Trailblazers, From Here And Beyond

Fitness haunts to know around the region. Five women in their element on venturing into the unknown, and hitting it out of the park

- Andrea Sim

LINDSAY Jang
ENTREPRENEUR, CO-FOUNDER OF YARDBIRD, RONIN & SUNDAY SPIRITS

With its scores of cha chaan tengs and conceptual restaurants that serve up Instagrammable interiors and sumptuous fares, Hong Kong is not wanting in its dining scene. Yet long lines are a common sight outside Yardbird and Ronin, a yakitori-style restaurant and a seafood and whisky bar co-founded by Lindsay Jang and business partner Matthew Abergel in 2011 and 2013 respectively, thanks to their hearty dishes and buzzy atmospheres. If you’ve ever wondered about the food places that chefs seek out when they travel, Yardbird is on the list, reports the The New York Times. “I am a highly intuitive person and I generally trust my gut, but I’ll follow up and flesh it out in a logical and structured manner,” Jang says of her endeavours.

Currently based in Hong Kong, the 38-year old mother of two grew up in Canada with early exposure to the restaurant business — she worked at a Chinese eatery run by her parents — but had a pit stop in acting before her foray into dining. “Working in the family restaurant was just something you did. Honestly, I didn’t have a choice. But it has shaped my work ethic and taught me so much about being responsible, and what the true value of the dollar is.”

This serial entrepreneur's next stop: Los Angeles. Look out for Jang’s new dining concept brewing in the downtown district.

HAVING BEEN IN F&B FOR ALMOST A DECADE NOW, WHAT CONTINUES TO DRIVE YOU?