Hong Kong people have not been able to travel to Japan in the past three years due to the new crown epidemic. As a result, Omakase (chef-run) Japanese-style restaurants in Hong Kong have become available. There are everything from people-friendly to high-end routes. Some people think that with Japan's customs clearance in October, it will usher in " end".
Suki, who has been running a Japanese restaurant for 17 years, described that the Japanese switch will make Omakase worse in Hong Kong. Even if Christmas is approaching, she bluntly said that she does not dare to hope. Hello."
When it comes to the freshness of sashimi, Suki thinks that Japan is the "world one", but Hong Kong is not far behind, and Hong Kong people love Japanese food.
She believes that there is still a big market for Omakase in Hong Kong, "Why can't you fly to Japan every month?", but she does not shy about the deterioration of the market, and the market will eventually eliminate the weak and retain the strong.
Some economists said that under the epidemic, citizens were helpless to be trapped in Hong Kong, resulting in Japanese restaurants blooming everywhere, but after the opening of Japan, it is believed that the industry will reshuffle.
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It is expected that short-term business will be frustrated: many customers have already bought air tickets to Japan
Japan re-introduced visa-free inbound tourism on October 11, and a large number of Hong Kong people can't wait to "return to the countryside". Coupled with the sharp drop in the yen exchange rate, Japanese food is more cost-effective, jeopardizing the local flagship Omakase restaurant.
Suki, who runs a Japanese restaurant in Wanchai, believes that it will affect the business in the short term. "A lot of our customers have already bought air tickets to Japan." Even though Christmas is approaching, she bluntly said that she did not dare to hope, and she smiled bitterly: "So I won't predict (business) to be particularly good at all, so I snickered."
With the opening and closing of Japan, the ecology of local Omakase restaurants has become polarized. Some people offer buy-one-get-one-free promotions, while others still have difficulty in making reservations. She pointed out that it is difficult for business in the industry to do things other than today, and she believes that the market will eliminate the weak and stay. Qiang, "see the real chapter" over time, "It was a bad job in the past few years. Before the same burial, it was expensive to rent a shop. It's time to see how many customers you have saved. Do it well. How good is it that you have no money to bury your own boss.”
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Refers to the general increase of 10% in Japanese restaurants
Due to her work relationship, Suki goes to Japanese restaurants to try dishes from time to time.
Not afraid of accidents?
She laughed crisply and said, "The restaurant is opened because Zhong knows his friends, and everyone is a regular customer. It doesn't matter."
There is a group of regular customers, and she still has expectations for the business. "They will come back after their trip." She pointed out that local restaurants generally increase the price by 10%, and the price of fresh ingredients does not change much, so it is difficult to benefit. And the surrounding areas, including the mainland, are also competing at the same time. "Actually, Hong Kong is not enough for the mainland to grab. For example, sea urchins are very expensive, and there are people in the mainland who call sea urchins for the price of a pie of thousands of mosquitoes."
The interview took place when the restaurant was "falling off", and the person in charge, Suki, was busy making arrangements to prepare for the evening market.
(Photo by Xia Jialong)
On Yusheng Sashimi, the fresh port is second only to Japan
Suki believes that when it comes to the freshness of sashimi, Japan ranks first, followed by Hong Kong. "Actually, the freshness of Hong Kong and Japanese food can't be far apart. It's just a multi-way flight." Take a restaurant as an example, fresh ingredients are delivered to Hong Kong by air every day. Ensuring the best quality available to the market.
When Hong Kong people visit Japan, there have been reports of rude incidents such as "slipping the bottom" when booking a seat. Suki pointed out that in the early years, some restaurants may refuse to entertain because of the repeated "criminals" of Hong Kong people who missed their appointments, but she believes that "rejecting the bottom" "It's an individual incident. "In fact, people in Hong Kong are very good at etiquette." He also reminded diners to communicate with the chef in advance and "hand over" a list of sensitive or non-eating items, so as to prepare suitable ingredients.
Food critic Cai Lan has previously criticized Omakase as "stupid". Suki believes that diners should understand the menu and consider its cost-effectiveness before patronizing.
(Photo of Cai Lan's FB page)
In response to Cai Lan Omakase's "stupid" theory: it should be judged on the basis of cost performance
Cai Lan, one of Hong Kong's top four talents and a food critic, criticized Omakase as "stupid" earlier, slamming the industry head-on.
Suki pointed out that different people have different opinions, and it is no longer the patent for Japanese cuisine to operate in the form of chefs. "Omakase is popular for both Chinese and Western food at home". She believes that customers should understand the menu before visiting, and the workload should be weighed When it is worth it, it should also be judged based on the price/performance ratio, "Why do you want to see how much Omakase charges you, do you think it is worth it, and you think it is not worth it, so why don't you go?"
Suki also mentioned that Omakase pays attention to not eating from time to time. Taking autumn and winter as an example, Baizi, anglerfish liver and other plump seasons, "because in winter, the fish start to get fat, and they are especially fatty and eat." Not available, its pricing should be relatively low.
With the switch of Japan, Li Zhaobo believes that the Omakase restaurant in Hong Kong will be reshuffled.
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Li Zhaobo: After Japan's opening and closing, the quality of midstream stores will be more impacted
Li Zhaobo, an honorary teaching and researcher at the Asia-Pacific Business Institute of the Chinese University of Business School, believes that due to the epidemic, it is difficult for citizens to travel abroad, creating more and more high-end restaurants. Among them, the quality midstream stores are more affected, and it is not ruled out that there will be a wave of closures. "It's not always about tea and breakfast. You have to eat it every day. You don't miss Omakase once in a while. In Japan, the yen is flat, and local restaurants need to think about ways to maintain their competitive edge.”
He also mentioned that many large Japanese chain restaurants and retail stores have taken advantage of the sluggish rents in Hong Kong to enter and expand rapidly in recent years, and it is believed that they will also adjust their business accordingly.
Japan Switch | Omakase's troubled Japanese restaurant letter still has customers: diners don't fly every month