Turmoil and the epidemic affected people's lives
“Two dishes and rice” .. a very popular meal in Hong Kong
Queues are a regular sight in front of two-course and rice restaurants.
archival
Food habits have changed due to the economic crisis.
archival
picture
In Hong Kong, queues start forming before lunchtime, the smells of food are omnipresent, and customers watch the meals displayed through the windows outside restaurants.
Recently, a modest tray of white rice and two pre-cooked main dishes became famous, and its price was only about four dollars.
Bear Bons, which serve these simple meals, have become an unexpected new trend in Hong Kong, leading to a huge increase in the number of vendors, food bloggers, and even a Facebook fan group of 77,000 members.
And the food itself seems hardly worth the attention.
Offers include options such as tomatoes, fried eggs, sweet and sour or stewed meat, and turnip.
The food is placed in the designated container with a signal from the customer or a request from the worker who is waiting with a ladle holder.
Even the name given to these restaurants is no less good than their menus, “the two-course and rice restaurants.”
But that clarity is the goal.
For two years, the city has been rocked by political turmoil, economic downturn, and seemingly endless pandemic controls, including a ban on eating after 6pm.
Hong Kong lifted restrictions late last month, and "two-course and rice" restaurants have become a lifeline.
For restaurateurs struggling to survive, this business model is a rare way to increase demand.
For diners, food is a cheap and convenient staple, as both dishes offer the comforting flavors and versatility of Chinese home cooking.
There are now at least 353 companies selling two-course meal and rice across the city, according to the crowdsourcing map.
There is no telling how many there were before, but Hong Kong food experts and diners agreed that there were far fewer before the pandemic.
"You can be sure that when you go to this kind of restaurant, you get something that isn't bad," said Kitty Ho, a nurse who is having lunch with colleague Jack Fong.
The two workers, both in their twenties, said they had bought lunch boxes several times during the week, in recent months, especially after Kitty, who follows many food-related pages on social media, found the group of fans of the two-course meal and rice, on Facebook. ».
And the place that the two colleagues chose, on that day, was Kai K Cafe.
While many of the two-course and rice-only restaurants serve fast food, some, like this cafeteria, offer seating.
In the small restaurant, cardboard boxes were stacked, each containing 500 boxes.
Today, more than 20 dishes are displayed, buffet style, in an L-shaped set of stainless steel utensils.
Two plates cost only about four dollars;
Each additional dish costs an additional dollar.
And all the options, from spicy eggplant, meat, and fried cauliflower;
They were displayed in bright colors, and could be seen clearly through the large windows.
public food
The "two course and rice" meal is not new in Hong Kong, but it has long been ignored, or shunned as a student or working-class meal.
In terms of appearance and quality, it is similar to Panda Express restaurants in the United States.
In Hong Kong, some jokingly refer to it as "quick rice", reflecting their low expectations.
"It was seen as food for the common people and the low-income people," says Siu Yan Ho, a lecturer who teaches food culture in the city at the University of Hong Kong.
When the epidemic hit, unemployment ramped up and world-famous restaurants struggled in Hong Kong.
The latest ban on eating in restaurants in the evening lasted about four months.
Despite the lifting of the ban, people are still unable to gather in groups larger than four.
• While many of the two-course and rice restaurants only serve fast food, some offer seating.
• 353 companies selling two-course meal and rice throughout Hong Kong.
Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news