Kam Kee Café, Peking Restaurant pushed out by soaring rents

Two old-style Hong Kong restaurants that have served diners for more than 40 years closed this week due to soaring rents.

The 45-year-old Kam Kee Café, a Cantonese-style eatery in Shau Kei Wan, served the last cup of its famous milk tea on Wednesday after the rent was increased by 150 per cent.

Over in Jordan, the 42-year-old Peking Restaurant will serve the last of its popular Peking duck and Shandong roast chicken tomorrow. While the entrance sign said the restaurant was closing because the lease had expired and staff would not divulge details, a long-term customer said the closure was due to soaring rent.

At Kam Kee Café, 91-year-old owner Chan Gui-chou and his wife, in her 80s, were philosophical as their restaurant was taken apart piece by piece.

"There is no banquet under heaven that never ends," said Chan's wife, using a Chinese saying. "We heard that the new owner bought the property for HK$30 million so it's not a surprise that they've pushed up the rent." They do not plan to reopen in a new location.

The Post earlier reported that the property owner wants to increase the rent for the 650 sq ft premises from HK$20,000 to HK$50,000 from January.