Dim Sum Restaurant Metropole to Close

So many dim sum options at Metropole in Admiralty

Every few days there's a story in the news that yet another eatery or restaurant chain has shuttered.

This time it's Metropole, a Chinese restaurant known for its dim sum trolleys that was in business for 35 years, but will close in September.

One of the last dim sum restaurant with trolleys

While it's a place not necessarily dear to my heart, it's where my relatives and I usually met up for Chinese New Year, or when relatives from out of town came to visit. 

The Admiralty location was convenient for most of us, right above the MTR station and near the bus stop, it catered to big groups, had a wide selection of dim sum and the prices were reasonable.

We wouldn't wait for the women pushing the dim sum trolleys to come to us -- we'd take our white card and hunt down food and bring it back to our table. 

Or we'd walk up to the middle of the restaurant, where they served dishes like radish cake and taro cake, "three fried stuffed treasures" of eggplant, peppers, and tofu, pig trotters cooked in vinegar with egg and ginger, and a dessert station that included tofu fa.

If har gao, chicken feet, spare ribs, char siu buns and spring rolls weren't enough, you could also order plates of fried noodles, congee and vegetables too.

Cheung represents the catering sector in Legco

In the end the total bill for a large table was relatively reasonable and we were all stuffed. 

An American friend living in Hong Kong wanted to know where to take visitors to have the trolley experience and I recommended Metropole. 

I warned him to make a reservation in advance because if you didn't, you'd be stuck waiting around for the next free table.

But when he went, the large restaurant was hardly full of diners.

And with people heading up north mostly on weekends to chow down on food at a fraction of Hong Kong prices, restaurants like Metropole are struggling to stay afloat, and it doesn't help that landlords aren't giving them a break on rent.

It's surprising that legislator Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, who represents the catering industry, has not raised concerns about the sector in the Legislative Council, or brought this issue to the attention of the Chief Executive and the Executive Council. 

The art of dim sum is fast disappearing in HK

And while the media has been reporting on each restaurant closing, no one has questioned the government on why it hasn't done more to save this industry, and in particular trying to help those who have lost their jobs to get the compensation they deserve.

What is particularly sad about Metropole is the amount of knowledge of producing dim sum disappearing. There are fewer and fewer people who know how to make har gao, char siu buns, steamed rice rolls and egg tarts.

Many restaurants use frozen dim sum made by factories in China because the labour is so expensive, or it's a way to cut costs. However, one can easily tell the difference between factory and handmade dim sum.

However, dim sum is practically synonymous with Hong Kong, considered a foodie city. So why is not more done to preserve this delicious piece of culinary heritage?

Metropole

4/F, United Centre

95 Queensway, Admiralty

852 2865 1988

 

CE Lee's Proposals to Prop up Hong Kong

Lee promoting a green Hong Kong with his policy address

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu just finished delivering his Policy Address which clocked in at 2 hours, 31 minutes and 25 seconds, which is longer than it took 30 runners (25 men, 5 women) to complete the 2024 Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon.

The speech was filled with ways to bump up the economy, from developing the city into an aerospace research hub, cutting liquor taxes, attract more investment from the Middle East and Asean member states, and develop the Northern Metropolis.

Many in Legco wore green in support of policy

There's a lot of unease about Hong Kong's economy, with shops announcing their closures, people going across the border on the weekends for cheaper dining and retail experiences, and not many tourists coming back, particularly long-haul ones who spend more.

So there was a lot riding on Lee's shoulders in delivering this speech which had a green theme, and so many pro-establishment politicians sported green dresses for the ladies, and ties for the men, including the chief executive.

There were concerns about reducing the duty on liquor (priced over HK$200) from 100 percent to 10 percent. Those opposed were in the public health sector, including former secretary for health Sophia Chan Siu-chee, saying this only encourages people to drink more alcohol and will lead to more health problems; however, doctors in the Executive Council agree with the proposal, saying this will lead to people drinking higher quality alcohol.

Meanwhile Lee says Hong Kong should promote itself as an international hub for post secondary education. One way is by offering scholarships to 1,200 students enrolled in post secondary programs, and to entice students from Asean and Belt-and-Road countries to come to the city to study.

Can West Kowloon bring in droves of tourists?

But if many foreign professors have left Hong Kong because of national security fears, how will the city be able to lure students to study?

