After 34 years as a culinary landmark on eastern Hong Kong Island, Kam Shing Restaurant will serve its final meal this Saturday, with its second-generation owner citing a desire for personal growth and to improve the food supply sector rather than financial woes. The eatery is famed for dishes like crispy baked pork chop rice and Macau chicken rice pilaf.
After three decades as a culinary landmark on eastern Hong Kong Island, Kam Shing Restaurant will serve its final meal this Saturday, with the second-generation owner saying he is closing the business to embark on a journey of personal growth in the food supply sector rather than succumbing to financial pressure.
Opening in 1992 and relocating to a smaller storefront in 2019, Kam Shing has become a Shau Kei Wan Main Street East staple where the wok hei, or smoky “breath of the wok”, is guaranteed, and every meal comes with a heavy side of old Hong Kong nostalgia. While many flock there for their legendary crispy baked pork chop rice and Macau chicken rice pilaf, the diner has earned its reputation for more ambitious Cantonese fare, most notably its giant grouper dishes, which became a hallmark of its craftsmanship.
Recent restaurant closures have been blamed on the city’s sluggish economy and a structural shift in residents opting to spend across the border, but Aman Kwok Hei-man, 36, the second-generation owner of Kam Shing, quickly dispelled rumours of financial distress. “Everyone knows the economy has its problems for a lot of restaurateurs, but it’s a misunderstanding to think that’s why we are closing. This is purely a personal decision. We simply want to take a break after all these years,” Kwok told the Post.
The eatery announced on social media on Sunday that it had made the difficult decision to bid farewell to diners, adding that it had held many cherished memories since its opening and would long remember the bonds it had forged with the community. The decision, which Kwok weighed for two years before finalising it in December, was driven by a desire to pursue personal growth, despite the business performing well and enjoying the support of the neighbourhood. “If you are in the catering industry, the working hours are definitely very long. You become out of touch with society in a way,” he said.
Kwok plans to join and improve the food supply sector, marking the end of another era for Hong Kong's old-school diners.