Restaurants in Hong Kong we wish still existed

The Jumbo Floating Restaurant was one of Hong Kong’s most iconic tourist attractions, not only for its grandeur appearance but also for its offering of fresh seafood, dim sum, and traditional Cantonese cuisine. During its heyday, the 45,000sq ft restaurant catered to more than 2,300 diners at full capacity. After temporarily halting operations on March 3, 2020, the restaurant was supposed to be part of a government initiative, however the plan fell through due to lack of donations. After leaving Aberdeen on June 14, the restaurant's parent company, reported that the 46-year-old Jumbo Floating Restaurant capsized at sea on June 19 due to extreme weather conditions near Paracel Islands (also known as the Xisha Islands). The iconic vessel was supposed to be transferred to an undisclosed location – which was eventually reported to be in Cambodia – for storage.

Back in the day, Western-style doughnuts were hard to come by in the city, that is, until Krispy Kreme arrived in Hong Kong in 2006. Opening seven outlets across the city, the doughnut company provided Hongkongers with their fluffy treats, but ultimately closed all of their stores in 2008 due to the financial crisis that took a toll on the retail sector in Hong Kong.

Gough's on Gough is hard to miss because of its striking aquarium that houses 'Derek the Diver', a fixture in a 1940s diving suit inside a tank full of live  Amazonian red-bellied piranhas that sits by the entrance. Gough's on Gough is British furniture maestro Timothy Oulton's first-ever restaurant, and it used to be helmed by chef Arron Rhodes who is now the proprietor of Kinship and Smoke & Barrel. The restaurant featured British fare and southeast Asian and Peruvian influences in dishes like chocolate fondant or light Thai curry sauces to go with Scottish salmon and Cornish mussels.

After serving Hongkongers dim sum for almost a century over their various locations across the city, Lin Heung Tea House suddenly announced last month that they were closing their Wellington Street restaurant. The establishment previously announced in February 2019 that it would cease operations but was able to return after renewing a three-year contract with its landowners, so many assumed that the situation would be the same this year, however the traditional dim sum restaurant had to say goodbye after not being able to stay up and running due to the challenges posed by the pandemic.

If you were in the mood for American diner-style breakfast at any hour of the day, you’ve definitely been to The Flying Pan. With locations in Wan Chai and Central just a stone’s throw away from the bars and clubs, The Flying Pan was frequented by party animals wrapping up their nights. Over their 17 years of operation, the all-day dining venue served up pillowy stacks of pancakes and hearty portions of breakfast classics. With the pandemic affecting their operating hours, both Flying Pan locations closed in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Conveniently located next to the Mid-Levels Escalator, Staunton’s was a popular hang-out spot on the corner of Staunton Street. Despite providing an extensive wine and beverage list since its opening in 1997, Staunton’s closed their doors early this year and was one of the several venues in SoHo that closed due to social distancing restrictions affecting their business.