Fans give Wan Chai landmark rowdy send-off

One of the city's few remaining old-style Cantonese restaurants, the 60-year-old Lung Moon Restaurant in Wan Chai, closed down last night after serving a final banquet to a full house of customers.

The music and chat were loud during the evening but along with the sadness at the loss of a beloved establishment, there were grumbles about the cost - customers said the owner had ramped up prices during the last month until dim sum cost almost three times what they had.

The 4,000 sq ft, four-storey restaurant was sold in June to a developer for HK$420 million, 120 times what the owner paid for it in 1975, after its operators said business had dwindled in the face of competition from fast-food shops in the past decade.

Wreckers are expected to clear the site for redevelopment into a residential block and shopping mall.

Yesterday morning, familiar faces sipped tea while hundreds of fresh visitors streamed in to steal a glimpse of the past. People took pictures against the backdrop of the dragon gate and red lanterns at the entrance.

Food fans scrambled to try the signature dishes, such as charcoal-roasted pork, goose and big buns.

Mong Kar-mo, 76, had yum cha at the restaurant yesterday morning as he had every day for the past 15 years. Though he was a bit down about it closing, Mong knew that 'all good things must come to an end'.