The secret ingredient in Hong Kong’s rise as one of the world’s great cities for dining out lies in its “East-meets-rest-of-the-world” attraction and the SAR’s ability to draw international culinary talent, according to two high profile restaurateurs.

Jean Paul Gauci, of A La Carte International Ltd, who owns at least five establishments serving French, Cuban, Mediterranean, Brazilian and seafood cuisines, mostly around the cosmopolitan SoHo (South of Hollywood Road) area of bars, restaurants and cafes in the Central business district, says Hong Kong’s tight-knit urban environs together with its competitive business spirit have proven to be a boon for gourmands.

“The standards of competition are high in Hong Kong, and people understand you have to be good to survive. This translates on the restaurant scene to a wider range at the highest standard.

“It puts Hong Kong in world ranking along with places like Greenwich Village in New York, Portobello Rd in London, Bastille in Paris and Nishi Azabu in Tokyo.”

Allan Zeman, founder and chairman of the Lan Kwai Fong Association and chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Holdings Ltd, says Hong Kong’s ability to attract talent from all over the world has contributed to its culinary success.

“Hong Kong is an international city and many of the people who came here for work decided to open a restaurant, bringing with them their own culture. This international element, combined with the local Chinese food that Hong Kong has always done so well, means that Hong Kong ranks right up there with the great culinary cities of the world.

“Visitors always comment on the food, and this enhances Hong Kong’s reputation. Once it was only the hotels that had the great chefs, but in recent years quality street restaurants have come into being and Lan Kwai Fong has been a leader in this field.”

Mr Gauci says a quality unique to Hong Kong is the concept of niche dining areas each with a different flavour. He cites SoHo and Lan Kwai Fong districts in Central, along with newer players SoHo East in Quarry Bay, Yiu Wa St in Wan Chai and seaside Sai Kung, Hong Kong’s so-called “green heart’’ of the New Territories, as examples.

“Atmosphere plays a strong part so the restaurants here aim to impress. SoHo is low-rise and gives the impression of being a village within a city, whereas Lan Kwai Fong is just one big party. Yiu Wa St is developing a strong local crowd, and Sai Kung has lots of possibilities waiting to be explored. This is good for diners, and good for Hong Kong.”

People also appreciate the diversity of dining in Hong Kong, he added. “I could walk you down to the end of the street and take you to 15 different cultures. I always tell visitors: If you want to try all the restaurants you’d better come with an appetite as there is a lot of choice.”

The Hong Kong Tourism Board is also showcasing Hong Kong’s reputation as a gourmet capital through its Best of the Best Culinary Awards, launched last year to promote Hong Kong’s best-known dishes and unique dining experiences.

There were 9,405 restaurants in Hong Kong as at the end of 2001. For the first three quarters of 2001, the value of total restaurant receipts amounted to HK$42.4 billion (US$545 million).