While Lee wants to promote the West Kowloon Cultural District as a must-visit landmark, and for the area to work with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to get more visitors to the district, the arts hub could run out of money by next year. Its budget of HK$21.6 billion is almost all spent, which is why Lee wants more tourist dollars flowing into the area. However, is the HKTB going to move fast enough to get visitors to the area when admission to M+ starts from HK$120, when it's free going to the Hong Kong Museum of Art...

And speaking of tourism, effective today, travelers going in and out of Hong Kong will no longer have to fill out those arrival and departure forms with pen and paper! Finally!

CY Leung Says Party's Over for Pro-Beijing Camp

A party was held for 500 guests to send off a district officer

As the Hong Kong police run a campaign of terror, taking in and questioning the relatives of the eight pro-democracy activists who have HK$1 million bounties on their heads, the pro-establishment camp has been indulging in excess.

One party in particular caught the ire of former chief executive Leung Chun-ying as being over-the-top.

It was a party featuring 500 guests in Kowloon Bay to send off Wong Tai Sin District Officer Steve Wong Chi-wah, who will be going to Beijing for a year for further studies.

Was this lavish party really necessary?

The guests included officials, lawmakers and representatives of pro-Beijing district groups and the big event was organised by the Kowloon Federation of Associations.

Following Leung's criticism, Executive Council Convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and member Ronny Tong Ka-wah also chimed in.

Ip said officers should be more careful in their conduct, as they would be given more authority after the government revamps the district councils later this year. The plan is for them to be "chief executive" of their respective areas.

"District officers will have a lot more influence under the new system. They must be vigilant to guard against a 'flattery culture' because of their increased influence," she said.

"Excessive flattery and personal adulation are disconcerting... administrative officers should work hard, blend in well with the local community, but also stay humble."

These officers will be able to set new meeting rules and assign consultation tasks to councillors.

Leung says pro-Beijing camp needs to be humble

In a Facebook post on Friday, Leung criticised what he called growing "ostentatious and extravagant" practices by the pro-establishment camp had to stop.

"We need to put a brake on this ostentatious and extravagant trend," he said.

"Where did the money come from? What are the benefits? Does it achieve positive social or political outcomes, or rather is there a negative impact?"

Despite the questions, former district councillor Chan Kam-lam, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong who attended the dinner says it was no big deal.

"It was just a community activity and reflected the overwhelming support [Wong] received from the district's residents," he said.

"It's very common community activity and reflected the overwhelming support [Wong] received from district residents," Chan said. "It's very common for district bodies to bid farewell to district officers."

Many remember Leung's daughter's incidents

OK but is it that common to host 500 guests and spending so much money to do that?

Chan added many district residents wanted to show their appreciation from Wong, as he had done a lot for people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

While that may be a nice gesture, Leung is signalling that the pro-establishment camp needs to smarten-up and not be frivolous... is he fancying himself like the morality police?

It's amusing considering his own children have done self-indulgent things where one daughter has posted on social media about her rows with her parents, the other believing she had privilege to have airport staff bring her her luggage...

Ip Evades Stamp Duty Buying HK$51.8M Flat

Ip's holding company to buy flat is called Magic Fiddle

Executive Council Convenor and chairperson of the New People's Party Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has recently made a purchase.

It's not a Burberry handbag, but it's blooming big -- a flat called Bowen Place on Bowen Road for a whopping HK$51.8 million (US$6.62 million).

But what's interesting is the way Ip went about buying the place by avoiding paying the 15 percent stamp duty which would have been around HK$7.66 million

Bowen Place on Bowen Road in Mid-Levels

She set up a company called Magic Fiddle Limited to buy out Allway Holdings Limited, which owned the flat in Mid-Levels.

Instead Ip only paid 0.2 percent in taxes, or HK$103,600.

Ip explained the flat was for her daughter, and that she had wanted to purchase it as a first-time homeowner, but that the seller wanted to do the transaction through a company transfer, or buying out the shares.

The owner of Allway Holdings was Michelle Cheng, who is the owner and CEO of Occasions Asia Pacific, a public relations company. Ip added while Occasions had helped her with organising an event before, she claimed she did not know Cheng personally.

