South China Morning Post
December 24, 2004
HK comes first in world fast-food stakes
Kristine Kwok

Hong Kong has the highest percentage of fast-food addicts in the world, with 61 per cent of people eating at least once a week in fast-food restaurants, a study has revealed.

In the study of 28 markets, Malaysia was in second place (59 per cent), the Philippines third (54 per cent) and the United States eighth (35 per cent).

At the other end of the scale, only one in 10 European adults eats takeaway food once a week.

The ACNielsen survey found that just 3 per cent of 500 Hong Kong respondents said they had never visited a fast-food restaurant, the same as in the US.

McDonald's was voted the most popular fast-food chain in all regions, followed by KFC and Pizza Hut.

Local chains such as Cafe de Coral and Maxims were popular with 62 per cent of Hong Kong voters.

The survey was conducted in October over the internet in 28 countries and regions across the Asia-Pacific, Europe and the US. There were more than 14,000 replies.

Nine per cent of Hongkongers said they visited fast-food restaurants at least once a day; 86 per cent said they did so at least twice a month.

In the first nine months of this year, Hongkongers visited fast-food restaurants on average seven times a month, spending $ 160.

Eva Ng Yee-wah, ACNielsen's Consumer Panel Services associate director, said health concerns had not affected the dining preferences of people in Hong Kong.

"But fast-food operators are also rolling out menus with low-calorie meals and salad to cope with customers' greater appetite for healthy food. Consumers now have more choices. So there is still a huge potential to develop fast-food business here," Ms Ng said.

In deciding whether to opt for quick dining, 56 per cent of Hongkongers said location was the key criterion, while 56 per cent cited reasonable prices as a factor.

Only 7 per cent said they ate fast food because they had no time to prepare a proper meal. This compared with 32 per cent in Europe.

"Fast food has become such a part of our lives that we won't consider time as a factor when deciding if we want convenient food ... This has much to do with our culture and pace of life," Ms Ng said.

ACNielsen's figures show that of Hong Kong's 11,000 catering outlets, 1,100, or 10 per cent, sell fast food.

Hong Kong's Big Macs fattest in the world

HONG KONG, Feb 20, 2006 (AFP) - Big Macs in Hong Kong contain more fat and cholesterol than those being served anywhere else in the world outside the United States, the fastfood giant's website said Monday.

Each Hong Kong burger weighed in at 560 calories, the same as in the US but 80 calories more than Australia, 67 more than Britain and 60 more than the Middle East, according to nutritional information on the company's website.

The Chinese territory's Big Macs had the highest cholesterol content at 85 milligrams each compared with 80 milligrams in the US, and total fat of 31 grams, also the highest in the world, it said.

Nutrionist Georgia Guldan warned against high fat diets that could lead to heart disease and high cholesterol.

"If you eat out ... try to learn something about nutrition recommendations," she said. "Don't just go out ignorantly and eat anything that's cheap."

Count me in there :D I always eat at Mc Donalds almost every day in fact 3 sometimes 4 times! And guess what, I always get the Big Mac combo supersized :D But I don't get fat at all and there are hardly anyone in HK who are obese! I tend to walk alot and I lift weights 3 times in a week! Yes The Big-Mac here packs alot of calories and cholesterol but also, how much calories do you lose as well for walking especially walking up the stairs from Central to Conduit Rd. in Mid-Levels? Mc Donalds in HK is pretty good stuff, sometimes better compared to the US!

Recently though, I'm more getting the Fresh Choices Menu than the Big Mac when I eat at Mc Do :)

Anyway, HK's people are always in a hurry and don't have time to cook so fastfood becomes the option on where to eat.

McDonald's in particular is getting a very nasty backlash in the US nowadays. It's simply an unhealthy choice, and targeted in a recent movie whereby the subject ate McDonald's food for all meals and almost had liver failure in the second week.

McDonald's in particular is getting a very nasty backlash in the US nowadays. It's simply an unhealthy choice, and targeted in a recent movie whereby the subject ate McDonald's food for all meals and almost had liver failure in the second week.

You mean Supersize Me ;) Anyway, The United States have a different lifestyle than HK. Most Americans depend on their cars and walk less compared to HKers.

Anyway, after that movie though, Mc Donalds offered alternate choices just like the Fresh Choices menu in HK :)

It doesn't really matter. A lot of the fat can't be easily burned off by regular exercise. HKers are not avid exercisers either. Hong Kong's children are getting more and more obese with fast food just like the Americans.

It doesn't really matter. A lot of the fat can't be easily burned off by regular exercise. HKers are not avid exercisers either. Hong Kong's children are getting more and more obese with fast food just like the Americans.

But again, Mc Donalds are providing alternatives to their usual menu and it's not just Mc Do but other fast food chains as well.

