“I joined because my school friends said the tips were good, but I couldn’t believe how hard it was. I was given a manual to study and I had to memorise all the food and drink on the menu, I was clueless,” says Khan.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Khan’s Pakistani heritage gave him a point of difference which landed him a role in a karaoke bar, and a er working a few other bar jobs Khan was becoming capable.
He then took a risk and spent a year in Melbourne, working in some more advanced venues, one of which sat directly opposite former 50 Best Bar Black Pearl.
“I used to go over a er my shift and observe how the bartenders interacted with their guests and ask about the drinks they were making. It changed my perception a lot.”
After returning to Hong Kong, Khan got a big break as a member of the opening team for Lily & Bloom, one of the first speakeasies in the city.
“It was so new and exciting to see people coming in just to drink cocktails and I’d say Lily & Bloom is a pioneer for the craft cocktail scene in Hong Kong.”
At that time Khan was into whisky and was head hunted to work in a new Macallan Bar in a big casino in Macau.
“I was young so I didn’t hesitate because I wanted to explore as much as I could. Working in Macau changed me a lot because it taught me all about working in management, but I turned down a role as beverage manager because a er two years I realised I was just getting further away from making drinks behind the bar.”
It was during his time at Lily & Bloom that Khan first tried mezcal and tequila, because it wasn’t widely available in Hong Kong at the time.
“I remember being blown away by mezcal because it was like no other spirit I had ever tasted and a er returning from Macau I needed my next challenge, I was just so hungry to learn more. I was doing a lot of research into tequila and mezcal because I found it so interesting, but one day I decided to do it properly and just go to Mexico.”
Each time Khan returned he would be planning his next trip to Mexico and wherever he worked he would have his own line of agave spirits behind the bar. However, during a brand ambassadorial role with Rémy Cointreau he had time to get serious about opening his own place.
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With a group of forward-thinking investors and a trusted business partner behind him, Khan opened Coa in late 2017.
“It was super tough for us at first,” says Khan. “The concept was there and the drinks were great but we didn’t have any PR so we didn’t get an initial buzz. We lost money every month for the first year so it was pretty scary, but eventually through word of mouth people started to understand that we weren’t just a regular tequila bar.”
Momentum continued to grow until in 2019 Coa broke into Asia’s 50 Best Bars as the Highest New Entry and snuck into the global list at number 49.
“That brought a big influx of international guests, but I still wanted to attract a local following, because I always wanted to change the local perception of agave spirits,” says Khan. “One silver lining of Covid is that, because of travel restrictions, we were able to attract a bigger local following.”
Coa now sits number eight in The World’s 50 Best and earlier this year it was ranked number one in Asia.
“Becoming the Best Bar in Asia was never our aim, we just wanted to nail the basics and execute everything to the very best of our ability, I think that’s why we were successful,” says Khan.
“Regardless of how busy we are I tell my staff to sit down with guests until they fully understand anything they want to know about agave.
“I wanted to bring something new to Hong Kong and the goal of Coa will never be complete because it’s an ongoing process. I think hard work and passion is one thing, but without a little bit of luck I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Modesty aside, Khan earned his luck and with plans to open a second venue in Shanghai this July, his unstoppable influence on Asia’s bar scene looks set to continue.
