As families gathered for Lunar New Year feasts across the city, many noted that dining out this year costs at least 10 percent more.
At a bustling restaurant in Mong Kok this morning, tables were filled with diners enjoying dim sum while exchanging New Year greetings.
For one elderly customer, the annual tradition of morning tea and mahjong on the first day of the holiday came with a familiar scene—but a 10 percent higher bill. Despite the price hike, she noted that booking a table was not difficult.
While her Lunar New Year shopping remained similar compared to last year, she noted that this year's lai see, or red envelopes, were "thicker."
Meanwhile, another diner strategically avoided peak hours to enjoy a family meal before heading off to visit relatives.
She observed that the cost of festive ingredients and auspicious flowers was comparable to last year, keeping her total spending on Lunar New Year shopping and lai see unchanged.
The Lunar New Year celebrations also attracted mainland tourists, where a visitor from Guangdong said she came to Hong Kong specifically to experience the city's unique customs and to catch the fireworks display the following evening.
Describing the festive atmosphere as vibrant, she considered the higher prices during the holiday period reasonable, emphasizing that enjoying the experience was what mattered most.
Boost from tourists: restaurant
So Man-shing, manager of a Chinese restaurant in Mong Kok, reported a strong start to the Year of the Horse, with seat occupancy reaching around 80 percent this morning—a significant jump from 40 to 50 percent last year.
He reported that overall customer traffic increased by 10 to 20 percent, with 50 large tables fully reserved since the previous week.
Although corporate clients have declined due to the economic climate, So indicated that a rise in tourist numbers helped offset the drop in local diners and bolster year-end business.
Despite a 20 percent surge in ingredient costs driven by last year's poor seafood harvests, So admitted that the restaurant held back from raising prices amid the current economic downturn.
