Time-Capsuled Hong Kong – The Better ‘Ole
With more than 70 years of history on its back, the Better ‘Ole is a rare gem in the New Territories. It is the oldest British pub with continuous operation in the New Territories, and perhaps in Hong Kong. It certainly was the first in the New Territories to serve fish and chips. For most of its loyal customers had been British.
It’s All in the Name
The Better ‘Ole, short for “better hole,” is a reference to a cartoon poster of World War I. British soldier Bruce Bairnsfather drew a cartoon, in which two army men sit in a crater with a crossfire in the background. Old Bill says to his companion: “Well if yer knows of a better ‘ole, go to it.” The original owner Pop Watson named the restaurant after this cartoon.
Photo taken from Pinterest
Bruce Bairnsfather has also developed the character of Old Bill in the World War I musical The Better ‘Ole, also became known as The Romance of Old Bill. The musical garnered immense success in England, and two silent film adaptations followed.
And as history shows, the Better ‘Ole was the best watering hole for expats in Hong Kong for a very long time.
Time-Capsuled Hong Kong
At some point in its history, the Better ‘Ole had branches in Fanling, Sheung Shui and Tai Po. The pub in Fanling, where its roots lie, closed its Luen Wo Hui location in 2007. Now the Sheung Shui location is the only one that remains.
The restaurant claims that its heritage begins in 1947, but Michael Taylor has considered old newspaper reports to learn that the actual beginning might have been even earlier. Since the 1960s, the Yuens have been the family owner of the pubs. It has been three generations since.
In the restaurant’s early times it appealed exclusively to the nostalgic palates of the British soldiers and police officers stationed in the northern New Territories. Pop Watson, a former British servicemen, opened the restaurant in a tin-roofed hut next to the Fanling Station. The popular dishes then were ham, eggs, and chips, and also English meat pies.
The Yuen’s then took over when Pop Watson retired, in 1962. According to both Christopher DeWolf and Michael Taylor, the Better ‘Ole, being less than an hour away from the Chinese border, was then the spot for turning up stories about the ongoing political turmoil in the mainland for the foreign journalists. The journalists would take the train to the border and interview the people on the train ride back to Hong Kong. If they had a story, they would hop right off at the Fanling Station and call their editors on the phone with the story.
As the expats continued to frequent this one-and-only British pub in the New Territories, a community has developed and continued to thrive here. Such as Mike Arden, who served as the Royal Artillery Bombardier of the 48th Gurkha’s Brigade. He met his wife when she was a waitress here. Along the romance line, two marriages were celebrated at the Better ‘Ole. Bob Wilkinson was a former police officer and he had his memorial service at the pub. And needless to say, the Better ‘Ole was the place of choice for countless regimental reunions too.
The Yuen’s pub business evolved, as with the history of Hong Kong. More locals, especially those who were relatively well-off, came to enjoy a western meal at the restaurant. By the time that third-generation heir Stuart Yuen took over in 2018, he had to revise the menu to reflect the changing preferences of the restaurant’s loyal patrons, and there are many still.
The Restaurant
Viewed from the outside, the appearance of the restaurant conveys a distinct image of foreign character amidst the other local establishments in the Sheung Shui neighborhood. The big signs with the English name Better ‘Ole and Kronenbourg 1664 together give away the pub’s long history of serving foreigners in Hong Kong. It clearly establishes itself as a British pub with a touch of European flair.
The inner space of the restaurant gave a warm British welcome to diners. The slightly-dimmed dining area had framed old photographs and memorabilia on display. The walls lying on the farther end around the kitchen area have a stone finish that reminds one of a typical cottage pub in England. An arched entrance way into the inner dining hall was a nice feature—this was once a watering-hole-from-home for Hong Kong’s expat soldiers. The wooden furniture, although perhaps not in the sense of being antique, certainly reminds one of their expensive rosewood cousins. It presented a truly British vibe throughout.
Bright neon signs in the interior add a lighthearted touch to the pub dining experience. “We bake our own bread”!
The pub area has even more dimmed lighting, with typical high bar tables and bar stools. Since it was lunch hour, much of the action took place in the dining area.
The Food of Better ‘Ole
The first time that I visited Better ‘Ole, I had lunch with my father. We each ordered a lunch set. He ordered steak and I had spaghetti Bolognese. For a mere $100 my father enjoyed a good steak, cooked perfectly in medium rare.
For steaks alone there were five choices at lunch. Other special items on the menu were pig’s knuckle, roast spring chicken, lamb chops and an array of baked pasta and rice, which catered more so to the local favor. The escargot has remained on the menu for decades. It is now a main attraction at dinner time as the Escargot and Steak Dinner Set. It is a major crowd-pleaser.
The restaurant was very crowded during lunch hour on a weekday. I would say it was a full house, and all hands on deck for the staff. It certainly conveyed the festive atmosphere of a pub at happy hour but only with people dining.
Address
The Better ‘Old is located on No. 35-39 Fu Hing Street, next to the Shek Wu Hui Basketball Court. It is an 8-minute walk from the Sheung Shui Station.
Sources
I took most of the history on this entry from Christopher DeWolf and Michael Taylor’s articles, please see below.
The Better ‘Ole’s Facebook Page.
Forgotten Hong Kong Icon: The Better ‘Ole, A Pub 72 Years in the Making, Christopher DeWolf, December 4, 2019, Zolima City Magazine,
Hong Kong British Pub That Is Forever England, Michael Taylor, Accidental Travel Writer.
Time for Reminiscing as Last Orders Loom at Better ‘Ole Bar, Liz Heron, South China Morning Post, January 7, 2007.
The Wikipedia on the The Better ‘Ole.
The cartoon drawing Better ‘Ole was found on Pinterest.