Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words.Hong Kong’s reputation as a culinary capital rests on trust. Tourists and locals come to our restaurants expecting authentic, high-quality cuisine. Yet the growing undisclosed use of pre-made meals risks eroding that trust, and the city’s culinary identity.A survey of 800 residents by Youth Ideas, a think tank under the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, found that 91.3 per cent could not tell for sure whether a restaurant dish had been pre-made or freshly cooked. Imagine paying premium prices for dim sum, only to discover it was reheated from a packet. The disappointment lies in the breach of trust.Recently, some restaurants were found to have charged high-end prices for pre-made dishes without disclosure.The survey found that 42.5 per cent of consumers would lose confidence if restaurants fail to be transparent. If such practices become widespread, Hong Kong’s reputation as a food capital risks becoming a hollow label.Transparency should be seen as a competitive advantage, not a threat. Cities like Tokyo and Singapore have built their culinary standing on consistency, quality and trust.