See an indie film, admire shadowy paintings, sip white New Zealand wine with local artists – all in a typical day at Whatever, a cafe and event space in OCT-Loft.
Whatever grew from the combined dream of owner Raina Luo and her husband, a local painter. Luo used to direct programs at a Hong Kong TV station but wanted to run a coffee shop. Her spouse wanted to run an art gallery. The couple realized they could do both if they opened a fusion venue: part cafe, part gallery and place for lectures.
The front of Whatever opens onto a large wooden deck where people sit either in large groups talking and smoking, or by themselves with their Apple computers, focusing on design projects. Most clients sport alternative haircuts along with impeccably accessorized clothing and jewelry. People don’t come here to be seen, though. They come here to get things done, collaborating on, and generally appreciating, creative work within the local art scene.
They definitely don’t come for the food, which is decent but not outstanding. Matcha toast (RMB42), a giant brick of baked dough, contains cubed pieces of bread, matcha ice cream, whipped cream and strawberries. It’s an average rendition of a popular Korean-style dessert and not filling. The British dinner (RMB45) is packed with scrambled eggs, baked beans, salad, ham and more, yet it’s a breakfast rather than a dinner.
Go straight for drinks instead of food. In the OCT-Loft area, only Whatever carries New Zealand white wine Highfield Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (RMB480/bottle). For coffee, the latte and cappuccino (both RMB36) come with leafy patterns on sturdy, thick foam.
The most intriguingly named beverage is time’s memory (RMB40). Also quite foamy, it layers slightly sweetened milk and chocolate at the bottom of the glass. Like all the coffees, it is full bodied, satisfying and made quickly – as opposed to the food, which takes a long time to come out.
A small amphitheater comprises the back of Whatever. It is here that independent films in English with Chinese subtitles play every day at 2pm and 8.30pm. Different artists or other members of the community come and give lectures at varying times. In April, an Australian photographer will have an exhibit of photos of Whatever’s customers. Maybe that’s too post-modernly self-aware for a coffee shop, but hey, whatever.
Price: Approx. RMB36 for espresso-based beverages
Who's going: Local artists and OCT-Loft residents
Good for: Brainstorming, seeing local art, coffee
// Listing.
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