In 2018 local policy think tank Liber Research Community found the Hong Kong government had lost at least HK$9.4 billion since 2010 because buyers evaded paying stamp duties by buying real estate through share transfers.

Ip with daughter Cynthia in 2008

According to the study of the 126 transactions, 90 cases involved foreign buyers, with some being high-level executives of mainland property companies, ex-members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and local celebrities.

One would have thought after a study like that the government would want to close that loophole in a bid to build up its coffers, but it still hasn't done so five years on.

After Ip's purchase was reported in HK01, she defended it, saying the transaction was above board, and that she did nothing wrong.

"A lot of the comments are unfair and really quite ignorant... I think it is quite unfair to suggest that [property] purchased through a company is tax evasion... It is the buyer's choice, in a way which is the most convenient," she said.

Being rich has its benefits, including being even richer.

Hong Kong Consumption Vouchers -- Yay or Nay?

Should local residents get consumption vouchers again?

The debate over whether the Hong Kong government should issue consumption vouchers has resumed again, with Executive Council convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee saying no.

"There was a limited effect on the economy when the HK$10,000 spending vouchers were given out again last year. Government resources are limited, so they should invest in the long-term development of Hong Kong instead. But appropriate anti-poverty measures are still needed," she said.

Does she revel in making people not like her?

Ip with her beloved scarves says no

E-vouchers were introduced in 2021 to force people to use up the money through spending it on their Octopus card or on their phone app like AliPay.

But for Ip to not have any sympathy for those who have been out of work but are not considered below the poverty level especially during these three years, any kind of financial help would be greatly appreciated to pay for everyday items, in particular food with the surge in inflation these days.

Perhaps Ip isn't aware of how inflation is hurting people hard these days, when her sacrifice was to not wear her Burberry scarves or buy any more items from the luxury brand until it "retracted or apologised for its unfounded allegations against Xinjiang".

Local celebrities were split for and against supporting cotton from Xinjiang in March 2021.

But back to the vouchers.

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong supports issuing vouchers at no less than HK$5,000. The DAB joins the Federation of Trade Unions, and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce in supporting the move.

Kong says yes, but with a HK$50K limit

Interesting that Legislative Council member Doreen Kong Yuk-foon suggests consumption vouchers should only go to those earning less than HK$50,000.

How did the solicitor and politician come up with this salary amount as the borderline?

Regina Ip Demands Google Answers

Ip asking for Google to come to Legco to answer questions

The saga over the wrong anthem played at rugby matches overseas continues to be dragged out, this time by Executive Council convenor Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who wants Google executives to answer questions in the Legislative Council.

She said she would write to Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen to invite the behemoth search engine to answer lawmakers' questions, and if they refused, Ip would seek to invoke the Legislative Council (Power and Privileges) Ordinance to summon them. 

"If they ignore the summons, a warrant can be issued. It's a criminal offence and offenders can be jailed up to 12 months," she warned.

The 2019 protest song is the top search result

In other words, the Google executives are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Ip added a majority in Legco was all that was needed to call on the ordinance.

Last month Hong Kong's rugby team competed in Incheon, South Korea, where Glory to Hong Kong, a song associated with the 2019 protests, was played instead of the Chinese national anthem, March of the Volunteers.

Korean organisers apologised for the incident, claiming when they looked it up online, Glory to Hong Kong came up first. And so pro-establishment lawmakers are urging Google to tweak the algorithm so that March of the Volunteers came up first.

The lawmakers, in a bid to prove their patriotism to their Beijing masters are probably hoping to get air time grilling Google executives, but they won't get very far.

The wrong anthem was played in Incheon

As long as people keep searching for "Hong Kong anthem", then the protest song will come up first -- this is how Google works because this is what users are searching for. No amount of buying advertising will change the algorithm, as I found out in a podcast called Freakonomics in an episode called "Is Google Getting Worse?"

Freakonomics host Stephen Dubner interviews Liz Reid, vice president of Search at Google.

At one point she explains the correlation between search results and advertising:

"Behind the scenes in Search, we take great pride in not only trying to provide high-quality results, but ensuring that they are not influenced by ads. So we have a very strong culture that says whether or not you're an advertiser, does not allow you to change the results we show. You cannot pay us to change how you show. Those results are very pure, and we go to great lengths to ensure that this is the case. And so the quality of the search we provide is run separately from the ads to do that."

