Outward Role of the restaurant
Unlike the Chiuchownese dialect, which is not commonly spoken or understood by the younger generations, Chiuchownese food does not seem to face the same fate. It is indeed widely-recognized in Hong Kong.
From our observation, the restaurant gets really crowded during peak hours and customers were from all walks of life,families bringing their kids, teenagers coming with a bunch of friends and middle-aged taxi drivers getting a break in between their shifts; a majority of them were Cantonese speakers followed by a few Chiuchownese speakers from different generations. We are amazed by the popularity of Chiuchownese cuisine among local HongKongers. As the saying goes “ you have to taste a culture to understand it”, it literally means one have to get to try the local delicacies in order to gain a better understanding of the culture itself. It is of utmost importance to recognize food and eating habits as part of the culture.
“ We do have more and more young customers as there are several dance studio nearby and they come here after class” - Grandpa Wu
Insisting to serve some of the most traditional Chiu Chow dishes such as the stuffed pig intestines, the restaurant has made considerable efforts in branding the Chiu Chow culture and trying to show that Chiu Chownese food is worth trying.We figured out that many young customers have uploaded their photos onto the social networking sites regarding their dining experiences at the restaurant and we are convinced that the social media is definitely a powerful tool in presenting the Chiu Chownese cuisine and culture to the general public.
“ Some customers are interested to learn some Chiu Chow vocabulary and we are happy to teach them ” - Papa Wu
