[Just Hong Kong] Winter 2025 Issue

All You Can Eat... Countless Delicacies, What's Best to Eat in Hong Kong? Food, perhaps the most universal language, transcends generations and regions, interpreting harmony in diversity through color, aroma, and taste. Beyond ingredients and cooking methods, what Hong Kong stories are told in the recipes and menus from different eras, renowned chefs, and famous establishments? As diverse communities settled in Hong Kong across different times and spaces, what flavors did they add to this city? With group-run businesses becoming dominant, traditional and neighborhood eateries closing down, and pre-prepared meals and ready-to-heat dishes becoming more common... dining trends come and go in waves. Are our choices increasing or decreasing? Is it better, or has everything lost its flavor? Now, and in the future, on what foundation does Hong Kong's status and confidence as a "food paradise" rest? -- This Issue's Highlights: REprint // Culinary Delights, Hong Kong's Menu Beyond being a city that never sleeps, Hong Kong's status as an international city and a culinary capital has been shaped by eateries from various provinces in mainland China and different parts of the world. How do a recipe, a menu, bear witness to different eras and distinct food cultures? REmember // Famous Restaurants, Signature Dishes A tea house is different from a tea restaurant; a banquet hall is distinct from a fine dining restaurant. Tang West was not only about romance, and Central wasn't just for Western food. There were experts for banquets, and simple dishes could become delicacies. Colonial flavors, fishing village life... Hong Kong once boasted numerous famous eateries. Some have long vanished, while others strive to pass on their legacy to this day. What lingers isn't just the dishes, but a sentiment of an era. REsort // Grand Hotels, A Culinary Journey Accommodation and dining are integral to the travel experience. Since the 20th century, numerous high-end hotels in Hong Kong have not only become landmarks in the eyes of tourists and locals but their restaurants were pioneers in introducing authentic foreign cuisines, driving local dining trends and serving as important social and entertainment venues. REmix // Hong Kong-Style Western Cuisine, Change and Constancy A restaurant operating for over half a century is remarkable; one like Tai Ping Koon, with a history exceeding 165 years and still run by the fifth generation of the founding family, is truly unique. The Hong Kong-style Western dishes served within, along with an ambiance unchanged for decades, exude a profound old-Hong Kong charm. REcord // Hong Kong Flavors on Neon Signs In post-war Hong Kong, with its booming economy, many of the neon signs adorning the streets were related to food – shark's fin restaurants had shark's fin, Hakka eateries offered salt-baked chicken, and Northern Chinese restaurants featured hot pot and roast duck. Through their distinctive designs, they aimed to stand out on the streets... On this page of the food paradise's history, the neon stories that once shone brightly are indispensable. REcipes // Culinary Texts, Kitchen Secrets Recipes are more than just practical; some are like "history books," showcasing ingredients and dishes that have disappeared, as well as the personalities of chefs. Even as later recipes transform into "food videos" and chefs become YouTubers, some "flavors" remain irreplaceable—including the experiences of chefs like Master Chef Chan Wing from "Thirty Years in the Kitchen" and Hong Kong's first "Queen of Pastries," Lee Tsang Siu-kuen. REconnect // The Taste of Domestic Helpers / Lucky Savory Dumplings The skilled hands of traditional domestic helpers transformed simple, everyday ingredients into uniquely delicious meals, becoming shared childhood memories for siblings. The creative unit "Deep Food," using food and dining experiences as a medium, turned a savory dumpling recipe from their parents' hometown of Kaiping into an interactive game for diverse participants – food serves as both a testament to memory and the best way to connect people. REmap // HK Foodscape: The Dining Landscapes of Ethnic Groups From the 20th century onwards, long-distance travel exposed people to more places, and the global mobility of populations has shaped Hong Kong's urban landscape for over a century. For those who have left their homeland, food is a symbol of home and a solace for homesickness. For locals, it is a vital window to foreign cultures and the most easily communicative "world language." Other Highlights: REread // Lo Ka Chun — How to Read an Old Recipe Hong Kong is suddenly nostalgic, and even old recipe books are in demand. There's a perception that old recipes hold treasures, containing the ingredients, proportions, and methods of lost dishes. Some even fantasize that with just one old recipe in hand, they can recreate famous dishes from yesteryear, returning to an era through a single taste. Is this really the case? REfraction // Hung Ai-Chu — Both Recipe and Artifact Taiwanese writer Hung Ai-Chu, author of the bestseller "Old-Fashioned Girl's Shopping Route," writes a food column and collects recipes. Two recipe books from Hong Kong, published 80 years apart, not only invite her to read them repeatedly but also to savor their text and editorial craftsmanship, appreciating the spirit of Hong Kong's fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. REdiscover // Ding Yin-Ting — I am from Ma Wan / Wai Tau / Shanghai... Growing up in Hong Kong, Ding Yin-Ting, who juggles the dual identities of musician and private chef, carries the consciousness of Shanghainese, Ma Wan, and Wai Tau people due to his family background. How does he explore his cultural identity and future creative path by following the threads of food, informed by his musical training? REdefine // Tsou Chi-Yan — Borders. Mobility: Post-War Hong Kong Dining In specific contexts, dining can reveal ethnic consciousness that shapes culinary landscapes and significant moments in the construction of post-war Hong Kong culture. Hong Kong scholar Tsou Chi-Yan, author of several books on food culture, revisits various dining scenarios in Hong Kong to discuss how the post-war Hong Kong populace, amidst the aromas of curry and roasted meats, embarked on a journey of mobility between taste and identity. REmains // Community, Eateries — The Final Moments of Nga Tsin Wai Village With demolition and redevelopment imminent, Nga Tsin Wai Village, one of the last remaining "urban villages" in the city, houses the Sun Lung Shing Tea Restaurant, one of the few remaining "early morning eateries" that start their business before dawn. The Po Fuk Restaurant has stood in Nga Tsin Wai Village for over six decades. As the community faces disintegration, people can only accept its fate with a sense of resignation. Even if the char siu bao or milk tea aren't Michelin-star quality, they may become the tastes most missed in the future. ISBN:978-988-74818-9-8 Price: HK$180 Printed in: Hong Kong Publication Date: Late December -- Web Store Exclusive Winter Offer: Free Gift: "How to Use Chopsticks" Bookmark In the past, restaurants and hotels often used paper sleeves for chopsticks to ensure hygiene, printing the establishment's name and logo. Many Chinese restaurants catering to tourists even included instructional diagrams on the sleeves for foreigners to learn how to use chopsticks, making it both practical and enhancing the fun of dining Chinese cuisine. The bookmark features a traditional Chinese auspicious pattern on the front and a three-step guide to holding chopsticks correctly on the back. (Limited quantity, first come, first served, while supplies last)