HONG KONG: As he struggled alongside other restaurant owners to keep afloat during the financial crisis, Billy Chung Wai-hung took a big risk, and now he can proudly boast a roaring business.

He plans to open a new restaurant at the end of the year.

Chung took over Hakka Delicious in Tin Shui Wai in 2007. The certified Hakka chef hopes to introduce traditional food from his hometown to Hong Kong.

"There are many delicious Hakka dishes in Hong Kong, but none of them are in traditional style," Chung said.

During its opening, Chung's restaurant served up to 200 guests every night during the weekend. Chung was pretty satisfied. He wanted to find ways to spread the word about this restaurant even faster but couldn't think of a way.

To maintain his appeal to the broad Hong Kong clientele, one-third of the dishes in Chung's restaurant were comprised of popular Hong Kong style food. He didn't catch on to the realization that his effort to cater to popular local tastes was slowing him down. Then he met the renowned gourmet Chua Lam, popularly known as Cai Lan. The meeting took place at the Link Tenant Academy in December, 2007.

Link organized a program of seminars and workshops for its tenants, to help them to learn concepts of running a business.

Chua began to frown as he read over Chung's menu. Chua asked Chung to prepare a genuine Hakka menu for the enjoyment of Chua and his friends. Chua stopped frowning after Chung suggested many old-style Hakka dishes.

"He (Chua) suggested me to do authentic Hakka food. I was like wakening from a dream. I thought I was sophisticated and knowledgeable in the industry but the great variety of dishes is not what the customers need," Chung recalled.

Keeping the gourmet's words in mind, Chung set about replacing all non-Hakka dishes on the menu with the kind of dishes people served in his hometown - the kind of food that no longer can be found in Hong Kong.

Chung has been a Hakka chef since he was in his early 20s. He had exhausted his knowledge and skills trying to improve his business and he still failed. Even after taking Chua's advice Chung never believed it would bring him such huge success.

Soon after Chung adopted the new business mode, monthly income soared almost 30 percent to HK$2.2 million.

The genuine Hakka menu and Chua's visit lured more customers to the restaurant. Some came from outside Tin Shui Wai.

"Once we had Japanese and Malaysian guests," Chung recalled.

Since October 2008 the global financial turmoil has spread across the city and hit the catering sector badly. Chung was no exception. However, he was still able to improve his business by 10 percent.

"I believe I would lose money without Chua's advice," Chung said. "I am so grateful to him,"

Nevertheless, Chung says improving his business has been hard work.

"Actually it's been a 'headache' for me after taking Chua's advice. I have to look for different Hakka dishes to match my restaurant," he said. He's found the hard work worthwhile. He's doing well, while other restaurant operators are forced to close their businesses. Chung will open a new Hakka restaurant in Tuen Mun in December. The new place will be much larger than the Tin Shui Wai branch.

Chung can pinpoint no single key to success, yet he suggests restaurant owners adopt a theme for their establishments and optimize it, as he did.

(HK Edition 07/10/2009 page1)