4th September 2026 – (Hong Kong) A HK$75 box of two-dish rice at The Landmark in Central has reignited the familiar argument over what still counts as a bargain in the city’s financial district, after a lunchtime shopper posted photos of a long queue and asked whether the supposed “people’s treat” had lost the plot.
The man, posting on Threads under the handle alvinfinance, said he was stunned to find office workers lining up for a meal long marketed as an affordable staple, yet priced at HK$75 and still drawing a crowd. “Wasn’t two-dish rice meant to be a treat for ordinary people? Why HK$75, and why the huge queue?” he asked, adding that even if he could afford the price, he could not afford the wait.
His video appeared to show roughly 40 white-collar workers snaking towards the takeaway counter inside the mall. Photographs of the display suggested about eight dishes on offer, including pork chop, steamed egg and vegetables, with sushi, macaroni and assorted salads also for sale.
Online reaction was swift and largely unsympathetic to the sticker shock. Several commenters said the post merely proved the author had never worked in Central, arguing that once neighbouring lunches routinely clear HK$100, HK$75 starts to look like value. Others pointed to mall rents, presentation and location: eating at The Landmark for that sum, they said, was something to smile about if the food was good, and comparing a shopping-centre counter with a wet-market stall was missing the point. One noted that a so-so rice plate in a Tung Chung cha chaan teng could already start at HK$70 to HK$80.
Defenders of the outlet went further. Some recalled colleagues gasping with delight years ago when a Central two-dish box cost something in the seventies; others said the place looked clean and well run, had stood for more than a decade, tasted fine and had not raised prices for years. “HK$75 for this standard still beats the HK$50 rubbish,” one wrote, while another argued Hongkongers often object less to cost than to feeling short-changed.
Rain featured in the excuses for the crush. Netizens said the counter always queues hard on wet days, and that a rainy Central lunch hour pushes more people indoors for takeaway at Landmark rather than hunting side-street bargains.
A quieter thread suggested alternatives for those who balk at the premium. Cheaper options exist deeper in Central’s lanes, some said, while the Landmark line is really for workers who need to grab food in seconds and eat back at their desks. Others preferred packing lunch from home—if they had time to cook, a microwave at the office and enough machines that the queue does not last until knock-off.
