On Top of the World - Jacky Kong of Suzie Wong’s

With the last four years as general manager at The World of Suzie Wong’s under his belt, Hong Kong native Jacky Kong has steered one of Beijing’s most popular and long running venues. We sat down recently with Kong and discussed the reasons for the club’s success, why it appeals to young and attractive singles and what lies in store.

Did you always plan on coming to Beijing? How did you end up here?
I used to work at a club in Hong Kong, and one of our regular customers brought me here. In the beginning, he just asked me to take a look, to see what I thought about the city. Then I met the owner [of Suzie Wong’s]. At first, I only had a three-month contract. But now, I’ve been here for four years.

What is it about Beijing that you find so appealing?
Beijing is easy to live in. The city is quiet, slow. Shanghai and Hong Kong have a pace that’s so fast, and it’s stressful. Here it’s more laid-back. And the people are nice.

To what do you attribute the success of Suzie Wong’s?
I think it’s about how we treat people. People just talk about us. All of our regular customers know everyone in the club, even the ayi. They come to Suzie Wong’s, and it just feels like home. We feel like family.

What do you think has evolved or changed over your four years here?
Over the past four years we’ve added three different rooms: a coffee shop, the most popular area we call ‘Touch,’ and a lounge upstairs. And then there were the Olympics ...

Speaking of which, did you have any athletes or celebrities frequent your club during the Olympics?
Yes, a lot. I don’t remember their names, but they were funny. They would come in with the gold medals and say, “We have gold medals. Can you give us free admission?” And of course we would. During those two months though, it was crazy. We worked 12 to 14 hours a day, highly secured. We checked the venue every night before we restocked. We personally screened the customers every night.

The club seems to be known to attract young, attractive singles. Why do you think this is?
I think it’s the way we treat people here. The staff is so nice to the customers. Customers are smart. Once they find they like it, they want to come back. The other thing we take seriously is safety. We attract a lot of ladies so we try to protect them.

When you want to relax, where do you like to go in town?
I like Hatsune. There’s also a place in Shuangjing called Hongguanlou – it’s basically Hong Kong style food. They have everything. They even have some Thai food, some Western food. It’s the same when you go to Hong Kong; they serve so many different foods. Try their milk tea.

What’s your favorite cocktail at Suzie Wong’s?
I like the mango martini. In Beijing it’s not easy to find some nice fruits – it’s just apples and watermelons. It’s strange. But I like the mango martini here. It’s fresh.

Are you planning on opening up another Suzie Wong’s anytime soon?
Actually, we are. We’re looking for possible locations right now. We’re planning on having it in a hotel. The concept will be the same, though.

Where do you see yourself four years from now?
I love Beijing. I love Suzie Wong’s. These past four years, they’ve changed me. I’ve learned a lot here. I’ve grown up. I’m going to stay here as long as I can.

The World of Suzie Wong’s, Daily 8.30pm- late.

Got something to say about this or any other bar, restaurant or club? Search for more Beijing venues by name and neighborhood or share your opinions with the rest of Beijing by adding a user review of any of the venues in our online directory of venues.