COA's founders run umami as a manifesto: beef jerky, corn husk, and fermented bean in the glass, sweetness dialed to zero.
The Savory Project opened at 4 Staunton Street in May 2023, the second act from Jay Khan and Ajit Gurung of COA, twice named Asia's best bar. The brief is strict: savory, earthy, umami drinks, with sweet and fruity dialed to near zero.
Asia's 50 Best ranked it No. 32 in 2025, and Time Out handed it the 2024 Rising Star Award.
Beef jerky, fungi, corn husk, white soy, and brine all show up in the builds. Tatler covered the opening as a new category for Hong Kong drinking.
A six sided bar anchors the room and turns the bartenders into hosts; there is no bad seat, which is the point. The Beat Asia's review credits the layout for making a technical menu feel social.
Order the Pepper+Corn: corn husk cooked down for hours, then reduced sous vide before it reaches the glass, per The Beat Asia. The Thai Beef Salad mixes beef, peanuts, coconut, and chili; Gari Gari runs gari, Scotch, passionfruit, ponzu, and soda.
The Mala Punch carries Sichuan peppercorn and fermented bean over gin. A non alcoholic list keeps the same savory brief, per Time Out.
Industry drinkers, 50 Best list chasers, and SoHo regulars share the hexagon. Early evening is conversational; the room tightens after 9pm.