Hong Kong-style diner serves up mutual respect

After eating at Kate Lee Hoi-wu's restaurant, diners can take a short walk to a hill in Nanshan Park and enjoy the views of Hong Kong across the water.

The Ngan Loong Cafe in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, carries powerful memories for Lee, a Hong Kong native. The restaurant's walls are plastered with posters and paintings that show Lee's love for her home city and her support for its police force.

It is the first outlet Lee has opened on the mainland of her cha chaan teng-style diner, a no-frills eatery that has been popular with Hong Kong residents for 50 years.

Lee, 52, also owns a family restaurant in Lei Yue Mun near the eastern entrance to Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor. The single mother took over the family business a few years ago after the deaths of her father and brother, and works as manager, cook, waitress, cashier and cleaner.

In June last year, her life was plunged into turmoil when she spoke out at a pro-police rally against the violence and unrest gripping Hong Kong's streets.

After she returned from the rally, she posted slogans that read "police officers, I support you" on the cafe's wall, which made the diner and her the target of vulgar insults, hateful phone calls and unfounded complaints.

Following a flood of complaints about food safety and sanitation, officials from Hong Kong's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Labor Department came to inspect Lee's cafe.

However, she didn't yield to the threats and intimidation and continued to attend pro-police rallies and express her gratitude to Hong Kong police officers who were trying to maintain law and order in the city.

"I was so depressed to see that our city was destroyed by rioters, especially those young people who had been manipulated and misled to resort to violence," Lee said. "I wanted to personally tell them that I would continue to do the right thing."

In August last year, after Lee's story was widely spread in the media, her courage and determination quickly won respect from Hong Kong residents and mainland visitors who patronized her cafe to show their support.

"People from provinces like Guangdong, Hunan, Sichuan, Jiangsu, and other places I hadn't heard of on the mainland, came to visit my cafe and show their support for me. I was touched by their kindness," Lee said.

Fresh start

Last fall, 29-year-old Yan Zhenyu decided to pay a visit to the cafe in Hong Kong after he learned of Lee's experiences from media reports.

"I was so surprised that a small cafe hidden deep in an alley had such a large patronage. I was touched by the positive energy and patriotism people shared in the space," Yan said.

He had just resigned from his position as a legal adviser for a Beijing-based company and planned to start his own business after taking some time off.

He noticed that many Chinese netizens had contacted Lee in the hope of forming a partnership to open an outlet of her diner on the mainland. However, it was Yan who finally convinced her to establish a cafe in Shenzhen.

Preparations for the new cafe did not go as smoothly as Yan and Lee had hoped. The COVID-19 outbreak delayed renovations and forced them to postpone the opening of the cafe for nearly half a year.

"For me, it's nice to cooperate with someone who shares the same passion as me," Yan said.

He said the restaurant, which has been open for only a month, was willing to offer job opportunities to young people from both Hong Kong and the mainland.

"I believe the new outlet will provide a platform for young people from both sides to exchange ideas and know each other better. If they can ponder the reasons behind our differences and put aside misunderstandings, it will also be beneficial for our country's development," Yan said.

Even though it has only been open for a short time, Yan has already had some memorable experiences. For instance, students from a nearby art school asked him if he could help pass on their handmade crafts to Hong Kong police officers. After the COVID-19 prevention measures were eased, he was happy to make sure police received the gifts.

Due to COVID-19 prevention measures, Lee has been unable to be part of the Shenzhen operations and has remained in Hong Kong.

Yan said the two cha chaan teng restaurants could serve as ties of friendship that bind people together.