Legislators left gutted over closure of Furama 'canteen'

Legislators are finding the loss of their de facto 'canteen' at the soon-to-close Furama Hotel hard to stomach.

For decades, the hotel in Connaught Road, Central, across the street from the Legislative Council building, has been frequented by officials, lawmakers and their media friends.

For many, it was simply a place to see and be seen, but for others it held a more gastronomic allure.

Democrat Cheung Man-kwong is mourning the passing of the Island Restaurant's roast chicken, non-affiliated legislator Andrew Wong Wang-fat the demise of the Singaporean fried rice noodles at Cafe Chater and former Liberal Party legislator Ronald Arculli the loss of the Island's salt-baked chicken.

'I can't bear to part with it, just as I couldn't bear to part with the car park outside Legco [when I left],' said Mr Arculli, who plans to have lunch with colleagues at the restaurant again on the hotel's final day - Friday.

He found a fellow sufferer in non-affiliated legislator Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, who said she would miss the salt-baked chicken as much as she did the bread-and-butter pudding at the Dragon Boat Bar in the old Hilton hotel. At least Mr Arculli, whose solicitors' firm is now located at the nearby Hutchison House, has found a new culinary love - takeaways from Maxim's.