Then & Now | How ‘army camp food’ became a staple of Hong Kong cafe menus – South Asian fare that spread from stalls near barracks where soldiers ate
- South Asian-influenced dishes based on those served at food stalls set up near British Army camps can be found on the menus of many humble Hong Kong cafes
Gwun dei choi – literally “army camp food” – are the (mostly) South Asian-influenced culinary introductions that have made their way, in various guises, onto humble cafe menus across Hong Kong. Most originated at British Army camps in the New Territories.
On Borneo Lines, in Shek Kong, a modest food stall near the airfield was run for many years by an elderly Pakistani man named Shaffi; his nephew, Liaquat Ali, later took on the business.
His simple fare varied little throughout the year; highly spiced beef or chicken curries in thin, watery gravy were perennial, unvarying offerings. Yellow dal – turmeric-heavy and well salted – made the sole concession to vegetarians. Rice or chapattis, and samosas and onion bhaji, completed the menu.
No pork or alcohol were served in this Muslim-operated establishment; patrons were, nevertheless, at liberty to bring their own booze. Soft drinks could be obtained from the fridge.
Regular patrons were mainly British or Hong Kong Chinese service personnel (Gurkhas seldom ate there), civilian camp workers or (less frequently) Royal Hong Kong Police officers who had occasion to visit the camp in the course of their day, or else decided to drop by at lunchtime for a change.
