Hong Kong diners are a tough crowd. They have really high standards, easily get bored of restaurant concepts, and can quickly move on. The restaurant world here is intensely brutal and unforgiving.
There was a ridiculous amount of buzz when Five Guys first announced they were coming. In fact, I myself was thrilled that they were coming to Wan Chai, which is where I live.
But when it opened, the lines were RIDICULOUS. It was as if everybody in Hong Kong wanted to eat at Five Guys ALL THE TIME. The line never seemed to subside until late into the night.
So we avoided it . . . for months.
Bryan managed to try it during his lunch break by showing up around 11:30AM.
Me, I waited several months before trying it. Even then, we waited a bit, but the fervor had subsided a bit.
I was excited to see that it felt almost exactly the same! The same shelled peanuts, deliciously seasoned fries, and excellent burgers.
I was tickled by the minor differences, such as the Chinese language signs, the higher prices (we are in Hong Kong, after all), and the fact that the potatoes were imported from the Netherlands instead of Idaho.
All in all, it was good and we started to visit pretty regularly. In fact, during non-Covid times, when we went for lunch after church on a Sunday afternoon, we still had to hover and wait to snatch open seating after we have ordered our food. In general, we were usually able to snag a table within a short amount of time. However, it's not always that easy.
Five Guys Hong Kong during Covid Times
Covid has certainly changed all that. Gone are the crazy long lines outside of the restaurant, though the restaurant still seems to do OK. They honor all the restrictions imposed by the government, and usually every (other) seat is still filled when I walk by.
We've ordered delivery from them a few times during this pandemic season, and it's been pretty good! The fries keep quite well, and stay reasonably crispy and tasty even when they are not as hot. All in all, it's a nice, nostalgic reminder of the US (where we haven't been for over a year now!), and every so often we'll order it for lunch.
Now we have Shake Shack and Five Guys in Hong Kong. All we need is In & Out and we're all set! 😉
Five Guys Hong Kong
60 Johnston Rd, Wan Chai