Reid says ads and search results are separate

So one can imagine if and when these Google executives go to Legco, lawmakers are going to go red in the face with frustration that the search engine giant will refuse to budge. 

But watching this process might be entertaining so don't miss it! 

John Lee's Covid Exposure

Lee may have caught Covid-19 at the Apec Summit in Bangkok

Yesterday many people were squealing with glee upon hearing the news at Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu tested positive upon arrival at the airport after returning from Bangkok at the Apec Summit.

He is currently in isolation (at home) and had to cancel a meeting with the Executive Council today.

Lee met with Xi in closed-door sessions

"John Lee Ka-chiu expressed gratitude to the concerns from different sectors of society," a spokesman for the Chief Executive Office said. 

"He has a mild fever this afternoon and a slight sore throat. Although he was a bit tired, he was generally all right. His doctor had prescribed oral pills for him," he added.

Lee had received his fourth vaccine dose (probably not the bivalent vaccine) in September. 

His close contacts, his secretary and director of the Chief Executive Office will also have to undergo home quarantine. However six staff who accompanied Lee on his trip do not need to isolate themselves.

Then there was the realisation that Lee had sat next to Chinese President Xi Jinping in closed-door sessions where they both took off masks. Lee also sat next to Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the Chinese ambassador to Thailand, Han Zhiqiang.

There was no word on the health status of Xi... who has been very quiet since...

Meanwhile health experts like David Hui Shu-cheong are playing down Lee's infection, saying he had been testing negative throughout his trip so his viral load should be low...

Oops Wrong National Anthem

Players' reactions when Glory to Hong Kong was played

Outraged government officials and claims of a criminal act committed have caused a diplomatic incident at the Asian Rugby Sevens Series in Incheon, South Korea.

Before the match between Hong Kong and host South Korea, the wrong anthem for the former was played. Instead of the March of the Volunteers, China's national anthem, the protest song of 2019 called Glory to Hong Kong was played.

Hong Kong complained to Asia Rugby Union

On the pitch the players don't seem puzzled or freaked out that a massive faux-pas is happening -- they seem more focused on their upcoming game, which they went on to win.

But back in Hong Kong there were either (private) shrieks of delight of hearing the banned song again, or shrieks of anger condemning the mistake.

A spokesman said the Hong Kong government "strongly deplores and opposes the playing of a song closely associated with violent protests and the 'independence' movement in 2019".

The Hong Kong team had submitted the correct recording of the national anthem to the tournament organiser, but the wrong song was played due to "human error of a junior staffer of the local organiser".

Glory to Hong Kong was protest anthem in 2019

Since then the Hong Kong government wrote to the Rugby Union, demanding they "deal with this matter seriously, launch a full and in-depth investigation and submit a detailed report."

After the song was played, the Hong Kong team told the organisers the song was wrong and then played the March of the Volunteers during the prize presentation ceremony when the Hong Kong team won the final.

Asia Rugby has since apologised for the incident.

Meanwhile some pro-Beijing politicians went ballistic when they heard about the incident.

Ronny Tong Ka-wah, a member of the Executive Council, urged the government to investigate whether anyone in the city was an accomplice to helping or planning the playing of the song in Incheon.

Tong believes there could be criminal intent

"This was surely not a careless mistake. It must be a criminal act with mens rea [criminal intent], and people involved could have constituted sedition under the Crimes Ordinance, as well as secession or collusion with foreign forces under the national security law," Tong wrote on his Facebook.

Lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu who can be hardline and emotional, suggested dissolving the Hong Kong rugby team and accused the players of "not responding at all" when the song was played.

"They let the country face humiliation. They have completely failed and lost our confidence, and the only solution to this is to disband the team," he said.

Overwhelming Turnout to Mourn Queen

Davidson's picture of the sea of flowers

In the days following the Queen's death last Thursday, people in Hong Kong have been flocking to the British Consulate in Admiralty to lay flowers. The last few days have had extremely long lines that stretch through nearby Hong Kong Park to Cotton Tree Drive with people wanting to sign the condolence book.

Despite the hot weather advisory, they have been waiting in line for about three hours each day, as the condolence book is available from 10am to 4pm until this Friday.

The British Consul-General Brian Davidson tweeted that over 2,500 condolence books have been filled and he posted pictures of thousands of bouquets placed on the ground by the consulate.

