Jamie Oliver makes flying visit to Hong Kong to announce second restaurant

Only eight months after the launch of his first Jamie’s Italian in Hong Kong, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver announced that he’ll open a second branch, in Harbour City, in late May or early June.

Oliver, who is in Hong Kong for just 24 hours, revealed the news to a crowd of enthusiastic journalists at Jamie’s Italian in Causeway Bay.

After the press conference, he spent more than an hour working the room, talking to investors and meeting diners, many of whom were surprised by the chef’s presence.

Although Oliver’s arrival in Hong Kong hadn’t been announced, some of the guests obviously knew in advance of his arrival, and they brought copies of his cookbooks for him to sign.

The chef is working with the local company, the Big Cat Group, which – so far – has Jamie’s Italian as its only restaurant.

“When you have restaurants in another country, it’s a bit like giving your baby away,” says Oliver. “You want to give our baby to someone you trust. We are protective [of the brand] and choose the right partners. We [open restaurants] at a speed that’s appropriate; we don’t dream of global domination.”