Jury still out on merits of sushi in a cardboard box
Choosing sushi could become more hit-and-miss after a major Japanese discount chain started to put the treat into cardboard boxes following the introduction of a plastic ban.
A check at the Don Don Donki store in Causeway Bay yesterday found that although some sushi products were packed in the usual transparent plastic boxes, others came in cardboard packaging – for people who wanted to eat in the shop’s seating area.
Buyers only had pictures on top of the biodegradable boxes to guide them on what the sushi looked like.
Jake Miller, 36, an American who works for a medical group, admitted he would prefer to buy his sushi in a see-through plastic box.
“Eating sushi and sashimi goes beyond the taste – the presentation is equally important,” Miller said.
“Considering that sushi and sashimi are placed inside a cardboard box, I’m not sure if there are any protective linings in it.
“I can envision water stains appearing in the box once the food comes into contact with the packaging material. It doesn’t sound appealing at all.”
A notice was posted at the entrance to the store to remind customers that plastic throwaway containers cannot be used for dine-in dishes.
Hung Chun-keung, 26, a waiter, said he would take the comfort and air conditioning in the seating area over not being able to inspect the “freshness” of the salmon sushi he wanted.
“I can’t ask for more with 10 pieces of salmon sushi for just HK$63,” Hung said.
“The seating area is always not crowded and is comfortable. It’s literally the best place to hang around when I’m on a meal break.”
Alicia Cheung Lai-kan, a 28-year-old marketing manager, said she did not mind buying her sushi packed in cardboard.
“I’m pretty sure those sashimi and sushi inside both the plastic and cardboard boxes are the same batch,” she added.
“If you say we can’t see if they are fresh enough through the cardboard box, you will have the same issue when you order delivery, anyway.”
Cheung added that, as the cardboard boxes were for customers who wanted to eat at the in-store dining area, they could always ask for a replacement if they had problems.
Not many customers had opted to use the dining area on the first floor of the Paterson Street outlet to eat the food they had bought yesterday.
The new system at the store was introduced after the first phase of the ban on single-use plastics came into force on Monday.
The first phase covers styrofoam products and throwaway plastic items such as cutlery and straws, which are prohibited for takeaway purchases.
Single-use plastic tableware is no longer available to people dining in.
City’super in Times Square in Causeway Bay, which also allows customers to eat in with food bought at the store, had not adopted similar measures, with sushi and other meals being packed in plastic boxes as usual.
The government has given businesses a six-month grace period to adapt to the change, and said it would only after that take enforcement action against those that failed to comply with the new rules.
Offenders face a maximum fine of HK$100,000 and may also be required to pay HK$2,000 under a fixed penalty system.