I’ve been writing about Sammy’s Kitchen for as long as I’ve been covering Hong Kong for Frommer’s (almost 30 years). When I first went there, in the 1980s, it was because I was searching for an establishment offering Western fare in a neighborhood dominated by restaurants serving noodles and other Cantonese fare, so that readers might have an alternative while following my walking tour of the Sheung Wan area. With its large sign out front, shaped like a cow, it was easy to find and hard to ignore.
What I found was a friendly, family-owned locale that stood out in an area known for its stalls selling dried seafood, ginseng and other traditional goods. In fact, Sammy’s offers an eclectic choice of both Western and Chinese dishes, some the original creation of Sammy Yip, who started out working in the kitchens of the Peninsula and Mandarin Oriental before opening his own restaurant in 1970. Today the octogenarian is assisted by his offspring in this dark and cluttered restaurant with its outdated decor. But while there are now nearby trendy Western restaurants along Hollywood Road and elsewhere offering better food and more chic furnishings, there’s something comforting about an unpretentious restaurant that’s been in business for so long amidst so much change in this former British colony. You can stop in a full-fledged meal or just a soda and ice-cream sundae.
Now, it seems, there’s a controversy over the restaurant’s old sign, which extends over the street and has been a familiar landmark for more than 30 years. It’s apparently against codes for signage, with city officials demanding its removal, according to this article that includes a quote from my Frommer’s Hong Kong guide.
And so time marches onward, even for a restaurant that seems committed to remaining exactly the same.
Post Script: No longer able to afford the rent in an increasingly gentrified neighborhood, Sammy’s Kitchen has moved to 204-206 Queen’s Rd W, Sai Ying Pun.
Sammy’s Kitchen
