'The rents here are terrifying!' Gordon Ramsay feels the heat as Hong Kong restaurant opens

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay says he hopes his new restaurant in Hong Kong is a success – because the “terrifying” and “colossal” rents in the city mean his “ass is on the line”.

Ramsay, whose Bread Street Kitchen & Bar opened on Thursday on Wyndham Street in Central, said he was ready for the challenge despite higher rents than in London.

“Let me tell you, rents are cheaper in London. In this business, we don’t like to see any restaurant go down, there’s nothing worse,” the British chef told reporters gathered in Hong Kong.

“We’re not the only restaurateurs in the city faced with such colossal rents. That helps you focus on the [quality]. It makes you work harder to be a success, it makes you strive for consistency. It’s the same in New York, Paris and London – this rent issue is not going to slow down.”

Ramsay, who also announced plans to open an eatery in Macau next year, said he chose the Lan Kwai Fong area of Central because it is modern yet traditional.

“This area is Hong Kong at its best. It has the humbleness of what food stands for in this country, as opposed to the big conglomerates in a big, flash setting,” said Ramsay, who has 25 restaurants around the world and is rumoured to be worth US$120 million.