Private kitchens add color to H.K. food culture

HONG KONG, Jan. 4 Kyodo

Finding ''Yellow Door'' along Cochrane Street near the trendy Soho area in Hong Kong can be a challenge as this home-cooking diner, one of the pioneers of such hidden kitchens, has no sign outside the commercial building it is tucked away in.

But customers with their gastronomical desire longing to be satisfied always manage to find their way to the yellow-colored door on the sixth floor marking the entrance to this unique eatery.

''I am a writer by day and a waiter by night,'' said Lau Kin-wai, owner of the Yellow Door Kitchen, which serves authentic home-style cooking Sichuan and old-fashioned Cantonese dishes.

''The trend of private kitchens adds more life to the dining culture in Hong Kong. Customers have more choices now and don't have to eat stuff that is run-of-the-mill,'' Lau told Kyodo News.

Hong Kong people's love for food stays fervent despite the current economic woes. Such home-cooking diners have been mushrooming recently.

It is estimated that there are some 100 private kitchens, offering a variety of Chinese cuisine, as well as Japanese, French, Italian and other fusion styles of cooking.

Most of these kitchens are unlicensed and operated at residential and commercial premises in a covert manner, but patrons don't mind.

''I don't care whether those kitchens have licenses or not,'' said frequent private kitchen patron Maisei Wong.

''Neither do I worry about the hygiene matter. I am too fond of good food and like to try different specialties and native homely cooking,'' said Wong, a garment manager.

Private kitchens, known as ''sifangcai'' in Mandarin, are popular here as they usually serve unique cuisine and seasonal dishes in a cozy and private dining environment that caters for only a few tables.

Different from conventional Chinese restaurants, chefs of private kitchens set the menus for their customers and the food portions of each dish are served according to the number of people at each table.

A reservation is a must because walk-ins will not be served.

Government officials, tycoons, film stars, celebrities, business people and tourists are among the patrons.

The Yellow Door Kitchen, for example, has attracted the patronage of big names such as Japanese actress Takako Tokiwa and movie magnate Sir Run Run Shaw.

Many private kitchen chefs are retired or experienced cooks at celebrities' homes, while others used to work at hotels or private clubhouses.

Some food lovers who have secret family recipes and are good at cooking have also become kitchen operators of this fine dining trend. A handful of television entertainers run their culinary domains as well.

''I myself don't know how to cook, but I do enjoy wining and dining,'' said engineer Boris Yu, who has opened Bo, a private kitchen of Japanese kaiseki cuisine, after his business in the construction sector waned amid the economic slowdown.

Yu has hired an experienced kaiseki chef, Takaho Oshitanai, and his wife Mihoko to take charge of the kitchen and the dining service, respectively.

And Yu is proud that Bo is able to keep changing the menu every week and has not served the same course twice to a guest since it opened some nine months ago.

The fast development of private kitchens, however, has drawn concerns including over their food hygiene, public safety and possible nuisance to neighbors in the buildings where they are located.

The government is planning to regulate these kitchens, but suggests that they do not have to meet the full licensing requirements as a general restaurant does, given their small scale of business.

The government considers that regularization will help foster the growth of this new form of dining experience and enhance Hong Kong's status as a gourmet center, contributing in turn to the promotion of tourism.

''The private diners in fact add color to the whole culinary business in Hong Kong. It provides new and diversified dining experiences not only to visitors but also to Hong Kong people,'' a spokeswoman for the Hong Kong Tourism Board said.

The catering industry, meanwhile, criticizes the government for going easy on private kitchens and being unfair to licensed restaurants and eatery outlets.

''We are not worried that private kitchens are competing with us for businesses. But the government has to be fair. We have to pay a huge amount of fees and surcharges, such as those for sewage treatment, staff pension funds and alcohol licenses,'' said Tommy Cheung, a lawmaker who represents the catering industry.

Many traditional restaurants face declines in businesses as persistent deflation and high unemployment dampen consumption and investment confidence. A number of Chinese restaurants, despite their long history of operation, were closed down recently.

To attract customers, some existing operators are upgrading their standards of service and quality of food while others have had their restaurants renovated and come up with more creative menus.