Why every Western chef wants a Kennedy Town restaurant

The opening of an MTR station and influx of Westerners priced out by high rents in Central and Sheung Wan have made western end of Hong Kong Island a hot spot for overseas cuisine

Reading Time:4 minutes

Philippe Orrico in front of Picnic on Forbes. Photos: Edward Wong

Published: 9:00am, 11 Feb 2016Updated: 1:49pm, 11 Feb 2016

Since the opening of the MTR line to Kennedy Town at the end of 2014, there has been a flurry of restaurants sprouting up in the area. Jaspas was one of the first chain outlets to open, followed by Tivo, and other restaurant groups have followed suit with places such as Butcher & Baker and Comptoir.

For some chefs such as Philippe Orrico and Matt Abergel, it’s a chance to open a secondary or tertiary spot that is more casual than their previous restaurants.

Best known for Upper Modern Bistro in Sheung Wan and ON Dining in Central, Orrico says Kennedy Town was a location he had in mind for a while.

“I used to go to Bistronomique regularly on Sundays three or four years ago, and it has a nice location by the water,” the French chef-owner recalls. “I had a good feeling about the area and asked an agent about spaces. They told me there was one spot left where car garages used to be on Forbes Street by the MTR station so I discussed it with my partners and we took it.”

They transformed it into Picnic on Forbes, a French-style café reminiscent of those typically found in the centre of villages in France. “It’s a country café, where people come in for a coffee or a plate of pasta,” Orrico says.

When it came to deciding on a name, the word “picnic” evoked images of casual dining and being with family. The restaurant even offers small picnic baskets filled with jars of small gourmet items to graze on. On the weekends, many customers enjoy picnic baskets for take-away, for an HK$80 deposit.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x