I'm really baffled as to why this place has such a low rating…read more
First of all, this is the only Cheesecake factory in Hong Kong, possibly in the region (there is one in Macau, but that's not part of the metro area). As such, there are really a lot of people who want to come here - during regular business hours this place is incredibly packed, and it'll typically be at least a 30 minute wait to get seats.
The food here actually compares really well to the stuff you get at Cheesecake factory in America; anyone saying otherwise probably hasn't been around America enough. Cheesecake factory in America isn't like a mcdonalds or taco bell, where there really isn't any cooking going on. In places like these, all the food comes from a single source, and all they're doing is tossing it in the deep fryer (even then this is a slight simplification). At cheesecake factory in the USA, there is real cooking going on, and there can be a real difference from store to store in the quality of the food. The food in this Hong Kong location compares very well to some of the better ones I've been to in America.
The menu, same as other locations, is huge, and a great testament to how they can pull off so many dishes in one restaurant. Some of my favorites are the pastas, the breakfast, and the tacos. The wait staff is all pretty good here, and it does give you a slight american feel in that everyone here speaks english. I actually have not been here yet and seen a cantonese waiter or waitress.
The only real con of this place are the cakes. The cakes are actually shipped frozen all the way from America. I think this is a bit much. Yes, the cakes here are pretty good, but they could probably make something from scratch that is comparable. It doesn't make sense to me that all the food can be cooked on site, but the cake is impossible to replicate.