Coronavirus and dining at a distance

So I was catching up with a friend when we walked past "Duck and Waffle" in the IFC mall.  I had never been and he had only ever been when he lived in London.  There was no line so we thought this would be a good opportunity to try it.  We both ordered the namesake dish of confit duck leg served on a slice of waffle.

It was "good", but it certainly wasn't worth the price.  If anything, it was probably overpriced by at least half.  There was something very conveyor belt to everything in front of us.  Every element looked like it could be made quickly (and in advance) except for a few of the final flourishes like the egg, making the assembly line the perfect way for these dishes to be churned out quickly and efficiently.  I poured on the maple syrup sauce which added an exceedingly sweet finish to the whole plate.  Again, it was tasty enough, but there wasn't anything special to what I was eating.  It is as described.  Duck.  Waffle.  Covered in sugar.

Sitting in the restaurant itself, in the middle of the day on a Saturday, I couldn't help but think about how much they and other restaurants must be suffering.  There are already restrictions on the number of people who can be inside each restaurant along with further restrictions on how many can be in a total party and the distance that must be in place between groups.  Even with all of these restrictions in place, people are still wary of going out and the restaurant was almost completely deserted.  I can only imagine that it is a combination of reasons, people are worried about going out because of the virus but on top of that, there must also be growing financial concerns amongst large parts of the population.  The idea of going out and spending at restaurants (irrespective of how much) is probably the last thing on their minds.

Coronavirus and hotel death

Getting a hotel room in Hong Kong used to be painfully expensive.  A room on the island would always cost over HKD1,000 a night and even a room in one of the decrepit hostels in Chunking Mansion or Miramar Mansion would cost more than HKD200 a night.  Those prices are now a thing of the past.  The hotel industry had already been devastated by the ongoing protests, but now it seems as though there is almost nothing left as the coronavirus means that all travel has effectively ground to a halt.  The few travellers left coming through Hong Kong are now able to get hotels on the island for under HKD200 a night.  One friend who was staying in a hotel on the island even noted with confidence that even with those prices, he was the only person on the entire floor.

Walking along Nathan Rd, through the heart of Kowloon one evening, I could see very clearly the devastation on Hong Kong's hotel industry.  Looking up at the windows of many of the hotels you could see floor after floor of blackened rooms.  The few lights that were on seem to come from utility rooms.

Further along the road, other hotels weren't doing much better.  There were only a few scattered lights on the entire building.  Rumours have been coming out that some of the most famous hotels in Hong Kong are down to single digit room occupancy.  On top of that, many of the activities associated with some of the big hotels are also struggling.  The high tea at the Peninsula Hotel is often touted as one of the highlights of any trip to Hong Kong, and it used to require a long line up.  Now, it's easy to walk in and get a table, with sittings often only half full at best.

It's gotten so bad in fact that I have friends living in Hong Kong who have decided to stop renting apartments altogether, but have instead opted to move into hotels for the time being.  The price of a hotel is now far cheaper than renting your own place and you even have the added benefit of having someone turnover your room everyday!

Coronavirus and the death of nightlife

Well it happened.  More shutdowns.

On the weekend, the level of shutdown was increased.  Social gatherings of more than four are now banned.  Bars and other venues that are "exclusively or mainly used" for the sale of alcohol have been shut.  Early in the week, the government finally relented with the closure of karaoke bars and mahjong parlours, but only after another cluster of people fell ill after a visit to a karaoke bar.

Everything has gone deathly quiet, even as the lights are still on.

The street party on Peel street is now long gone.  I look at the emptiness with this feeling of sadness and nostalgia for what was once there.  Only weeks ago, this was a bustling hub for people around the world to congregate and to socialise.

Elsewhere famous pubs and bars have also been shuttered.  The streets are quiet and the steps that used to act as benches are now being used as thoroughfares once again.

Even the MTRs have gone quiet.

Everyone has been filled with concern about using the public transportation system, but ironically this is probably one of the safer ways to get around now.  With no one using the MTR, there's little chance you're going to come into contact with anyone or be close enough to someone to catch anything.

I'm sure this will all pass one day.  I just wonder what will be left once it does pass?  What will recover and what will be gone forever?  I used to think the party never ended in Hong Kong, but the music has now most definitely stopped.