Michelin accolade a mixed blessing for Hong Kong street food vendors
Rent rise forces one restaurant lauded in latest edition of popular food guide to close and another to move, but has boosted business for others. We visit three long-serving vendors in Kowloon and the New Territories to learn more about what makes them special
Street food is an important part of the cultural identity and history of many Asian cities. Hong Kong owes much of its street food to the influx of migrants from China last century, many of whom opened small roadside stalls or food carts selling snacks ranging from bean curd pudding to fried noodles.
Most have long since moved into regular shop spaces. While they may not offer fine dining, the owners of the best street food outlets take great pride in what they serve. This focus on quality and painstaking preparation has kept them going for decades – and earned Michelin approval for some establishments.
Watch: Serving Cart Noodles since the 80s: Michelin-recommended noodle shop in Hong Kong
However, recognition in the new street food section of the Michelin Guide for Hong Kong and Macau has been a mixed blessing for some owners.
If [property companies] want to redevelop the area then we may have to leave. But for now we’re here
Pan-fried dumpling chain Cheung Hing Kee closed its outlet in Tsuen Wan, citing an unaffordable rent rise. And the owner of Kai Kai, a Chinese dessert shop in Jordan, also considered closing the business after his landlord raised the rent by 120 per cent to HK$220,000 per month around the time of the Michelin accolade.
“The rent increase and Michelin announcement came at about the same time. There’s a chance the two are related, but I can’t say for sure,” says Elken Chiu Wing-keng, 27, who took over the dessert shop that his father started 40 years ago. “I felt angry when I learned about the rent increase. I thought it was ridiculous.”
Luckily, an old customer learned of their predicament and offered to rent them a space in nearby Ning Po Street at the “friendship” price of HK$90,000 per month.
Watch: How smooth, golden and affordable fried bean curd is made