London House in Tsim Sha Tsui becomes his second restaurant; two more are in the pipeline
KYLIE KNOTTkylie.knott@scmp.com
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 25 October, 2015, 3:10am
UPDATED : Sunday, 25 October, 2015, 3:10am
Gordon Ramsay at his new London House. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay plans to open two more restaurants in Hong Kong next year, despite concern about high rents.
The British chef - in Hong Kong yesterday for the official opening of London House in Tsim Sha Tsui - plans to open Gordon Ramsay's Fish & Chips and Maze Grill, a high-end steak and sushi restaurant that has four outlets in London, including one in the Marriott Hotel in the well-heeled district of Mayfair.
His first restaurant in the city was Bread Street Kitchen in Central, which he opened last year.
Ramsay - known for his shows Kitchen Nightmares,Hell's Kitchen, Hotel Hell and MasterChef - said Hong Kong was becoming a "jewel in the crown".
"We've tested the Hong Kong waters and those waters are brilliant. Hong Kong … it's like a jewel in the crown now for us. The amount of interest since launching Bread Street Kitchen has been phenomenal.
"Hong Kong London, Paris, New York - they all simultaneously roll round in circles so we share a lot of customers. Now we're looking at a site for Maze Grill - it's really exciting. It's a sushi and steak concept, huge Asian influence with the appetisers and a really cool array of steaks. We have Maze Grills in London and potentially about to open one in Vegas. … Hong Kong - it's a great hub for us."
But Ramsay was not 100 per cent bullish about the city. He said business in Hong Kong was tough due to the high rents. "That's one thing I've learned in Hong Kong - the average restaurant lasts only between three and four years because of rents."
He also said he was a huge supporter of the city's "culturally important" wet markets.
"My heart goes out … when these wet markets close. It's to do with land and land value and ridiculous rents. I worry about the loss of culture. Hong Kong's wet markets are the city's bedrock. They have cultural integrity and we have to hold on to that as long as we can.
"Instead of closing them [the government] should relocate them because wet markets are a vital part of the city's culture. Generations have grown up through those markets and depend on them … From a chef's point of view it would be a great loss.
"Hong Kong is not the only city in the world that's fighting to keep those rights. It's the same in Singapore with the hawkers' markets and street food sellers. London is also seeing markets being lost to real-estate projects."
As for bringing his television shows to Hong Kong, he said: "I'd love to look at some of the challenges with bringing MasterChef to Hong Kong.
Kitchen Nightmares I want to rest a bit. I think it got to me … I woke up one morning and it was like 'anyone can go buy a restaurant' and I got saddened by it. I was working with muppets who had the money and not the nous - and it does not work like that. They fall in love with the glamour and see the TV shows and the books and they think it's all about fame - it's f*** all to do with fame. It's hard work.
"For the past 15 years I've worked endlessly and mastered my craft, so getting into those situations and trying to get someone's business back on the map based on one dinner party … I wanted to stop that."
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1871794/celebrity-chef-gordon-ramsay-plans-more-hong-kong-outlets
