Korean food industry sees diversification in HK amid pandemic and hallyu

A Korean restaurant opening in October is seen in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, where some small and fancy restaurants form a restaurant district, Sept. 3. Korea Times photo by Park Ji-won

By Park Ji-won

HONG KONG ― For foodies, Hong Kong has been a go-to place to enjoy various cuisines from all over the world even though it has never been known as a place for Korean eats. If you ask Hong Kong residents about Korean food, they mostly think of Korean BBQ or spicy things, with many other dishes remaining unfamiliar for the majority.

But the trend has been changing with the diversification of Korean restaurants and Korean grocery stores amid the growing popularity of Korean cultural content, as well as following the implementation of strict restrictions on travel to and from Hong Kong with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sandy Li, 32, an office worker, regularly goes to Korean restaurants to have Korean dishes with friends and family members. She also often buys ready-to-eat meals to enjoy at home.

"I eat Korean-style chicken at least once a month and often go to eat Korean together with a couple of friends who also like Korean culture, as I do. There weren't many Korean restaurants when I was younger, but now I can eat many brands of chicken and go to restaurants here that can be seen in Korea," Li told The Korea Times by phone.

Her mother didn't know much about Korean food, but Li took her to a Korean soup restaurant. Since then, going to lunch at that Korean restaurant has become a small joy they share, she added.

She probably does so because she is one of the Korean culture fans who grew up watching Korean dramas such as "Jewel in the Palace" (2003), "My Love from the Star" (2013) and "Descendants of the Sun" (2016), along with enjoying K-pop content online.

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Insiders have seen an increase of Korean restaurants and supermarkets that previously didn't exist here, over the last few years.

"There is no exact number, but I saw an increase in the number of Korean restaurants and grocery shops after the COVID-19 regulations lifted in April this year. The Korean food industry here is diversifying," said Lee Jong-seok, vice chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and chairman of the Korean Restaurants Association, adding that there are some 140 to 180 Korean restaurants run by Koreans in total.

As of Sept. 6, the number of Korean restaurants in Hong Kong that can be searched for on Openrice, one of the largest restaurant portals in Asia, is 575.

He saw the Korean food industry expanding with non-Korean people joining and existing Korean restaurants and shops selling various Korean meals in different types of shops such as supermarkets, take-out shops, grocery stores and restaurants with delivery service.

"It seems that food business portfolios have diversified due to the pandemic and the spread of the Korean wave. The size of the entire Korean food industry is expanding," he said.

New World Trading Company, one of the largest Korean grocery chains in Hong Kong, opened a meal box and side dish shop in August of last year while aggressively adding new grocery stores over the last few years.

The opening of quality Korean fine dining restaurants could also be a sign of the growth in the popularity of Korean food here.

Mosu Hong Kong / Courtesy of Mosu Hong Kong

In April, Mosu Hong Kong, the Hong Kong branch of the Michelin two-starred restaurant located in Seoul, recently opened in the new M+ Museum in Hong Kong. It is one of the few Korean fine dining restaurants, along with Hansik Goo, which arrived in Hong Kong in June 2020. The new Michelin restaurant has been incredibly popular and is already fully booked until the first week of December as of Sept. 7.

The increase and expansion of the Korean food business also reflect the overall rise in the number of restaurants in Hong Kong. The number of restaurants in Hong Kong in 2018 was 14,998, but it grew about 3 percent each year to reach 16,148 in 2021 and 16,765 as of July this year, according to the latest data from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in the Hong Kong government.

But insiders also warn that the popularity of Korean food could be temporary unless restaurants can continue to attract Hongkongers as loyal customers, due to the fact that many of them only eaten Korean food as a one-off option to enjoy foreign food in the city due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Hong Kongers are habitual travelers. Residents made 94.7 million departures in 2019, according to the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department ― a significant statistic when considering the fact that the population of Hong Kong was estimated at 7.5 million in 2020. But the number of departures decreased to 8.2 million in 2020 and fell to some 905,000 in 2021.

"Many Korean restaurants sell too many menu items, unlike Japanese restaurants which only focus on a few dishes. For example, a Korean BBQ restaurant here may also sell Korean-style raw fish. After the pandemic, which boosted the popularity of all Korean restaurants, only quality Korean restaurants that can meet Hongkongers' high food standards and retain loyal customers will survive," Lee added.