Soju for the Seoul

Tatler caught up with Eva Chow, founder of new soju brand Khee Soju, during her visit to Hong Kong for Art Week in March. She speaks about going back to her Korean roots, how a drink with Psy of Gangnam Style fame inspired her love of the spirit, and why she decided to launch the brand here

- Tara Sobti

What draws you to Hong Kong?

Hong Kong is one of the most cosmopolitan places in Asia. I spend my time between Los Angeles and Seoul, and I hadn’t been back to Hong Kong for four years. I’ve really missed it. I feel like Hong Kong’s energy is back. The feng shui and aura of the city are so good. Visually, it’s one of the most beautiful places, and it’s got the best food. Home is where your friends are, and Hong Kong is that for me. After I launched the brand in South Korea in August, the next obvious place was Hong Kong.

What does Khee mean?

My Korean name is Hee Kyung, and when I moved to the US as a teenager, people couldn’t pronounce Kyung. They used to call me “Hee” and used “K” as my middle name. I preferred that, actually, rather than them mispronouncing my name. I then anglicised my name to Eva Chow. In those days Asians weren’t as accepted [in the west] as they are now. With Khee Soju, I wanted to go back to my roots and give the soju a Korean name that everyone could pronounce. So I put the K in front of my [Korean] first name to make Khee. Khee also means “energy” in Korean, like chi.

What inspired you to launch Khee?