Skating photos adorn the walls next to film posters (Kill Bill, True Romance, The Godfather). He is a film buff and the 1983 gangster flm Scarface starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer is a favourite. It plays on a loop on a screen in the corner.
Also on the walls are two giant photo collages showing some of the celebrities who have dropped into Dragon-i since it opened just over two decades ago in its current location, in The Centrium building, in Central.
It is an impressive who’s who of film (Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng, Verne Troyer, also known as Mini-me), music (Jamiroquai, Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre, The Sugarhill Gang, Mick Jagger, Bruno Mars) sport (LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, David Beckham) fashion (Dolce & Gabbana) as well as international models (Naomi Campbell, Paris Hilton) and Hong Kong moguls (Allan Zeman, Cecil Chao Sze-Tsung).In most of the photos, Yeung is wearing a big grin. And for good reason. He launched Dragon-i to give celebrities a funky space in which to hang and enjoy good food, drinks and music. Consider it a second home for the global glitterati.
“I had an idea for a club when I was in my early 30s. I really loved music and nightclubbing – and I liked the girls,” he laughs.
“I was single back then and wanted to bring some nice nightlife entertainment to the city,” says the now-married 55-year-old father of two.
“In 1996, I saw Pierce Brosnan with Michelle Yeoh in Hong Kong,” he says, referring to the James Bond actor and Asia’s first Bond girl, who both appeared in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies.
“I thought they, and other celebrities, really needed a cool place to have fun but the nightlife back then was a bit stale,” he says. “I wanted a place with a quality sound system, nice fabrics and furniture, good lighting, and great service from head to toe, from when you walk in, to the bathroom to the bartenders to the manager to the waiter and waitress … I always had that belief.”
Many years later, Dragon-i was born, the location “perfect for a nightclub”.
“It’s a bit off Central and from my travel experiences, most of the really cool niche places are always on a city’s edge.
When it opened, the area was a far cry from the food and beverage hub it is today. “There were a load of shops selling rugs and antiques,” says Yeung, who also runs Tazmania Ballroom and Cassio.
It did not take long for the venue to develop a party reputation, helped along by booze-fuelled nights and its legendary Dom Pérignon champagne trains, when sparkler-filled bottles of bubbly were paraded through the always-packed venue.
But Yeung wanted a more positive image and was keen to elevate the dining experience, especially the lunch crowd.
“I wanted a place where grandmothers could eat with their grandchildren on weekends.”
His father, Albert Yeung Sau-shing, boss of the Emperor Group, gave him the idea for a “really crazy” dim sum lunch offer. “He told me, ‘Do an HK$88 all-you-can-eat dim sum lunch to get the traffic,’” recalls Yeung. “There was no social media back then, no Instagram, and we didn’t do any advertising – we just printed fliers and dropped them off at offices.”The plan worked. “Within a week it was busy.”
A year after opening, Hong Kong battled Sars, the viral respiratory disease that would turn out to be a teaser for the global carnage inflicted by Covid-19 years later.
“For three years during the Covid-19 pandemic it was on and off, on and off, and each day I’d wake up not knowing what would happen – it was torture,” he says.Long-running government social distancing restrictions took a toll. “We took a big hit, we got wiped out.”
He recalls one incident when a food blogger was doing a tasting at 3pm and stayed for a few drinks. “At 9pm, the police arrived and checked her Leave Home Safe [contact tracing] app but she hadn’t done it.“She got fined and we had to close for two weeks. It was terrible because at that time most of the world had moved on and dropped all Covid-related restrictions but Hong Kong was still following them … it made me feel like a criminal.”
Like many other businesses post-pandemic, Dragon-i is reinventing itself. The aim is for more live music, a private members’ club and fun family-friendly events at weekends.
The dim sum kitchen, currently under renovation, is due to reopen next year.
Yeung also wants more support for alfresco dining. “The government needs to be more flexible about alfresco seating because this is very important if Hong Kong is to stay competitive with places such as Singapore.”
And much like the club, Yeung has also evolved. He has shed his “rebel” image, with his days less about partying and more about yoga and meditation. His diet is mostly plant-based – and, in 2019, Dragon-i introduced a vegan dim sum menu.“My body and mind are telling me to slow down. I have two young kids,” he says. “I’ll still have the occasional night out and get excited when there’s a night that deserves my craziness.”
Craziness is something Dragon-i has seen its fair share of over the years. A highlight, he says, was a visit by Spanish football club Real Madrid in the summer of 2003. “I was at the gym and the phone rang and was told the team was coming in a few hours.
“They partied and had so much fun.” Maybe too much – they missed training the next day.
“David Beckham had just transferred to the club from Manchester United and was at the peak of his career, so it was a big deal. Women were lining up to talk to him and he took time to chat to each one. He is such a gentleman […] When people ask who my favourite celebrity visitor is, I always say him,” he says.
In 2009, Jay Kay, the lead singer with British funk outfit Jamiroquai, played a gig at the venue.
“He was another cool dude and wanted his performance fee, all cash, handed to him James Bond-style in a briefcase when he arrived at the airport. We did it – it was quite funny.
“He had all these girls over him and took some back to his hotel, where he just talked about cars and breakdancing the whole night.”
Having American rappers Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre play in the house in 2011 was another coup.“They could easily have done a concert here for 10,000-20,000 people but instead chose to perform at our venue for about 300 people. It was magnificent, almost like a trophy, you know, and my heart was like, ‘Oh, wow, that feels so good.’”
As for Dragon-i’s name, Yeung says it captured the East-meets-West vibe he was looking for. And the inspiration for Mr Cameron?
“He was my English teacher at the private school I attended in [the southern English county of] Devon,” he says, adding the school looked like something out of Harry Potter.
“I was 13 years old and about to head home from boarding school to Hong Kong for Christmas when a bad snowstorm hit and my flight was cancelled,” he recalls.
“Mr Cameron was so nice and invited me to stay with him and his family for a few days. They even ordered Chinese food while I was there. So that’s where the name comes from.”
Dragon-i’s next event to mark its anniversary features US rapper A$AP Ferg, July 19, 10pm-late. Cover charge: HK$500. Tel: 3110 1222 for table bookings and tickets. Inquiries: [email protected]
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