Top image / Pacific Place; photo credit: travelsintranslation
There were few greater delights as a child in Hong Kong than going to Dan Ryan’s and drawing on the paper tablecloths as parents tucked in to a huge slab of tender, bbq-sauce slathered ribs. Everyone loves Dan Ryan’s for the consistent American dishes, lively yet relaxing atmosphere, and value-for-money portions.
Dan Ryan’s was created in Hong Kong in 1989 and currently there are five Dan Ryan’s restaurants in operation in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. The Pacific Place restaurant in Admiralty, Hong Kong, will officially shut its doors as of April.
And now we’re all wondering, from where shall we accrue a lifetime’s supply of keychains?
Image/ Pacific Place
(Edit: The answer is – 3 other locations in Hong Kong! Dan Ryan’s is now in City Plaza, Festival Walk and Ocean Terminal.
We visited the Cityplaza location for a late lunch, and found the atmosphere lacking (miss that Admiralty rabbit warren) and the service polite but lacking – hugely understaffed during the lunch rush. The food was ok la – the burger great, the salad alright and the chicken wings didn’t arrive. Love that Kowloon Bay IPA on tap.)
The diner is said to be closing for economic reasons, making it another in a series of much-loved restaurant closures in Hong Kong in recent times. Swire Properties is looking to replace many of the retail units in the group into “high-end food and beverage malls”.
Merritt Croker, CEO of Windy City International–the restaurant group behind Dan Ryan’s–told the SCMP he was “proud of making Dan Ryan’s a success after 27 years in business in Admiralty.”
“We were more successful than we thought we would ever be. We worked really hard to make it authentic”
– Merritt Croker, CEO of the restaurant group behind Dan Ryan’s
Dan Ryan’s Chicago Grill offers authentic American steaks, ribs, sandwiches and salads in a friendly, upscale atmosphere. Their commitment to uncompromised American food to a standard exactly as one might expect in big city restaurants across the United States, is a huge draw and has made the restaurant consistently popular for close to three decades. With a price point that most guests regard as high value, it’s going to a challenge for any restaurant to match the value and subsequent covers that Dan Ryan’s has been able to maintain.
Image / NileGuide
Pacific Place looks set to undergo an overhaul by Swire Properties who have been pushing their F&B sectors with the opening of a second Plat du Jour at Pacific Place last month, The Continental taking over from Domani also in Pacific Place, and Mr and Mrs Fox, a huge three story establishment in Taikoo Place.
Other Dan Ryan’s restaurants in Kowloon Tong and Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui will remain open. Looks like it’s time to grab one last keychain, and perhaps a balloon.