Cover Image courtesy of WalterHou/Openrice
Image courtesy of WalterHou/Openrice
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The dai pai dong will be forced to shut its kitchen by September 2
The free flowing Blue Girl has finally run dry at Tung Po Kitchen, the much-loved dai pai dong that had locals and tourists alike flocking to the top floor of the Java Road Cooked Food Centre for an utterly unique combination of delicious Cantonese fare, a booming soundtrack of Backstreet Boys mixed with Beyond, and beer bottles popped with a chopstick under the guidance of moonwalking co-owner Robbie Cheung.
Having operated for the last 30 years, Tung Po's lease was suddenly ended by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, with the latter citing "rental regulations" and ordering the restaurant to return the premises by September 2. In the termination of lease letter that Cheung referred to, the FEHD claimed that the licensee of the premises was not present when the food stall was operating, thereby breaching the tenancy agreement and leading to the termination of the contract. Cheung has called the move "unreasonable".
Related: Hong Kong Dim Sum Institution Lin Heung Tea House Announces Permanent Closure
Named "Hong Kong's wildest dining experience" by CNN, Tung Po attracted the crowds for well-executed Cantonese dishes—like "wind sand" chicken, steamed clams in lotus leaf, fried prawns in preserved egg yolk, and squid ink spaghetti—as much as the copious amounts of beer served in signature "battle bowls". But the atmosphere was what kept diners coming back, with Cheung's talent for turning the utilitarian surroundings into a dance floor and karaoke room making the restaurant a rite of passage for the many revellers who passed through its doors—including the likes of Hollywood celebrity Benedict Cumberbatch in 2016.
Luckily, the spirit of Tung Po survives in New Dim Siu Yi, an offshoot that opened in 2020 serving many of the same dai pai dong favourites as the original, if slightly more modern, surroundings.
Tung Po joins an ever-increasing list of much-loved legacy restaurants like Jumbo Floating Kingdom, Lin Heung Teahouse, Hoi On Cafe, and Mido Cafe that have closed in quick succession in recent months.
New Dim Siu Yi, Shop A, G/F, 14 Tsat Tsz Mui Road, North Point, Hong Kong; +852 2893 9393
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Gavin Yeung is a Hong Kong-based writer and was the editor at Tatler Dining. He has written across the realms of F&B, design, fashion and travel, with a focus on in-depth profiles and experiential features. Previously, he held editorial positions at Hypebeast, Soho House and Vogue Hong Kong. He’s also a keen photographer and aspiring home bartender, and is constantly thinking of original, Cantonese-inflected (and occasionally questionable) cocktails to shake up. Follow him on Instagram at @gaviny.
