Hainan, China’s tropical island province in the South China Sea, is getting more and more international all the time, and many people from around the world have come to Hainan to live and work. Today we are introducing David Chon, the owner of the Chimac and Pub! 

Let’s get to know him and find out how he came to Hainan, what kind of restaurant he has, and what advice he has about the island!

David immigrated to the US from Korea when he was young, and grew up on the East Coast of the US. While working in New York, he had the opportunity to travel the world, visiting over 30 countries! “I travelled so much that one year I used up all my passport pages. What I learned from the travels to many countries around the world is that respect, sincerity, and openness can transcend any language barriers and cultural differences.”

David first visited China back in 1990, and he has vivid memories of friendly people and endless seas of bicycles from that very first trip. Since then, he’s come back 2-3 times per year, and has seen amazing changes as China modernized. He traveled all around the country and learned about China’s culture and beauty, and finally in 2017 he made the leap and moved to China. Where in China? Hainan of course!

Haikou’s Clock Tower

Ironically, David’s first experience with Hainan cuisine was not in Hainan at all, but rather in Singapore, where he would sit on a plastic stool waiting in anticipation for little old ladies to prepare “Hainan Chicken Rice”, and this inexpensive Singapore dish made him decide he simply had to come to Hainan and try the chicken here! After moving here, David found himself time and again at the local hot pot restaurants, which he describes as “addictive”. 

Hainan Coconut Rice Hot Pot

David chose to invest in Haikou because it represents the future of China, and the vibrant city welcomed him to become an insider in a country where he’s always felt like an outsider. He also loved the city’s clean air and easy golf access! That’s right, David is an avid golfer, and he calls Hainan a “golf heaven”, with affordable and well kept courses just about everywhere! “You can play golf all year around. For golfers, it doesn’t get any better than this!” 

Mission Hills, Haikou

He’s got a Hainan travel bucket list, which includes attending the Cigar Festival at Danzhou later this year, as well as visiting some of the stunning beaches he often sees in his friend’s photos of Sanya, Qionghai, and Lingshui! 

Danzhou Cigar Festival

Sanya Bay Beach

Soon after moving to Haikou, David made local friends, who act as his guides and teachers, and even became as close as family! According to David, “running a business here is like going to a school every day with an open and undefined syllabus.  As I deal with many daily challenges, problems and opportunities, I feel like I am getting one step closer to learning and understanding China.”

When asked if he has any advice for visitors traveling to Hainan, he mentioned that this is actually a very big island! “Many of my friends abroad think that Hainan is small because it is an island. 

Traditional Hainan Bamboo Dance

When I tell them Hainan is larger than Belgium or the State of Maryland, they are quite surprised. So in order to see and experience Hainan Island and its heritage, the visitors will need more than just a couple of days.”

Great advice! Now, let’s find out more about David’s restaurant, the Chimac and Pub!

The Chimac and Pub is located in Mission Hills Centreville, close by many of Haikou’s thrilling attractions, such as the Wet’n’Wild water park, Movie Town, and of course Mission Hill’s ten world class golf courses.

Wet’n’Wild, Haikou

Stay tuned for an exciting announcement about the location of the soon to open second Chimac restaurant at the end of this article!

The Chimac and Pub focuses on Western cuisine, and some of their best and most popular dishes are BBQ Platters, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Sandwiches & Sliders, Pizza and Pasta. David explains that “We try to make these items as authentic as possible. For example, we make our own sandwich bread due to the fact that locally sourced bread is too sweet and chewy for Western sandwiches. We are extremely grateful that customers, both local and foreign, are responding to our effort.” Chimac operates on the concept of simple but tasty food and service with smile, and strives to make customers feel at home when they visit.

Tasty food you say? Let’s take a look and see a few of the dishes the Chimac and Pub has on offer!

BBQ Chicken Platter

Chimac Pepperoni Pizza

Sweet & Sour Chicken

The Chimac Mini Hamburger Sliders

2nd Chimac and Pub to open in October!

Now that Chimac’s menu & service culture are well established, David plans to open a second location in Guomao, right in the heart of downtown Haikou! Explore Hainan will be sure to update you when the time comes, so keep an eye on the News section of our website:

http://en.explorehainan.com/en/news/index.shtml

The Chimac and Pub

Address: Mission Hills Centreville

2113B Yangshan Avenue, Longhua District

Haikou, Hainan, China

海南省海口市龙华区羊山大道39号之

海口观澜湖新城商业地产项目X06-QIb之2113B号商铺

TEL: 0898-‭6552 1442‬

by Nicki Johnson

Explore Hainan