Yes there are alternatives in HK like Olivers Super Sandwiches or that Deli I go to in Central. It's Deli Cious :)

guilty :-p

Wow, I didn't knew that Hong Kong people eat so much fast-food in comparison with other countries. I hope HK-people won't look like Americans over a couple of years.

Wow, I didn't knew that Hong Kong people eat so much fast-food in comparison with other countries. I hope HK-people won't look like Americans over a couple of years.

It really depends on which fast food you eat in HK. If you eat Chinese fast food, it is healthier than the American fast food as there're more carbohydrate for faster metabolism in your body. Still, many Chinese fast food are quite fatty like roast meat. Those people eating those food have to drink tea for better digestion. :|

Baja Fresh in HK yet???


hmmmmmmmm...

Baja Fresh in HK yet???


hmmmmmmmm...

Nope but we have La Placita which is much better than Baja Fresh though it's more expensive.

I doubt that a huge number of HKers will reach the level of obesity of most Americans. It's not in our genes :D

McDonald's so-called 'healthy choices' menu isn't a big improvement over its burger menu. A salad and dressing combined have similar levels of fat and even more sodium.

Big Mac - 7.8 oz / 219 g
Two beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, sesame seed bun

560 calories
30 g fat (10 g saturated, 1.5 g transfat)
80 mg cholesterol
1010 mg sodium
47 g carbohydrates
3 g dietary fiber
25 g protein


Small French Fries - 2.6 oz (74 g)
Golden, long, thin, perfectly salted fries that are crisp on the outside, tender inside with a great potato taste.

250 calories
13 g fat (2.5 g saturated, 3.5 g transfat)
140 mg sodium
30 g carbohydrates
3 g dietary fiber
2 g protein


Bacon Ranch Salad with Grilled Chicken - 11.2 oz (321 g)
Premium mixed greens tossed with sumptuous grape tomatoes, shaved carrots, jack and cheddar cheese with hickory-smoked bacon, topped with a warm breast of grilled chicken.

260 calories
9 g fat (4 g saturated)
90 mg cholesterol
1000 mg sodium
12 g carbohydrates
3 g dietary fiber
33 g protein

Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken - 10.9 oz (311 g)
Premium mixed greens with sumptuous grape tomatoes, shaved carrots, and grated Parmesan cheese.

220 calories
6 g fat (3 g saturated)
75 mg cholesterol
890 mg sodium
12 g carbohydrates
3 g dietary fiber
30 g protein


Creamy Caesar Dressing - 2 fl oz (59 ml)
A rich creamy Caesar dressing with a perfect blend of olive oil, cheeses and garlic.

190 calories
18 g fat (3.5 g saturated)
20 mg cholesterol
500 mg sodium
4 g carbohydrates
2 g protein

Oh man, I just had Big-Mac for lunch with extra large fries and coke :D

One thing, they don't sell Quarter Pounders in HK :)

Anyway, I usually get those flatbread meals in the Fresh Choices menu

One thing, they don't sell Quarter Pounders in HK :)

It used to sell Quarter Pounder in HK some time ago but it was not success. :|

It used to sell Quarter Pounder in HK some time ago but it was not success. :|

I don't know. But I don't remember seeing any Quarter Pounders when I was younger and that was back in the 80s.

BTW, there were other fastfood chains in HK like Wendys and Jack In The Box, but closed down years back.

Nope but we have La Placita which is much better than Baja Fresh though it's more expensive.

I doubt that a huge number of HKers will reach the level of obesity of most Americans. It's not in our genes :D


easy WANCH, i'm on your side! ;)


just curious about Mexican-influenced 'fast-food'-style eateries such as Baja Fresh, Poquito Mas and their like here in LA

i know you've mentioned you were in LA (Sawtelle/SM??) so I was guessing you'd know!! :)


btw i'm FAR from obese... but then again, i'm californian :D

easy WANCH, i'm on your side! ;)


just curious about Mexican-influenced 'fast-food'-style eateries such as Baja Fresh, Poquito Mas and their like here in LA

i know you've mentioned you were in LA (Sawtelle/SM??) so I was guessing you'd know!! :)


btw i'm FAR from obese... but then again, i'm californian :D

Mexican food isn't that popular in HK and those who would eat in such establishments are mostly expats.

I was in LA and NY for several months and I ate alot of Mexican food when I was in LA. I've eaten in Baja Fresh but not Poquito Mas. Actually I stayed in Culver City right close to Sepulveda. There was a Mexican fastfood place where I frequently go which was Titos Tacos :D

Anyway, can't help it man. Mc Donalds in HK are so good that I can't stop eating there :D Especially at the one in Star House in Tsim Sha Tsui which is one of the busiest in the world. It's like mini museum there shows the history and timeline. Mc Donalds in Tsim Sha Tsui are also the place to spend the rest of the evening if you happen to miss the last Star Ferry or the MTR back to the island :D

Its not our fault the McD in HK are so cheap! A meal could cost 23 HKD = $3USD...while on other hand, most meals cost $6 in the US.

