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| Allen Lee (in black) join his golfing buddies including ex-Labatt Bernie Julve (in green at back) for a final photo at Cinta-J |
It was a night that recalled the happy times of the 80s and the 90s when Wan Chai was the place to be for late-night dining and drinking in Hong Kong, and Cinta-J restaurant and bar was where most Filipinos ended up in, for a taste of comfort food from back home and singers who obliged their penchant for karaoke and dancing.
After 42 years being at the center of fun and entertainment
for most Filipinos in Hong Kong, Cinta-J at no 69 Jaffe Road (which explains
the J in its name) is closing down at the end of the month.
On that particular Wednesday night, Sept. 3, many of its old
customers who gathered there to party ended up getting nostalgic, as they
realized that it could be the last time they would be spending their happy
hours there.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
Among those who said goodbye to their favorite watering hole
was former Labor Attache to Hong Kong Bernie Julve and his golfing and drinking
buddies who used to gather at Cinta-J before, or after, a golf game. They all realized going out on golf trips
would not be as fun without their favorite pit-stop.
In another part of the restaurant, a group of longtime
residents celebrated a birthday, and as before, spent the rest of the night
dancing and singing with the in-house band. There could never be another place
where they could let their hair down, and feel right at home.
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| Allen Lee with his son Bryan and daughter-in-law Cris |
Cinta-J’s founder and owner, 83-year-old Allen Lee, said the Malaysian Consulate building where his resto-bar is housed has been sold, and given the current tepid catering industry and high property prices, it would not be prudent to continue operating it.
But his son Bryan and daughter-in-law Cris who have been
running the place for the past several years remain upbeat, saying they are
still hoping to find a new place where they can carry on the business.
Many longtime customers of Cinta-J would likely welcome a
reopening, but Cinta away from Jaffe Road - - where they had the most fun
eating Filipino or Indonesian food dancing and singing to their hearts’
content - would never be the same.
At its heyday, when Hong Kong was the favorite place for
R&R by seafarers from all over the world, Cinta-J was often packed and pulsating. It could either
be fun or rowdy, or both, but always with the best music in town.
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| A visit to Cinta-J is never complete without the singing & dancing |
The all-night partying started to slow down about 10 years ago when China started rejecting berthing requests from ships, particularly those from the US navy, amid rising political tension.
Cinta-J managed to pull through, only to suffer another
setback when massive anti-government protests erupted across Hong Kong from
2018 to 2019, with Wan Chai becoming one of the flash points.
Just as things were starting to quiet down, the Covid-19 pandemic
happened, and the catering sector once more took a direct hit. Cinta-J, along
with several bars on Jaffe, were among the worst hit. (See report here: https://www.sunwebhk.com/search?q=Cinta+J)
Getting back up from all those whammies have been difficult,
but losing the place it has called home for decades was what hastened the Lees’
decision to shut down the business they nurtured for so long, for good.
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| Poster for the final group farewell to Cinta-J organized by the UPAA-HK |
As a tribute to those happy times, a group of Filipino residents led by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association is preparing to hold a final farewell to Cinta-J on September 24, six days before it is finally shuttered.
Special guest for the evening will be Cinta-J’s most beloved
singer Nicky Flores, who will be taking to the stage again together with his
wife and former singing partner, Merly. Surprise numbers will also be
presented.
To book a ticket, please see the poster above or call Cath at 9536 0166
