The restaurant has always been popular with affluent diners, who seem to like the convenient yet discreet location. Over the years, Wong has seen the clientele change from British businessmen to nouveau rich Taiwanese and mainlanders. 'I have to speak Mandarin now to some of our guests,' he says. 'They tell me they heard about our cuisine and wanted to enjoy a proper British meal.'
Jimmy's classics include oysters Kilpatrick, Waldorf salad, wiener schnitzel, chateaubriand and baked Alaska. 'We have faithful patrons bringing their children to sample time-honoured, British fine-dining and learn etiquette,' Wong says. 'I have regulars of two and three generations.'
About six years ago, Fat Angelo's moved in. Since then, a number of other franchises and smaller cafes have appeared. In December, PizzaExpress opened downstairs from Jimmy's - its fourth branch in Hong Kong, but the first in Kowloon. 'We chose Ashley Road because this is a very cosmopolitan area of Kowloon,' says general manager Adrien Ellul. 'There are lots of tourists that know PizzaExpress and many are incredibly loyal. We had our eyes on this site for a while, but were worried about the [large] size. Fortunately, the new landlord decided to break it up to increase the yield and we managed to get the space we were looking for.'
The new 2,000sqft restaurant features an open kitchen so patrons can watch the pizza-makers in action.
Ellul is confident about the attraction and future of Ashley Road. 'It's good to be surrounded by restaurants because it attracts more diners,' he says. He doesn't regard the others as competition. 'Every business needs to have a unique selling proposition. Our answer is value-for-money gourmet pizzas served in stylish surroundings.'
Tucked away in the Ashley 27 building are some charming new eateries, including Taka Japanese Restaurant, La Luck Thai, and Moon. Along with Ashley 33 Bar & Restaurant, a few shops down the road, they're the brainchild of Rico Chan Yu-ho, owner of the Ashley F&B Group. A Thai-Chinese textiles company director, Chan saw an opportunity last year to convert the office building at No27 into a multi-functional structure. He opened the outlets in August. 'One advantage is that it doesn't matter which restaurant or bar you choose,' says Chan's executive assistant, Kathy Kwok Ka-ki. 'You can order food from the other eateries within Ashley 27.'
Taka is decked out in dark browns, with bamboo on the ceiling, lamps and partitions. Sushi head chef Andy Li Sun-tat has an eclectic sensibility when inventing fusion sushi. He specialises in omakase, which entails asking customers about the seafood they like and their budget, and then preparing a selection tailored to their tastes. It's how sushi masters serve high-end clients in Japan. Li brings in rare varieties of seasonal live fish and seafood from the Kyushu and Hokkaido fish markets. 'I want to make uncommon and expensive fish available to everyone.' He says he visits other sushi bars to stay on top of various trends. His latest innovation is crystal sushi: sweet shrimp, salmon, crab roe and giant clam wrapped in fruit jelly.
La Luck Thai's resort theme features Thai furnishings and has an unusual executive chef consultant: Chan's mother, Sae Tang Cheng Hong. She's an expert in Thai-Chinese cuisine (with a Chiu Chow influence), and most of the dishes on the reasonably priced menu are her family recipes. 'Thai food suitable for Hong Kong palates tends to be cooked by Thai-Chinese chefs,' says manager James Chui Chi-wah. 'Real Thai cuisine is extremely hot and spicy, so locals may not like it.'
Chui agrees with Ellul about Ashley Road's popularity. 'The clustering of restaurants may generate solidarity rather than rivalry.' And he says that if the government would agree to turn Ashley Road into a pedestrian-only area, 'then together we can pull in even more diners'.
Take a quiet stroll down Ashley Road
1 Ned Kelly's Last Stand
No 11, tel: 2376 0562
2 Mes Amis
No 15, tel: 2730 3038
3 In Kitchen
No 17-19, tel: 2648 7621
4 Shadowman Cyber Cafe
No 21A, tel: 2366 5262
5 Gaylord Indian Restaurant
1/F Ashley Centre, No23-25, tel: 2376 1001
6 Sushi One
No 23, tel: 2155 0633
7 Red Ant restaurant
Ashley 27, No27, tel: 2375 9698
8 La Luck Thai Restaurant
2/F, Ashley 27, No 27, tel: 2771 9993
9 Taka Japanese Restaurant
3/F, Ashley 27, No 27, tel: 2771 9998
10 Moon
4/F, Ashley 27, No 27, tel: 2771 9996
11 Busan Korean Restaurant
Kowloon Centre, No 29-39, tel: 2376 3385
12 Shi-O Japanese Restaurant
Shop A, G/F, Kowloon Centre, No 29-39, tel: 3579 8216
13 Ashley 33 Bar & Restaurant
Shop C & C1, G/F, Kowloon Centre, tel: 2771 3399
14 Jimmy's Kitchen
1/F, Kowloon Centre, tel: 2376 0327
15 PizzaExpress
No 35, tel: 2317 7432
16 La Taverna
No 36-38, tel: 2376 1945
17 Ebeneezer's Kebab
G01C, Astoria Building, No 24-38, tel: 2114 0999
18 Singapore Restaurant
Unit A, 1/F, Astoria Building, No 24-38, tel: 2376 1282
19 Circle Cafe
Shop A2, G/F, No 24-32, tel: 3156 1248
20 Weinstube Wine Bar & Restaurant
1/F, No 22, tel: 2376 1800
21 Kyo-Zasa Japanese Restaurant
No 20, tel: 2376 1888
22 Uogashi Japanese Restaurant
2/F, E.A. Tower, No 18, tel: 2377 4774
23 Osaka Japanese Restaurant
Shop D, G/F & Flat A-F, 1/F Ashley Building, No 14, tel: 2376 3323
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