Hong Kong Edition
  | In this week’s Hong Kong Edition, we break down the drama around one of the city’s elite international schools and speak with the chief of a | | | | In this week’s Hong Kong Edition, we break down the drama around one of the city’s elite international schools and speak with the chief of a legendary dim sum spot. For the Review, we check out a restaurant that fills a sorely needed niche in the food scene. To subscribe to this weekly newsletter for free, click here. | | | | | A Hong Kong institution was suddenly ensnared in acrimony in the most unexpected way last week. Hong Kong International School, a bastion of American-style education that has shepherded generations of expat scions, is embroiled in a lawsuit brought by a US church, which is threatening to evict it from one of its picturesque campuses in the posh neighborhood of Repulse Bay. The case is as convoluted as it is surprising, bringing unwelcome anxiety to the many professionals around town who send their kids to the prestigious school. HKIS has more than 3,000 students from reception one through grade 12 in two locations. Admissions have been fiercely competitive, partly as the school has started courting wealthy immigrants from mainland China. Here is a look at what happened, why and what’s next. What happened at HKIS? The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is suing the school’s operator, alleging a series of breaches of their agreement. Wait, what does the school have to do with a Lutheran church in Missouri? HKIS was founded in 1966 by the LCMS in alliance with a group of American businessmen, and the church holds the lease for one of the campuses. The school first operated in an apartment in Chung Hom Kok, opening its own building one year later, according to the school’s website. It became the first school in Hong Kong with a US education program.  School at a crossroads. Source: Google Maps Why is the church upset? The impasse between the church and the Hong Kong International School Association, the operator, started mostly around 2017 with disagreements over the selection of a new head of school. The sides haven’t been able to reach an agreement and Ron Roukema — who is Catholic, which is a point of contention — has occupied the position on an interim basis since then. The church also claims the school is catering to the wealthy and well-connected — while the school says it aims to remain true to its mission of being multicultural and focused on the city’s expat community. What does the church want? The LCMS filed a lawsuit last week. The claims are expansive, ranging from governance matters to the curriculum. It asks the school to comply with values consistent with the constitution of the St. Louis-based Lutheran church and that the majority of senior staff be part of its religious group. What is the issue about the way the school operates? Several of the alleged breaches are related to religious and social issues, such as activities by the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Council. The church also asserts that HKIS failed to uphold the Christian ethos followed by the Lutheran institution and actively endorsed or promoted non-Christian festivals and ceremonies on campus, including Hanukkah, Holi, Diwali and Eid Al-Fitr. The school says it welcomes everyone, that it has children from different backgrounds, religions and beliefs, and that such events are not celebrated in a religious context but seen as cultural activities. Can they actually evict the school? In theory, yes. “In practice, however, any removal of a functioning school would require court orders, Education Bureau approval, and a carefully managed transition to minimize disruption,” according to Michael Chik, a partner at the law firm Withers in Hong Kong. If the sides don’t reach an agreement, the church said it will open another school at the Repulse Bay campus, called Hong Kong Pacific School.  A colorful campus. Source: Hong Kong International School/Hong Kong International School How has the school responded? HKIS said the allegations are “unfounded and disingenuous.” The school organized two town halls to discuss the situation and calm parents. Officials also said they will continue to support multicultural ideals and a diverse expat community. We spoke with seven parents who said that they were shocked by the news but are backing the board and faculty. The Parent Faculty Organization said in a statement that it offers “unwavering support for our school and its leadership.” Will this have an impact on enrollment or school fees? Nothing changes at this point. Classes and the curriculum stay the same, as well as school fees. Has the government said anything? Yes, even Chief Executive John Lee spoke about the dispute after he was asked by a reporter during a regular press briefing on Tuesday. He said the standard of education and students’ rights cannot be affected, and that the Education Bureau will monitor the issue very closely. Before that, the EDB had said that it had received an application for registration of the Lutherans’ new school, but won’t process it or offer comments given the ongoing legal proceedings. What are the next steps? Both sides made it clear that they are open to working on an agreement that would avoid lengthy litigation. But there is little indication of when and how that could be finalized. If they fail to reach an agreement, the issues may ultimately need to be resolved in court — and that would mean this issue hanging over students, parents and faculty for the foreseeable future. —Filipe Pacheco and Venus Feng Season for Expensive Tastes | The fall auction season is heating up, with major international houses like Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips lining up blue-chip contemporary art and precious jewels under the hammer. Expect marquee names popular in Hong Kong like Yoshitomo Nara’s seminal work “Pinky” coming to the auction market for the very first time with an estimate of as much as HK$80 million ($10.3 million) at Phillips. Highlights at Christie’s include a Picasso masterpiece estimated at up to HK$106 million and a work by Labubu creator Kasing Lung expected to fetch at least HK$200,000. Sotheby’s will present a rare pink canvas by Zao Wou-ki and works from Roy Lichtenstein’s collection.  "Can't Wait 'til the Night Comes" by Yoshitomo Nara. Source: Sotheby's Auction sales in Mainland China and Hong Kong fell 38% last year, according to the 2025 Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report, and collectors are treading carefully in an uncertain global economy. The current season will test whether demand and buying power remain strong in Hong Kong. —Stella Ko | | Chart of the Week: Sleek Convertibles | | | Hong Kong’s bankers, who have barely had time to go on a break, are back from their summer holidays with billion-dollar deals. One type of transaction that’s been especially in vogue: convertible bonds, which can be turned into stocks and usually offer cheaper funding than traditional debt. The scene was particularly intense last week, when Alibaba and China Pacific Insurance came to the market in the same afternoon to raise a combined $5.2 billion from those bonds. Chinese companies, which have been tapping these financial instruments, are likely to push Asia’s bond issuance in this space to multi-year highs. Bankers expect more of these deals to come, and that’s on top of the billions of dollars worth of new listings that are also in the works. —Dave Sebastian | | Five Minutes With: The Dim Sum Heir | | | A Hong Kong institution is shutting down. Metropol is one of the city’s longest-standing Cantonese restaurants and one of the few that still use the traditional trollies to serve dim sum every day. The dining experience transports you back in time the moment you walk out of the elevator at United Center in Admiralty — with the sounds of chatty patrons and the cart ladies asking what dish you’d like to try. These days, the nearly 170 tables that fill up the 31,410 square feet (2,918 square meters) of space are just about full. But many are nostalgic diners wanting one last taste of Metropol’s iconic har gow and char siu bao before they close their doors for the last time at the end of the month.  Mamoru Hayashi, left, and one of the iconic carts at Metropol. Photographer: Emily Yamamoto/Bloomberg The restaurant has been a constant in Hong Kong’s ever-changing restaurant scene with a simple mission: elevated Cantonese classics. It’s hard to believe this authentic Chinese institution has Japanese roots that date back to before World War II. Metropol’s sister restaurant, Heichinrou, is Japan’s first Chinese restaurant, having opened in Yokohama’s Chinatown in 1884. The brand has been operated by three families, passed down seven generations. Mamoru Hayashi, who heads the company that operates both Metropol and the Heichinrou locations in Kwun Tong and Diamond Hill, joined the family business 15 years ago. He sat down with us for one last dim sum lunch to look back on the last 35 years of service. —Yvonne Man
Hong Kong’s food scene has gone through some tough times. How difficult has it been? I think it’s been difficult for many of us, regardless of industry, in different ways. Surprisingly, our lunch has always been full. Putting the [Covid] restrictions aside, lunch was always full. Dinner was very quiet. [There were] less banquets, so in that sense, it affected business. We’ve been through many difficulties, small and large. We’ve managed to get through them. At this shop, we’ve been back to pre-Covid levels after the pandemic, so we’ve been doing really well. So that’s not exactly the reason why we’re closing. We’re just saying goodbye to this 35-year journey. We try to keep it a happy, positive closure to share the last good memories of all the customers and brighten up the market a little bit.  Dim sum at Metropol. Photographer: Emily Yamamoto/Bloomberg What was it like being a Japanese family that owns a Chinese restaurant? I was born and raised in Japan but our family is Chinese. My grandfather’s hometown is Gaoming. My father raised us in a rather Chinese way. We followed the Chinese customs, but we’re in Japan, speaking Japanese and English. My father always pursued traditional Cantonese cuisine. He felt that there’s a duty to share, to provide authentic Chinese cuisine in Japan. [My father] always tried to pursue this keeping of tradition. So [when it comes] to our food, we don’t do anything that crosses the line. But, in terms of the service level attitude, the way we provide, the way we think, the way we stubbornly take pride in quality, safety – maybe that’s somewhat Japanese.
Was there something that was passed on generation to generation that really speaks to the heart of this restaurant? I would really go back to the three key factors that my father has always been focusing on. And I’m sure that was passed down from my grandfather. Quality, safety, service. I think we were probably the first restaurant in Hong Kong that stopped using MSG in 1988 in my father’s first restaurant, Heichinrou. [There was] one day, my dad says, “From today onwards, you can use chicken powder, salt and pepper. Sugar is okay, but no MSG.” He started it and it wasn’t very accepted at the time. There was a bit of transition.
Did you ever feel the need to evolve or adapt to changing tastes? We try to do something new and different, on a traditional spectrum. The only thing that keeps generations together is culture and common flavor. The young generations would have been brought over here by their parents to share with them what they grew up eating. The mid-generations would bring their parents, the seniors, to get them out of the house and to keep them moving and healthy. Round tables welcome a lot of people and keep people together. That’s part of culture too. We try to keep a balance of tradition, nostalgia. It’s a feeling, it’s a journey. The moment you enter that door until you settle the bill – that’s an experience. It’s a story.  Metropol in 1990, from a video. Source: Metropol Is it true Metropol invented the mango rice sheet roll? What else? We had an executive chef from Hong Kong in Japan for almost 30 years and brought it over to Hong Kong. We have another dish that’s quite popular – black vinegar sweet and sour pork. I’m quite sure we were the first — that was also created by our chefs in Japan. It was a very popular dish among Japanese customers, and we brought it over and sell it at all three restaurants today. What will you do with the carts? I would love to put them in the museum. I know an art collector who’s asked for one or two. We also have some signage that we’ve had for 35 years. We have neon signage that we are preserving. We are holding onto those and working with a local nonprofit organization who specializes in preserving artwork. We do intend to keep them. We will move all the other carts to Heichinrou in Kwun Tong.
