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Hong Kong Eatery Drops Baked Snails Offer

Posted on: Monday, 16 June 2003, 06:00 CDT

A steak house chain said it has dropped a promotion offering free baked snails to customers who utter a "secret password" - the name of Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa.

Steak Expert recently advertised in newspapers it would give away a serving of Burgundy escargots worth $4.90 to any customer using Tung's name, said owner Andrew Lee.

But Lee said he dropped the promotion after Tung's aide telephoned, calling such use of the leader's name "inappropriate" and urging Lee to stop the campaign.

The aide, Mak Kwok-wah, did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press.

"If Mr. Tung isn't comfortable with me using his name, I won't use it," Lee said, adding that both his legal counsel and Mak agreed he had not broken any laws.

Lee said he was simply following Tung's lead in encouraging spending to help the economy recover from severe acute respiratory syndrome. The SARS outbreak has cost Hong Kong millions of dollars in lost business.

"I was only taking Mr. Tung's cue and trying to boost consumption," he said.

He said he came up with the password concept because coupons are too much trouble. "People have to cut them out," he said, adding that Tung's name was picked because it was easy to remember.

Lee has since relaunched the promotion, changing the password to his own Chinese name, Lee Tak-lun.

But customers who give Tung's name will still receive free escargots, he said.

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