''Cha chaan teng'' (; "tea restaurant"), often called a Hong Kong-style cafe or diner in English, is a type of

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

that originated in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

. Cha chaan teng are commonly found in Hong Kong,

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

, and parts of

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

. Due to the

waves of mass migrations from Hong Kong The Hong Kong Mass Migration Wave was one of the waves of emigration of Hong Kong residents since the Second World War, accelerated by the Hong Kong 1967 Leftist Riots and extending into the 1980s and 1990s fuelled by Tiananmen Square protests ...

in the 1980s, they are now established in major Chinese communities in Western countries such as

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Likened to a

greasy spoon A greasy spoon is a small, cheap restaurant – either an American diner or coffee shop, or a British or Irish cafe – typically specializing in fried foods or home-cooked meals. The term ''greasy spoon'' has been used in the United States si ...

cafe or an American

diner A diner is a small, inexpensive restaurant found across the United States, as well as in Canada and parts of Western Europe. Diners offer a wide range of foods, mostly American cuisine, a casual atmosphere, and, characteristically, a com ...

, ''cha chaan teng''s are known for eclectic and affordable menus, which include dishes from

Hong Kong cuisine Hong Kong cuisine is mainly influenced by Cantonese cuisine, European cuisines (especially British cuisine) and non-Cantonese Chinese cuisines (especially Hakka, Teochew, Hokkien and Shanghainese), as well as Japanese, Korean and Southeast As ...

and Hong Kong-style Western cuisine. They draw comparisons to Western

café A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...

s due to their casual settings, as well as menus revolving around

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

and

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...

History

Since the 1850s,

Western cuisine European cuisine comprises the cuisines of Europe "European Cuisine.".(December 2018). Titbits Through Time. Chinese Culinary Institute & International Culinary Institute. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Hong Kong culture was influenced by British culture. Hong Kong people started to like adding milk to tea and eating cakes. Therefore, some Hongkongers set up ''cha chaan tengs'' that targeted a local audience.. (28 December 2007). Cha Chaan Teng is not UNESCO Intangible Culture Heritage. Wenwipo. Providing different kinds of Canto-Western Cuisine and drinks with very low prices led to them being regarded as "cheap western food", or "soy sauce western food" (豉油西餐). In the 1950s and 60s, ''cha chaan tengs'' sprang up as rising lower class incomes made such "western food" affordable,. (2006). 茶餐廳與香港人的身分認同. Hong Kong University Press. causing "soy sauce western restaurants" and ''

bing sutt Bing sutt () is a type of traditional cold drinking house started in Guangzhou (Canton) that spread to Hong Kong. These bing sutts arose in the 1950s and 1960s. They are characterized by old furniture and settings such as the small tiled floors, han ...

'' ("ice rooms") to turn into ''cha chaan teng''. (6 March 2016). 飲食男女《人物專訪》中環老牌熱狗王六旬夥計不捨離開：對呢個招牌有感情. Eat and Travel Weekly. to satisfy the high demand of affordable and fast Hong Kong-style western food. In recent years, the management of ''cha chaan tengs'' has adapted to developments in the Hong Kong economy and society. During the

1997 Asian Financial Crisis The Asian financial crisis was a period of financial crisis that gripped much of East Asia and Southeast Asia beginning in July 1997 and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown due to financial contagion. However, the recovery in 1998–1 ...

, ''cha chaan teng''s became much more popular in Hong Kong as they still provided the cheapest food for the public..(30 January 2008). Eating in Hong Kong: the Ch Chaan Teng. The New York Times. In April 2007, one of the Hong Kong political officers suggested that ''cha chaan teng'' be listed in the

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance.Compare: This list is published by the Intergover ...

, because of its important role in Hong Kong society.. Changing Chinese Foodways in Asia. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press, 2001. In June 2014, a number of famous dishes in ''cha chaan teng''—namely milk tea, ''

yuenyeung ''Yuenyeung'' (, often transliterated according to the Cantonese language pronunciation ''yuenyeung'', ''yinyeung'', or ''yinyong''; yuanyang in Mandarin), coffee with tea, is a popular beverage in Hong Kong. The drink is made from a mixture ...

