Jumbo Seafood Boat sank.
Hong Kong Island’s once nightly pearl, the first neon on the south bank, once the shining symbol of Pearl of the Orient, has come to such an end.
© "Infernal Affairs 2"
Since March 3, 2020, Treasure Kingdom announced that it will "suspend operations until further notice", everyone has been paying attention to the dynamics of this giant ship.
The Aberdeen Catering Group, the owner of the main vessel, has considered donating it free of charge. After all, it is a precious witness of the times and a cultural heritage.
However, no one can afford its huge maintenance and operation costs, and no one dares to take it. Finally, on the morning of the 14th of this month, countless Hong Kong people witnessed the seafood boat being dragged away from Hong Kong and heading to an unknown destination.
In the end, it did not go too far, and the wind and waves of Xisha left it in the deep sea of 3,000 feet.
These are all sunk. The carved beams and painted buildings, the overflowing colors and flowing lights, have been corroded by the sea for many years. Can we still know each other again?
© Hong Kong Heritage
As a totem, it satisfies all people’s imagination of Hong Kong.
A splendid floating city on the sea, with brackets and cornices inherited for hundreds of years, reflecting the bustling lights of the city, isn’t it Hong Kong?
People in the future will not be able to realize it unless they go to another time and space:
In the past, for diners in real time and space, it was a gold-selling cave.
The screen world built in Eastern Hollywood is a heroic place.
In that world, in 1996, under the strange celestial phenomenon of nine stars in a row , the 28th Super God of Cookery Competition was held on the seafood boat.
© "God of Cookery"
On that day, the former "God of Cookery" Stephen Zhou fought against his rival Tang Niu , and finally turned the tide of the battle with a bowl of " sadly ecstatic rice ".
However, that night there was thunder and lightning, and the Buddha's light first appeared, leaving the outcome a mystery to this day. The ecstasy meal sadly disappeared from the world.
© "The God of Cookery"
In 1997, the "Labor Sports Association" held a return banquet at the Seafood Restaurant. The triad leader Ni Yongxiao who attended the banquet was arrested by West Kowloon Police Station Inspector Huang Chi-shing on suspicion of being involved in multiple murder cases in 1995. .
© "Infernal Affairs 2"
In 1995, they welcomed the largest tourist in history.
This tourist surnamed brother did not make any purchases at the seafood restaurant, but went directly ashore for shopping.
The red lotus karma fire of the crazy dragon and evil beast, I think there was nothing I could do about it back then.
© "Godzilla: The Killing Formation of the Century"
The legend of Jumbo Seafood Restaurant began in the 1970s when Hong Kong's economy took off and " shark fins were eaten with rice".
In 1972, " Gambling King " Stanley Ho and " Jewelry King " Cheng Yu-tung acquired the "Taibai Seafood Restaurant" built in 1950 from Hong Kong businessman Wong Lao Kat, and it was destroyed by fire during construction in 1970. The ownership acquisition of "Jumbo Seafood Restaurant".
In 1976, Zhenbaofang's new ship opened for business, and it was later jointly known as the "Zhenbaofang" together with Taibai Fang.
The boat was designed after the architectural design of the Chinese palace. The murals and carvings were all handmade. Its magnificence and luxury attracted a large number of Chinese and foreign celebrities.
So, Queen Elizabeth 's visit, Rockets star Tracy McGrady 's first meal of shark's fin, Tom Cruise came to film "Mission: Impossible 2", Chow Yun-fat and his wife invited him to the meal Seafood has become a gimmick to attract tourists in the future.
From now on, there will be no lonely figure on the boat, and the end of the world will never be the same.
Over the years, the disappearance of every restaurant in Hong Kong is sending away legends one by one.
On the last day of 2019, China Ice Room located on Canton Road, Yau Tsim Mong District, Kowloon, officially took over due to the expiration of the lease, the retirement of the owner and no one to take over.
Rumor has it that the last customer that day was Johnnie To .
It is reasonable for him to take the curtain call. Because Johnnie To is the person who truly changed the Chinese ice room.
In 2001, in his work "", the policeman played by Simon Yam sat on the second floor of the Chinese ice room and told the story of two killers fighting for their lives.
In 2005, the movie "PTU" was released and became Johnnie To's recognized masterpiece of police films. One of the key group scenes was also on the second floor of China Ice Room:
Police officer Fei Sha, who lost his gun, came to look for his colleagues in PTU (Mobile Unit) Brother Zhan helps, and behind him are the CID agents who are chasing him. What they have to face at the same time is a fire caused by a gang murder.
Later, many Johnnie To fans and people related to him became guests of the Chinese Ice Room.
Among them, because Simon Yam has been here so many times both in and out of the theater, the seating on the second floor of the ice room has since been named "Simon Yam Seat" .
