Ahead of the curve

Few people can boast of a more eclectic curriculum vitae than Leon Lee.

The Beijing-based American has been a chef, musician, bar proprietor, publicist, journalist, translator, arts-festival promoter and samba-dance-school operator.

Since coming to the city about eight years ago, initially to work with an arts festival, Lee has been a fixture on the capital's nightlife scene.

His new venture is located in one of the city's most lively compounds, 1949-The Hidden City, where the former electronics-factory buildings now house bars and restaurants.

Veloce is a 60-seat bar that specializes in offering interesting or unusual wines, most of them sourced by the sommelier Krishna Hathaway, who was once in charge of cellars at the ultra-exclusive Aman resorts. Veloce's location, on the fringes of Sanlitun, ensures plenty of passing trade, particularly on weekends when the area is thronged with thousands of young people.

"It is a really exciting wine list that is very international," Lee says. "We will have a minimum of 65 wines at all times and usually about 15 that can be ordered by the glass."

"Every Friday, we will have a wine salon so people can try different styles. We wanted something that was unique and different and interesting."

Lee has a record of launching pioneering nightlife operations in the city, starting with OT lounge, which operated for only a year, in 2008, but is talked about to this day, particularly among jazz lovers.

"The owner had a bakery there, which was not working, and I was asked to turn it into something else, so I suggested a jazz club," Lee says.

Music has never been far from Lee's life. One of his first jobs was promoting rock bands in his native California. One group of musicians suggested he join the band, so Lee bought the cheapest instrument he could find, a flute, and quickly learned how to play.

The performing arts have also featured prominently in his time spent in Beijing. An early job was with a festival held in the 798 Art Zone that involved booking international acts.

Later, Lee founded SambAsia, a school dedicated to training people in the colorfully costumed Brazilian dance form; and Pentatonic workshop, dedicated to producing music and documentaries, with the China Daily journalist and musicologist Mu Qian.

Three years ago, Lee decided the time was right to embark on an entrepreneurial career. Apothecary came about when Lee and Levy decided the time was right for a proper New York-style cocktail bar in the city.

The Mad Men-style drinking spot is popular with locals and expatriates and has become something of a showcase for visitors of what an international city Beijing has become.

Lee, 40, is hoping that Veloce will likewise prove to be a sophisticated wine bar equal to anything found in New York, Paris, London or Milan.

In addition to the nightlife operations, Lee is building up a hospitality-industry management company, dedicated to grooming the next generation of waiters, chefs and book-keepers.

While working for a time at a lifestyle magazine, Lee developed strong views on what worked in the restaurant trade, and is now putting that knowledge to work.

"I think China is great because it is a fairly low threshold for you to realize some aspects of your dreams; if you want to do something it is easier to do it than in some developed countries, as less capital is involved."

"But a lot of the processes are more complex and the risks are higher."

For China Daily

(China Daily 11/25/2012 page5)