We met Andrew Ho while he was in Toronto for a Hope & Sesame pop-up at Louix Louis. We connected with him through another Hospitality Gem, Tommy Wong whom Jess met at the Torres Brandy Zero Challenge in Barcelona earlier this year. This is your reminder of how small and tight the hospitality industry is and how you never know when and where you may later connect again. Andrew was voted Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2025 at Asia’s 50 Best Bars and we can see why. He is a Bartenders’ Bartender – kind and genuine, maker of killer and thoughtful drinks and just all-around great guy.
BA: Where were you born?
AH: I was born in Hong Kong.
BA: And what city do you work in now?
AH: So I work in a couple of cities: Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chengdu, mostly.
BA: What’s your job and how would you describe your role in the hospitality industry?
AH: I’m the co-owner and founder of Hope & Sesame and all other bars as well. So my day-to-day role is more to manage the company, manage the team, do recipes and kind of run a consultancy company as well.
My role in the industry, I’d say is I’m a bartender. I love bartending. I like making drinks. I love going around the world and getting to know different bartenders, showing them what we do and learning from them as well. It’s amazing.
BA: Where do you go out to eat or drink on your days off?
AH: Where? In Guangdong?
BA: Yeah, sure.
AH: How about Toronto?
BA: Sure
AH: So in the past couple of days we’ve been very blessed with having a very good host. To drink, I really enjoyed Bar Mordecai, really fun vibes. Civil Liberties and Civil Works from Nick, super cool bars. And to eat, we went to this outrageous restaurant in Markham, full of lobsters and steaks. It’s ridiculous, but it’s so delicious.
BA: What do you do outside of work or eating or drinking on your days off?
AH: I play golf a lot.
BA: You’re a golfer?
AH: Yes, I play a lot of golf.
BA: When did you start golfing?
AH: I started golf just when COVID started.
BA: So you’re new to golf then?
AH: Yeah, sort of, but I don’t feel new anymore because I play a lot.
BA: What are you excited about?
AH: I’m excited about discovering new bar industries around the world. This year I’ve been to a lot of really, really cool places like Jakarta, one of the best bar industries in the world. Toronto is up there, one of my favourites. I was in Athens, also with an incredible bar scene. So that’s something I get very excited about, to go to a new country, a new city and explore the scene there.
RETURN TO ALL HOSPITALITY GEMS
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Posted December 12th, 2025