"This tea restaurant is the star." Actor Lin Xue said. He was 55 years old, the same age as the store.
The day before Ice Room closed, he came here specially, climbed to the second floor, and ordered a bowl of satay beef noodles.
As soon as he came up, everyone laughed.
A neighbor joked with him: "Fei Sha, have you found your gun yet?" (Have you found your gun?)
Brother Xue laughed and said: "Wei, you haven't found it yet!" (No? Oh, I'm still looking for it in a hurry!)
More disappearing are the legends of ordinary people.
People who work in restaurants in Hong Kong are very affectionate. Once a store is opened, it often lasts a lifetime.
On the same day that China Ice Room closed its doors, the Fengcheng Restaurant branch on Nathan Road in Prince Edward also closed its doors.
Everyone knows that "eating in Guangdong, cooking in Fengcheng", Fengcheng Restaurant's Shunde dishes are among the best in Hong Kong.
owner Tan Guojing is over eighty years old and is a well-known honest person.
© Michelin Guide Hong Kong
When it comes to Shunde cuisine, I have had the same menu for decades, and I don’t want to change it to keep up with the latest trends. golden chicken , hosta chicken legs, dragon piercing phoenix wing balls, they are all almost extinct outside, but there are still them in "Fengcheng".
© Michelin Guide Hong Kong
Others say they are apprentices, but he doesn’t. Even when reporters come to the kitchen for interviews, he talks about everything, as if he is not afraid of his hard work being stolen.
Hong Kong used to be full of young and Dangerous kids. The son of manager Sister Min came to learn how to cook. Soon he found it hard and ran out to hang out.
The old man ran to his house and insisted on persuading him to come back: "Your mother has been sitting up for more than ten hours a day, and she has a knee pain. She raised you first. How can you bear to do this to her?"
The young man is really back, and he has been here for a long time. Make it to graduation day.
The store has not been doing well in the past six months. Boss Tan is getting old and his wife is ill. An honest man listened to his wife and decided to retire.
Ten days before graduation, the restaurant was overcrowded.
The employees missed every meal they had with their boss over the decades, while the customers missed the restaurant itself -
If Boss Tan really retires, where will the flying dragon and the phoenix go?
© Michelin Guide Hong Kong
In the past, the dragon and phoenix auditorium was popular in Hong Kong’s traditional restaurants - a pair of gilded wood carvings of dragon and phoenix in front of the hall, which was the best background for the newlyweds’ wedding photos.
The dragon and phoenix in "Fengcheng" are different from others. They are a pair of golden flying dragons and phoenixes, flying in the clouds and mist, lifelike.
The reason is that Tan Guojing is too honest.
© Guan Zhenhai (Mingzhou Culture)
In 1984, the "Fengcheng" Mongkok store opened, and as usual, a design company was invited to carve dragons and phoenixes.
Tan Guojing and others told the design company: We will not negotiate with you on the price, you can make whatever you want, as long as the things are well made and no corners are cut.
design company was shocked when they heard it.
In this city where every penny counts, the trust of "no bargaining" is almost naive, and at worst, it feels like a kind of loyalty.
"Okay! I'll give you a pair of beautiful things, this pair will be your favorite!"
Soon, a pair of flying dragons and flying phoenixes were delivered, one of a kind in Hong Kong, and they didn't charge a penny.
Fortunately, in January 2020, Fengcheng Restaurant was taken over by a new owner and renamed "Yidong Restaurant". Dragons and phoenixes can eventually appear auspicious, and auspicious people have their own heavenly appearance.
Many Hong Kong people have heard the name Wong Jiahe , especially those who work in catering, many people call him "Brother He".
In fact, Brother He is over seventy years old, and he is not an ordinary person. As the president of the Hong Kong Catering Industry Association, his anxious expression has often appeared in the news in the past two years.
However, last year, many people still discovered his ordinary side.
Because this time, it was his turn to lose his closest memories.
© Hong Kong 01
That day, the Hai’an Coffee Shop where he spent his teenage years announced its closure. Until the moment before the rolling shutter door came down, this was still the oldest existing ice house in Hong Kong.
In 1952, Huang Jiahe's father, "Coffee King" Huang Qiao, opened this Haian. At that time, Huangqiao opened the first batch of tea restaurants and many ice rooms in Hong Kong. coffee bread , which had previously only been a Western restaurant, began to be enjoyed by the general public.
© Photographed by Ruan Jiaxin of Mingzhou Culture
Hai’an’s earliest customer base is the not-affluent sailors. “Hai’an” means safe sailing, and the Huang family and Shaodong’s favorite food in the store is also the same as that of sailors. The same, it's a sweet boiled egg - nothing special, it's just a raw egg beaten in a cup, boiled in boiling water, added with sugar and drank.
