168 Oriental may seem just a small supermarket on first look but it's so much more. The family-run Asian supermarket, which constantly sports eager customers, also doubles as a multi-purpose restaurant.
Although the restaurant has been on Nelson Street for a number of years, run by different owners, the supermarket is a newer addition. The idea for multiple sections is intentional, with the owners referring to 168 Oriental as "little Chinatown”.
The aim behind the supermarket is more than just selling goods, the owner Catherine Ng and her partner George Lai see the Nelson Street hotspot as a haven for the Asian community, particularly international students who may live in the centre and feel homesick without access to their cultural produce.
