While Hong Kong has seen momentous changes since the handover in 1997, the blend of British and Chinese cultures is ingrained in the city’s DNA. The local identity is neither British nor Chinese, difficult to substitute or erase, and distinctively of its place.
香港自1997年回归以来发生了很大变化，但是中英文化的交融已经植入了这个城市的基因。地方的认同感既不是英国式的也非manbetx3.0 式的，替代不了也抹除不掉，有着独特的本地色彩。
Few things symbolise Hong Kong’s fusion of flavours more than the local diners known as cha chaan tengs, or “tea restaurants”. These humble cafés serve a mix of western imports — French toast is popular — alongside Chinese dishes such as salted fish and chicken fried rice, and a wide array of local inventions combining the two that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else, such as the ubiquitous macaroni and ham soup. They are also characterised by their efficient, no-frills service and frenetic, chaotic atmosphere — typical attributes of Hong Kong life, where every minute is precious and counted.
说到香港的多元融合，最具代表性的事物之一就是被称作“茶餐厅”的本地餐馆。这些朴实无华的小馆既供应从西方的舶来品，比如法式吐司就广受欢迎，也有像咸鱼鸡粒炒饭这种中式小吃，还有林林总总融合了中西元素、你很难在其他地方找到的本地特色菜，比如随处可见的火腿汤通粉。这些餐馆还有一个特点是快节奏、只提供最基本的服务并且用餐环境热闹而嘈杂——这些是香港生活的典型特征，毕竟是个分秒必争的地方。
The predecessor of the cha chaan teng is the bing sutt, or ice room. Originally from Guangzhou in the 1880s, they were places to enjoy chilled refreshments, whose increased popularity is usually attributed to the influx of western expats. The cha chaan teng was a product of that growing demand, offering an affordable alternative to the more opulent cuisine of the British colonial rulers. Today, the cha chaan teng is where blue-collar workers share tables with bankers and lawyers. Its fare has become what a full English is in England or a hamburger in the US: comfort food for the masses.
茶餐厅的前身是“冰室”，最早于19世纪80年代从广州传入香港，是人们享用冰镇饮品的地方，而冷饮的流行通常被归因于西方外籍人士的涌入。茶餐厅是这种不断增长的需求的产物，供应manbetx20客户端下载 实惠的菜品，可以说是专为英国殖民统治者所享用的奢华菜肴的平替。在今天的茶餐厅，蓝领工人会与银行家、律师拼桌。茶餐厅供应的餐食已经具有像英式全餐在英国或者汉堡在美国一样的意义：大众的“安慰食品”。
On a recent return to Hong Kong, my birthplace, I revisited a few of my favourite cha chaan tengs. Some were iconic eateries and old haunts when I was growing up, and others were more recent discoveries. All are unique and delicious in their own ways.
我是在香港出生的，最近回香港时，我故地重游，去了几家我最喜欢的茶餐厅。有的是我从小就常去的老字号，有的是近些年发现的。每一家都很美味，并且各有特色。
Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園)
兰芳园
2 Gage Street, Central
中环结志街2号
Good for: “Silk stocking milk tea”, the house signature for more than 70 years and easily one of the best in town.
推荐：“丝袜奶茶”，这家餐厅70余年的招牌，绝对算得上全城最佳之一。
Not so good for: Those looking for a more neighbourly cha chaan teng experience. You will find plenty of locals at Lan Fong Yuen, but the place is often heaving with tourists and getting a table may be a challenge
不太适合：想要体验有更亲切氛围的茶餐厅的食客。你会在兰芳园看到很多本地人，但店里经常游客众多，找一张空桌子并不容易。
Prices: HK$60-$120 ($7.70/£6–$15.40/£12) a meal
价格：每餐60-120港元
Opening times: Monday to Saturday, 7.30 am–6pm
开放时间：周一至周六，早上7.30至下半6点
FYI: The pork chop bun, an import from nearby Macau derived from Portuguese bifanas, is a must-try
建议：猪扒包是必尝的，这是从澳门传入，由葡萄牙的一种三明治bifanas演变而来的食品。
It’s hard to talk about cha chaan tengs without mentioning what’s arguably the most famous of them all: Lan Fong Yuen. Situated on one of the steep hillside lanes in Central, it opened in 1952 and is the oldest cha chaan teng around today. Due to its history, long queues are to be expected at almost any point during the day, and the crowds can be overwhelming.
说到茶餐厅，就不能不提最为鼎鼎有名的兰芳园。兰芳园坐落在中环一个陡峭山坡的巷子里，1952年开业，是现存的最古早的茶餐厅。由于具有悠久历史，白天几乎什么时候都有可能排长队，拥挤得不得了。
The first thing you see is a rather dilapidated shack blocking the entrance, where waiters are busy pouring cans of evaporated and condensed milk into cups of black tea. What sets Hong Kong-style milk tea apart is its unique brewing method: black tea is repeatedly filtered through a brown, stocking-like cloth bag up to eight times, creating an extra-strong brew, optimal for sweetening. As the owner Lam Chun-chung says, “Making milk tea is a profession.”