'',

pineapple bun A pineapple bun () is a kind of sweet bun predominantly popular in Hong Kong and also common in Chinatowns worldwide. Despite the name, it does not traditionally contain pineapple; rather, the name refers to the look of the characteristic to ...

, and

egg tart The egg tart (; ) is a kind of custard tart found in Chinese cuisine derived from the English custard tart and Portuguese pastel de nata. The dish consists of an outer pastry crust filled with egg custard. Egg tarts are often served at dim s ...

were enlisted into the first Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong.. (2006). Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong. Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

Name and description

The name, literally "tea restaurant", serves to distinguish the restaurants from Western restaurants that provide water to customers instead of tea. ''Cha chaan teng'' establishments provide tea (usually weak tea) called "clear tea" (清茶 cing1 caa4) to customers as soon as they are seated. (Some patrons use this hot tea to wash their utensils, a common custom in Hong Kong.) The "tea" in the name refers to this inexpensive

black tea Black tea, also translated to red tea in various East Asian languages, is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas. All five types are made from ...

, which differs from the traditional

Chinese tea Tea is a beverage made from the leaves of tea plants ('' Camellia sinensis'') and boiled water. Tea leaves are processed using traditional Chinese methods. Chinese tea is consumed throughout the day, including during meals, as a substitute for ...

served in traditional

dim sum Dim sum () is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch. Most modern dim sum dishes are commonly associated with Cantonese cuisine, although dim sum dishes also exist in other Chinese cuis ...

restaurants and

teahouse A teahouse (mainly Asia) or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment whic ...

s (茶樓). The "tea" may also refer to tea drinks, such as the

Hong Kong-style milk tea Hong Kong-style milk tea is a tea drink made from Ceylon tea, black tea and milk (usually evaporated milk and condensed milk). It is usually part of lunch in Hong Kong tea culture. Hongkongers consume approximately a total of 900 million gl ...

and iced lemon tea, which are served in many ''cha chaan tengs''. The older generations in Hong Kong refer to dining in these restaurants as ''yum sai cha'' (飲西茶; lit: "drinking Western tea"), in contrast with the going ''

yum cha ''Yum cha'' is the Cantonese tradition of brunch involving Chinese tea and ''dim sum.'' The practice is popular in Cantonese-speaking regions, including Guangdong province, Guangxi province, Hong Kong, and Macau. It is also carried out in other ...

''. Some ''cha chaan tengs'' adopt the word "

" in their names. This is especially the case when located in English-speaking countries where they are commonly known as "Hong Kong–style cafes" and are instead best known for their serving of ''

'' and Hong Kong–style (condensed milk) coffee.

Culture

Table sharing etiquette sign in a Cha chaan teng (Hong Kong)

Fast service and high efficiency

Usually, tea restaurants have high customer turnover, at 10–20 minutes for a sitting. Customers typically receive their dishes after five minutes. The waiters take the order with their left hand and pass the dishes with their right hand. This is said to embody Hong Kong's hectic lifestyle. During peak periods, long queues form outside many restaurants.

Long working hours

The staff in a ''cha chaan teng'' work long hours, sometimes also night shifts.

Trend

Because of the limited land and expensive rent, ''cha chaan teng''s are gradually being replaced by chain restaurants, such as

Café de Coral Café de Coral Holdings, Ltd. () is a fast-food restaurant group that owns and operates fast-food chains and restaurants, including Café de Coral, Super Super, The Spaghetti House, Oliver's Super Sandwiches, Ah Yee Leng Tong, and others. Foun ...

Maxim's Maxim's is a restaurant in Paris, France, located at No. 3 rue Royale in the 8th . It is known for its Art Nouveau interior decor. In the mid 20th century Maxim's was regarded as the most famous restaurant in the world. History Early history ...

