Celebrity-Beloved Historic Hong Kong Restaurants Shut, Now Only Old Movies Bring back Memories

the closure of a long-established store in Hong Kong has surprisingly stirred a vast number of neicon this store the Malaysian Chinese restaurant located in Jordan was founded in 1969 and is particularly famous for its henes chicken rice more importantly it has been a filming location for several Hong Kong movies such as Throwdown starring Aaron quac and Tony Leon kafi and happy birthday starring Louis coup and Renee Le in recent years many old stores that carry the memories of numerous Hong Kong drum have shut down the Malaysian Chinese restaurant with a history of 55 years posted a notice at the beginning of 2024 stating that it would suspend its operation after January 31st due to the end of its lease and a shortage of Staff medicines have left comments like what a Pity so many memories are tied to this place I used to love going there for meals when dating then heading to the Golden Harvest Cinema for a movie in the blink of an eye that was 20 or 30 years ago Al last I still remember the Christmas dinners my parents took us there when I was a kid after dancing at the shim shui Chinese Palace Nightclub in the ' 8S we go to Malaysian Chinese restaurant for supper 40 something years ago my dad often took me there for the Banana Split For some reason my memories of going there with my dad are only until I was seven it was also where I had my first job interview nostalgic the manager was such a nice person now we can only seek memories in Old Hong Kong films the Blogger who shared this video commented it's chaos some shops closed not because of bad business but because everyone is panicky and wants to shut down to immigrate chuni Cafe on fuka Street in shamshu po might be one such example having been in operation for nearly 70 years chuny Cafe still retains the layout of a traditional cold drinking house called being set bringing a nostalgic flavor just before the Lunar New Year in 2024 the owner decided to close down making their signature fried chicken leg and Hong Kong style milk tea forever missed it is known that chuni Cafe has been privately owned for many years with the owner consistently emphasizing that it would not be sold however in early 2022 it was suddenly put on the market for 20 million Hong Kong dollars suggesting that the owner had planned for retirement yet in the current market conditions in Hong Kong who would dare to take the risk of buying it for $20 million when interviewed by Hong Kong one reporters this male owner was unwilling to face the camera his tone filled with helplessness there's nothing we can do if we can't continue we have to close down uh what else is there to say just want to thank our customers for their support over the years right a female customer said it's tragic the restaurant itself was operating so well another restaurant with a long established reputation in Hong Kong has closed down the luxury Bakery known as cha yam Fat's favorite Bakery has announced its closure chaon fat who has been a patron for over 40 years also made an appearance expressing his regret over the bakery's [Music] closure it's secret to deliciousness lies in preserving the flavor of Hong Kong's di pong from the 60s and' 70s a taste that has become extremely rare in the market attracting a large number of celebrities and stars Andre Leong the fourth partner of Stanley ho macau's Godfather and king of gambling not only became a regular but also became a good friend of the owner sadly despite the bustling business with Chung fat noodles it could not withstand the changes of time as a sight of the stall required Redevelopment the leny intended to return the license to the government and chose to close down survive the pandemic but couldn't survive reopening rent increases and Redevelopment a phrase that Echoes the helplessness and sorrow of countless Hong Kong businesses Chun fat noodles in shamshu po which started from a wooden cart has now been passed down to the second generation run by the ma family their Hallmark has been the consistency of their original flavor for decades unfortunately after more than 70 years Chung fut noodles couldn't escape the fate of being engulf by the tides of Time in the summer of 2023 Chung fut noodles was notified by the food and environmental hygiene department and property developers that the site of the stall had to be reclaimed for development plans one of the owners chore said we have tried our best to maintain the taste and keep the shop open putting in a lot of effort but we are powerless he expressed regret that from a young age The Three Brothers had been taught by their father the traditional methods of handcrafting fishballs in wons there has been a trend towards Automation and technological advancements in China's food industry and a shift towards machine production in many of Hong Kong's eateries due to labor and cost considerations however the Three Brothers have dedicated themselves for decades to uphold their father's Legacy of Excellence they have steadfastly adhered to the most traditional techniques taking great care to handcraft each ingredient with Precision wans a traditional Hong Kong delicacy are universally beloved from Toddlers to the elderly masu po the eldest brother responsible for making the wantons insists on maintaining the traditional flavor through all manual processes we use nostalgic methods nowadays people avoid hard work machines can mix the meat in less than 5 minutes but we insist on hand chopping pork for 45 minutes slowly slicing and dicing of fat and lean meat is a very timeconsuming process Hong Kong is hailed as a culinary Paradise precisely because many eateries uphold the spirit of Chung fut noodles striving for Perfection making every dish the most Exquisite unfortunately having survived the pandemic and reopening Chung fat noodles could not overcome Redevelopment the ma family ultimately had no choice but to surrender their license and seize operations in November 2023 in Hong Kong countless characteristic diai dong like Chung fat noodle have had to close down due to government Redevelopment diai dong iconic outdoor food stalls are a distinctive feature