Tourism offers a lifeline to Hong Kong’s dwindling open-air food stalls
Dai pai dong, traditional open-air food stalls in Hong Kong, are facing significant challenges due to regulatory pressures and a decline in numbers. Despite these difficulties, some stalls are finding new life through tourism and marketing efforts. The future of these iconic eateries remains uncertain as they struggle to adapt to changing urban landscapes and regulations.
- ▪Dai pai dong are traditional open-air food stalls that have significantly dwindled in number due to regulatory pressures.
- ▪Tourism is providing a potential lifeline for some dai pai dong, as seen in the success of Wing Fat Seafood Restaurant's marketing efforts.
- ▪The authorities have stopped issuing new licenses for dai pai dong since the 1970s, leading to a decline in their presence across Hong Kong.
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Open this photo in gallery:Customers eat dinner at Wing Fat Seafood Restaurant, a dai pai dong in the Yau Mai Tei district of central Kowloon in Hong Kong.Esme Anderson/The Globe and MailShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountKeung Kee is a dai pai dong, a type of open-air food stall that was once ubiquitous across Hong Kong. Busy even on a humid spring evening in the middle of the week, both customers and staff jostle for space on a small side street in Sham Shui Po, a working-class neighbourhood. Traditional Cantonese dishes are cooked in a giant wok and served outdoors on tables covered in red plastic for easy cleaning.
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