Challenging Times for Fine-Dining Restaurants

Diners are spoiled for choice when it comes to restaurants

Hong Kong's restaurant scene has changed completely in the last year or so. 

Even though the city has 95 restaurants with a Michelin star rating this year, customers aren't necessarily interested in shelling out for the gourmet experience.

In particular fine-dining restaurants are having a hard time attracting diners who are willing to subject themselves to set menus; they would rather like to have the power to choose what they eat and not let a chef dictate what is placed in front of them.

Originally set menus were an opportunity for the restaurant to showcase multiple dishes so that diners would not be limited to say appetiser, main and dessert. It is also a good way for restaurants to control their food and labour costs when they know exactly what they are serving.

But now perhaps customers are tired of being told what to eat and want to decide for themselves what is going into their stomachs. If there is no flexibility, they would rather dine elsewhere, and in Hong Kong, there is a lot of choice.

Some fine dining restaurants managed to pivot quickly, while others are still stuck in their set menu mode. For example, a French restaurant like Caprice in the Four Seasons Hong Kong, which has three Michelin stars may still appeal to diners who want that exceptional dining experience, but a one-star restaurant may not have enough -- ahem -- star power to be able to determine what customers will eat.

And those with no stars at all have learned to be extremely nimble and take whatever business they can get. Some have been lucky with a steady stream of customers, while others have some good days, and some bad ones, resulting in just breaking even.

In the meantime the restaurants that are opening in Hong Kong these days are mid-price range ones that appeal to budget-conscious diners. It is these places where there is a high chance that people will dine here more frequently, rather than just for special occasions like birthdays and Valentine's Day.

So is it still worth gunning for Michelin stars? It's something chefs and owners are grappling with, as restaurants struggle to attract diners when over a million people go to the mainland on the weekends.

The shakedown continues and we'll have to see who lands on their feet on the other side of this challenging financial climate.