Its not our fault the McD in HK are so cheap! A meal could cost 23 HKD = $3USD...while on other hand, most meals cost $6 in the US.

That's another thing, they're cheap! Compare to spending around HK $35-40 on Oliver's Super Sandwiches or even around HK $90-100 for a pizza in Spaghetti House!

HK people like to eat much meat, I think that the cholesterol problem in Hk is quite big.

HK people like to eat much meat, I think that the cholesterol problem in Hk is quite big.

it is but of course we need meat for protein :D

it is but of course we need meat for protein :D

You are right, but isn't it better than to eat tahoe. It is really delicious, but meat is much better :happy:

Battling the Hong Kong bulge
We are Asia's biggest consumers of junk food, and a dietician is determined to see it doesn't become a fatal attraction
3 December 2005
South China Morning Post

WE ARE WHAT we eat and, unfortunately, we generally eat badly. Hong Kong excels at many things, but perhaps the most worrying of all is an apparently insatiable appetite for fast food.

According to a recent survey by market researchers AC Nielsen, we are Asia's biggest consumers of "junk" food, where 61 per cent of adults eat at fast-food restaurants weekly, and this is not only making us fat. It is also harming our health.

Laden with sugar and edible oils, fast food may be cheap and even tasty, but the payback penalties are dangerously high cholesterol levels clogging our arteries and reservoirs of fat leading to obesity.

Combined with an aversion to exercise, another of modern society's unfortunate traits, fast-food addiction can be a fatal attraction. Clogged arteries cause numerous degenerative diseases including diabetes, coronary heart disease and life-threatening heart attacks and strokes.

As a dietician, Ivan Chung is at the front-line of Hong Kong's fight against flab and all its potentially devastating consequences. In a perfectly healthy world, of course, we would not need dieticians or diets at all. But for as long we remain sedentary, fat-gorging sweet-toothed slobs, dietetics, as the science is known, continues to be what might be called a growth profession.

Mr Chung, who teaches at Polytechnic University and has practised as a dietician at private clinics and public hospitals as well as frequently lecturing us about our diets in the media, never set out to become an expert in the field.

Back in 1979, when he went to Australia to study a general science degree, majoring in biochemistry and physiology at the University of New South Wales, diet was not nearly as high on the public agenda as it is today.

"I was studying more out of interest in how living organisms work," he said. "They were paramedical studies, basic medical subjects. I had no plans to be a dietician."

He was not the first to study at university without stopping to think what career it might lead to. Neither will he be the last. "But as I neared the end of my degree, I realised it might be difficult to find a job back in Hong Kong with just a basic science degree," he said. "I decided I needed some professional training as well, to give me a bit more versatility when it came to a career."

He considered several other life sciences, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. But many other graduates were also studying these at universities in Hong Kong.

"It occurred to me that I would still have to compete with local students for jobs, so I looked for a subject that was not available in Hong Kong at that time." What he picked was a postgraduate diploma in nutrition and dietetics, an 18-month programme at the University of Sydney incorporating a practical six-month clinical attachment in a hospital.

"Australians were far more concerned about diet than Hong Kong back then," he said.

It led to qualification as a dietician in 1985 with membership of the British Dietetic Association. On returning to Hong Kong, "I realised I had made the right choice. There were only about 50 or 60 dieticians so it was easy to find a job."

He worked in public hospitals for a few years, then in a private hospital, and finally as a sort of "freelance" dietician-nutritionist for the entire health sector.

Since 1989 he has been lecturing on the topic at PolyU, although only as part of the general studies curriculum. While diet has become more of a concern, he lamented that formal study opportunities in Hong Kong remain remarkably limited. Only one postgraduate degree is offered, the Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, at the HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPACE) in collaboration with the University of Ulster, with spaces only available for 30 or 40 graduates a year. But demand for professionals in the field has never been higher. "Life has changed a great deal in Hong Kong," Mr Chung said.

"People in Hong Kong are getting fatter and fatter. They eat unhealthy fast food to reward themselves for working hard and just sit in front of computers. They don't exercise. The more the economy improves, the more unhealthy their diets and lifestyles become.

"When I started in the profession, people did not start suffering degenerative diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and some cancers until their 30s. Now you see them in much younger people in their late 20s. These are diseases associated with worn-out bodies in old age, but victims are getting younger and younger."

Most alarming of all is that Hong Kong's childhood cholesterol level is second highest in the world. Over a fifth of children are obese by the age of 11.

It is a sorry legacy and Mr Chung places the blame firmly on fast food. When Hong Kong topped the global rankings in the AS Nielsen survey, it emerged that not only 61 per cent of the population eat takeaways at least once a week, many eat it more than once a day. In the United States, where obesity is prevalent, only 35 per cent eat takeaways at least once a week.

