A “high-quality harbour-view” food court on the second floor of the Patane Municipal Market Complex officially opened yesterday, and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) President José Fonseca Tavares expressed hopes that the owners of its 11 food stalls would join forces to develop the food hall as a pioneer in revitalising traditional wet markets.
The renovated food court, featuring different cuisines and specialities including Chinese regional and Southeast Asian cuisine, Western, Japanese and Korean dishes, stir-fried and steamed food, Japanese sashimi and sushi, as well as beverages, and desserts, opens daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The renovation for the original Patane cooked food market was launched in October last year, on the sidelines of which an IAM senior official pointed out that the renovated Patane food court would be different to the existing three cooked food markets at the São Domingos Municipal Market Complex, São Lourenço Municipal Market Complex and Iao Hon District Municipal Market respectively, and would be upgraded to a “high-class” international food court “with a harbour view”.
The “high-class” food court comprises 11 food stalls. Tavares pointed out during yesterday’s opening ceremony that apart from just one original food stall, the remaining 10 stalls were decided by open tender, with his bureau having selected the “best” operators among hundreds of bids.
The food court, which can seat over 200, has been in trial operation for over a week since March 28, and Leong Cheok Man, who heads the IAM Hygiene Inspection Department, told reporters after the opening ceremony that the food court has recorded a daily average of 200 to 300 customers, whose number even reached 900 on Sunday.
There are some differences in the food court in terms of decorative design, the layout of the tables and chairs, as well as the stalls, Leong said: “We hope to have a more comfortable environment here to provide customers with quality service, coupled with a friendly price, so as to create a good image of the food court”.
“The main positioning of the food court is to serve our community,” Leong said, stressing that neighbourhood residents are the bureau’s top priority for promoting the government-owned Patane food court.
He was quick to add that the food court is open for the general public, including tourists.
Leong underlined that the bureau will hold regular meetings with the stallholders to understand the situation of their operations, while carrying out food-safety inspections on a regular basis and strictly enforcing food safety standards.
Leong Cheok Man, who heads the Municipal Affairs Bureau’s (IAM) Hygiene Inspection Department, talks to reporters after yesterday’s opening ceremony of the Patane wet market’s “high-quality harbour-view” food court.
– Photos: Yuki Lei
The over 200-seat food court on the second floor of the Patane Municipal Market Complex was almost full at around 11:30 a.m. yesterday.
IAM President José Fonseca Tavares hosts yesterday’s opening ceremony of the “international” food court.
