Japanese-style beef hamburger steak restaurant opens first store in Hong Kong
Invest Hong Kong announced that Japanese restaurant chain operator Monogatari Corporation officially opened its first Japanese-style beef burger restaurant, Niku Niku Oh! Kome, in Hong Kong today (October 3) as part of its overseas expansion plan in the Asia region.
Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Dr Jimmy Chiang congratulated the opening of Niku Niku Oh! Kome in Hong Kong. He said, "It offers customers in Hong Kong more choices of Japanese-style beef hamburger steak. We wish the brand every success in Hong Kong and beyond."
The new restaurant is located in Sha Tin and provides around 40 bar seats with an open kitchen. It offers wagyu hamburgers made from a blend of Kyushu black wagyu beef and US beef. The rice served is "Niji no Kirameki" from Tohoku. The restaurantspecialises in freshly handmade wagyu hamburgers seared on hot plates or served on rice with egg yolk for a classic Japanese experience, according to Senior Executive Officer of Monogatari Corporation Mr Makoto Hori.
He said, "Hong Kong people love Japanese food and culture. Meat and rice are staples in our diet. As Japanese-style beef hamburger steak becomes more popular in the region, we want to seize the opportunity to further expand our overseas business via Hong Kong."
He added, "We have already opened 16 restaurants in Mainland China since November 2022, and our food has been well received by local customers. As an international city, Hong Kong is close to the Mainland and offers us an excellent platform to raise our brand awareness in the Asia region."
Established in 1949, Monogatari Corporation has more than 700 restaurants in Japan and overseas with 15 restaurant brands, including yakiniku, ramen, okonomiyaki, sushi and shabu-shabu.
For more information about Monogatari Corporation, please visit www.monogatari.co.jp/english.
To get a copy of the photos, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720320778881.
Japanese-style beef hamburger steak restaurant opens first store in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Japanese-style beef hamburger steak restaurant opens first store in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Japanese-style beef hamburger steak restaurant opens first store in Hong Kong Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation
The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted an anti-illegal worker operation codenamed "Contribute" today (January 15).During the operation, ImmD Task Force officers raided premises under renovation in a newly built public housing estate in Sheung Shui district.A total of six suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. Thearrested suspected illegal workers comprise six men, aged 22 to 41. Furthermore, one man, aged 45, suspected of employing the illegal workers, was also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.
Apart from mounting the enforcement operation, ImmD officers and a promotional vehicle have been deployed to distribute "Don't Employ Illegal Workers" leaflets and convey the message in the estate.
An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."
The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.
Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
