Our new initiative pulls together the backing of Hong Kong’s food media and industry professionals to support restaurants around the city
Editor's Note (April 28, 2020): Due to the overwhelming support and by request of our friends in hospitality, United We Dine has been extended for one month—the campaign will now run until May 31, 2020, to allow more time for diners to support their favourite restaurants. While cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong have been falling to single digits, we encourage everyone to remain vigilant, to exercise caution when dining out around the city, and to avoid going out if they are feeling unwell or have recently been in close contact with those who have travelled back to Hong Kong from overseas.
When we settled upon the theme “United We Dine” for our annual restaurant guide back in the hot summer of 2019, we would never have imagined that the F&B industry—or, for that matter, the entire city—would be in such dire straits by Chinese New Year. Rocked by the rare one-two punch of societal upheaval quickly followed by the devastating ripple effects of COVID-19, Hong Kong’s F&B industry is now facing its toughest moment since the 2003 SARS crisis. Dwindling tourist numbers and huge swaths of denizens opting for delivery over dining out is putting a strain on restaurants all around the city, with many already closed or approaching the brink of doing so.
Time and time again, we found ourselves reaching for what has become our new mantra: united we dine. Taking solace in a meal is one of the most reassuring things we can do in times of uncertainty—even if that disruption includes temporary shortages of rice, spam and toilet paper. As Hong Kong tentatively starts to come alive again, we believe that it’s time to show support for your favourite restaurants and businesses—in a way that is safe and sensible, of course.
We are proud to introduce United We Dine as a campaign, a new initiative that highlights more than 150 places around Hong Kong that are keen to show you their very best. For the campaign, more than 80 restaurants are introducing limited #UnitedWeDine menus representing exclusive dishes and/or enticing value for money, ranging from Michelin-starred restaurants to independently owned eateries.
Together with our friends in food media—including Foodie, The Forks & Spoons, On Air Collective, Tasting Kitchen, Time Out Hong Kong, The Loop and WOM Guide—we’re encouraging you to rediscover our dining scene and to share in the moments that make this city so great. We want you to support the hard work of those in hospitality—Hong Kong is one of the most challenging places in the world to run a restaurant, and their perseverance, resilience and can-do attitude will still need the backing of a hungry society.
How to get involved? It’s simple: dine out at our participating restaurants much as your wallet and stomach will allow during the campaign period of March 16 to May 31, 2020. The purpose of United We Dine is to encourage you to rediscover Hong Kong’s incredible dining scene, and to support as many restaurants as you can. But as a little extra incentive, our generous sponsors have donated prizes for a special giveaway at the end of the campaign. For every five restaurant receipts you collect, you’ll be eligible to enter our prize competition to be in with the chance to win luxurious staycations, spa treatments, premium wines and liquors and dining vouchers.
Visit unitedwedine.hk for the full list of participating restaurants and more information on how to take part.