The problem is not just with fast food, Mr Chung said, but that it is eaten at the expense of dietary essentials like fibre and vitamins, found in grains, fruit and vegetables. Without fibre, the risk of gut cancer increases.

"Europeans get fibre from grain breads, breakfast cereals and salads, but these are not traditionally part of the Chinese diet," he said. On top of all the oil and salt, Chinese dishes also tend to get the vitamins cooked out of them in searing woks.

A major role of dieticians such as Mr Chung is therefore to try to alert and educate the public. "It's about educating the community," he said. "Victims of degenerative disease are more willing to follow strict diets, but by then it's a bit late. People have to understand that if they get fat, degenerative disease is just around the corner."

As society slowly does come to terms with the risks, demand for professional dieticians and nutritionists is rising, but at a private rather than public level. Slimming clinics are all the rage, yet there is no official organisation or body for dieticians or nutritionists in Hong Kong.

In its wisdom, the Hospital Authority even suspended a policy of hiring dietician graduates a few years ago. But the official tide is turning. The government has mounted an advertising campaign alerting the public to diet risks and Mr Chung is hopeful public hospitals will resume hiring young nutritionists and dieticians soon.

This is a really bad thing to hear. I think this will be a very big problem in the future. I have lived my entire life in Holland but I really came from HK, and I think it is true that HK people eat much worser than in most European countries, too much fastfood and almost none fibre in their food, in addition exercise is not populair in HK. I see in Holland that there are quite a lot people who eat fastfood, but a lot of those people are members of sportclubs and they eat a lot of food with fibre in it.

The fattest person I know in HK is Sammo Hung :D

http://www.eyhkc.com/images/sammo_hung.jpg

Well when everything is relatively close and you have a highly efficient transit system, you don't really need to walk too much. Although I always do walk quite a bit during visits. I guess also, that people are too busy studying and sleeping to exercise too much. Part of the problem for me, at least, is that there is too much good food to eat :drool:

Well when everything is relatively close and you have a highly efficient transit system, you don't really need to walk too much. Although I always do walk quite a bit during visits. I guess also, that people are too busy studying and sleeping to exercise too much. Part of the problem for me, at least, is that there is too much good food to eat :drool:

Or work. Alot of HKers work too much and don't have time to exercise though walking can make up for that.

HK does have an efficient transit system but they don't always go to where you want to go. There are sometimes that I walk from The Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui East or even Jordan instead of taking the bus. Or to say from Causeway to Tin Hau, etc. Also you still have to walk even taking the MTR.

im a fast food junkie as well... i eat fast food at least twice a week

I eat it everyday :D But this time, I had a bacon bagel at Olivers ;)

Use your noodle over Hong Kong meals, health chiefs warn

HONG KONG, March 21, 2006 (AFP) - Hong Kong health officials warned Tuesday that some of the Chinese territory's staple dishes such as fried rice and noodles were loaded with harmful fat, cholesterol and sodium.

A study found that over-eating a range of dishes that account for the majority of Hong Kongers' nutritional intake could increase heart conditions and cardio-vascular illnesses such as high blood-pressure.

"Excessive intake of some (of these) nutrients over a prolonged period could have adverse effects on health," said the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's Ho Yuk-yin.

"Proper dietary measures should be taken, especially by people who ate out frequently," the doctor added.

The least healthy dishes, the study found, were fried rice and noodle meals, which were high in fat, carbohydrates and sodium.

When fried with items such as black bean, offal and squid, their cholesterol levels soared too, Ho said.

Congee, a savoury congealed rice pudding often eaten by Chinese for breakfast, was found to be low in energy and fibre but, depending on what was stirred into it could be high in cholesterol.

And the study found noodles-in-soup, a popular lunch item, were usually low in harmful saturated fats and cholesterol but high in sodium.

Ho said that none of the dishes, which are served in the vast majority of Hong Kong's 10,000 restaurants and cafes, was a good source of calcium.

The report comes days after market research firm AC Nielsen revealed the results of a survey that linked eating out with the rise of obesity in Asia.

The study showed that Hong Kongers ate out more than any other Asians last year and they ranked third in a league table of weight gain during the survey period.

Increasing obesity, especially among children, has become a major concern in wealthy Hong Kong where some 20 percent of youngsters are believed to be overweight.

Hong Kong tourism chiefs promote the city on its gastronomic reputation, but that has been tarnished recently by reports of contaminants in fish imported from China and a spate of food poisoning cases over Chinese New Year in January.

http://www.jxgdw.com/articleimage/2005-09-30/xyfeijie07.jpg

From news.gov.hk:
Health warning issued on food favourites (http://news.gov.hk/en/category/healthandcommunity/060321/features/html/060321en05002.htm)

--Don't eat so salty!

I'm impressed...Hong Kong Goverment has put a great effort to improve its ppl longevity.
Hong Kong has one of the highest life expectancies in the world. An extreemly dense 7 million population with constant stress, recently reported a higher life expectancy than Japan. (2005)

Well, they said that 1/5 of HK kids are starting to be overweight....

