My London: Michael Chow

Home is…

Wherever my family is. Right now they are in London, so it’s London! What is your first memory here? A very dramatic one. I was 12 or 13 years old and I arrived here one evening during 1952’s Great Smog of London. You couldn’t see anything in front of you. Lots of people died. I lost everything, it was a very tragic moment.

Where do you go to find joy in the city?

Well I used to play high-stakes poker in gambling clubs — but I’ve quit that now. So now it’s the wonderful museums, they’re all fantastic. The Victoria & Albert is one of my favourites, but I love all the modern ones, the Tate and the Haywood, the Serpentine, all the usual suspects.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had here?

I think probably lunch at Wiltons. It’s very civilised. It’s seafood and game driven, but very sophisticated and very simple. Everything is perfectly cooked.

What shops do you rely on?

There’s a hat shop in St James’s — the door must have been repainted 60 times. It used to be a shop where I bought all the silk for shoelaces, which were a quarter of an inch wide and you’d have to iron them every morning. I’m mentioning shoes because all my shoes are from [George] Cleverley, which is in the Royal Arcade. Cleverley is the greatest shoemaker who ever lived — I’ve been collecting his shoes for years.

What’s the best exhibition you’ve ever seen in London?

The Royal Academy showed an exhibition about American abstract impressionism about five years ago. That was amazing. All the giants of the 20th century were there, Rothko, Newman and Clyfford Still — there aren’t many opportunities to see his work.

Do you have a favourite British artist?

Yeah, William Turner. He’s the father of modern art. His late work is so amazing, it looks as if it were painted yesterday.

What’s the best thing a cabbie has ever said to you?

One time a cabbie said: ‘You know, you must have a gimmick.’ That’s a very important statement because everyone must have a gimmick — or you could call it an angle. You have to break the rhythm of whatever you’re doing so that you can surpass every one else. The attention will fall to your focus, your cause, your agenda, your career, your vision. Like this article, you’ve got to have a gimmick so people will read it. The gimmick is the hook.

If you could buy any building in London and live there, which would it be?

I’d probably make a mistake and buy London Bridge thinking it was Tower Bridge — everyone makes that mistake.

Where would you suggest for a first date?

Well, it depends if you want to be seen or you want to be private. I think it has to be an older establishment. Maybe Claridge’s dining room. In t he evening it’s not that busy; it would be very elegant.