Hong Kong Stories - Tastes of Home：Russian Red - Borscht

Borscht, the classic Russian soup, marks the transformation of the Hong Kong-style western cuisine. Under different roles, it has been accompanying Hong Kong people to grow from the 40’s to the present.

Yvonne’s grandfather was the owner of a very famous Russian-style western restaurant in the 40’s / 50’s. The borscht in his menu is a collective memory of many people. The once very popular restaurant closed down in the 70’s, but grandpa’s hard working character and the fact that he led a frugal life have been inspiring her, and supporting her to preserve the “taste of home”.

The decline of the high-class Russian-style western cuisine marked the rise of the Hong Kong-style western cuisine. Borscht was however retained and has become Hong Kongers’ “Red Soup”. This restaurant, with its original decoration retained, has been located in To Kwa Wan for 40 years. It has all along been preparing Borscht by a classic recipe. After experiencing the sweet and sour taste of borscht, YU Yan-shing decided to stay in his last fortress.

Raymond and his wife have inherited their parent’s secret recipes and added on their own creative ideas. They run their small restaurant in an alley and use Borscht as the soup base to make noodles and rice noodles. It’s a classic example showcasing the spirit of Hong Kong people - learning foreign things and making improvements to them.