A French revolution

In an alley in Sheung Wan, an area often better known for its dried seafood shops, the smell of freshly baked baguettes now sometimes obscures the familiar odour of salted fish. Where young professionals used to stand around downing pints after work, there are now people seated with glasses of wine and cheese platters. The street sounds are also different: mothers pushing strollers, residents running errands and shopkeepers greeting one another in their mother tongue - French.

A certain je ne sais quoi has emerged across the city from Stanley to Shek O, but perhaps most obviously in Sheung Wan, which some French residents have likened to parts of Paris. That's not as surprising as it seems; the French consulate estimates the number of its nationals in Hong Kong at 15,000 - the largest French community in Asia and a 60 per cent increase over the past decade.

This recent influx, drawn by the region's lively economy, has added a more cosmopolitan flavour to Hong Kong's cultural melting pot. The expatriate influence on the bread of city life, previously dominated by English speakers, is being increasingly leavened by Gallic savoir faire.

For the French community, swelling to critical mass has its advantages. New publications have surfaced, including Hong Kong Madame, an online lifestyle magazine. French toiletries and cleaning products are beginning to appear on supermarket shelves, to the relief of many families. Specialist online stores and neighbourhood shops such as Home Flavour and Monsieur Chatte have also sprouted up, offering bargains on items from wine to pâté.

It's a sea change from before, when imports were so expensive and "eating a good French chicken was like eating caviar", says Catya Martin, founder and editor of Trait d'Union, the only print magazine serving the community in Hong Kong and the mainland.

Marie Ranc, a restaurateur, agrees: "More and more you feel at home. We can live in Hong Kong the way we used to live in France and at affordable prices."