What is my magic?<\/strong> I look at things from outside of the box. God is in the details and my eyes are well trained for the smallest touches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The New York Times named<\/strong> me the Queen of Cakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I actually don\u2019t bake at all,<\/strong> I once made a banana cake, it was awful!<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I do is edit.<\/strong> I have always been able to edit with my eyes \u2013 I know what looks good and how things should be. I combine talent with my chefs who have skills but may not have extensive exposure. We work together as a team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I know about<\/strong> how things should be.<\/strong> I am insistent on quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was fortunate<\/strong> enough to be born into a very well-established family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My daddy spoiled me<\/strong> \u2013 I could twist him around my little finger \u2013 and my sister (Joyce Ma, founder of Joyce Boutique) is like my \u201cAuntie Mame\u201d, my best friend and my mommy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, I was spoiled,<\/strong> but I never felt like I was a princess. Although, when I took my classmates home some would say \u201cWow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since I was a little girl<\/strong> I was exposed to stylish and interesting travels. I am fortunate to have had a pampered life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My family threw large parties<\/strong> so I have always known what to do. Things don\u2019t always have to be the most expensive or the best. It\u2019s about cohesion, heart and vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am spiritual<\/strong> and very holistic. In business I am always true to myself. Everything is a cycle. I believe in God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I went through a Kabbalah formation<\/strong> a few years ago. That was when changed my name from Bonnie to Bonnae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take some time for yourself;<\/strong> learn how to listen to silence. Nature cleans out your negative thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luxury is time,<\/strong> not a handbag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love what I do.<\/strong> Even when I am travelling I get inspired with things that will enhance my business. It\u2019s not really work for me as it\u2019s my pleasure to seek for what is nice and new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m a tough boss,<\/strong> but I\u2019ve got a soft heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Organising men?<\/strong> I\u2019d like to be sweet and coy the whole time but I can\u2019t. Most of my team are men, and sometimes they can be tricky. I am very stern when I need to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was brought up <\/strong>with<\/strong> the British government.<\/strong> All the puddings, manners and tradition \u2013 I am not intimidated by any of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Initially I was going to bring Ladur\u00e9e,<\/strong> the French patisserie to Hong Kong. But friends said \u2018why do all this work to build someone else\u2019s brand?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n One door closes, another opens.<\/strong> As soon as I let the Ladur\u00e9e plan go and allowed myself some time to meditate a new path appeared for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is so interesting how opportunities come about in life,<\/strong> I have one of the greatest honours in my life, to be invited by the central government of China to work on a very exciting project. You just never know\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n I am very hands-on<\/strong> and I need to know everything. Every single thing \u2013 from food, staffing issues, the manners and attire. I design the uniforms as everything has to be the correct image for the company. There is never a dull moment and that\u2019s how I choose to run my business. Being hands-on with passion is surely the way to go for me\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have a big personality,<\/strong> I love life and I love discovering new things. Never stop learning, no matter how old you get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My work and my life are the same.<\/strong> I love what I do, even when I am travelling I think about my business. What\u2019s happening? Would this idea work? Am I excited to channel new ideas?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only thing I hate<\/strong> \u2013 and it comes once a month \u2013 is signing cheques. I hate it. I get a whole suitcase stack of cheques I have to sign every month. The big costs \u2013 rent, staff, ingredients \u2013 I have no problem with. But how do we spend so much on the maintenance of our fresh vertical garden walls? It amazes me. But then, guess what? We do it again next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How old am I?<\/strong> I always say, forever 29. (Laughs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I love Hong Kong.<\/strong> I wouldn\u2019t want to live anywhere else in the world. If you want to get something done here, you can do it fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I went into Coco Chanel\u2019s apartment<\/strong> in Paris, it reminded me of going up to see Auntie Daphne\u2019s penthouse flat in our home in Stanley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chanel was a Leo,<\/strong> I myself am a Leo; her lucky number was five, my multiples of lucky numbers include five. I said to Joyce, \u2018Hey, it\u2019s like I\u2019m living in her spirit, whatever\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All kinds of people come to SEVVA.<\/strong> Not just rich, we have artists, nomads, whatever. This is something I am very proud of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seva is Sanskrit<\/strong> for \u201cselfless service\u201d. At Ashrams I do seva in the kitchens. It is living a life that is a benefit to others. I added another \u201cv\u201d to my restaurant\u2019s name SEVVA because our tagline is \u201csavour the moment\u201d. Pronounce it \u201csavour\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Royalty <\/strong>have<\/strong> been coming to SEVVA<\/strong> for many years but we keep them anonymous. Even so, bodyguards search the entire building before they come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n JLo came for dinner<\/strong> with her family after her concert at the arena. We all loved her. There should be no shortcuts in fine dining. Even the most ordinary of dishes must involve the finest ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n George and Amal Clooney\u2019s wedding<\/strong> was a beautiful event but I thought \u2018Oh I could have designed a better cake than that\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tiny details go a long way.<\/strong> Small example: The red colour you see in our cakes comes from beetroot. Other bakeries would simply use food colouring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To win so many awards<\/strong> with my first book (Butterflies and Sweet Things) was an honour. You can imagine how many coffee table books they had to look at to pick one. But to me this is more than a book, it\u2019s a piece of art which took two years. I executed every single page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A butterfly has a very short life<\/strong> \u2013 our cakes are like that, we don\u2019t use any preservatives so they last around two days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oprah Winfrey congratulated me.<\/strong> My books are playful. With all the bad news in the world, wouldn\u2019t you rather spend your time looking at something happy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Timing is the most important thing in life.<\/strong> Everything relies on timing. You may meet the most amazing person, but if the timing is wrong, nothing will work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My motto in life<\/strong> is to have respect for others and be thankful. Don\u2019t sweat the small stuff. Freedom to do what you like is a luxury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interview originally conducted in 2019.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hong Kong’s sweetheart opens up about style, business, and more<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":2986,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7507],"tags":[380,381,382,383,384,385,386],"class_list":["post-2985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-bonnae-gokson","tag-bonnae-gokson-hk","tag-bonnae-hk","tag-bonnae-hong-kong","tag-butterflies-and-sweet-things","tag-butterflies-and-sweet-things-hong-kong","tag-sevva-hong-kong"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Bonnae](\"http:\/\/hongkongliving.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Bonnae-Gokson-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBusiness, branding and the discipline behind SEVVA<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Style, influence and a life shaped by design<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Bonnae](\"http:\/\/hongkongliving.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Bonnae-Gokson-cakes-1024x765.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSEVVA, hospitality and the art of experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Creativity, publishing and the <\/strong>power of visual storytelling<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Spirituality, perspective and Bonnae Gokson\u2019s philosophy on life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n