Tue, 25th Jul 2017
Ice cream shop keeps
old Macao favourite alive
Where in Macao
There is only one place – the Lai Kei shop on Avenida do Conselheiro
Ferreira de Almeida, a short walk from Tap Seac Square
Ambert Kong Wong-tsan is the third generation of his family to run the
shop, which was founded by his grandfather, Kong Lai-ging, in the 1950s. It is
one of the shrinking number of family-owned stores in the city, and the only
one that still sells their own ice cream.
“People came here offering to buy the site, which is in a good location,”
Kong said in an interview. “But we did not consider it. We are the only one of
its kind left. It would be so sad. Our customers always urge us to continue our
business and keep this old shop in Macao
“We are close to our customers, who include many civil servants, film stars
and famous people. But we don’t put their photos on the windows because we
don’t want to attract attention to them.”
FROM STALL TO SHOP
Grandfather Kong, the founder of the dynasty, was born into a modest family
in the 1910s. After he graduated from primary school, he went to work as a
machinery apprentice, painter and at a skating rink. It was at the skating rink
that he came up with the idea to make ice cream.
He started selling it from a stall downtown, near the Lisboa Hotel, where
he also sold biscuits.
“He wanted to do something different than other people,” said Kong.
Grandfather Kong later rented a shop nearby the current one, to sell the
ice cream that he produced himself at a small factory.
After having four sons, he wanted a daughter and so created the image of a
young girl on the package of his products, hoping that this would bring him
good luck. It worked and he had two daughters. The family has kept the lucky
image ever since.
After 20 years at a site on the opposite side of the street, the family
bought the site it has used for the last 50 years.
“When I knew him, he was in his 60s, and he had diabetes,” said Kong. “The
shop was open seven days a week, from 10 am to 11 pm. There were no holidays.”
FATHER TO SON
Grandfather’s eldest son, Kong Gwoon-hong, took over from his father. He
was a secondary school graduate and a keen student.
“It was decided very early that he would take over,” says Kong. His
grandfather passed away in the 1980s. Kong remembers a different era during his
childhood.
“In those days, people did not drive cars. They lived and worked in their
own neighbourhood. They were very close to each other,” said Kong. “Of our
clientele then, nearly 90 per cent were Macao
Restaurants and food shops played an essential role in the lives of people.
After work, they would go to these places to socialise, eat meals and watch
sports, dramas and traditional opera on television. Many people had no air
conditioning at home, so they went to restaurants to eat watermelon to cool
off.
Residents now have a wealth of choice with entertainment – discos, karaoke,
bars, hotels and chic restaurants – and private cars have become commonplace.
“So our clientele has changed,” said Kong. “Now it is 50 per cent from Macao Hong Kong . Now they come from South Korea , Taiwan ,
the mainland, France and Britain
“Tourists want what is old and traditional,” said Kong. “They do not want
the chains; they can find them at home. It is the same with me when I go to Japan
The rapid expansion of the casinos since 2000s has been a mixed blessing.
They have brought a large number of new clients eager to sample Macao
When hiring staff, Kong is unable to pay the wages offered by the casinos.
TREASURING THE OLD
Born in 1976, Ambert Kong, the oldest son, took over management of the
store from his father, who passed away in 2011.
He himself was better educated than his father and grandfather. After
graduating from high school in Macao , he went
to study design at the University of California in Los
Angeles
“My father’s health was not so good, so I decided to come back to be with the
family,” he said. Kong worked for Sands China Ltd. for one year as a designer
before rejoining the family business.
“I have no regrets over my decision. It is not only about yourself. You
must help your family,” he said. “That is good fortune. If I were not with the
family, I would regret it. I feel very happy here, there is no pressure.”
Kong made the business decision to keep the shop as it was – in choice of
product, furniture, decoration and even price. At MOP13 for an ice cream, Lai
Kei has the cheapest ice cream in Macao
“We consider our customers like children and old people, so we keep our prices
low,” he said. “Our customers are not only tourists.”
The decoration reminds people of the 1980s. When they do repairs, the
family retains the vintage style. Tourists like to take photographs with the
old-style tables and floor tiles. Television producers come here to make films
with the shop as a backdrop, and young brides and grooms come here for wedding
photographs.
Kong does not consider chains like Häagen-Dazs and Baskin Robbins as
competitors, because their product is different – sweeter, more creamy and with
more flavouring.
“We use real fruit which we buy from local markets,” said Kong. “We make
the product at a nearby small factory that we own and which is operated by one
person.”
Lai Kei uses no colouring or flavouring. And the shop has just a handful of
staff.
The most difficult period were the years immediately before the handover,
when public order deteriorated and many people were afraid to go out.
“After the Sands Macao opened, things improved,” said Kong. “Things are
stable now, with business good in the summer and quieter in the winter.”
The high rents, however, mean that the family cannot consider opening a
second branch.
Will a fourth generation of Kongs take over?
Kong has a daughter aged six and a son aged three. “You will have to ask them,”
he said. “They are too young to think about it now. I’ll leave it to them to
decide.”
The residents of Macao are hoping that one
of the two children takes up the challenge and keeps this beloved old Macao
TEXT Mark O'Neill
PHOTOS António Sanmarful
(Issue N. 41, July 2017)
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