It's official, just confirmed by the Lamcombe management & staff:
They're closing down on Jan 3!
The off-island landlords want to take over and run the restaurant themselves. It's been in negotiations for a massive rent increase for months and in the end the management had no choive but to agree. Then the landlords changed their minds and didn't renew the lease anyway!
So everybody will lose their jobs. It's also seriously doubtful that the new management can maintain the well-earned status of Lamcombe as the best local Chinese restaurant, according to many Chinese and non-Chinese like myself, being run by the same management for 13 years now. The landlords own the name Lamcombe as well, so no name change is panned.
Lamma-Por & I are regulars, at least twice a week, always chatting with the staff and management who've become friends, so we're very sad to see them forced out. But it's too late now and a signature campaign organised by some people right now is unlikely to change the landlords' minds. Sad news....<HR>
Jade Chief Bar, opposite Banyan Bay Cafe, is also closing down, already at the end of this month. The fishermen drinking in there all evening and occasionally getting into fights will miss that place, too.
Pigeon Rest., Han Lok Yuen, is under total renovation, to reopen under the former management in a few weeks.
The
former Spicy Island will become a new Turkish place, unrelated to Best Kebab, to reopen in Dec.
The
former New Holiday Mood Grill & Rest. will become a second Green Cottage, name tba, run by the Green Cottagers, to reopen in Dec as well.
Any other changes in the local dining/drinking scene I might have missed?
For my photographical memories of Lamcombe, click below. Please add your own photos and memories.