of Hong Kong's culinary scene celebrated both locally and internationally the charm of these dolls for Hong Kong residents particularly among food connoisseurs is their commitment to preserving traditional flavors this dedication draws diners to these dolls where they are willing to endure the summer heat and sweat while eating just to experience authentic tastes unfortunately despite their efforts to retain original flavors many of these venerable food stalls have not been able to avoid Demolition and Redevelopment hindered by various challenges from relocating they have been forced to close down sadly fading from Hong Kong's culinary land landscape during 3 years of the pandemic coupled with the Hong Kong government's strict adherence to the Chinese Communist party's zeroo policy Hong Kong endured a bleak and prolonged three years of Silence in January 2023 the Hong Kong government finally announced the reopening of borders however what awaited businesses was not a dawn of Hope but a surge of closures the 50-year-old try seafood restaurant is located next to Prince Edward MTR station in a pre-war ton Lao tenement buildings built in the late 19th century it is rated as a Grade Three historic building and is known for the neon sign of its restaurant name a landmark of Prince Edward for the past two to three decades Mr Joe the owner of chi has been working From Dawn till 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. almost every day personally attending to every aspect of the business even during the 3 years of the pandemic while witnessing many old shops closing down he he still gritted his teeth and persisted I work 14 hours a day and my monthly income is only $15,000 Hong Kong dollars I've survived the pandemic this way working like this every day Mr Joe said the decision to close came suddenly the landlord suddenly notified us that the rent would be double with the current business environment we are powerless he complained that the government has not implemented policies to regulate rent increases there are no regulations on how much landlords can raise the rent in other words landlords can raise the rent by however much they like and we're just left vulnerable to be taken advantage of the reopening of borders between mainland China and Hong Kong not only failed to increase business for Hong Kong's eateries but also led to a significant loss of local customers as many Hong kongers went North to spend in mainland China turkey finally bowed out on August 31st 2023 after 50 years and with the closure of the restaurant the ionic turkey seafood restaurant neon sign a landmark of Prince Edward was also turned off neon signs a unique living sign board of Hong Kong where popular photo spots long before the concept of checking in existed on social media with the closure of businesses these neon signs are being turned off one by one furthermore the Hong Kong government seems intent on out with the old in with the new not preserving but allowing these historically valuable City characteristics to fall into disrepair or be demolished under the pretext of lack of Maintenance now Hong Kong's neon signs are slowly disappearing in addition to the extinguishing of neon signs many eies in Hong Kong have also experienced the torment of closing and reopening in a non-ending cycle of repeat located in cun Mido Cafe has a history of over 70 years this two-story old style Corner Chach chant Tong Hong Kong style Cafe has been a filming location for numerous movies and TV dramas such as revolving doors of Vengeance and Street Fighters it has also become a popular spot for tourists to visit Meo Cafe is known for its baked spare rib rice and the drink red bean and lotus seed ice offering a menu that stands out from the typical chachan Tong many tourists make a special trip to the cafe to experience the traditional flavors of Hong Kong Meo Cafe had to close in March 2022 due to the pandemic and managed to reopen in mid May for a while however by mid July of the same year passers by noticed a sign outside the restaurant in six different languages bidding farewell to the public on October 28th of the same year Meo reopened again replacing its traditional ceiling fans with air conditioning however the reopening of Meo faced harsh criticism from local diners who unanimously felt that the quality of the food has significantly declined it's expensive and not worth it the only redeeming feature of the restaurant is its nostalgic Decor having survived the pandemic the reopening and the renovation can Meo survive the taste of its customers at least for now it seems Meo cannot deceive the Local's taste whether it can continue to operate by attracting foreign tourists with its past reputation remains to be seen dear patrons first of all thank you for your support of Lin hang tea house over the years we regret to temporarily say goodbye to everyone the owner has done his best to support Ling hang Tea House through the pandemic but unfortunately we could not withstand it and had to come to this stage we hope to have the opportunity to meet everyone again in the future if fate allows Lin hung Tea House made this announcement on its social media 12:30 a.m. on August 9th 2022 Lin hung tea house is the only remaining Tea House in Hong Kong with over a 100 Years of History opened in 1889 it originally started as a shop in guango China mainly producing and selling pastries later it moved to Central Hong Kong preserving the traditional operations and design of a Tea House the movie Viva La Mo was filmed here the award-winning movie In the Mood for Love also held its press conference here chosen by director Wan cor y for its nostalgic atmosphere at that time the film's lead actors Tony L and Maggie Chung attended in costume Miss ho born in the 1990s said in an interview with business focus it has a nostalgic atmosphere and a lot of history its closure feels like Hong Kong has lost a part of itself Mr Fong said I've witnessed its ups and downs there have been many obstacles in its development in recent years it's really hard to let go because we have emotional attachments to this place for someone of our age it's not just about having a meal it's truly a Pity lung house temporarily