There’s a resort-like feel to Hong Kong Island’s south side, with its dramatic landscape of bays and beaches, and the food and beverage offerings in the area reflect that. There are a number of beachside watering holes and casual outlets with a foreign slant, but not much in the way of Cantonese cuisine. This is what prompted Yenn Wong, CEO of JIA Group, to open Cantonese eatery Meen & Rice in the area.

“Meen & Rice came in as we feel Repulse Bay is like a neighbourhood like Sheung Wan or Tai Hang on a bigger scale. We were exploring what the offerings were at that time, and realised there was no Chinese food in the vicinity,” Wong says. “We wanted to bring a true part of Hong Kong’s local dining culture to The Pulse [the beachside shopping mall in which Meen & Rice is located] by establishing a place where locals and visitors alike can eat Chinese on the beach. It was also important to us to be able to bring the southside a ‘local’ where they can enjoy true Chinese comfort food.”

The Chinese name for Meen & Rice, juk fun meen faan, meaning “congee, rice noodles, flour noodles, rice” more or less covers what the eatery is about. The extensive menu is available all day, offering basics such as char siu rice (“We roast the pork shoulder for the dish on site every day,” says Wong) and wonton noodles, as well as larger dishes such as stir-fried tiger prawns.