The scare over freshwater fish has not only left diners with fewer choices, but also has restaurants seeking substitutes for signature dishes.
Kinson Ho King-sing, managing director of the Tai Woo Restaurant chain, said costs of its award-winning fried rice dish had almost doubled after supplies of freshwater grouper dried up.
'We have to use the saltwater grouper for our fried rice, which means we are losing $20 per sale.'
Head chef Choi Chuen at the Tso Choi Restaurant in Kowloon City, known for its fried fish fillets, decided to ignore the scare.
'We are continuing to use grass carp for our famous fish dishes, but I am thinking of making some new dishes in case the government bars imports of freshwater fish.'
The fact that the cancer-causing chemical malachite green had been found in Hong Kong samples of freshwater fish, including grass carp, failed to deter some diners yesterday.