Restaurant Openings

Rubato, a modern Hong Kong-inspired cafe, to open in Quincy this summer

The new spot will take over the Contempo Bakery & Cafe location.

Joyce Chan, Laurence Louie, and Rary Ratsifa, of Rubato. Photo courtesy of Laurence Louie

By Shira Laucharoen

1 minute to read

Quincy will be getting a brand new cafe this summer.

Joyce Chan, owner of Contempo Bakery & Cafe, will be passing her restaurant space down to her son and daughter in law, who will reopen it as Rubato. New owners Laurence Louie and Rary Ratsifa, hope that Rubato will be a “modern Hong Kong eatery,” similar to the coffee bars that students like to frequent.

Louie said that Rubato, named after a musical term, should open in mid summer, around early August.

“We ultimately want to create a modern Hong Kong cafe that’s very casual but has some fun to it, that also stays true to my Cantonese and Hong Kong-American heritage,” Louie said. “We want to play on that style, so that it’s reminiscent of Hong Kong cafes but is also distinctly American and belongs here as well. … With Rubato, we’re trying to take [the traditions of Contempo] and add a twist to it.”

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On the menu, there will be fluffy, steamed bao buns and also bolo bao sandwiches, filled with fried chicken or spam and egg. The restaurant will serve classics like congee and fried dough, staples on Contempo’s menu that visitors travel from far away to experience. One unique item will be the Hong Kong french toast, doused in condensed milk and covered in cookie crumbs. Beverages will include milk tea, cold brew coffee, and Yuenyeung, a popular coffee-tea combination in Hong Kong.

Chan has had a legacy as a restaurateur in Quincy, having run Contempo for around 22 years. She originally named the restaurant after a Chinese rock band that she was in. Now that Chan is retiring — and passing the torch on to Louie and Ratsifa — she hopes that she will have more time to pursue music. She will be involved with Rubato in an advisory role, something that she is excited about.

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“I’m just so happy that they will continue my work; all my past efforts are continuing,” said Chan. “… I can go back to playing music. I will spend more time with my old friends.”

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