監製:Clara Li
Known as the “four great inventions of the dining table”, congee, rice noodles, egg noodles, and rice are mainstays in our daily diet. Much of the noodles served in our local eateries are supplied by noodle makers.
In this day and age, there are fewer and fewer factories in Hong Kong that make both rice and egg noodles – one of them is a time-honoured brand located in Fanling. Its artisans work tirelessly through the night, rain or shine, to ensure that major restaurant groups have a stable supply all year round. They can be regarded as the unsung heroes of the food and beverage industry.
What does the third-generation owner think of the age-old brand? Has he inherited a business, a way of life, or a mindset? Let’s discover the human touch behind this family-run factory.
Yan Chim Kee is a renowned century-old “Made in Hong Kong” brand that started out selling coconut candy. In the 1990s, a misjudged business decision led to the demise of the age-old coconut empire.
Reluctant to see her grandfather and father’s efforts go to waste, third-generation descendant Evelyn Yan persuaded her big sister Lilian to step out of her comfort zone. The two worked together to launch Yan Chim Kee 2.0 in 2011.
Once princesses of the coconut candy empire, the sisters have since ascended the throne. They have not only revived the company’s traditional signature products, but are also actively developing new flavours and collaborating with various new brands in a bid to restore their kingdom to its former glory.
Known as the “four great inventions of the dining table”, congee, rice noodles, egg noodles, and rice are mainstays in our daily diet. Much of the noodles served in our local eateries are supplied by noodle makers.
In this day and age, there are fewer and fewer factories in Hong Kong that make both rice and egg noodles – one of them is a time-honoured brand located in Fanling. Its artisans work tirelessly through the night, rain or shine, to ensure that major restaurant groups have a stable supply all year round. They can be regarded as the unsung heroes of the food and beverage industry.
What does the third-generation owner think of the age-old brand? Has he inherited a business, a way of life, or a mindset? Let’s discover the human touch behind this family-run factory.
Famous far and wide, Tai O shrimp paste is a Hong Kong intangible cultural heritage item. However, with the passing of time, the local production of this fermented condiment has gradually declined.
Sing Lee Shrimp Sauce & Paste Manufacturer has been in operation since 1930. Seeing that his father was having difficulty handling the largely manual preparation processes due to old age, Li Hok-bun moved back to Tai O from the city to take over the family business as its third-generation owner.
Can the aroma of the shrimp paste from this time-honoured brand continue to be passed down from one generation to the next along with the communal spirit of Tai O?
Snake soup is considered the commoner’s tonic and a specialty in Cantonese cuisine.
Ser Wong Fun was founded in 1895 in Nanhai District, Guangdong. After relocating to Gilman’s Bazaar in Central in 1940, it began selling snake soup and double-boiled soups from a street stall. The business eventually became a full-fledged restaurant, offering various delicacies to its diners. The snake banquet enjoyed immense popularity for a time, and was often the go-to choice for business meals. Some of the favourite artisan dishes among customers include tea-smoked chicken, eight treasure duck, and the famed braised pigeon stuffed with shark fin, which almost became lost forever at one stage.
As the fourth-generation owner, Gigi Ng is not only dedicated to passing down the old flavours of Hong Kong, but also promoting the concept of medicinal eating. In the spirit of innovation, she has introduced a series of Cantonese dishes and medicinal dim sums infused with the hip factor. Her mother’s unwavering love is what keeps her going.
The school uniform – not something we want to wear as students, yet something we miss when we graduate and reminisce about as working adults.
The Peninsula Hong Kong has already been in business for close to a century, and although many of its precious traditions remain preserved to this very day, it has never rested on its laurels. Instead, it is constantly seeking change, working with various organisations to launch ever-innovative services. By committing to causes such as philanthropy, environmental protection, and the development of arts and culture, it hopes to make an impact across all aspects of life. These outside-the-box collaborations and reforms often give the hotel an extra boost in the face of new challenges.
In 1970, 42 years after the opening of the hotel, its management was in the hands of Baron Lawrence Kadoorie and Sir Michael Kadoorie of the establishment’s founding family. With father and son both being avid car enthusiasts, a decision was made to introduce a limousine fleet.
The more famous the hotel became, the more VIPs stayed there. To cope with the increasing number of guests, it was necessary to extend the original 6-storey building. The works for adding a 30-storey new wing to the north tower then commenced in 1991 to include a rooftop restaurant, spa, and other modern facilities. A helipad was even put in place, making the hotel accessible by land, sea, and air.
The Peninsula Hong Kong opened in 1928 and is the oldest six-star hotel in our city. When it was first announced that the hotel would be built in Tsim Sha Tsui, everybody was shocked because the Kowloon Peninsula was considered relatively remote at the time and the upper crust of society lived on the other side of Victoria Harbour. However, the hotel management – the Kadoorie family – firmly believed that it would draw in travellers from all over the world due to its vicinity to the pier and train station. The establishment’s continued success to this very day proves this decision a wise one. Serendipity led to the birth of a timeless legend.
The hotel has grown up alongside Hong Kong and will be celebrating its centenary in a few years. Over the course of three episodes, we will be delving into the glorious past of this legendary hotel, which is also known as the “Grande Dame of the Far East”.