Three of Hong Kong’s oldest restaurants, Part Two – Forum

From Tai Ping Koon, which opened in 1860 and served Sun Yat-sen, to Gaylord Indian Restaurant, open since 1972, to the award-winning abalone served in Forum since 1977, these restaurants have stood the test of time…

Another restaurant that has withstood the ravages of the notoriously cutthroat Hong Kong dining industry is Forum, still one of the city’s best-known restaurants. That’s thanks mainly to its founder and head chef, Yeung Koon-yat, known as Ah-Yat, who has worked in the restaurant daily almost without fail since it opened in 1977.

Forum’s fame is down to the dish which has given Yeung his nickname, “the abalone king”. Today a sprightly 86 and impeccably dressed in a smart grey suit, the diminutive master explains the secret to the success which has seen Forum hold two Michelin stars.

Originally on Lockhart Road, in 2014 Forum moved to Sino Plaza in Causeway Bay. Over the years, Yeung has cooked for a succession of the great and the good, among them late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, former governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten and former French president Jacques Chirac among them. Yeung’s assistant shows a signed letter from Chirac at the Elyseé Palace, thanking him for dinner.

 

In a city where restaurants come and go with dizzying speed, those which have stood the test of time are few and far between.

Some number the history of their business in decades, others more than a century, but three stand out for their longevity and signature dishes which have proven timeless in their appeal.(1)

Source: Secrets of three of Hong Kong’s oldest restaurants: quality, loyalty and consistency SCMP 22nd March 2018

This article was first posted on 28th March 2018.

Related Indhhk articles:

1. Hong Kong’s three oldest restaurants, Part One – Tai Ping Koon