It's 8 p.m. in a rather dull multi-storey government building and wet market complex in North Point, Hong Kong.
Most of the lights are off. Every market stall is shuttered.
Then, suddenly, you catch the faint sound of a Michael Jackson classic, and the beat grows stronger as you move toward the music.
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You're on the right track to Tung Po, the wildest restaurant in town.
The Dancing Boss: Robby Cheung
Tung Po stands apart from most of the eateries tucked inside cooked food centres and wet markets, the ones locals flock to for cheap but tasty meals, and it's all thanks to one man: the ever energetic owner, Robby Cheung.
Dressed in an apron and a pair of white Wellington boots with zigzag tops, Cheung is often spotted doing the splits, downing drinks, dancing and snapping selfies with his customers.
"People just enjoy the food, enjoy the music, and we dance together," says the 55-year-old Cheung. "I just love to dance. I'm already 55, and I'm still dancing. It would be really sad if I couldn't dance, that would mean I'm very old."
'My favourite dish is the black ink squid, because it's funny'
On any given evening, finding an empty table at Tung Po is next to impossible.
Before taking over this spot 25 years ago with a group of friends, Cheung worked across all sorts of industries, from acting to running a disco to working in hotel restaurants.
The menu at Tung Po, far from the cheapest restaurant in the cooked food centre, ranges from Cantonese classics to fusion dishes like orange sauce prawns or tom yum style fried rice cake.
"My favourite dish is the black ink squid," says Cheung.
"It's a funny dish, you know? When you eat black ink squid, you end up with a black mouth and black teeth."
Other Tung Po signatures include Wind Sand Chicken, fried rice with duck sauce wrapped in a lotus leaf, and deep-fried giant grouper with black pepper and croutons.
A Tourist Attraction
Tung Po's rowdy atmosphere has turned it into a one-of-a-kind attraction that draws locals and travellers from all over the world.
"Every night we're sold out. More than 60% are girls, office ladies," says Cheung.
As with everything else at Tung Po, drinking beer is a dramatic affair.
Instead of a glass, the beer is served in an ice-cold "battle beer bowl," a blue and white bowl with the Chinese word for "victory" on the bottom.
In Cantonese, the phrase yum sing (literally "drink victory") means "bottoms up."
The Ultimate Party Trick
To the sound of "Billie Jean," Cheung moonwalks his way to a table to deliver beers to his customers.
Then he shows off one of Tung Po regulars' favourite tricks: opening a beer bottle with a chopstick.
"A long time ago, before we opened this restaurant, I once saw it out on the street, people opening beer with a chopstick," he recalls.
"It was pretty funny. Sometimes, when a gwailo [foreigner, in local slang] or a Chinese person wants to learn, I teach them."
Watch the video above to see him pull off the trick.
Booking a table is recommended. Tung Po takes reservation calls only between 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. daily.
Tung Po, 2F, Java Road Municipal Services Building, 99 Java Road, North Point; +852 2880 5224