, and Fairwood. As chain restaurants dominate the market, Hong Kong's ''cha chaan teng'' culture is disappearing. They are, however, increasing in popularity overseas, with many opening up in Cantonese diaspora communities as a casual alternative to more traditional Chinese Restaurants.

Common phrases and abbreviations

To speed up the ordering process, waiters use a range of abbreviations when writing down orders (essentially a Cantonese equivalent to the phenomenon of American

diner lingo Diner lingo is a kind of American verbal slang used by cooks and chefs in diners and diner-style restaurants, and by the Waiting staff, wait staff to communicate their orders to the cooks. Usage of terms with similar meaning, propagated by oral cu ...

). * The character 反 (spoken as ''faan'', meaning "opposite") is used to represent 白飯 (, meaning "stream rice"). * "0T" stands for lemon tea (0 reads as ''ling,'' which is phonetically similar to the first word of

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

(檸) which is ''ning'' and phonetically identical to how most Hong Kong people now pronounce 檸. T stands for "Tea"). Customers similarly use special phrases when ordering: * 走冰 (, lit. "leave (depart) ice") or 走雪 (, lit. "leave snow") ― To order cold drinks without ice in them * 飛砂走奶 (, lit. "fly sand leave milk") ― To have the drink prepared without sugar or milk, when ordering coffee or tea, sand meaning coarse sugar (powdered sugar) * 茶走 ( lit. "tea leave") ― Replace milk with condensed milk in milk tea * 加底 (, lit. "add base") ― For extra rice or noodles in a dish, typically costs extra * 炒底 (, lit. "stir-fry base") ― For the rice or noodles in a dish to be stir-fried

Menus

Typical breakfast of Cha Chaan Teng with Hong Kong style Milk Tea

A ''cha chaan teng'' serves a wide range of food, from

steak A steak is a thick cut of meat generally sliced across the muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally grilled or fried. Steak can be diced, cooked in sauce, such as in steak and kidney pie, or minced and formed into patties, ...

wonton noodles Wonton noodles (, also called wanton mee or wanton mein) is a noodle dish of Cantonese origin. Wonton noodles were given their name, ''húntún'' (), in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). The dish is popular in Southern China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, ...

curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in tradit ...

sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

es, e.g. Hong Kong-style French toast. Both fast food and à-la-carte dishes are available. A big ''cha chaan teng'' often consists of three cooking places: a "water bar" (水吧) which makes drinks,

toast Toast most commonly refers to: * Toast (food), bread browned with dry heat * Toast (honor), a ritual in which a drink is taken Toast may also refer to: Places * Toast, North Carolina, a census-designated place in the United States Books * '' ...

/sandwiches, and

instant noodle Instant noodles, or instant ramen, is a type of food consisting of noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The dried noodle block was originally created by flash frying cooked noodles, and this is ...

s; a "noodle stall" which prepares Chiuchow-style noodles (including wonton noodles); and a kitchen for producing rice plates and other more expensive dishes.

Food and drinks

Drinks The invention of drinks like ''

'' (鴛鴦), iced tea with lemon (凍檸茶) and

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

with lemon (檸樂) is often credited culturally to this style of restaurant. *Coffee: Two types exist: instant and in powder form, the latter being more common. Often served with condensed milk, especially overseas. * Black coffee: Hong Kong people usually called them ''jaai fea'' (lit. "vegetarian coffee" / "just coffee", emphasising its plain texture) or "''fei sha jaau naai''" (lit. "get rid of sand and milk", i.e. coffee without sugar (the "sand") and milk) *

: A highly popular drink in Hong Kong. Its standard is judged by its aroma, smoothness, and concentration. The tea is soaked in an iron container for several hours to let the flavour come out. If the customer wants condensed milk instead of normal milk, people will often say "''caa zau''" (lit. "tea go") *Sweet

soy milk Soy milk (simplified Chinese: 豆浆; traditional Chinese: 豆漿) also known as soya milk or soymilk, is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a sta ...

