Any place with a shark tank can’t be all bad?

I recently dropped by M1NT, one of the newest additions to the high-end of Hong Kong’s nightlife. M1NT is a branch of a member’s club that originated in London. It bills itself as a “shareholders club” where membership is limited, thus your original investment becomes more valuable as it theoretically appreciates.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of membership clubs, but I am a fan of exclusivity. The best club nights are only known to the people who are in the scene, and the scene is ever changing, which is a natural form of exclusivity. The inherent problem with members-only clubs is that they tend to draw a monotone crowd. The best clubs provide an exciting time partially because of the surprise mixture of people. A seasoned bouncer and door people can also ensure a good crowd.

All that membership business aside, M1NT has a large shark tank against its back wall – which is worth a few cool points. The rest of the decor is adequate, though not as interesting as the multi-roomed design of HALO, Hong Kong’s other new entry to the high-end.

Looking around the room, M1NT succeeded in achieving a cosmopolitan vibe – something rare for Hong Kong, that made it feel like it could be New York, or another international city. The crowd at M1NT on the night I visited was predominantly foreigners, rather than local Hong Kong Chinese and I have a feeling that’s normally the case.

Nightlife in Hong Kong is somewhat race and class based. As an over-simplified breakdown, the upper-end for foreigners is Dragon-i, Kee Club (another member’s club,) and now M1NT. For Hong Kong Chinese, Dragon-i, Volar, and now Halo are the most exclusive three.

M1NT is located on 108 Hollywood Road, outside of the main nightlife area by about five blocks. In Hong Kong, this is the other end of the planet for many people.

On the night I was there, Hip Hop blend-master D.J. Yoda from England was playing. He mixed nearly every musical genre imaginable, and had the crowded dance floor moving.