A Hong Kong-born restaurateur is expanding his business in Zhongshan, one of the mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which he says is filled with opportunity.
Speaking with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Hui Tak-cheung, whose grandfather moved to Hong Kong, recalled that there was a cinema downstairs from their Hong Kong apartment which would disgorge crowds of hungry moviegoers into the busy streets to browse the myriad open air food stalls.
One of the food stalls was run by Hui’s uncle who specialized in beef offal dishes and, from about age 12, Hui would help out to earn a bit of extra pocket money.
Although he graduated from university in the UK and worked a well-paid job in the electronics industry for six years, Hui had always dreamed of following in his uncle’s footsteps.
In 2013, he gave up his job and moved to Zhongshan, drawn by a city with a slower pace of life.
"I wanted to open a restaurant, because I think this way of cooking beef offal should be passed down. It’s a traditional flavor. Sometimes I’ll tell the older diners that we used to sell beef offal outside the cinema when I was a kid. They’ll say, 'Was it the one outside the Golden Theater?' And I’ll say, 'Yes. You know that stall?' Then they’ll say, 'This is the taste.' They can still recognize it. It makes me happy that people still remember it," said Hui.
Diners of all ages and from all walks of life rave about what Hui's restaurant offers.
"I come here almost every day. The restaurant owner is from Hong Kong, so the taste of the food here is just right for people like us from Hong Kong," said a young man from Hong Kong.
"I like beef. The beef offal and brisket here are great," said another young man.
"Their food tastes great, the portions are generous, and it’s very clean," said a female diner.
"I’m from Hong Kong. It’s convenient to have breakfast here since it’s close and I can drive over easily. My wife ordered the beef offal. She loves the beef offal here. This restaurant is well-known. It’s the Beef Offal King," said another diner from Hong Kong.
In 2021, as his restaurant’s reputation grew, Hui opened a second restaurant in Zhongshan and started expanding his menu beyond beef offal.
"Every weekend or holiday, I visit nearby cities. We can reach anywhere in the Greater Bay Area within about an hour’s drive. I will try other people’s dishes, look for inspiration, and create new dishes," said Hui.
"The Greater Bay Area is a great place to start a business. I hope that in the future, our two restaurants will grow into centuries-old establishments. When I first came to Zhongshan, I found the local people friendly, and the environment, air, and climate very pleasant. In recent years, Zhongshan has been developing even faster than Hong Kong and many places abroad. I don’t want my wife and children to stay in Hong Kong while I run the restaurants alone in Zhongshan. That’s not what I came here for. We want to settle down in Zhongshan, integrate into the life here, and become part of Zhongshan and the Greater Bay Area," he continued.
The Greater Bay Area is one of China's most open and economically dynamic areas, which comprises nine cities in Guangdong Province - Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing - and the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao.
HK-born restaurant owner sets up shop in mainland's Zhongshan
