I had a delicious meal at a cha chaan teng today. This wasn't, as you would expect, in Hong Kong. It was actually in the Shoreditch area of London.
Cha chaan tengs, for those unfamiliar, are cafes or diners found in Hong Kong and are a unique part of the city. The have that Hong Kong combination of Chinese and Western aesthetics and food - be it macaroni soup, french toast, or a plate of char siu and rice with sweet soy and scallions. It is also where you'll find the famous HK style milk tea - black Ceylon tea with condensed milk. Absolutely to die for when served cold.
There are plenty of unique dishes and unique takes on other cuisines. One famous dish is the pineapple bun, which I'm sorry to tell you does not actually contain any pineapple, rather referring to the topping that resembles the fruit.
Hoko, the London based simulation of this experience, replicates this well. One aspect that is distinctly London is the high prices with the relatively small but very rich french toast coming in at £8. The retro look is executed well however. A nice clean look with visually appealing typography dotted throughout.
The staff wear crisp boxy white camp collar shirts adding a nice touch of HK. The main difference with the staff here than in Hong Kong is that they make an effort to provide a good level of customer service, likely for the London clientele's expectations. This is quite the change from the uninterested and rushed staff at Australia Dairy Co. in the Jordan area for example, although this does in itself have its own very Hong Kong style charm to it.
The byword for the cha chaan teng is comfort food. It just feels right, it feels easy and its a pleasure to fill your stomach in a place like this. One thing to be aware of before you frequent a cha chaan teng however is that you are going to be loading up on a whole lot of sugar. You have to put that out of your mind if you're going to fully enjoy this experience - there is so so much sugar. When I came back from a year in the city I needed some serious dental work done.
One big reason for this was my partiality towards iced lemon teas, another cha chaan teng staple. Typically you would use the straw to squash the lemon slices at the bottom of the cup to get all that zesty citrus into the drink and give it a good stir. So tasty and refreshing on a hot summer's day.
It was a joy to get a glimpse of Hong Kong in London. I have wanted to find a place like this for so long now. I will definitely be back - I'm not sure when and I'll be avoiding sugar in the near future I think. One thing is for certain though - I'm flossing tonight.
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