(豆漿): Soy milk sweetened with

cane sugar Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula . For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refined ...

and served either hot or cold. *

Yuenyeung ''Yuenyeung'' (, often transliterated according to the Cantonese language pronunciation ''yuenyeung'', ''yinyeung'', or ''yinyong''; yuanyang in Mandarin), coffee with tea, is a popular beverage in Hong Kong. The drink is made from a mixture ...

: A mixture of coffee and tea, originated in Hong Kong. According to

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

, coffee and tea is "hot" and "cold" in nature, respectively. A mixing of both thus then yields the best combination for the beverage. *Black and White

: A mixture of

Ovaltine Ovaltine (also known by its original name Ovomaltine) is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract (except in the blue packaging in the United States), sugar (except in Switzerland), and whey. Some flavors also have cocoa. Ovaltin ...

and

Horlicks Horlicks is a sweet malted milk hot drink powder developed by founders James and William Horlick. It was first sold as "Horlick's Infant and Invalids Food", soon adding "aged and travellers" to their label. In the early 20th century, it was so ...

, originated in Hong Kong. *

*Lemon Tea *

Lemonade Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage. There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using le ...

: Commonly served without sugar or syrup. *Lemon with

Ribena Ribena ( ) is a brand of blackcurrant-based soft drink (both uncarbonated and carbonated), and fruit drink concentrate designed to be mixed with water. It is available in bottles, cans and multi-packs. Originally of British origin, it was pro ...

*Lemon with Honey: Often, to reduce cost, the honey is replaced with "Watercress Honey" *Salted lemon with

7-Up 7 Up (stylized as 7up outside North America) is an American brand of lemon-lime-flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper although the beverage is internationally distributed by PepsiCo. 7 Up comp ...

(鹹檸七): 7-Up, adding lemon marinated in salt, which is good for

sore throat Sore throat, also known as throat pain, is pain or irritation of the throat. Usually, causes of sore throat include * viral infections * group A streptococcal infection (GAS) bacterial infection * pharyngitis (inflammation of the throat) * tonsi ...

*Black cow (黑牛): Coca-Cola with

vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia''). Pollination is required to make the p ...

ice cream. *

Snow White "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as Ta ...

(白雪公主): Sprite or 7-Up with vanilla ice cream. *Cream Soda with Milk (忌廉溝鮮奶): A drink popular in the 70s. Its cultural influence is represented by the movie '' Cream Soda and Milk'' (1981). *Boiled water with egg (滾水蛋): A raw egg added into boiled water. This was a drink popular in the 60s since

Hongkongers Hongkongers (), also known as Hong Kongers, Hong Kongese, Hongkongese, Hong Kong citizens and Hong Kong people, typically refers to residents of the territory of Hong Kong; although may also refer to others who were born and/or raised in the ...

could not afford to eat meat and absorb protein regularly. It is usually drunk with white sugar. *

Red bean ice Red bean ice is a drink commonly found in Hong Kong. It is usually served in restaurants like ''cha chaan teng''. It is a popular dessert in the summer. The standard ingredients include adzuki beans, light rock sugar syrup, and evaporated milk ...

: A drink with red bean,

evaporated milk Evaporated milk, known in some countries as "unsweetened condensed milk", is a shelf-stable canned cow’s milk product where about 60% of the water has been removed from fresh milk. It differs from sweetened condensed milk, which contains add ...

, and ice *

Soft drinks A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a s ...

: Coca-Cola, 7-up,

Fanta Fanta is an American-owned German brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are more than 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta originated in Germany as ...

and Cream Soda are some common selections. Adding ice in a drink may cost an extra fee. Some people simply ask for a glass of ice. Snacks *

Toast Toast most commonly refers to: * Toast (food), bread browned with dry heat * Toast (honor), a ritual in which a drink is taken Toast may also refer to: Places * Toast, North Carolina, a census-designated place in the United States Books * '' ...