Related thread : http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=162399

there is probably no such thing as a healthy fast food perhaps ... well, maybe Subway Subs/sandwiches ? ...

there is probably no such thing as a healthy fast food perhaps ... well, maybe Subway Subs/sandwiches ? ...

I love subways, my favorite too.

I love subways, my favorite too.

hehehe, thats the only type of healthy fast food i can think of !

Subway ... Eat Fresh !

US move fuels trans fat debate
Hong Kong Standard
Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Consumers in Hong Kong will likely have to live with the health threats from so-called trans fats for the foreseeable future despite moves abroad to remove them from human consumption.

The Consumer Council and lawmakers expressed concern for local consumers Monday after receiving news from the United States that major fast- food chain KFC has stopped using the fats to fry its chicken in its US outlets.

Although trans fats occur naturally in small amounts in animals, those used in commercial frying and baking operations are mainly factory-made partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, chosen because of their high cooking temperatures and long shelf life. But the altered molecular structure that gives them these qualities as well as their name has been linked to coronary heart disease and other disorders in humans.

Hong Kong's food labeling laws do not require trans fats to be listed as an ingredient.

This, critics say, deprives local consumers of their right to make informed purchases.

In March, the Legislative Council passed a non-binding motion urging the government to legislate against the use of trans fat in restaurants.

KFC announced Monday that after three years of research and planning to remove the oil, its 5,500 US restaurants will serve fried chicken with no trans fat.

Low linolenic soybean oil will replace the partially hydrogenated version previously used at KFC restaurants.

In a separate announcement, KFC's sister restaurant chain Taco Bell said it too had switched to a trans fat-free frying oil.

Many cities in the United States are speeding up legislation to limit the use of trans fat. The move has had a domino effect on the country's restaurants and fast-food chains in such cities as New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.

A spokeswoman for Hong Kong KFC said the chain's 62 local outlets use palm oil, which contains only a trace of trans fat at most.

Consumer Council chief executive Connie Lau Yin-hing said food laws in Hong Kong should make such information clear to consumers.

"School children's lunch boxes should also contain less deep fried products before the law comes in, banning trans fat to reduce the risk of heart disease in children," Lau said.

Outspoken lawmaker Albert Cheng Jinghan suggested such a policy be extended to Hong Kong fast-food shops. He even pledged to question Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen on the matter during the coming Legco question-and-answer section.

Fred Li Wah-ming, who is deputy chairman of Legco's food safety and environmental hygiene panel, said banning trans fat in Hong Kong is a long- term goal.

"It has taken us years just to push forward a food-labeling scheme. I think we are hundreds of miles away from legislating against trans fat. But consumers should at least be given the right to make informed purchases," Li said.

Given the huge variety of food available in Hong Kong, and how frequently people eat out, banning trans fat in restaurants would be an extremely complicated task, Li said.

A spokeswoman for the Centre for Food Safety said it plans to examine the trans fat content of an average Hong Kong diet.

She said the study, which will covef a wide range of food items, will begin by the end of the year but that no completion date has yet been set.

A naturally low level of trans fat can be found in meat and dairy products. However, it is the trans fat found in processed foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils that pose the greatest risk to heart health.

Like saturated fat, trans fats raise the blood's level of low-density lipoproteins, or so-called bad cholesterol, which increases the risk of coronary heart disease.

Partially hydrogenated oils are a key component of margarine, shortening, frying oils, baked and deep-fried foods, confectionery and processed snacks.

HKers also like to eat ramen which has alot of MSG

Ramen itself doesn't contain MSG. I doubt they mix it into the flour. It's the soup base that's the problem.

Also note the difference between ramen, rice noodles, and other regular noodle types.

Why does the HK Big Mac contain more fat and cholesterol than other Big macs? Is it down to the type of meat used?

Oh yeah, how much is a McDonalds meal in HK these days? Here in the UK, I think a Big Mac Meal is about £3.50 or about 45 HK$

HK meals are cheaper than the US, I know that for sure. But that is partly because the drinks and fries are one size smaller than in the US.

Ramen itself doesn't contain MSG. I doubt they mix it into the flour. It's the soup base that's the problem.

Also note the difference between ramen, rice noodles, and other regular noodle types.

The ramen noodles are dried fried noodles. It still contains a lot of fat in there.

The ramen noodles are dried fried noodles. It still contains a lot of fat in there.

Fat an MSG are different things though. :)

Why does the HK Big Mac contain more fat and cholesterol than other Big macs? Is it down to the type of meat used?

Oh yeah, how much is a McDonalds meal in HK these days? Here in the UK, I think a Big Mac Meal is about £3.50 or about 45 HK$
A meal in HK is about half that price. But then, the wages that staff earn are exponentially lower.

Fat an MSG are different things though. :)

I know. But it's still a bad stuff for you.

