Forward Motion

We speak to Lindsay Jang and Matt Abergel on the opening of their latest eatery Always Joy, their first new venture together in 12 years

- Tara Sobti

Lindsay Jang and Matt Abergel are famous for their renowned hotspot, Yardbird, which they opened in 2011. In 2013, they went on to open Ronin, a hugely popular izakaya-style 14-seater that closed in December. But just three months later, the pair opened their latest restaurant, Always Joy, right next to Yardbird. Always Joy marks the business partners' first new venture together in 12 years. They speak to Tatler about what makes their partnership work.

Always Joy is an evolution of what you built with Ronin. What does evolution mean to you?

Matt Abergel: For me, it means freedom: the ability to do exactly what I want to do whenever I want to do it.

Lindsay Jang: Always Joy is a much bigger space, [including a] bigger kitchen, but it still has this really nice intimacy, especially if you're here at night. There's been an evolution too with who we are as people and as business partners. [We've been in Hong Kong since 2009] and all the things we've learnt in the past 16 years, and through all the businesses we've opened, have been an evolution of our personalities and experience. It's been the most relaxed experience building this brand and space. We divide and conquer and we're a little bit wiser now.

Abergel: We're really good at repeating the things that work for us and we're not afraid to just start again and do something else. I think that's why we succeed—it's because we're not really scared of much in business. We've had enough good and bad experiences to tell us that being scared of the idea is not the right approach.

Ronin was celebrated for its intimacy and understated elegance, while Yardbird has a lively, communal energy. Where does Always Joy fit on this spectrum?