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Jimmy Lee


Owner, Red Pepper

“In 1967, I worked as an apprentice at an architecture office by day and then went to night school. I worked on the first floor of the Lee Garden building when there were a lot of government offices but after three years, realised I wasn’t interested in that. At first, my family had a restaurant called Coffee House on Hysan Avenue and it was popular for western style pastries. Later, in 1971, we opened Red Pepper. Back then, there were not a lot of Sichuanese restaurants in Hong Kong. I would finish work in Central and then come back every night to help my dad. In those days, young people didn’t really have their own lives in the same way they do now and so I spent a lot of time in the family business. Our clients are quite international, even from the start. There were locally based British people and fewer Cantonese. Then later in the 70s and 80s, there were more Japanese – their economy was doing very well and there were a lot of Japanese department stores in Causeway Bay. It gets very full during rugby season every year and people would book multiple tables. People used to get quite rowdy, taking off their clothes and jumping around. We get international press and customers have shown us that we were mentioned in The New York Times. Bruce Lee fans know that Game of Death was filmed here and so we get asked about that. I wasn’t there during filming but my brother was to make sure that the film crew were taken care of over those few days.”

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    Alison: “He loves to exercise, I like to sleep. He has OCD and I’m easy going. He likes to cook, I love to eat. It works out perfectly…

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A neighbourhood in flux, Causeway Bay’s constant evolution keeps residents and visitors coming back for more. Whether it’s fashion, food, film or art, it’s a part of Hong Kong that keeps people mesmerised and inspired.

Causeway Bay: Then & Now


Feature

Causeway Bay embodies the many facets of Hong Kong – the fast pace, fascinating contrasts and dynamic energy. From the city’s very beginning to the present day, its diversity and vibrancy makes it a beloved neighbourhood.

  • Clement Ng


    Salesperson, Journalize

    “We aren’t really like other stationery stores and people started noticing us when we were mentioned in a blog. We slowly developed our own style of running a store…

    Streetsnaps
  • Mr Chu


    Owner, Kung Wo Tong

    “Kung Wo Tong is a family business that can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty when herbal turtle jelly was consumed frequently. We first opened on Temple Street…

    #Culture   #Food  
    Streetsnaps
  • Alison and Eden


    Residents of Causeway Bay

    Alison: “He loves to exercise, I like to sleep. He has OCD and I’m easy going. He likes to cook, I love to eat. It works out perfectly…

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    Anita (right): “I moved to Hong Kong when I married my husband, who is Australian Chinese. Miga and I grew up in Taiwan. She’s my cousin and also my best friend…

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