Count me in there :D I always eat at Mc Donalds almost every day in fact 3 sometimes 4 times! And guess what, I always get the Big Mac combo supersized :D But I don't get fat at all and there are hardly anyone in HK who are obese! I tend to walk alot and I lift weights 3 times in a week! Yes The Big-Mac here packs alot of calories and cholesterol but also, how much calories do you lose as well for walking especially walking up the stairs from Central to Conduit Rd. in Mid-Levels? Mc Donalds in HK is pretty good stuff, sometimes better compared to the US!

Recently though, I'm more getting the Fresh Choices Menu than the Big Mac when I eat at Mc Do :)

Anyway, HK's people are always in a hurry and don't have time to cook so fastfood becomes the option on where to eat.



O C'mon there are so many other fastfood restaurants in HK other than Mcdonalds. Don't you get sick of it eating there so often? I get sick of it even if I visit Mcdonalds once every 2 weeks.

Yes, the Chinese fast food joints offer more selection and a more filling meal for less.

O C'mon there are so many other fastfood restaurants in HK other than Mcdonalds. Don't you get sick of it eating there so often? I get sick of it even if I visit Mcdonalds once every 2 weeks.

That's like my dad. I don't mind McD's, but If i was in HK I would definitely be going to Cafe de Coral or Maxims more often, cuz I never get that here :(

Hong Kong 大牌挡 are the best best best in the whole world!

O C'mon there are so many other fastfood restaurants in HK other than Mcdonalds. Don't you get sick of it eating there so often? I get sick of it even if I visit Mcdonalds once every 2 weeks.

Of course there are other fastfood joints. Other than Mc Donalds, I also eat at Olivers, KFC, Pizza Hut etc. But Mc Donalds is the closest from my office so I often eat there.

麥當勞包不同價 一街之隔貴5毫
14 November 2007
香港經濟日報

樓價隨著地區改變，連「包」價也會隨區升跌！同樣是魚柳包及巨無霸，一街之隔，售價原來可相差4%，不同區域的差價更可達8%。百物騰貴，不少人為慳錢捱快餐，但為食平快餐，也要格價。

IFC包價 貴過余道生大廈

記者昨日發現，只是一橋之隔的國際金融中心（IFC）麥當勞，與中環皇后大道中余道生大廈地庫的麥當勞，兩者的魚柳包及巨無霸售價已不同，前者魚柳包及巨無霸分別賣12.8元及13.8元，後者則較便宜5毫，分別賣12.3元及13.3元，幅度達4%。

除了港島中西區麥當勞的價錢「因地而異」外，相隔一條馬路的寶琳村麥當勞，與新都城二期商場麥當勞，價錢也有差異，兩者的魚柳包雖然同售12元，但後者的巨無霸賣13.3元，比前者貴3毫。

就地區售價差異一事，記者昨日以顧客身份詢問北角英皇道麥當勞的職員。職員表示，各分店會按照其店舖租金調整價錢，要數全港最貴的麥當勞食品，則非海洋公園內的麥當勞莫屬。

而根據本報昨日向麥當勞外賣部查詢所得，不是每一款食物的售價都必定有地區差異，例如雞翼及薯條，各區未見有分別。

Never realized McD. have different burger prices in the regular stores~~

Hong Kong fast food king thrives in downturn
11 August 2009
Agence France Presse

When restaurants in Hong Kong closed down one after another at the peak of the financial crisis, Michael Chan noticed the queues in his Cafe de Coral fast food outlets grew longer by the day.

And the clientele was changing.

No longer was the 40-year-old chain serving only middle-to-low-income customers. Among the new diners were bankers and fund managers, more used to power lunches at five-star hotels and private clubs.

"I saw a lot more white-collar workers in our outlets. They traded down their eating habit because of a growing sense of insecurity at work," Chan, chairman of Cafe de Coral Holdings, told AFP.

The company, the largest publicly-listed Chinese fast-food business in the world, operates many well-known chains in Hong Kong, mainland China, the US and Canada, including Oliver's Super Sandwiches and The Spaghetti House.

But it was the low-end Cafe de Coral which proved to be the most resilient.

"We are more defensive than our competitors at recession times. There are some double-digit corrections in our specialty restaurants, but these are offset by the healthy growth in Cafe de Coral," said Chan, 56.

The resilience of cheap eateries matched low-cost businesses such as cinemas, DVD stores and supermarkets, which did well in the global downturn as people looked for inexpensive ways to kill time.

Last month, the Hong Kong-listed firm reported its net annual profits rose 5.2 percent in the 2008/09 financial year to a record high of 441.87 million Hong Kong dollars (56.65 million US), on the back of its market-beating prices.

A customer can enjoy a set lunch -- typically a soup, rice or noodles and meat and vegetables for around 30 dollars (fewer that four US), which is often cheaper than cooking at home.