: This includes toast with condensed milk and butter/peanut butter, toast with jam and butter, toast with butter in a sliced form, and Hong Kong-style French toast *

Sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

: Sandwiches found in Cha Chaan Tengs usually include egg, ham, corned beef or a mixture of any as a filling. Club Sandwiches are also very common. A difference between the sandwiches found in Cha Chaan Tengs, and other eateries would be that only white bread is used, the customer has the option of omitting the crust of the bread, and requesting that the bread be toasted before making their sandwich. *

Egg tart The egg tart (; ) is a kind of custard tart found in Chinese cuisine derived from the English custard tart and Portuguese pastel de nata. The dish consists of an outer pastry crust filled with egg custard. Egg tarts are often served at dim s ...

*Hong Kong-style buns: Includes pineapple buns (with or without a slab of butter inside),

cocktail bun The cocktail bun () is a Hong Kong-style sweet bun with a filling of shredded coconut. It is one of several iconic types of baked goods originating from Hong Kong. History The cocktail bun is said to have been created in the 1950s in Hong ...

s, Satay beef buns,

barbecued pork bun ''Char siu bao'' () is a Cantonese barbecue-pork-filled ''baozi'' (bun).Hsiung, Deh-Ta. Simonds, Nina. Lowe, Jason. 005 ''The Food of China: A Journey for Food Lovers''. Bay Books. . p. 24. The buns are filled with barbecue-flavored ''cha si ...

s (''cha siu bao''), etc. *

Spring rolls Spring rolls are rolled appetizers or dim sum commonly found in Chinese cuisine, Chinese and other Southeast Asia, Southeast Asian cuisines. The kind of wrapper, fillings, and cooking technique used, as well as the name, vary considerably wit ...

Fried dishes *Various Fried rice and noodles dishes *Hong Kong-style

spaghetti bolognese Bolognese sauce (, ; known in Italian as ''ragù alla bolognese'', , ''ragù bolognese'', or simply ''ragù'') is a meat-based sauce in Italian cuisine, typical of the city of Bologna. It is customarily used to dress ''tagliatelle al ragù'' and ...

*Fried instant noodles *

Beef chow fun Beef chow fun, also known as gōn cháau ngàuh hó or gānchǎo níuhé in Chinese (乾炒牛河) meaning "dry fried beef Shahe noodles", is a staple Cantonese dish, made from stir-frying beef, '' hor fun'' (wide rice noodles) and bean sprou ...

Soup dishes *Instant or

udon Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. It is a comfort food for many Japanese people. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a hot soup as with a mild broth called ...

noodles in soup *

Macaroni Macaroni (, Italian: maccheroni) is dry pasta shaped like narrow tubes.Oxford DictionaryMacaroni/ref> Made with durum wheat, macaroni is commonly cut in short lengths; curved macaroni may be referred to as elbow macaroni. Some home machines ...

in soup *Soup noodles with

fish balls Fish balls are rounded meat balls made from fish paste which are then boiled or deep fried. Similar in composition to fishcake, fish balls are often made from fish mince or surimi, salt, and a culinary binder such as tapioca flour, corn, or ...

, wontons, meat balls and other processed seafood Miscellaneous dishes *Barbecued Pork (

Char siu ''Char siu'' () is a Chinese, specifically Cantonese–style of barbecued pork. Originating in Guangdong, it is eaten with rice, used as an ingredient for noodle dishes or in stir fries, and as a filling for '' chasiu baau'' or '' pineapple b ...

): Not found in all ''cha chaan teng''s. *

Congee Congee or conjee ( ) is a type of rice porridge or gruel eaten in Asian countries. It can be eaten plain, where it is typically served with side dishes, or it can be served with ingredients such as meat, fish, seasonings and flavourings, most o ...

and '' yau ja gwei'', a Chinese cruller.

