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.
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.
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.
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.
Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園)
2 Gage Street, Central
Good for: “Silk stocking milk tea”, the house signature for more than 70 years and easily one of the best in town.
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
Prices: HK$60-$120 ($7.70/£6–$15.40/£12) a meal
Opening times: Monday to Saturday, 7.30 am–6pm
FYI: The pork chop bun, an import from nearby Macau derived from Portuguese bifanas, is a must-try
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.
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.”
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.
Bing Kee Cha Dong (炳記茶檔)
5 Shepherd Street, Tai Hang
Good for: Those looking for an old-school cha chaan teng
Not so good for: Comfortable seating. Eating outdoors at Bing Kee in the summer can be a sweltering experience.
Prices: About HK$50 ($6.50/£5) a meal
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday, 7am–3pm
FYI: Bing Kee doesn’t take cards. It does accept Chinese payment apps, or remember to bring cash
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.
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.
Soul Kitchen (四寶食堂)
Shop 1-3, G/F Siu On Plaza, 482 Jaffe Road, Causeway Bay
Good for: A local feel (it’s almost exclusively frequented by Hongkongers) in an ultra-convenient and central location
Not so good for: A traditional dining experience
Prices: HK$50-$100 a meal
Opening times: Daily, 7am-midnight
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
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.
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.
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.
Waso Cafe (華嫂冰室)
272 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai and other locations
Good for: Afternoon tea. Waso’s pineapple bun is a typical snack for an office break
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
Prices: HK$40-100
Opening times: Daily, 8am-8.30pm
FYI: Waso is a chain, and has multiple locations across Hong Kong island, Kowloon and the New Territories
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.
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.
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.