Chan, who joined the company in 1984 and is the 35th richest person in the city according to wealth-watchers at Forbes magazine, said he aimed to increase the number of his outlets in Hong Kong and overseas from 580 to 1,000 by 2014.

He said the slowdown has allowed him to acquire prime properties at bargain rates.

The company is also spending 400 million dollars to build new central food processing plants in Hong Kong and the Chinese city of Guangzhou, which should cut prices even further when they open in 2010.

The chain's success has come despite operating in Hong Kong's fiercely competitive restaurant sector.

Living in tiny flats with miniscule kitchens and working long hours, most Hong Kong people prefer to eat out.

The city is full of endless rows of noodle bars and Cantonese "cha chaan tengs", which means "tea restaurants" (known for their eclectic and affordable menus of Chinese and Hong Kong-spun Western dishes).

International competitors have also tucked in. McDonald's now has more than 200 outlets in the city, with a menu specially designed for the Chinese taste -- more chicken, less beef.

As a result, food prices have been pushed downwards and Hong Kong, which has some of the most expensive property in the world, has often been at the bottom of the Economist magazine's "Big Mac index" -- which compares the cost of the burger to gauge price differences between countries.

Despite such competition, Cafe de Coral has thrived, using each downward cycle to push a new round of innovation.

When customer numbers started to drop during the Asian financial crisis in 1997, Chan, an urban planner by training, decided to take the chain more upmarket by improving the decor.

As a result, Cafe de Coral attracted a new group of customers -- the "OLs", short for office ladies.

Then came the deadly outbreak of SARS in 2003, when lots of caterers collapsed as Hong Kongers preferred to stay at home to avoid catching the respiratory disease.

Chan moved fast to improve hygiene control in his restaurants, with staff required to wear face masks and gloves when handling food. Customers soon regained confidence.

In order to turn Cafe de Coral's new white-collar customers into loyal patrons, Chan has broadened the range of the menu, which now includes items such as New Zealand sirloin steak and seafood chowder au gratin.

Chan said such reinvention is the key to the success of the chain over the past four decades.

"In the 1970s and 1980s, customers liked eating big chunks of grilled meat, and restaurants tended to use bright interior lighting. Now, they are much more health-conscious, and prefer a cafe-style comfy setting," said Chan, who regularly dines at his outlets to observe customers.

"The secret is to keep rejuvenating the brand. There is no way a 40-year-old catering business will survive if it never changes."

I wish we had Cafe de Coral here. Those meals are irresistible! :drool:

They really aren't.

They aren't in HK standard; but they would be in NA standard.

True :D

I've probably been to Cafe de Coral no more than 5 times in my life.

I mean it's a good deal for the price. Taste wise it's not bad for what you're paying. Maxim's is also very good.

Here in Toronto, we have some of those HK style diners, but the food usually isn't as fresh or you're paying more.

Nah, I still wouldn't pay that amount for Cafe de Coral food.

Maxim's does a better deal, and even then I only eat at the university canteen (run by Maxim's) cos everything comes under HK$20 - I never go to a proper Maxim's.

I'd rather eat at McDonald's, or get a $10 sandwich from 7-11.

Here in Toronto, we have some of those HK style diners, but the food usually isn't as fresh or you're paying more.

I love that $2 to change a hot drink for an iced one in a set meal in Toronto.
Sounds exactly like in HK, but you are paying in CAD$2 in Toronto versus HK$2 in Hong Kong, which is about 8 times more expensive for just a few ice cube in the cup. :bash:

Chinese food and HK-style food in Toronto and Vancouver are the best in the world outside Asia. It's not super expensive considering Western food would cost much more! They pay even McD workers a fair wage in Canada! So the difference must come from the consumer.

Count me in there :D I always eat at Mc Donalds almost every day in fact 3 sometimes 4 times! And guess what, I always get the Big Mac combo supersized :D But I don't get fat at all and there are hardly anyone in HK who are obese! I tend to walk alot and I lift weights 3 times in a week! Yes The Big-Mac here packs alot of calories and cholesterol but also, how much calories do you lose as well for walking especially walking up the stairs from Central to Conduit Rd. in Mid-Levels? Mc Donalds in HK is pretty good stuff, sometimes better compared to the US!

Recently though, I'm more getting the Fresh Choices Menu than the Big Mac when I eat at Mc Do :)

Anyway, HK's people are always in a hurry and don't have time to cook so fastfood becomes the option on where to eat.

:rofl:

:banana:

I love that $2 to change a hot drink for an iced one in a set meal in Toronto.
Sounds exactly like in HK, but you are paying in CAD$2 in Toronto versus HK$2 in Hong Kong, which is about 8 times more expensive for just a few ice cube in the cup. :bash:

It's HK$5 now in most places for a change of drink.

How many of the forumers who actually live in Hong Kong eat at Maxim's, Cafe de Coral or Fairwood regularly - say once a week?

