Small shops selling inexpensive two-dish mealboxes have mushroomed across one of the world's least affordable cities, cropping up in working-class and white-collar areas alike as people tighten their belts amid fears of a recession after pro-democracy protests followed by strict Covid protocol for over two years
This photo taken on September 18, 2022, shows customers being served low-priced two-dish mealboxes at Kitty Chan's restaurant in Hong Kong. Image: Peter Parks/AFP
Hong Kong, China: Hong Konger Kitty Chan pivoted to takeout to help her restaurant survive the pandemic, but she has since opened a second shop as demand for cheap mealboxes surges in a city enduring economic woes.
Small shops selling inexpensive two-dish mealboxes have mushroomed across one of the world's least affordable cities, cropping up in working-class and white-collar areas alike as people tighten their belts.
"The Covid restrictions were a catalyst," she told AFP at her restaurant in Kowloon, one of the world's most densely populated city districts, as a queue of hungry patrons snaked down the street. "There are multiple factors in this city that make us many people's kitchen."
Hong Kong took an economic hit in 2019 when months of democracy protests kept visitors away and helped tip the city into a prolonged recession.