Tsui Hang Village, pillar of Cantonese cuisine in Hong Kong, still adding new twists to traditional dishes after 44 years
Hong Kong restaurant chain has always had an innovative approach to traditional Chinese cuisine. Now the challenge is to appease more health-conscious customers for whom taste is as important as their blood pressure
Jimmy Ho Kwong-yuen retired last year but he can’t resist checking in with his “children”: the three Tsui Hang Village restaurants he managed for Miramar during a career spanning more than four decades at the Hong Kong hospitality company.
The sprightly 80-year-old has fond memories of his time at the restaurants, which are known for their traditional Cantonese dishes.
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When Ho arrives at the Tsim Sha Tsui branch – the first of the chain, still in its original location on the corner of Nathan and Kimberley roads where it opened in 1974 – staff affectionately welcome him as “Yuen Goh”, or older brother Yuen.
Ho had been working at a Miramar club that put on a revue of Chinese songs three times a day when his boss, group co-founder Young Chi-wan, asked him to manage the newly opened Tsui Hang Village.
The restaurant chain – there is another in Central and one in Causeway Bay – has since gone on to become an institution in Hong Kong thanks to its innovative approach to traditional Chinese cuisine and hospitality.
Tsui Hang Village, which will celebrate its 45th anniversary next year, is today best known for its roasted meats such as char siu, and its signature salt-baked chicken and delicate dim sum. The consistency and wide-ranging menu of Cantonese dishes have made it a favourite gathering place for families, while it also counts a number of celebrities among its regular patrons.