Hong Kong Food Expo 2023: post-Covid return of food-tasting draws thousands of hungry fans
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Hong Kong’s first post-pandemic food expo opened its doors on Thursday to thousands of visitors eager to snap up mouth-watering discounts and taste a smorgasbord of exotic fare at the annual flagship event in Wan Chai.
Visitors, mostly elderly residents, told the Post they were excited to sample food again, noting the Hong Kong Food Expo 2023 was livelier and more crowded than last year’s edition. Taste tests were not allowed at the previous event amid Covid-transmission fears.
Jacky Li, who started queuing at noon on Wednesday, was first in line at the Convention and Exhibition Centre.
“I want to snatch the cans of abalones,” the IT worker, 40, said. “I’m very excited that sampling is back this year. I want to try coffee, cheeses, ham and other Japanese snacks.”
He said he expected to spend about HK$1,000 (US$128) at the fair, 20 per cent more than his budget last year.
Shoppers thronged the hall when doors opened at 10am, some dashing for the booth set up by On Kee Dry Seafood, where visitors joined a contest to form groups of three in a scavenger hunt for cans of abalone.
Retiree Yu Sau-ying, 74, and her team emerged victorious and walked away with 500 cans. “I can eat abalone for every meal this year,” she said in excitement after the game. “There’s too many cans for me, I’ll give some away to my children as well.”