Last orders for top US comfort foods
Chubby Papa’s Deli in Kennedy Town specialises in Philly cheesesteak sandwiches – but if you want one, you had better get there soon as it is closing after two years in business
The newest casualty of Hong Kong’s struggling restaurant economy appears to be the purveyor of the city’s best Philly cheesesteak sandwiches – a hefty combination of thinly sliced beef and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll.
Located in an alley in Kennedy Town, Chubby Papa’s Deli occupies a space next to an industrial scrap heap.
The person making the tasty hoagies is chef Jason Loyd, who posted some unsavoury news on his Instagram this week.
“I’m making a difficult decision to close Chubby’s after 2 years,” the post read. “This started out as a dream to build something of my own and share with you hearty food and tastes from back home. Unfortunately, the current business environment is not conducive for me to continue.”
The deli’s last day of operation will be April 28.
“It’s just one of those things,” Loyd says. “The financials are not working out. The returns are not what I expected, so I am going to regroup, figure out what my next move is.”
Patrons who sought out his made-to-order deli favourites were not just treated to substantial Philly cheese steaks; Loyd also makes a mean Reuben (a corned beef sandwich with Russian dressing, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese), a bomb Buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwich, a patty melt and a slammin’ Hero – a meat-heavy creation loaded with salami, ham, mortadella and coppa.
Indeed, Chubby Papa’s qualifies as a best-kept secret. Sadly, perhaps it was too much of a secret.
“Hong Kong is a big meat city. People love meat,” Loyd says. “With the Philly cheese steak, I thought people would love this. I feel like I’ve been here long enough that I kind of know what Hong Kong people like and what the expat community is missing.
“There are so many amazing burger restaurants already so I didn’t want to go into that space and compete. I thought, ‘OK, what is something that not many people are doing? Philly cheesesteak! Why not give it a try.’”
Loyd, who has a degree from the Culinary Institute of America and is from the US state of Connecticut, came to Hong Kong in 2011. He had browsed the institute’s website for job openings and saw an international listing for a chef in Hong Kong. He sent a résumé and landed a six-month contract. “I thought, ‘Why not?’”
Hong Kong has been quite good for him, he says. “It’s a unique city in the way business is conducted. It has a good food scene, with all different cuisines. Also, I met my wife here. Now, closing Chubby Papa’s means I have more time to spend with my kid.”
His Asia experience has been bittersweet. After working for several restaurant groups, Loyd decided to strike out on his own. Then, the pandemic happened. He downsized his ambition, cobbled together whatever savings he could and launched Chubby Papa’s Deli in 2022.
“Given my age – I am turning 40 this year – and the experience that I feel I’ve gathered, I thought I needed to take a leap of faith and see if I can do something on my own,” Loyd says.
“We opened during Covid so I didn’t want to do anything that was more upscale. I wanted something that was easy-going, that could be streamlined fast and, given the current market trends for casual dining, that’s why I decided to do sandwiches.
“I am an independent operator. I don’t have outside investment or partners. I would love to be [in] Wan Chai or Central, but I have to work within my budget. That’s why I ended up in Kennedy Town. But I have been surprised. In the beginning, the idea was to focus more on takeaway. But I get more walk-in business than I do on the online platforms.”
Loyd tried to expand his market by organising pop-up concessions at events such as Clockenflap over the past two years. Although the outreach attracted plenty of concertgoers, it ultimately did not translate into more customers coming to the Western district for his authentic sandwiches.
“I try to stick to the foundation of what I think a Philly cheesesteak is because we also had them in Connecticut. Things like the bread: you don’t want a hard bread like a baguette, you need something that’s a little bit soft. Then you need thin-sliced meat. I use grass-fed rib-eye, which makes a difference. It should have texture but a nice taste.
“Some people like just onions, but I’ve always had it with onions, mushrooms and bell peppers, all sautéed and mixed with the beef. I also add in a little garlic confit purée, in place of garlic bread, plus some mayo and cheese.”
Loyd offers a choice of American, provolone, Emmenthal or Cheddar cheese.
“We’ve had some customers from Philadelphia and, you know, they have their pride so they will never give you all the props,” he says with a chuckle. “They’ll just say, ‘It’s close but it’s not [as good as home].’”
It’s just one of those things … I am going to regroup, figure out what my next move is JASON LOYD, CHEF/OWNER OF CHUBBY PAPA’S DELI
I met my wife here … closing Chubby Papa’s means I have more time to spend with my kid JASON LOYD
Despite Chubby Papa’s closing, Loyd has no plans to vacate Hong Kong to return to the US. His wife’s work is in the city and he is committed to staying long term.
The chef is just not sure at the moment if he will go back to working for someone else, or launch another venture, perhaps bringing another aspect of his culinary background to the city.
Since his family migrated from the American South to Connecticut in the country’s northeast – Loyd’s mother was born in Alabama – he also finds himself missing outdoor, cookingwith-fire concepts in the US.
“My cousins have Caribbean roots too, so there’s a lot of different cuisine there. As a chef, you do think about creating food that can be more or less in your image.
“Honestly, for me, my dream project is a restaurant,” he admits. “But here, it’s so competitive. A lot of good concepts come and go. It’s not that they don’t have guests, but it’s just the rent you have to pay can be astronomical.
“I’m still optimistic, but I’m a realist now.”