{
  "id": 5699437,
  "title": "After 66 years, Kau Kee’s first shop offers fish balls ‘every Hongkonger has eaten’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/after-66-years-kau-kees-first-shop-offers-fish-balls-every-hongkonger",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-05T03:00:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post - Hong Kong",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post-hong-kong",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3366433/after-66-years-kau-kees-first-shop-offers-fish-balls-every-hongkonger-has-eaten"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Anita Lee Yan-kwan, a second-generation owner of Kau Kee Food Factory, opened the company's first retail store in Mong Kok last December after 66 years of supplying fish balls to eateries and street food stalls across Hong Kong. The 30-year-old politics graduate had taken over the family business during the Covid-19 pandemic when street food sales plummeted due to mask mandates and social distancing rules.\n\nLee admitted that transitioning from factory manufacturing to retail management was daunting, as it required new skills in people management, inventory control, marketing, and promotion. However, she capitalized on the brand's strengths by cutting out third-party markups and offering its products at a lower price of HK$10 for 10 pieces – about half the current market average.\n\nUnlike supermarket fish balls intended for home consumption, Kau Kee's recipe prioritizes more fish meat for superior chewiness, even when soaked in curry sauce for extended periods. A key component in their \"king of fish balls\" is tuna, which provides a rich, fragrant oiliness.\n\nTo attract a new generation of customers, including tourists, Lee incorporated \"Instagrammable\" elements like a 3D-printed oversized fish ball model. Currently, about 30% of her customer base consists of tourists. Lee hopes the first store will be the beginning of many more storefronts to preserve Hong Kong's culinary heritage amidst the rise of foreign snack chains.",
  "summary": "Anita Lee Yan-kwan grew up around a traditional business that supplied fish balls to Hong Kong’s street food stalls and eateries. But for decades, Kau Kee Food Factory’s signature product was known only among industry operators until Lee, a second-generation owner, opened the company’s first retail store late last year. Kau Kee has operated as a silent giant in the food industry for 66 years,…",
  "key_points": [
    "Anita Lee opened Kau Kee's first retail store in Mong Kok after 66 years.",
    "She reduced prices by 50% to compete with market averages.",
    "Instagrammable elements attract tourists and new customers."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Kau Kee's retail debut marks a strategic shift from B2B to B2C, allowing the 66-year-old brand to connect directly with customers and preserve Hong Kong's culinary heritage while potentially disrupting the local snack market.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "After 66 years, Kau Kee’s first shop offers fish balls ‘every Hongkonger has eaten’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/after-66-years-kau-kees-first-shop-offers-fish-balls-every-hongkonger-5702164",
        "published": "2026-09-05T03:00:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}