Hong Kong’s curious history of Swiss restaurants, and 2 that have endured
Chesa at The Peninsula and The Swiss Chalet have been providing Hong Kong’s fondue and raclette fix for decades, but offer much more too
Is there much in common between Switzerland and Hong Kong? One is full of Alpine mountains and glacial lakes, the other is a concrete jungle. One is divided into cantons, the other speaks Cantonese.
Hong Kong’s interest in Swiss cuisine was germinated by its prominence in the hotel trade, thanks to Switzerland being the home to some of the best hospitality schools. In the 1950s, many of the top hotel executive chefs and general managers were “Switzers”, then a common term for the Swiss. This included The Peninsula’s then general manager, Peter Gautschi.
By the early 1960s, Swissair flew regular routes to Hong Kong, with crew and passengers often staying at The Peninsula. In 1963, Gautschi decided to stage a Swiss food promotion – the event was so popular that a restaurant was commissioned.
The birth of Chesa
The bar on the mezzanine made way for Chesa, a name that means “house” in Romansh, Switzerland’s fourth national language. Most of the inaugural customers were European, but by the early 1970s, locals with international palates had become regulars.