Mainland private chefs are offering home-cooked Chinese New Year reunion dinners in Hong Kong for as little as HK$500 an hour through social media platforms, but officials warn the service may be illegal and pose serious food safety risks.
The private home-cooked meal service, already popular in the mainland, has extended into Hong Kong, with chefs promoting their services on social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu under listings like “Chief to cook at Hong Kong home.”
The posts showcase culinary skills ranging from preparing fresh seafood to full-service catering. Some chefs offer complete packages that include ingredients, tableware, and servers for family banquets and events.
Services are priced starting at HK$500 per hour for home cooking in Hong Kong and HK$300 per hour in Shenzhen.
One account advertising “Shenzhen, Hong Kong” services claims to cover the entire Greater Bay Area. The service requires advance booking and offers seafood, Cantonese, Sichuan, and Hunan cuisines.
When contacted by a reporter posing as a customer, the account confirmed that bookings must be made in advance but did not respond further after receiving details about location, number of guests, and timing.
In comment sections, Hong Kong users have expressed interest, asking about pricing and availability. Many appear unaware of the legal risks involved.
Kitson Yang Wing-king, deputy chairman of the Legislative Council’s food safety and environmental hygiene panel, warned that hiring mainland chefs without a valid work permit is illegal, even if they enter Hong Kong on a tourist visa.
He also raised serious food safety concerns, noting that ingredients transported from the mainland may not have been handled or stored according to Hong Kong standards, increasing the risk of contamination or spoilage.
“The government should step up public education and enforcement to prevent both providers and customers from unintentionally violating the law,” Yang said. He urged stronger inspections and clearer guidelines as cross-border integration deepens.
