"God of Cookery" restaurant Jumbo Kingdom closes indefinitely

5 Mar – Jumbo Floating Restaurant or Jumbo Kingdom - the iconic Hong Kong attraction that has been featured in multiple films and hosted Queen Elizabeth in the past, will be suspending its daily operation until further notice.

As reported on Mingpao, the restaurant owned by Melco International Development, announced the sad news on 2 March, saying, "This decision has been taken in light of the severe impact Covid-19 has had on the restaurants' business. We will continue to monitor the commercial outlook for Jumbo and will provide any relevant updates in due course."

First opened in 1976 by Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho, the Aberdeen Harbour attraction has been one of the most iconic places in Hong Kong, and featured in many Hollywood and Hong Kong movies alike including "The Man with the Golden Gun" (1974), "Contagion" (2011), and The Protector" (1985).

Fans of Stephen Chow would also recognise the restaurant as the set for the final act of the movie, "God of Cookery", in which the actor's character competed in a cooking competition to regain his status as the God of Cookery.

Nancy Sit, who also guest starred in the said film, expressed her sadness over the indefinite hiatus, saying, "I have often gone there to drink and film shows. People also remember the scene where I sat on the dragon chair and ate the "sorrowful rice" [on "God of Cookery"]. Many tourists would come to visit the site and we would also take our guests to the restaurant for seafood."

"It's a pity that it is closed now. I hope the epidemic will pass immediately," she added.

(Photo Source: SCMP)