? My name is Nawaraj, I also go by Raj. I’m Nepalese and have been living in Hong Kong for the past nine years, and I love it! I am one of the team members working behind the bar in Jinjuu and we have a great team. I have a passion for all things food and beverage, and have always been fond of this industry, so my curiosity led me to where I am today. I believe that a person should always pursue his or her passion and hard work and dedication will always pay off. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to work in a lot of great venues and with a lot of extraordinary people, and for that, I’m very grateful.

TELL US ABOUT THE LIQUID YOU HAVE USED TO CREATE YOUR COCKTAIL WITH AND THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR DRINK? The base spirit I am using for my cocktail is Ocho Reposado Tequila owned by Carlos Camarena third generation tequilero and his partner Thomas Estes. The reason I chose Ocho Reposado is that of the vanilla, cinnamon and clove notes that you get on the palate, which compliments the Boricha (wheat tea) and caramel syrup, along with the grapefruit and the yuzu juice, for that Asian touch.

The inspiration behind my cocktail is “infusion’’. Like a lot of restaurants these days doing all kind of fusion foods, I wanted to implement the same concept to my cocktail, so I took a popular Mexican product and infused it with Asian ingredients.

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO ANYONE LOOKING AT JOINING THE INDUSTRY AS A PROFESSION? Losing your way in this industry is easy. Keep being focused, work hard and have fun along the way.

WHAT DOES THE HONG KONG BAR SCENE NEED MORE OF? From what I remember, around six or seven years ago the Hong Kong bar scene was all about beers and cheap spirits, cocktail programs weren’t so big, and product knowledge was not so great. Thanks to a few prominent individuals, the industry and the industry folk here have improved immensely. There is a beverage program happening almost once or twice a month. With that being said, I think we need more influential people to inspire the next generation of bartenders because I think what we do is not just a job, it’s a career.

IF YOU COULD DO ONE GUEST SHIFT WITH ANYONE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE AND WHO WOULD IT BE WITH? Employees Only in New York with Ashim Gurung (one of the T25 bartenders) and Suraj Gurung from Stockton, because I have worked with both of them in the past. And they are both my mentor and brother figure and it’s fun working with them.

Mash Up

INGREDIENTS: • 40ml Ocho Reposado Tequila • 25ml Caramel syrup • 15ml Fresh grapefruit juice • 10ml Yuzu juice • 10ml Egg white

METHOD: Add all ingredients into a shaker. Shake and strain

GARNISH: Barley bar

GLASSWARE: Coupe