Restaurants in Hong Kong we wish still existed

Opened over three decades years ago, Ma Sa Restaurant was one of Hong Kong’s most beloved restaurants. The cha chaan teng was perched on Sheung Wan’s Hillier Street and frequented by locals and visitors alike who went for their signature dish – spam with fried egg on rice, drizzled with a rich soy sauce. While Ma Sa’s food was simple, it hit the spot as an indulgent meal to be enjoyed once in a while. In late 2023, the restaurant’s venue was sold for $28 million. Since then, there has been no news if Ma Sa is to reopen in the future.

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.

If you’re a fan of pizza, chances are you’ve dined at Alvy’s. This New York dive bar and pizzeria made its mark as a popular joint in the Kennedy Town neighbourhood, delighting countless patrons with their craft beers and sourdough pizzas. Unfortunately, Alvy’s announced on their Instagram account that they were to shut their doors on December 12 2023, with no mention if they would reopen in a new location.

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.

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.

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.