ceased operations in 2019 due to the expiration of its lease in March 2020 the fourth generation of the Yan family took over the tea house again but after 2 years of operation it finally succumbed to the pandemic and announc its official closure in August since then the premises have remained vacant in February 2024 there were reports that the owner originally planned to redevelop the site for commercial use but then shifted to a project aiming for a 30 story building with an estimated 175 residential units however since the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong in 2020 along with other factors the real estate and stock markets in Hong Kong have been in a continuous decline during the 2024 Lunar New Year centaline property agency's top 10 Estates in Hong Kong even recorded zero transactions over the 4-day public holiday setting a historic low in this context if the owner still wishes to redevelop the site into residential units one can only say good luck is Redevelopment truly a way to bring New Hope to Hong Kong let's take a look at Kong located on the Eastern side of the Kon Peninsula Yan the founder of the living in Kong Facebook page is a conservationist in Hong Kong he entered the Kong Community as early as 2005 and has been observing the changes in the area for the past 17 years in May 2023 yunan criticized the government on Facebook the urban renewal authorities Redevelopment in Kong has turned a shop Mall only 2 years after its opening into a dead mall with a significant number of stores closing down the bustling streets were ricated solely for the construction of luxury housing not for the community he lamented the heart of Kong has been obliterated by the urban renewal Authority with yuron square and old shops disappearing replaced by the urban renewal Authority and Sino group's shopping mall ym has Kong truly been revitalized locals say that the newly open mall has become a dead space within just 2 years with 40% of the shops closing down including the supermarket in mus shop he questioned the government does Redevelopment necessarily mean Improvement is just the urban renewal authorities wishful thinking eradicating old shops and businesses making the heart of colon East Yan Square disappear the urban renewal Authority only sees land sales hoping to make big money whether the mall operates well or can sustain its business becomes the developers responsibility with the urban renewal Authority remaining uninvolved the destruction from Redevelopment is permanent yman square has disappeared while the urban renewal Authority makes money from building luxury houses the damage to the community is Everlasting how many more old districts will suffer from this short-sighted approach in the future the urban renewal Authority plans to launch large scale redevelopments in yaim Mong and shamri po similarly a eradicating streets and creating more dead malls with Hong Kong people bearing the loss Beyond eies many traditional Hong Kong stores have also been closing down in 2023 Hong Hong food products limited once the second largest wholesale Bakery in Hong Kong that manufactured locally closed down in August their signature Square loaf bread and sesame rolls will disappear from the Hong Kong culinary scene marking another loss for Hong Kong Manufacturing in the first month of 2024 the old shop Binky coppersmith in yaal announced its impending closure many Hong kongers are unaware that the gongs used in the annual Hong Kong horse racing opening ceremony are made by the shop a Japanese Artisan even traveled far to learn from the master Craftsman at Bing key handmade copper Smith is an art and folk wisdom nearly lost some Hong Kong families still use the copper Weare from the store to make porridge and soup unfortunately handmade copperware may become extinct with the loss of news and freedom of speech today's Hong Kong can't even accommodate a small Bookstore Mount zero books is one such example Mount zero books an independent bookstore located in shung Wan Hong Kong was founded by Sharon Chen in May 2018 during the 2019 movement against the extradition Bill the store joined the three suspensions to stop work stop classes and stop the markets by closing for a Day on June 12th of that year perhaps due to political reasons Mount zerob books received a letter from the lands Department in September 2023 alleging illegal occupation of land Sharon chin cooperated with the government's request quickly resolving what the government called a legal issue however less than three months later Sharon had to announce on Instagram that mount zero is done playing and will close on March 31st 20124 the reason was continuous complaints from a mysterious individual with the bookstore receiving greetings from various departments every week and every letter open contained the word prosecution those familiar with Hong Kong politics will know what type of person cannot tolerate even such a small bookstore many things in Hong Kong are slowly disappearing or being erased traditional classic Cuisine the dedication and perseverance of restaurant and street food stall owners towards delicious food traditional crafts passed down through generations and unique old style buildings character istic of Hong Kong supporting the spiritual sustenance of Hong Kong people is this merely the aftermath of an economy ravaged by the pandemic n kuang a prolific Hong Kong novelist once said in his early work tracking the dragon to destroy a great City it doesn't have to be a natural disaster it can also be a man-made disaster a man-made disaster doesn't necessarily mean War a few words from a few people and their ignorant actions can cause a great City to die completely there's no need to destroy the buildings of the great City no need to kill any of its residents even if on the surface the city looks the same as before as long as the city's original advantages disappear it can be destroyed perhaps this is the best explanation for Hong Kong's decline from [Music] prosperity

Channel: China Observer

Views: 133,387

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Id: hSAGBb2AiSo

Length: 19min 32sec (1172 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 19 2024