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Where does Chow Yun-fat eat in Hong Kong? ‘Big Brother’ frequents the historical Yung Kee diner, gets Vietnamese noodles from Sai Kung’s Saigon Pho and returns to Lamma Island for seafood delights

STORYFaye Bradley
Chow Yun-fat dines at some of Hong Kong’s best no-frills restaurants. Photos: Jonathan Wong, @劉嘉玲/Weibo, Giacomo/Facebook
Chow Yun-fat dines at some of Hong Kong’s best no-frills restaurants. Photos: Jonathan Wong, @劉嘉玲/Weibo, Giacomo/Facebook
Hong Kong celebrities and icons

  • The Hong Kong actor rose to fame in the 80s with fellow A-listers like Andy Lau, Stephen Chow, John Woo, Tony Leung and Cherie Cheung, then with Michelle Yeoh in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
  • Despite his immense success, the global film star is known for his humble lifestyle – from taking public transport and donating his wealth to charity, to enjoying cheap eats like congee and egg tarts

Chow Yun-fat is widely considered to be that “big brother” every Hongkonger needs or aspires to be. It’s just one of the reasons fans call him “fat gor” – literally “big brother Fat” in Cantonese.

Chow Yun-fat appeared in a Hugo Boss fashion show. Photo: @diplomaticities/Instagram
Chow Yun-fat appeared in a Hugo Boss fashion show. Photo: @diplomaticities/Instagram

As a household name who blazed a trail through the golden age of Hong Kong cinema and Hollywood blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean, Chow’s prolific career has earned him what could have been a lifetime of luxury, if he chose.

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Chow Yun-fat in God of Gamblers. Photo: @romancingstars/Instagram
Chow Yun-fat in God of Gamblers. Photo: @romancingstars/Instagram
The 67-year-old rose to international stardom in the 80s with fellow A-listers like Andy Lau, Stephen Chow, John Woo, Tony Leung and Cherie Cheung, then catapulted to even greater fame with Michelle Yeoh after starring in films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – which landed them a joint cover on Time magazine back in 2000. Of course, they’ve all gone on to enjoy the fruits of their own successes ever since.
Michelle Yeoh (left) holds the Oscar for best foreign film with the film’s lead actor Chow Yun-Fat, second from right, with his wife Jasmine Chow at his side and the director of the film Ang Lee at the Sony Pictures party in Beverly Hills, California, after the 73rd annual Academy Awards, in 2001. Photo: AP
Michelle Yeoh (left) holds the Oscar for best foreign film with the film’s lead actor Chow Yun-Fat, second from right, with his wife Jasmine Chow at his side and the director of the film Ang Lee at the Sony Pictures party in Beverly Hills, California, after the 73rd annual Academy Awards, in 2001. Photo: AP
Yet the megastar – who’s got over 100 acting credits to his name – remains humble. Despite having an estimated US$200 million net worth, he still takes public transport and dines at his favourite local no-frills eateries. What’s more, the God of Gamblers actor pledged to donate of his wealth to charity and set up a foundation to do so after he dies, per The Guardian.
Actor Chow Yun-fat attends the premiere of director Felix Chong Man-Keung’s film Project Gutenberg in September 2018, in Beijing, China. Photo: Getty Images
Actor Chow Yun-fat attends the premiere of director Felix Chong Man-Keung’s film Project Gutenberg in September 2018, in Beijing, China. Photo: Getty Images

So where does he like to eat in his native Hong Kong? Rest assured, most of these establishments won’t bankrupt you …

1. Yung Kee Restaurant