来到这里，你会先看到一个破旧的铁皮屋挡住了店铺入口，服务员们忙着把淡奶和炼乳倒进盛放红茶的杯里。港式奶茶的特别就特别在冲泡方法上：用一个棕色的看起来像丝袜的布袋反复过滤多达八次，直到调制出极其浓郁的饮品，非常适合做成甜的味道。正如店主林俊忠说的，“做奶茶是一门专业”。
I visited on a swelteringly hot April day but could not resist ordering the French toast: a cha chaan teng classic, deep fried and then covered with a fat slab of melting butter. Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, it’s the epitome of indulgence. I suggest washing it down with yuen yeung, another much-loved Canto-Western beverage, which Lan Fong Yuen claims to have invented. This mix of brewed coffee with black tea, milk and sugar is a perfect breakfast pick-me-up.
我是在4月份酷热的一天去的，但还是没忍住点了法式吐司：这是茶餐厅的一种经典食品，油炸后涂上厚厚一层熔化的黄油。口感外酥内软，带给人顶级的享受。我推荐搭配鸳鸯奶茶，这是另一款备受喜爱的融合广式与西式风味的奶茶，据称是兰芳园首创。冲调咖啡与红茶混搭、牛奶与糖交融的鸳鸯奶茶是完美的早餐提神饮品。
Bing Kee Cha Dong (炳記茶檔)
炳记茶档
5 Shepherd Street, Tai Hang
大坑施弼街5号
Good for: Those looking for an old-school cha chaan teng
适合：想要找一家老式茶餐厅的人。
Not so good for: Comfortable seating. Eating outdoors at Bing Kee in the summer can be a sweltering experience.
不太适合：想坐得舒适的食客。夏天在炳记室外用餐可能让人感到酷热难耐。
Prices: About HK$50 ($6.50/£5) a meal
价格：每餐约50港元。
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday, 7am–3pm
开放时间：周二至周日，上午7点至下午3点。
FYI: Bing Kee doesn’t take cards. It does accept Chinese payment apps, or remember to bring cash
提醒：炳记不能刷卡。可以用内地的支付App，或者记得带现金。
I grew up in Tai Hang, so naturally this district holds a very dear place in my heart. Every time I return to the city, I walk along the neighbourhood’s narrow streets, looking for a hearty meal that brings me a feeling of home. I find it at Bing Kee. While the district is experiencing a gentrification-led resurgence, with new construction under way and independent cafés and wine bars arriving, Bing Kee has withstood the test of time for some 70 years.
我是在大坑长大的，所以这个地方自然而然在我心里占据着一个很重要的位置。每次回香港，我都要在大坑的狭窄街道走一走，寻找能带给我家的感觉的丰盛美食。我在炳记就有这种感觉。虽然大坑地区正在经历由中产阶级化带来的复兴，有正在施工的新建筑，也有新冒出来的独立咖啡馆和酒吧，但炳记已经经受了大约70年时光的考验。
Here, food is prepared in a tin shack, then brought out to tables that fill the alleyways, lined up against the old and sometimes decaying buildings. Diners sit on plastic chairs, slurping down Bing Kee’s signature pork ramen and gulping lemon or milk tea (some of the best in town). On my visit, I ordered ramen with pork blood, curry squid and red sausage, a distinctly Cantonese delicacy that was a pungent and savoury reminder of home. I paired the noodles with a peanut butter and condensed milk toast — another cha chaan teng staple and a personal favourite.
食物在一个铁皮屋里做好后再端出来，桌子沿巷道摆放，两边是老楼，有的建筑已经衰败不堪。食客们坐在塑料椅上，一边吸溜着炳记招牌猪肉拉面，一边啜饮柠檬茶或奶茶（全市最好的奶茶之一）。我去的时候点了猪血拉面、咖啡鱿鱼和红肠——这种广式美食咸中带辣的味道让人想起家的感觉。我用一块花生酱炼乳多士搭配面条，这是茶餐厅另一种常见食物，也是我最喜欢吃的食物之一。
Soul Kitchen (四寶食堂)
四宝食堂(Soul Kitchen)
Shop 1-3, G/F Siu On Plaza, 482 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay
铜锣湾谢斐道482号兆安广场(Siu On Plaza)地下1-3号铺
Good for: A local feel (it’s almost exclusively frequented by Hongkongers) in an ultra-convenient and central location
适合：在非常方便和核心的地段体会本地的感觉（光顾这里的几乎全是香港本地人）
Not so good for: A traditional dining experience
不太适合：传统的用餐体验
Prices: HK$50-$100 a meal
价格：每餐50至100港元
Opening times: Daily, 7am-midnight
营业时间：每天早上7点至午夜
FYI: Soul Kitchen offers a wider variety of dishes than its more traditional counterparts. Its creative offerings include scallion-oil-stirred instant noodles with chicken leg in Swiss sauce, and macaroni with beef in tomato, miso and potato soup
供参考：四宝食堂比其更传统的同行提供更多种类的菜肴。它的创新菜肴包括葱油瑞士汁鸡腿捞公仔面和蕃茄薯仔牛肉汤通粉。
Not far from Tai Hang is Causeway Bay, the premier shopping district in Hong Kong. Hidden between colossal malls and towering skyscrapers is Soul Kitchen, a modern-style cha chaan teng that opened just a few years ago. This is as local as it gets — well liked by Hongkongers in the know. It has become a regular stop for me whenever I am in the city.