▲Later, the most popular dish in Haian was minced beef with chives and thick toast with scrambled eggs © Meg (ANGELABABY) Pleasure Diary
People who worked hard regained their strength and rushed back to the dock to run for the old and young. Shaodong and his brother drank a glass, maybe Then he went to the back to find the delivery boy Li Yuankang - Li Yuankang was several years younger than him. They would fight and fight, and the older one would always win.
Now, both of them have grown old. Huang Jiahe has become the president of the association, and Li Yuankang has become the chairman of Cuihua Group. The sailors in the front office have long since dispersed, and another group of tourists has come, and they are gradually getting older. 's neighbourhood. Hai'an was transferred from the Huang family to his partner, who transferred it to his old buddy, who then transferred it to his partner's daughter... Finally, no one could take over.
Huang Jiahe took a treasured Hai'an menu from the 1960s and showed the visiting reporters the drinks that had long since disappeared: "This is a cultural relic shelf, I may donate it to the museum."
© Huang Jiahe provided to Hong Kong 01 picture
may become cultural relics together with the card seats, tables and chairs used in the store for 69 years. How many years later, students will sit outside the glass cabinet and imagine themselves sitting inside It's okay to whisper in the days without mobile phones.
© Meg (ANGELABABY) Hedonic Diary
Maybe Hai'an can reopen one day, but the time of hope given by Huang Jiahe is "in my lifetime" - I can't worry about it The old people who have finished have to push it themselves.
The people who once became legends are getting old. They decided to let go of time and say goodbye.
The fun-loving district boss who has been in charge of Xiangli Hotel on Sanjiang Street for three years has probably resigned. Let go of the heavy burden and go free and happy. It’s just that many people may not be able to hear his eloquent words.
© "Looking Around"
The Chi Duo Xing fast food restaurant in Sham Shui Po is a miracle in itself.
It once opened in Next to the once-famous Roxy Cinema, it emerged with the golden age of Hong Kong movies. In the past 20 to 30 years, Hong Kong movies have been in decline. The reason why they can survive today is because of good taste and good business.
The owners are the Chen brothers After retirement, the laughter and laughter are still there, but I don’t know if I can still eat the signature fried chicken.
© Zhiduoxing Facebook page
On the last day of business in Sham Shui Po, many Jiamei restaurants in Sham Shui Po were sold by the boss Fang for one dollar a serving fried stuffed rice. When the child raised by Sanbao comes back, he will still think of his nickname fifteen years ago: "Uncle Uncle!" "
How many people can't ask for a person to leave such a name and be remembered.
© New Holidays Photo by Effie
Everyone knows that flowers will bloom when they fade, and they will grow again when the spring breeze blows. Those who have left may be Come back in a way you can’t think of.
But we just can’t let go of this memory. Because every time, many people don’t have time to say goodbye properly.
Last night, when I heard the news about the sinking of the Jumbo Seafood Restaurant, my mind came to A seemingly unrelated image:
That was the beginning of "Titanic". With the most cutting-edge technology nearly a hundred years after the shipwreck, people found the remains of the unsinkable ship. Following a necklace and a portrait, they found An old woman’s dream-like memories, and the traces of the life of everyone on board.
I don’t know how long it will take before the treasure seafood boat can reappear in the world, let alone whether the people of that day can recover from the corroded prosperity. , rediscovering the romance of that era, breathing that kind of air, as if it were exactly the same.
I hope they can.
We had long felt that an era had ended, but we did not expect that it would be in this way.
There will be no more treasures in this world. The seafood restaurant will probably never come back in its time.
Some of the pictures in this article are from the Internet
The cover picture is from the stills of the movie "Tung Tuk Agent"
References:
[1] Yuan Shu, Zhong Yan. The 69-year-old Hoi An coffee shop in Huan Huan has closed today. The first generation Shaodong Huang Jiahe: Missing the sweetness Boiled Eggs[OL]. Hong Kong 01, 2021.10.30.
[2] Starlight is No More Shizhi Multi-Star Fast Food Restaurant[OL]. Men and Women in Food, 2012.5.25.
[3] Hong Xiaoxuan. "Fat Sand" laments the closure of China's ice room Lin Xue: This tea restaurant is a celebrity first[OL]. Hong Kong 01, 2019.12.30
[4] Community writing plan. Single marketing Yang Chunlei special effect herbal tea[OL].2018.1.8
[5] Lu Jiajun, Farewell to Fengcheng[OL] ].2019.12.29
[6] Chen Yongen, [Dragon and Phoenix Auditorium 4] Fengcheng Restaurant Feilong Feifeng with handwritten gold characters [OL]. Mingzhou Culture, 2018.2.13
Author - VJ
Design - Director Full
Editor - VJ
