Tasty venture for Alex Chan
Renegade music executive Alex Chan Siu-po has not turned his nose up at doing business.
After being arrested by the ICAC for allegedly accepting a bribe to alter Juno Mak Chun-lung's contract while at Universal Music - and eventually seeing the case thrown out of court - he is coming back in full force with a venture that has more of a sentimental ring to it.
For the past decade or so, Alex did most of his business at lunchtime at his favourite Shanghainese restaurant in the street next to the Universal offices called Great Shanghai.
Most local musicians and singers have fond memories of the place - and the deals that were made and celebrated there.
And then there was another Shanghainese restaurant called Yat Pan Heung, near Knutsford Terrace in Kimberley Road - often graced by film celebs such as Jackie Chan and Peter Chan Ho-sun.
Both restaurants shut this year and are sorely missed by the stars.
Well, it appears that Alex Chan misses his xiao long bao so much that he has found some backers (fingers point to Juno Mak's father, telecom tycoon Clement Mak Siu-tong, and Albert Yeung Sau-shing) to buy the two unforgettable names in order to open a Great Shanghai Yat Pan Heung Shanghai Restaurant in the basement of Kimberley Plaza.
Unnamed sources say that the likes of Alan Tam Wing-lun and Leon Lai Ming have been seen sneaking in for some Shanghai delicacies. It seems that in Hong Kong, the power of the name prevails!
