After six months of renovations, the much-loved Queen Street Cooked Food Market in Sheung Wan has reopened to the delight of diners, offering affordable meal options in a refreshed and improved setting.

Loyal customers have eagerly returned to their favorite stalls, with many praising the enhanced dining environment. However, operators face new challenges, including rising rents and the increasing cost of ingredients, making it harder to sustain their businesses.

Sunny Cheng Wan-fat, co-owner of the Traditional Beijing Dumpling House, expressed his excitement at seeing familiar faces lining up for his stall’s signature dishes. “The support is overwhelming,” Cheng shared, noting that by 2 pm, only lamb dumplings were left, with other popular varieties sold out. The prices for the stall’s five dishes range from HK$50 to HK$67.

Despite the enthusiastic customer response, Cheng acknowledged the growing difficulty of operating in a climate of rising expenses. “It is getting more difficult to run the business,” he admitted.

While workers were still cleaning the market on its opening day, customers seemed unfazed, happy to once again enjoy their favorite meals in the heart of Sheung Wan.