Hong Kong Gourmet Month is giving restaurants a boost following the Wine & Dine Festival, with a Michelin three-star restaurant expecting business to grow by up to 10 percent this month and some festivalgoers returning to sample more dishes.
Organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board in collaboration with the catering industry, the month-long campaign brings dining offers and special experiences to more than 400 restaurants and bars across the city.
Adam Wong at the Wine & Dine Festival.
Forum Restaurant, renowned for its signature Ah Yat Abalone and more than five decades of history, introduced an innovative abalone burger at the Festival. Executive chef Adam Wong Lung-to said the event attracted enthusiastic crowds, with some visitors expressing interest in dining at the restaurant after trying the burger.
Wong said he and other industry operators had observed a noticeable recovery in the catering trade in the second half of the year, with Gourmet Month providing a further boost and he expects the restaurant's business to increase by around 10 percent year-on-year in November.
Meanwhile, Maxim's Group said its Maxim's Boulevard at the Festival attracted strong foot traffic, with several event-exclusive dishes receiving positive feedback. The group is considering adding some of the popular items to its regular menus, including Hong Kong-style milk tea tarts and butter rice cakes inspired by traditional candy and coconut wrap.
Hong Kong-style milk tea tarts
It believes the brand exposure and positive dining experiences generated by the Festival could encourage customers to visit its restaurants and outlets in the future.
Edward Leung Hei, chairman of the Hong Kong Feast and Retreat Association, said this year's Festival — alongside other major events held around the same period — had created a synergistic effect and encouraged visitors to explore local food across different districts and helped restaurants turn increased foot traffic into spending.
Leung expects Hong Kong Gourmet Month to benefit the catering sector further, noting that business generated through the DiningCity reservation platform at restaurants under his management has risen by around 20 percent since the start of November.
