The Butchers Club Burger Meets Dai Pai Dong Street in Central

The Butchers Club Burger relocates to a new spot in Central, just around the corner on the notorious Dai Pai Dong alley under the Mid-Levels Escalator.

In 2016, The Butchers Club Burger was listed in the 2016 Michelin Guide under their new ‘Street Food’ category. To the local Hong Kong resident the traditional outdoor eatery, or dai pai dong, is just that leading to some people arguing that our Wan Chai burger restaurant shouldn't have been even considered. However naysayers certainly can’t argue that any more: The Central location has been relocated to a spot smack bang in the middle of Stanley Street, which is one of the last places for Dai Pai Dongs in the city. This pedestrianised zone is the home to some of Hong Kong’s oldest and most famous local street eateries.

The name dai pai dong in Cantonese translates to a "restaurant with a big licence plate," referring to the physical size of the licence, which is bigger than those of other licensed vendors such as a General Restaurant license. There are only 25 dai pai dongs left in Hong Kong and they are becoming the ‘in vogue’ destination for tourists and locals to hang out at for quick bites and cheap drinks.

The Butchers Club Burger on Stanley Street in Central opened its doors to the public on August 12th to around 500 fans, cramming into the tiny indoor space and surrounding outdoor area for an opening party. The building is over 70 years old and the previous tenant, Sing Kee Congee, has since consolidated their operations to their next door restaurant where it will continue to operate as they have done so for three generations.

The Butchers Club Burger Chef Mark pushes a traditional
Hong Kong street trolley on Stanley Street

“Our guests can expect Michelin Guide-rated burgers and premium beverages in a unique and truly Hong Kong environment," says Jonathan Glover the MD of The Butchers Club.  "We have opened up the front and side of the restaurant so that our guests can experience the melting pot of the raw and bustling Hong Kong street food scene, yet still sit comfortably in a relatively modern, air conditioned environment.

“We have always sought unusual sites with character for our burger restaurants and this one is certainly pushing the boundaries. It’s a really fun and captivating location. This place should be on every tourist's bucket list when they visit the city — the fun of sitting on the street, watching the old Hong Kong world go by, is a big part of it.”

 The Butchers Club Burger Chefs as local Stanley Street  butchers

The Butchers Club are being extremely careful to integrate into this dai pai dong scene and are hoping to enhance the environment by promoting it and working with the local stall holders to increase business for all.

“We are trying to blend in, not change it. We are confident that we can attract some of the local customers that frequent the dai pai dong stalls to try our burgers as well as give back by having some of our regular customers try the stall's offerings too. The area should become a melting pot of flavours and cultures and we are excited to be part of it” states Glover.

The Butchers Club Burgers in a Dim Sum basket

Here is a video which was recently produced and shows the life and times of a dai pai dong stall holder. Much of the video was shot on Stanley Street.

 

Interested parties should contact jonathan@butchersclub.com.hk for more information on franchising and investing.