City's restaurants suffer from high costs and bad taste, say restaurateurs
Staff costs and a lack of food critics willing to criticise also blamed for hurting industry
Surging rent and labour costs together with self-censorship by food critics are hurting Hong Kong's culinary culture despite the growing number of restaurants opening in recent years, industry insiders say.
One of the latest victims is the Press Room, one of the best known outlets of the group of the same name, which closed yesterday after the landlord sought a fivefold increase in rent.
Another group outlet, The Pawn, closed this week for renovations and faces a 50 per cent rent increase in a new lease.
Group co-founder Alan Lo Yeung-kit said street-level shops were being taken over by retailers like cosmetic chains and jewellery and watch shops at the expense of Hong Kong culture, as high rents drove entrepreneurs away. "Even simple [shops] like bakery or noodle shops ... you almost cannot see any of these any more on street level," he said.
Food critic Walter Kei said the proliferation of trendy restaurants was another problem.
"There are too many restaurants in the market," he said. This led to cut-throat competition and drove up staff costs.
