Food trucks are popular around the islands—and their numbers have grown in recent years, especially in Honolulu. But they’re still a novel concept in parts of Asia. This week, the government of Hong Kong is awarding licenses for the city’s first 16 food trucks. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia minute.
A battle of food truck chefs took center stage in Hong Kong this week. 51 food trucks are competing for a relative handful of licenses---the first venture into this world for the government of Hong Kong. 16 lucky winners will be able to park and peddle their delectables in eight locations—from Kowloon and Wanchai to Hong Kong Disney Land….plus one prime spot on the harbor front promenade in the business hub of Central.
Food trucks have a mixed record in Asia—where challenges abound—from government regulations to parking places. When Singapore started allowing food trucks a few years ago, the permitting process required advance booking of a specific location—producing, as one critic pointed out online, “food trucks that can’t move.”
It’s taken Hong Kong a couple of years and a special part of the city budget to get to this point. The finalists faced each other in a cook-off on Tuesday…each contestant got 25 minutes to cook and present a dish to a jury of nine…followed by a group tasting and question and answer session.
The South China Morning Post reports 18 made Chinese food…17 pushed Western recipes…and 16 presented what the paper called “international dishes.” The first fleet of trucks is expected to be open for business by the end of the year.
