How long are you prepared to queue for your favourite food?
A long queue outside usually means good food inside. But how long are you willing to wait, asks Keira Lu Huang
Hongkongers will get in line for a few things: a toy that comes with a McDonald's Happy Meal, a new iPhone or a chance to buy an overpriced flat. Some are prepared to wait hours for a seat in a popular restaurant. Here are five hot spots.
Owned by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton of Pollen Street Social in London, 22 Ships is a 30-seat tapas bar that had waits of two hours or more when it opened last year. It doesn't take reservations, and everyone in the group needs to be present before a party is seated. It's less busy now, but during peak hours on weekends, waiting time can be as long as 40 minutes, according to receptionist Marnie Quiambao. If you have a big group, this might not be the right place.
Summer is a slack season for the restaurant because many families are away. But this month, 22 Ships welcomes chef, Lee Westcott, previously of the Michelin one-star Tom Aikens in London, to head the kitchen.
Westcott says he was taken aback by Hongkongers' enthusiasm for the restaurant. He says that their willingness to queue is "brilliant", but admits that it also stressful for him. "I wouldn't use the word nervous. It's more like an excitement. When I see the queue, it makes me excited and gets me in the mood to be ready for service," he says.
