Lin Heung 'defeated by the pandemic'

Iconic dim sum restaurant Lin Heung Tea House shut down yesterday after 94 years, with the owner saying it was "defeated by the pandemic".

Around 20 employees including waiters and cleaners accused the eatery of owing up to HK$2 million in salaries since April, adding they were shaken by the sudden announcement overnight, as the restaurant opened as usual on Monday.

The restaurant's parent company Lin Heung Group announced on social media early yesterday morning the closures of two of its eateries.

In the statement, the franchise operator wrote: "It is with regret that we have to announce the closure of Lin Heung Tea House on Wellington Street in Central and Lin Heung Tsan in Tsuen Wan."

But Lin Heung Kui on Des Voeux Road West in Sheung Wan will continue to operate.

"Since the pandemic, our boss has made every endeavor to support Lin Heung Tea House, but we were unfortunately defeated by the pandemic and came to this day. We hope to see you all again in the future," the statement said.

A manager of the teahouse surnamed Yu said the 20 employees were owed wages since April this year.

Yu said the employees demanded an answer from the owner, Ngan Hon-bun, as to when they would get paid when he was at the restaurant on Sunday, adding that Ngan said payment would arrive on Monday but this did not materialize.

He also said the Central eatery was still in operation on Monday, so the restaurant's sudden announcement came as a shock to himself and other employees. Chiu Kwun-chung of the labor affairs committee of the Eating Establishment Employees General Union said he is helping some 20 who have still not received pay, to seek assistance from the Labor Department. "The restaurant workers' unpaid wages add up to around HK$1.5 million to HK$2 million," he said.

More than 20 waiters, dishwashers, cooks and managers who still have not been paid for months went to the Labor Department's Western District office for help yesterday morning.

Chiu also said the union understands that another 20 employees at Lin Heung Tsan, which also closed yesterday, have also not been paid.

He also said he had previously received a report from a Lin Heung Tea House employee who did not want to reveal details about the unpaid wage situation.

"Maybe the employee felt sentimental and didn't want to embarrass the company," he said.

The 94-year-old Lin Heung Tea House, formerly known as the Guangzhou Cake Shop, opened in Hong Kong in 1918 on Wellington Street in Central, selling Chinese cakes and buns on the ground floor and operating a dim sum restaurant upstairs.

The restaurant was named "Lin Heung", which means fragrant lotus, after a Hanlin Academy member named Chan Yu-yue commended their lotus paste.

It was one of the few remaining Chinese restaurants to keep up the tradition of letting diners choose their dim sum from a trolley, rather than ordering from a menu.

The restaurant was renamed Lin Heung Cafe in February of 2019 when longtime staff took over Lin Heung Tea House after the restaurant announced it would cease operations as it had failed to renew the restaurant's lease.

In March 2020, the restaurant returned to the original owners, the Ngan family, reinstating the original Lin Heung Tea House name.

The Lin Heung name was known for preserving traditional dim sum rarely found in newer restaurants on its menu, such as pork liver siu mai, roast pork belly buns, and lace fat-wrapped beef balls.

Over the years, the restaurant has attracted the patronage of celebrities including food critic Chua Lam, actor Anthony Wong Chau-sang and comedian Stephen Chow Sing-chi.

Meanwhile, Lin Heung Kui in Sheung Wan still remains operational as the only restaurant under Lin Heung Group's banner left standing.

It was listed among the 64 venues in Hong Kong that were selected for the Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction, which is awarded to venues that offer high-quality food at affordable cost.

cjames.lee@singtaonewscorp.com