Little Cove, Honeymoon Dessert, Paisano’s and Jaspas may sound like a roll call of some of Hong Kong’s most recognisable F&B names – brands now scattered across Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui – but what if we told you that they all started in Sai Kung, the “sleepy” seaside village better known for seafood feasts, boat parties and Sunday hikes than restaurant empires?
For more than three decades, this coastal enclave has quietly functioned as one of Hong Kong’s most reliable culinary launch pads – a place where small, often family-run businesses test their footing before expanding citywide.
Cuít is one of the latest examples. Before the sourdough bakery opened Cuít Épicerie in Central, sisters Tiffany and Stephanie Tse chose to begin in Sai Kung. The decision was personal. “It wasn’t only about the food,” Stephanie says, describing the dining table she grew up around in the neighbourhood. “It was the daily ritual it created – a space to gather, to talk, to slow down.”
Opening in Sai Kung allowed them to grow deliberately. “Everything about Cuít makes sense here – the slower rhythm, the produce-led way we cook, the feeling of the room, even the kinds of regulars who come back,” Tiffany adds. In a district where word of mouth travels fast and regulars return every weekend, that trust becomes the foundation for expansion.
