Letters | Why Hongkongers aren’t eating out

Since Covid-19, many of us have changed our way of entertaining and with the economic downturn, we are also concerned about value for money. In addition, many businesses that usually supplied bars and restaurants are now accessible to all of us. We can buy good-quality wine and meat at a fraction of what supermarkets are selling them for.

I am sure restaurants, such as the steakhouse mentioned in the report, provide the best-quality food and services, but I can buy the same quality of steak for less, though I am not a chef. While the steak served at the restaurant would probably taste a lot better, it couldn’t justify the cost, given today’s economic situation.

Often, back when my wife and I went to restaurants, we looked up the wines on the menu online, checked the reviews and realised we were being charged five times what we would pay online. That really put us off. During lockdown, many of my friends and I became cooks. We all enjoyed entertaining friends and family at home and literally stopped going out even after Covid-19.

I believe the whole culture of eating and drinking out has changed dramatically, and Hong Kong isn’t going back to the days when the streets were packed with people drinking after work and restaurants were booked weeks in advance.