铜锣湾离大坑不远，是香港著名的购物区。四宝食堂隐藏在巨大的购物中心和高耸的摩天大楼之间，是一家几年前刚刚开业的现代风格的茶餐厅。它具有十足的香港味道，深受懂行香港人的喜爱。每当我在这个城市的时候，它就成了我必去的一站。
Soul Kitchen has won acclaim for its dish of scrambled eggs with XO sauce rice. It’s an ingenious combination of a Chinese way of preparing protein with a Western topping. To the rich and creamy scrambled egg, the chefs add prawns, an ample dose of sweet soy sauce and a scoop of XO sauce, umami-flavoured chilli paste made from dried shrimps, scallops and peppers. Poured on steamy rice, it’s a delight to behold and a sensation to savour.
四宝食堂的XO酱滑蛋饭赢得了好评。它巧妙结合了中式蛋白质烹饪方式和西式浇头。在口感浓郁软嫩的炒蛋中，厨师们加入了虾球、大量的甜酱油和一勺XO酱。XO酱是一种用虾米、扇贝和胡椒制成的鲜味辣酱，浇在热气腾腾的米饭上，赏心悦目，让人食欲大开。
Another highlight is the red bean ice, a dessert drink made of adzuki beans, light rock-sugar syrup and evaporated milk. Cool, sweet and very refreshing, it’s another must-try. But Soul Kitchen is also an excellent place to observe a cross-section of Hong Kong, attracting diners from all walks of life. This is where class converges, status dissolves and, for a brief moment, all that is relevant is the food before us that we grew up loving.
另一个亮点是红豆冰，这是一种用红豆、淡冰糖浆和炼乳做的甜品，凉凉的，甜甜的，非常清爽，是又一样必吃美食。四宝食堂也是一个观察香港各色人等的好地方，因为它吸引着各行各业的食客。在这里，阶层汇聚，地位消解，在那短暂的一刻，唯一重要的是我们面前的从小到大都爱吃的美食。
Waso Cafe (華嫂冰室)
华嫂冰室(Waso Cafe)
272 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai and other locations
湾仔谢斐道272号，其他一些地方也有
Good for: Afternoon tea. Waso’s pineapple bun is a typical snack for an office break
适合：吃下午茶。华嫂冰室的菠萝包是茶歇的必备点心
Not so good for: Patient and friendly service. The location in Wan Chai is always heaving with people, so the waiting staff are ultra busy
不适合：享受耐心友好的服务。位于湾仔的这家餐厅总是人满为患，所以服务员非常忙
Prices: HK$40-100
价格：40至100港元
Opening times: Daily, 8am-8.30pm
营业时间：每天上午8点至晚上8点30分
FYI: Waso is a chain, and has multiple locations across Hong Kong island, Kowloon and the New Territories
供参考：华嫂冰室是一家连锁店，在香港岛、九龙和新界有多家分店
Waso Cafe is a popular stop for cha chaan teng enthusiasts in the bustling neighbourhood of Wan Chai, where there is a high concentration of similar venues. On a regular day, locals descend here for its star offering: pineapple buns. Inspired by Mexican concha, Japan’s melonpan and Portuguese pastries, they are soft on the bottom but crunchy on top, with a thick outer layer of sugar dough. Locals love to add a slab of cold butter and let the bread’s warmth slowly melt it away. Adding pork chop or ham is another option.
在熙熙攘攘的湾仔，华嫂冰室是茶餐厅爱好者的热门去处，湾仔有很多类似的茶餐厅。每天，当地人都会来这里买它的招牌菠萝包。它的灵感来自墨西哥贝壳包(concha)、日本蜜瓜包(melonpan)和葡萄牙糕点，它的底部很软，但顶部酥脆，外面有一层厚厚的甜味酥皮。当地人喜欢加一块冰黄油，让面包的热量把它慢慢融化。加猪排或火腿也是一种选择。
But it’s not all about the buns. Waso also makes tasty rice and noodle dishes, including pork barbecue with sunny-side-up rice; beef brisket rice with white radish; and beef and pork liver rice noodles. All of them are a great example of hearty, authentic Hong Kong cuisine.
但不只有菠萝包。华嫂冰室还烹制美味的米饭和面条，包括厚切叉烧煎蛋饭；秘制萝卜牛筋腩饭；还有皮蛋芫茜猪润牛肉米线。所有这些都是丰盛、正宗的香港美食的典范。
Waso is always frenetic, always dynamic, always full of life. It is a good representation of Hong Kong at its most unvarnished. In a city constantly evolving and adapting, it perhaps most typifies the Hong Kong that I call home.
华嫂冰室总是热火朝天，总是活力满满，总是充满生活气息。它很好地代表了香港最质朴的一面。在一个不断发展和适应新变化的城市里，它也许最能代表我称之为家的香港。
译者/何黎