Mind you - I would probably eat there regularly once I'm living on my own...

It's HK$5 now in most places for a change of drink.

How many of the forumers who actually live in Hong Kong eat at Maxim's, Cafe de Coral or Fairwood regularly - say once a week?

Mind you - I would probably eat there regularly once I'm living on my own...

If memory serves, the guys that run Café de Coral and Fairwood are brothers? Anyway, out of the two... definitely prefer Fairwood over CdC. Having "equivalent" meals in the latter... I always notice a strange after taste (preservatives? MSG?).

However, both are near the bottom of the list as for such eateries... Maxim's MX and Canteen (really annoyed they shut the one at IFC... so the closest is now in the Prince Building) taste much better without costing much more (if at all). Also go to the more "obscure" but well know to local's such as Tai Hing. :cheers:

Yep - always prefer Tai Hing and Tsui Wah over the other chains. Costs a bit more though...

Don't think they're obscure at all...

Yes, the Café de Coral and Fairwood brothers did not part on good terms.

I usually have one of these or Maxim's once a week. It's not the best food, but for $23 I can enjoy a noodle with 3 toppings. Not bad.

For the others who lurk around in Central, Yung Kee actually has a very reasonable take out menu.

http://www.yungkee.com.hk/images/logo-c.gif

Web link to menu : http://www.yungkee.com.hk/menu/menu_takeout-e.html

Get there early.

I've never tried Yung Kee oddly enough.

Heard a lot about it - worth it? How much would it cost for a meal?

I've never tried Yung Kee oddly enough.

Heard a lot about it - worth it? How much would it cost for a meal?

The menu link also shows prices. The afternoon take-out with BBQ meats is in the low to mid $30s. It's very affordable.

I had lunch with them upstairs and even then it was not bad at all ($150/person).

$150/person isn't cheap for lunch.

It's primarily a roast place isn't it?

$150/person isn't cheap for lunch.

It's primarily a roast place isn't it?

It's a high class chinese tea house / dim sum restaurant. $150/person is fair for its class. it's famous for its roasted goose. actually, the take-out price is surprisingly low for me.

Yep - always prefer Tai Hing and Tsui Wah over the other chains. Costs a bit more though...

Don't think they're obscure at all...

Hence the "quotes", as they are known to locals... then there's the fact both only have a handful of restaurants, where as the other big chains have at least one in every single district in HK. :nuts:

Another one I like is the Macau Restaurant, though the quality seems to vary more between branches (with the CWB one being the best in my opinion).

I've not tried Yung Kee either (well, I might have when I was really young before emigrating)... but I believe that was the place featured in one of Antony Bourdain's No Reservations:

FGEpQfgS-3M

"This (the roast goose) is worth flying all the way to HK for!" :banana:

Need to visit it some time.

French fry lovers told to ink twice before they eat
The Standard
Friday, September 18, 2009

Diners who spread their french fries across paper tray mats in fast-food restaurants to get maximum ketchup coverage may be risking ink poisoning.

The warning comes from the unlikely source of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, which says the greasy practice is hazardous because ink from the paper may seep into the fries.

But experts at the Centre for Food Safety say the party's claim is without foundation.

A random DAB inspection of McDonald's and KFC outlets in the mainland found written warnings advising customers not to put food directly on top of paper mats.

Hong Kong has no such warnings, said Danny Chan Chung-cheung of the DAB.

As a result, mainlanders have developed the habit of putting a paper napkin down before placing their food on the trays.

The center said there is no scientific evidence to prove that ink on food may damage your health.

But Chan urged the center to follow up on the matter and also promote higher hygiene standards in the city's fast food chains by, for example, placing wash basins near restaurant cashiers and in customer areas to encourage handwashing.

A spokeswoman for the center said customers should not place food directly on tray mats because they are not designed for that purpose.

But she added studies show that when printing ink is ingested it does not pose significant health risks.

A McDonald's spokeswoman said: "All packaging that is in contact with our food, including the tray mat, are governed by strict quality control measures.

"We also ensure the paint being used [on tray mats] meets international food safety requirements."

A KFC spokeswoman said all its packaging materials, including paper used in food baskets, are up to food safety standards.

"We are now [considering putting] precautionary wordings on all tray mats," the spokeswoman said.

Dr Yeung Chi-hung, senior lecturer at Hong Kong Polytechnic University's department of applied biology and chemical technology, said customers need not worry too much about the health risks of ink.

Yeung said it used to be a general practice in Hong Kong for people to wrap food such as raw meat in newspapers, and he is not aware of any harmful side effects.

Whether ink from tray mats may be absorbed by the food depends on the length of exposure and the area of contact, he said.

That's how people eat since McDonald opened in HK like 30 years ago!!!!

If you are so concern about eating ink, you may want to just skip out the french fries at first.

"Crossing the street may put people's lives at risk"

Easy this sensationalism malarkey. That really is a ridiculous article...