Choosing a name is one of the most difficult tasks a restaurant owner faces. An unpronounceable appellation can be the kiss of death, since no one wants to embarrass themselves by getting it wrong.
Jason Atherton, the owner of restaurant 22 Ships in Hong Kong, says that he could not name the eatery after his Singapore tapas bar, Esquina, as esquina means “corner” in Spanish, and his Singapore establishment sits on one, while his Hong Kong restaurant does not. Atherton instead went for a more straightforward approach based on the restaurant’s address (22 Ships is located at… 22 Ship Street).
Some names are serendipitous – Atherton’s Singapore restaurant Pollen is housed in a flower garden, which fitted in nicely with his existing London establishment the Pollen Street Social, based as it is on Pollen Street.
Other names appear to be a challenge to the competition. When the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong opened, it chose the name Tin Lung Heen (Dragon in the Sky) for its 102nd-floor Cantonese restaurant. Some saw this as a provocation to their rivals in the Four Seasons’ Lung King Heen (View of the Dragon) on the other side of the harbour.
Then there are the curious and sometimes downright unappealing names over surprisingly good restaurants – Thailand’s Cabbages and Condoms chain and New York’s A Salt & Battery are examples of this trend. Here are some of the best examples of bizarrely named dining establishments whose memorable monikers belie their outstanding culinary credentials.
La Marmite, Hong Kong