Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay plans more Hong Kong outlets despite high rents
London House in Tsim Sha Tsui becomes his second restaurant; two more are in the pipeline
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay plans to open two more restaurants in Hong Kong next year, despite concern about high rents.
The British chef - in Hong Kong yesterday for the official opening of London House in Tsim Sha Tsui - plans to open Gordon Ramsay's Fish & Chips and Maze Grill, a high-end steak and sushi restaurant that has four outlets in London, including one in the Marriott Hotel in the well-heeled district of Mayfair.
His first restaurant in the city was Bread Street Kitchen in Central, which he opened last year.
Ramsay - known for his shows Kitchen Nightmares, Hell's Kitchen, Hotel Hell and MasterChef - said Hong Kong was becoming a "jewel in the crown".
"We've tested the Hong Kong waters and those waters are brilliant. Hong Kong … it's like a jewel in the crown now for us. The amount of interest since launching Bread Street Kitchen has been phenomenal.
"Hong Kong London, Paris, New York - they all simultaneously roll round in circles so we share a lot of customers. Now we're looking at a site for Maze Grill - it's really exciting. It's a sushi and steak concept, huge Asian influence with the appetisers and a really cool array of steaks. We have Maze Grills in London and potentially about to open one in Vegas. … Hong Kong - it's a great hub for us."
But Ramsay was not 100 per cent bullish about the city. He said business in Hong Kong was tough due to the high rents. "That's one thing I've learned in Hong Kong - the average restaurant lasts only between three and four years because of rents."