TAP: The Ale Project (Mong Kok)

TAP: The Ale Project opened on Hak Po Street in 2014 and was one of Kowloon's earliest craft beer bars. It was co-founded by Rohit Dugar of Young Master Ales, Chris Wong, a co-founder of HK Brewcraft, and Phil Chan. After a rent dispute ended the first site in 2020, the team relaunched a few doors along the same street, and the bar now trades from the ground floor of 19 Hak Po Street in Mong Kok. Time Out Hong Kong named it Best Beer Bar in 2021.

Beer is the focus. Time Out counts close to 20 draught lines, and the list has always leaned towards Hong Kong brewers, topped up with more unusual international picks from producers with a story to tell. Expect IPAs and stouts alongside wild-yeast and other fermented beers, with lambics and imperial stouts among the styles the team has championed. Young Master's beers have appeared on the board over the years, but this is a multi-brewery bar rather than a single-brewery taproom, and the line-up rotates, so ask the staff what has just gone on.

The kitchen mixes Hong Kong flavours with American bar food. The Golden Fries, dusted with salted duck egg yolk, are a long-running favourite, and the menu has featured Chinese cured pork belly (lap yuk) mac and cheese, Mexican street corn with fermented bean curd and a smash burger. More recent write-ups mention oil-marinated oysters and crispy wings with a fermented tofu dip.

The room was stripped back at the relaunch so the taps take centre stage, and the mood is casual. It is compact and fills up at weekends, so arrive early or book. The listed hours run from 3pm daily, until midnight Sunday to Thursday and 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. It suits drinkers who want to work through local beer with proper food on the side.