Kam Yuen Food Company, the producer of the beloved noodles, announced on Wednesday in a social media post that it made the decision “after thorough consideration,” as quoted by the South China Morning Post.
“We want to extend our gratitude for the support and trust from our clients, partners and customers over the past 57 years. It is our sheer bliss to be able to become the day-to-day life of everyone,” the post read. “While the taste may end, the memories will remain.”
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Ding How instant noodles. Photo courtesy of MikoPlace |
Ding How, launched in the late 1960s, became popular with food stalls, noodle carts and cha chaan tengs, also known as Hong Kong-styled cafés or tea restaurants, across the city for its unseasoned noodles with minimal packaging, according to The Standard.
It once supplied about 80% of the city’s tea restaurants, but the arrival of cheaper instant noodles from mainland China in the 1990s gradually pushed many eateries to change suppliers.
The company retains roughly 20% of the market, with more than 200 restaurants across different districts still using its noodles as of March last year.
The brand had to stop the production of its premium “Super Dai Kwong Min” and “Hou Mei” lines last May because of rising costs.
The announcement sparked a surge of online reactions, as many mourned the loss of a flavor they had known for decades. Some netizens described Ding How as part of Hong Kong’s cultural fabric and recalled growing up with its noodles, as reported by Dimsum Daily.
The company’s farewell message drew more than 4,000 sad reactions, around 500 comments and over 1,000 shares.
“It’s heartbreaking to see these local brands fade away so quickly,” one commenter wrote.
Another recounted how they always picked Ding How noodles when ordering a beef satay dish, a classic on cha chaan teng menus.
“Thank you for your all-time dedication. Hope you will come back strong one day and I can eat your noodles again,” they said.
Another commenter voiced similar sorrow: “From now on, beef satay noodles have lost their soulmate.”
The noodle brand’s shutdown followed those of several long-established businesses in the city, including the 56-year-old Grand Ocean Cinema in June and the 35-year-old Metropol Restaurant in September.