Pictures and notes were also placed at consulate

It's also interesting to note that convenor of the Executive Council Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee came to the consulate earlier today with two bodyguards(!) presumably to sign the book of condolence. Interesting considering she is a staunch pro-Beijing politician. 

Did she not get the memo that Beijing stated Hong Kong was never a British colony?

A few days earlier she posted this tweet:

"Queen Elizabeth II visited Hong Kong two times during her reign. She impressed me as a dutiful and caring monarch, who had weathered many storms but never shunned her responsibilities. She is a symbol of resilience and loyalty to her people and country, May her soul rest in peace."

In any event, local media are suggesting the long lines of people at the British consulate is an unofficial referendum of how people feel about what is happening to Hong Kong, that the onslaught of changes is too much to bear, and they are nostalgic about the past, pre-1997.

People lined up for hours in hot sun to pay respects

The Queen's death has given some Hongkongers the opportunity to openly show their appreciation to the British, though critics say the country didn't do enough to give local people full democracy. Others think then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher gave up Hong Kong too easily and shouldn't have handed it back at all.

Hongkongers have until September 19 to openly mourn the Queen and all things British; once it's over, the authorities will surely be back to punishing those publicly unfurling British flags or seen pining for the UK...

James Tien Quits Liberal Party he Founded

Tien says there is no future for political parties in Hong Kong

The political space for moderates has closed shut with James Tien Pei-chun, resigning from the pro-establishment Liberal Party he founded more than 30 years ago.

He along with two others, Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee and Miriam Lau Kin-yee resigned from the party as honorary chairs after learning on August 10 that the party leadership, led by Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, planned to abolish the position.

The honorary chair position was created to honour past leaders for their contributions.

Chow, Tien and Lau resigned from the party

But now they are not wanted and pre-empted being kicked out by showing themselves out the door.

Tien said pro-Beijing politicians are trying to prove their loyalty to Beijing even though it's not even asked, by distancing themselves from anyone deemed controversial.

"This is something they think they must do to please Beijing, a way they work in the hope of retaining their jobs in public office," he said.

With Beijing completely overhauling Hong Kong's electoral system, Tien says the space for political discussion has also shrunk.

"There is no future in all political parties. Beijing's electoral overhaul is diminishing the role of parties and eliminating differences in opinion," he said.

The Liberal Party met on August 10 and members voted unanimously to abolish the position. Cheung later issued a statement regretting that the trio had resigned and said the leadership was "trying to persuade them to stay".

Cheung is the chairman of the Liberal Party

An honorary chair for 12 years, Tien said this was yet another example of how pro-Beijing politicians are trying to please Beijing, even though they probably did not receive any directives from the liaison office.

"I don't think it was an instruction by the liaison office to get rid of iconic politicians who had been outspoken," he said.

However, not that he has no political affiliation, Tien feels more free to speak out.

He believes the riff between him, Chow and Lau and Cheung began during the 2019 extradition protests. 

They had urged then chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to set up an independent investigative committee to create "genuine dialogue with peaceful protesters". But their suggestion was criticised by some party members who believed they were siding with "black-clad protesters who damaged the rule of law".

Tien seems to be a man who speaks his mind and stands by his decisions.

He was a member of the Executive Council for then chief executive Tung Chee-hwa. When half a million people came out to protest against Article 23, Tien quit Exco. 

In 2014, he faced expulsion from Beijing's top advisory body, the Chinese People's Consultative Conference, after calling on then leader Leung Chun-ying to step down over an impasse on political reform.

In 2014 Tien called on Leung to resign

Two years later he claimed Beijing's liaison office had instructed him to discourage party colleague Ken Chow Wing-kan from running in the Legislative Council election.

Then in 2017, the Liberal Party was divided between supporting two candidates in the chief executive race. Tien and others supported former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah, while Cheung and his cohorts rallied behind the eventual winner, Lam.

In addition, unlike many pro-Beijing politicians, Tien objected to the national security law in 2020, saying the legislation should only be used sparingly.

Hong Kong is going to miss people like Tien, giving the voice of reason among the crowd of pro-Beijing patriots.

From now on opinions are going to be more extreme and irrational... is this what Beijing wants for the city? Hardly seems like the best way to govern Hong Kong...