Hai Pai Packs a Punch
It’s no secret that Oslo’s affluent Frogner area has been a bit of a wasteland in terms of culinary thrills. But something is slowly brewing on the west side of town – as proved by the newly opened Shanghai-inspired cocktail bar Hai Pai. We’ve had a chat with co-founder Elisabeth Bakke-Hareide about their signature cocktail, and what it’s been like opening a bar during the pandemic.
Ambi: Why did you decide to open a Shanghai-style cocktail bar? What was the inspiration?
Elisabeth: Before we even started talking about opening Hai Pai, this type of concept had been in the back of one of the other co-owner's mind for a while. Stian, who also owns Torggata Botaniske where I work as a manager, had dreamt of opening an asian-inspired place with what he considers the best bar snack, namely dumplings, for a quite a few years.
When we did a walk through of the venue, we all felt that the place had a lot of details that could easily be adapted to our concept – and that nugget of an idea spun even greater as we started working on it. Starting from the notion of Shanghai in the 20s and 30s, back when it was a melting pot for Asian and Western culture, with a jazz music and glamorous art deco bars, there was already a whole universe for us to tap into.
What do you want people to feel when they visit Hai Pai?
It's a bit of a mysterious place, with the velvet curtains and the stairs going down to the bar. It takes you on a journey, where you kind of feel like you're traveling in time and place. Of course the service and the exotic cocktails only enhance that perception, and allows you to truly sit back and enjoy.
What was it like to plan opening a bar during a lockdown? And how's the reception been?
Unpredictable, to say the least! Working hard to realize a dream, and not even knowing what kind of restrictions you'll have to abide by when you open, or when you'll be able to open, was kind of nerve wracking. At the same time, I don't think we could have found so much time to work on the bar, without distractions, otherwise. It was a blessing and a curse all in one.
Delicious dumplings from Momo Chee. Photo: Marthe Thu
And I must say, the reception has been amazing. From friends and family, to people popping in because they've heard of us and wanted to check us out; to people who just happen to stumble upon us when they're out and about – it's been beyond our expectation.
The fact that we opened after such a long lockdown has, I think, allowed us to develop a closer relationship with our guests as well, because we've all missed talking to strangers. Not to mention that we opened up in a hood with really welcoming neighbours, both in terms of local businesses and people who are excited to see something new pop up.
You just added dumplings to your menu. Yum! What makes dumplings the perfect cocktail snack in your opinion?
To have a tasty hot snack at any point when you're out drinking, was really the best thing we could collectively think of when we wanted to add dumplings to our menu. The fact that we have the great team at Momo Chhe making them for us, and that we're able to steam and serve during the night without any extra kitchen staff is what makes dumplings the most satisfying, and at the same time most do-able bar snack. And that Momo Chhe really strives to use fresh, local and organic ingredients, as well as their killer cooking, guarantees great flavour.
Do you have a signature cocktail on the menu yet?
The Gong Fu Punch is by far the cocktail people have responded the most to, because of its engaging presentation. Not many people have been served a teacup full of smoke alongside a gin tea milk punch in a teapot, and who doesn't enjoy a bit of a show? We have a lot of guests coming in asking for "the one in the teapot" –and it's just as fun to serve every time.
The cocktail certainly has a bit of a theatrical element to it, can you explain the cocktail – and how did it come to be?
Theatrical, that's a very good word for it. The cocktail itself is served in a tea pot, and with it comes a teacup on its head on a saucer, containing fragrant smoke made from the same tea that's in the drink. We engage the guests by letting them lift the cup themselves, to have them be a part of the service. Some lift the cup before we explain what's under there, and so many of them think that they've done something wrong – it's hilarious and can really break the ice between us and the guests.
The Gong Fu Punch is gin based, made with black tea with dried mango and coconut, lemon, some simple syrup – and then we milk wash it. That means that we mix the drink together first, before adding it to organic milk. Reacting with the citrus, the milk will start to curdle, and then you remove the curdle by filtering the mix. Starting from a completely dark cocktail, as it is made with black tea, the process of milk washing leaves it completely clear, looking like green tea, and it really smoothens the texture, removing any bite from the gin. The flavour is fruity, tropical, and perfectly balanced between sweet and sour.
The idea behind the drink started with the tea pot itself, we had gathered some vintage Chinese teapots for decoration, and we were dying to add a cocktail to it. The starting point was to make a tea cocktail, of course, and someone suggested adding milk, and then we realized that it could be a killer way to serve a milk punch – any cocktail bartender's time consuming, but oh so delicious trick-up-the-sleeve. We were sure it would be tasty, but we weren't sure we would be able to produce enough of it in short enough amount of time. It was co-owner and manager Adi that perfected the cocktail and the production method, after weeks of trials and testing.
That’s so great! But the punch aside, with so many great bars in Oslo – why should Hai Pai be our next stop? What makes it special?
We're really proud to have created Hai Pai from the ground up with our bare hands. We have no big investors, it's just us four owners chasing a dream and working hard to realize it.
I'd also say we're pretty unique to the area, we're surrounded by great eateries, bars and clubs, but we have that sit down, relax and enjoy the company of others vibe that we're very happy to have pulled off.
With our collective cocktail experience between especially three of us owners, I feel like we've really perfected a menu that fits the concept well and where anyone can find a favourite. We wanted to give flavours that people might not have experienced in a cocktail before, without making it too complex to love.
Of course, we also have to mention the dumplings again, there really aren't that many places in Oslo that serve warm snacks all hours. We've had guests come in just to have a drink and some dumplings as a starter before going out, people making a last stop for a nightcap and a snack before going to bed – as well as those that hang out with us for longer and then have some dumplings if they start feeling snacky and don't feel like the classic chips or nuts. Which we also offer, of course. We'll definitely do our best to make it worth your while if you rock up.
Visit Hai Pai at Oscars gate 81, Oslo – or check out the menu on their website here.
*All photos by Marthe Thu