Legendary Hong Kong style cafe - Cha Chaan Teng (茶餐廳)

[Brett]

I think you may heard about Hong Kong is a foodie famous destination, as Hong Kong contain restaurants come from all around the world. But, what about local dishes in Hong Kong?

You may say Chinese or Cantonese dishes are local, but if you really know about Hong Kong, you should know Hong Kong is very different from any other cities in China. Because of our unique history, there is only one kind of restaurant can well represent Hong Kong, and it is Cha Chaan Teng (茶餐廳).

Why it can well represent Hong Kong, because from restaurant design to food they serve, all are customized for HongKongers.

There are too many characteristics from our Cha Cha Teng, I can only describe two of them here, for the rest, you gotta discover by yourself ?

Food:

Cha Chaan Teng usually come with a wide ranges of dishes, and it’s usually contain both from east and west. Because of the history, it’s undoubtedly Hong Konger will enjoy both eastern and western food. What’s more? Cha Chaan Teng will modify the food to suit local needs. Just like the french toast, the one from Hong Kong usually with more stuffing compare to the European one.

And as Hong Kong is a busy city, food in Cha Chaan Teng usually ready within 10 mins, and it’s always a good choice for quick bite.

Restaurant design:

Booth Seat is commonly used in Cha Chaan Teng, because the space in Hong Kong is always limited, to maximize the use of space, booth seat will be a good choice for the restaurants. And booth seat can also provide a bit of privacy to their customers, which is kind of luxury here.

And as the space is expensive, don’t be surprised by others who share your same table with you!

Know the locals:

You may always heard about the bad services from Hong Kong, especially for Cha Chaan Teng. But you may misunderstand just because of the culture in Hong Kong. People here always works fast and efficient, so that’s really annoying when one of them slow down the others. As long as you are well prepared, staffs actually always friendly. Here with some tips for you.

1. Prepare you order before asking for staff, only order when you have final decision.
2. Cha Chaan Teng usually pay in the cashier near the exit, prepare your money before you go.
3. If someone is waiting, don’t sit too long after your dining, otherwise don’t be surprised for the staffs clean up your table even you not completely finish.

I tried list down some of my famous Cha Chaan Tengs in the list below, most of them are rich in history, and famous for locals like me. If you are going to visit Hong Kong, you need to at least visit one of them!

https://goo.gl/maps/oRnZjFkY8wR2

#LocalGuides #LetsGuide

(!) Although I can only find “Hong Kong style cafe” from Google Maps, but it cannot well describe the Cha Chaan Teng. Hopefully, Cha Chaan Teng can be a category in Google Maps later!

[DanniS]

The French toast looks delicious @Brett ! Are you traveling in Hong Kong or living there? What other favorite dishes have you tried there?

[VasT]

Hi @Brett ,

Thank you for sharing all about Cha Chaan Teng. I like that you can modify the plates according to your taste. Do they serve vegan or vegetarian dishes?

[TsekoV]

Hi @Brett ,

This post is a real treasure to read! Many thanks for sharing it!

It is the first time I have heard about Cha Chaan Teng, but after reading your reviews, I must say it is definitely worth a try! Is this the most authentic local food one can experience there?

This year I was passing by Hong Kong via flight from Beijing to Hanoi and stayed there for some hours. I really regret I hadn’t planned before a longer stay in Hong Kong. This is one of the cities I would definitely like to visit and why not even live there. Are you a local living there?

Here is a night photo of Hong Kong from bird view that I captured.

As for what was one of my favorite dishes while I lived in China, it is a specific dish, which is traditional for the Xinjiang region of the country. I found it most appetizing.

[aaryesdee]

@Brett

Excellent review.

Thanks for sharing with us.

Regards

aaryesdee

[Shirley]

I’m following your list of cha chaan teng @Brett !! I’m always looking for these whenever I’m in HK, it’ll be useful for when I’m there again!

Thank you!!

[RadieN]

Hi @Brett ,

Thank you for this informative and detailed post! I agree with you that Hong Kong has a unique culture. Its cuisine is also different from Chinese food, because it’s a bit closer to the European style.

I’m also sharing with you a photo of a meal that I had at a Hong Kong-style restaurant in Shanghai, China. It was delicious!

[Brett]

@DanniS, I live in Hong Kong, that’s why I can say Cha Chaan Teng is the most representative to my city, Hong Kong, rather then this region, or this country.

And there are too many variety of food there, but my another favour definitely go to egg tart!

But really, Cha Chaan Teng with too many different kind of food you really need to try yourself.

[Brett]

@VasT , yes, its interesting that modify the dishes in Cha Chaan Teng, and they serve both vegan or vegetarian as you order. You can even order something off the menu, there is no limit on what you can order there, as long as they have the ingredients.

[Brett]

@TsekoV , you should really stay longer and meet up with Local Guides in Hong Kong!

Cha Chaan Teng may not be the most historical type of restaurant, but it’s definitely an ironic type in Hong Kong.

[Brett]

@Shirley , I am sure you visited a lot of Cha Chaan Teng in Hong Kong, but my list is not for general one. For those I marked there are usually with long history. And they usually with vintage decoration too! Check them out with us next time when you come to Hong Kong!

[Brett]

@RadieN , Hong Kong style food is actually famous around Chinese communities all over the world, so you can actually find Cha Chaan Teng in western like London or San Francisco. But I can say they are not as original as in Hong Kong, as they usually modified to suit the locals.

If there is any chance, you can visit Hong Kong and see the difference.

[YK1001]

We need you to write more for us, @Brett .

[VasT]

That sounds very impressive, thank you for sharing your list and your tips. Cultures differences can lead to misunderstandings it was interesting to hear about them.

[Brett]

@YK1001 , yes, I wanna write more about our Hong Kong unique culture, but it really takes time to do the research and writing.

[Goukigogo]

很怀念茶餐廳的美食，西多、凍央、公司三文治、炸脾…

[IrrPavlova]

Thanks for sharing, @Brett . Hong Kong restaurant is something I definitely want to experience. Being a part of such a fast and evolving pace brings up the adrenaline and desire to accomplish more during the day. I guess it’s part of china’s genius.

[ElvisCardenas]

La comida se ve sumamente buenísima, creo que pasare pronto a degustar estas ricas recetas

[Brett]

@Goukigogo , 還有蛋撻, 菠蘿油, 咖啡, 奶茶, 紅豆冰…

[McBuffenFitness714]

Food looks great! Maybe someday I could visit the restaurant in Hong Kong style cafe! And also, if you guys are into big giant food challenges! I can show you a video I did of a food eating challenge I did (not too long ago) called “Big Burger Monster Challenge At The Catch!” Here’s the link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zroH_56-gjY&t=25s