What will you miss the most? Our customers are our drive, but it’s the staff that holds us together. A lot of our staff here have been with us for decades, literally decades. Half of the cart ladies work part-time, but some of them have been with us for over 20 years. Every day, it’s seeing the new customers and the regulars visiting, eating, talking, yelling, and drinking. I think having a restaurant that has continued for so long, we have generations of customers. So there’s a table over there, with a senior couple and their daughter. They sit every day at that table, [spanning] generations. We have a few families like that. Once in a while, you’ll meet people who say, “Metropol? My daughter had a wedding in your restaurant.” Or “My cousin had a banquet at your restaurant.” Sometimes they’ll be holding our recycled bags. That’s quite special. | | The Review: Mushroom Crowd | | | Southwestern Chinese cuisine is having a moment. Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan bistros are popping up across China, which some foodies see as a result of technological improvements in food preservation. But this is hardly surprising to those in the know. Take Janet Yellen, for example. In 2023, when the former US Treasury secretary was negotiating trade with China, she paid a surprising visit to the famous Yunnan restaurant In and Out (not the similarly named US burger chain), known for its magic mushrooms — she claimed she didn’t know about their hallucinogenic properties. Having lived in Beijing for a decade, I became a fan of the cuisine from Yunnan. To my mind, it’s the best option, along with Sichuan food, for big group gatherings given the fresh ingredients, diverse flavors and light aroma.  Cold tossed velvet mushrooms. Photographer: Pei Li/Bloomberg I’ve been looking for good Yunnan food ever since I got to Hong Kong. But an adventure to Kowloon in my first year here left my hopes dashed — chalk it up to the difficulty of transporting fresh mushrooms and herbs. And don’t get me started on Yunnan rice noodle. Almost all the mixian in the city is actually from Jiangxi. So when I heard about a new Yunnan place in LKF, named The Mushroom, I couldn’t wait to try it. I was especially excited for the mushrooms the restaurant claims to source from Yunnan. I visited with a guest on a Wednesday night. Our bill came to HK$696 for three dishes, a dessert and no drinks other than tap water, after a 12% discount for the soft opening.  Braised chicken in traditional copper pot. Photographer: Pei Li/Bloomberg Overall, any effort to bring authentic Yunnan cuisine to Hong Kong has my wholehearted support and I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to get a taste of it. The braised chicken in traditional copper pot was a perfect replica of what I used to order at Beijing’s beloved Yunnan spot, Huo Shao Yun. But while the fried white boletus with Qiubei dry red pepper had the right amount of heat, it suffered from the addition of Sichuan peppercorns (sooooooo trendy these days to toss in without much thought), upstaging the freshness of the mushrooms, which really should be the star of the dishes given the restaurant’s name. The vibe: The restaurant is a replica of the owner’s Yunnan bistro in Shanghai, near the Bund. There is a whole wall of wines and liquors, while Yunnan Xuanwei ham is also on display. Yellow light beams through the smoke rising from the woks, creating a darker ambiance. Who’s next to you: The place was almost packed when we entered at 6:30 p.m. I could tell a majority of them were mainland Chinese curious to see if this place has the same mojo as what they’d find in Beijing and Shanghai. Can you conduct a meeting here? Yes. The tables are reasonably distanced. Though the place could be a little bit crowded on a busy day, you can still have a decent conversation without having to yell at each other. I did not order any alcohol, but would be curious to try their cocktail named Zombi as well as the Yunnan plum wine.  Fried white boletus with Qiubei dry red pepper. Photographer: Pei Li/Bloomberg What we’d order again: The cold tossed velvet mushrooms (HK$108) struck the right balance of sour and spiciness, a combination that I felt helped trigger my appetite. The aforementioned braised chicken (HK$198) was a clear standout. The copper pot featured a complex mix of flavors and scents, from the fragrance of spearmint and cilantro to the small millet pepper. We easily finished the pot, which also comes with potatoes and left us no room for other carbs. Need to know: The Mushroom is on the seventh floor of California Tower at 30-32 D’aguilar Street. It is open daily 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations are available on OpenRice. —Pei Li Our reviewers also rave about the authenticity of these regional Chinese spots in Hong Kong: Chengdu Restaurant in LKF, Hunan Weiguan in Causeway Bay, and Sheung Shing Chiu Chow Seafood Restaurant in Central that’s beloved by tycoons. | | Here’s What Else Is In the News | | | | |