Set meals

A feature found in ''cha chaan tengs'' is set meals. There are various sets available throughout the day for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. The lunch and dinner sets usually include a soup and a drink. Generally, there is an additional

HK$ The Hong Kong dollar (, sign: HK$; code: HKD) is the official currency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is subdivided into 100 cents or 1000 mils. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is the monetary authority of Hong Kong and ...

2-3 charge for cold drinks. Sometimes an additional

5 is charged for toasting the bread (烘底). Other sets include: * "Nutritious set" (營養餐) – It comes with milk and other nutritional food * "Constant set" (常餐) – Provided all day long, hence the name (it usually consists of a main course,

omelette In cuisine, an omelette (also spelled omelet) is a dish made from beaten eggs, fried with butter or oil in a frying pan (without stirring as in scrambled egg). It is quite common for the omelette to be folded around fillings such as chives, ve ...

, wheat foodstuff, white bread with butter and a drink) The wheat foodstuff always comes with different choices such as spiced pork cubes, salted vegetable with sliced pork or luncheon meat etc. * "Fast set" (快餐) – Immediately served (usually rice with sausages/ ham/ fried eggs with gravy) * "Special set" (特餐) – Chef's (or Boss's) recommendation

Tables and seats

Generally, the tables in ''cha chaan tengs'' are square for 4 people, or round for 6 to 8 people. For each table, there is a piece of glass that covers the top and some menus are placed between the table and glass. During lunch or dinner, customers are sometimes requested to "''daap toi''" (搭枱), meaning they share a table with other customers who were already seated before. This helps save space, provide waiting guests with seats faster, and give customers in a hurry a seat.

Hygiene

Before 2007, most ''cha chaan tengs'' allowed people to smoke, and some waiters would even smoke when working. Since 1 January 2007, Hong Kong Law prohibits smoking within the indoor premises of restaurants.

Interiors and utensils

Much of the plastic-ware found on the table is provided by beverage companies, which is a form of advertising. This plastic-ware includes containers holding

toothpicks A toothpick is a small thin stick of wood, plastic, bamboo, metal, bone or other substance with at least one and sometimes two pointed ends to insert between teeth to remove detritus, usually after a meal. Toothpicks are also used for festive ...

, plastic menu holders, etc. Brands like

and

are the usual providers. To minimise costs, ''cha chaan tengs'' also rarely have utensils that bear their own brand name. As a result, the same utensils can be found in many different ''cha chaan teng''s, even different chains. These utensils can be bought in

supermarkets A supermarket is a self-service shop offering a wide variety of food, beverages and household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earlier grocery stores, but is smaller and more limit ...

, department stores, and stores specializing in restaurant supplies. Walls and floors in ''cha chaan teng''s are often tiled because they are easier to clean (especially in the humid summer weather in a city like Hong Kong). In overseas communities, these restaurants are famous for stocking Chinese newspapers and having LCD televisions the wall, broadcasting Hong Kong news services.

Variations

Other kinds of local restaurant related to ''cha chaan teng'' in Hong Kong include ''chaan sutt'' (餐室; lit. "meal chamber"), ''

'' (冰室; lit. "ice chamber"), and ''bing teng'' (冰廳; lit. "ice dining room"), which provide a lighter and more limited selection of food than ''cha chaan teng''. In the old days, these eateries only sold different types of "ice", sandwiches and pasta but ''no'' rice plates. However, some of the restaurants bearing these titles today ignore the tradition, and provide all kinds of rice plates and even wonton noodles. Original ''chaan sutts'', ''bing sutts'' and ''bing tengs'', which can be regarded as the prototype of ''cha chaan tengs'', are now scarce in Hong Kong. In June 2009, Hong Kong retail design store

G.O.D. Groove Over Dose, known by the acronym g.o.d (), is a South Korean boy band formed by SidusHQ. Debuting in 1999, the group became one of the most popular boy bands of the early 2000s in South Korea. The members had gone on to solo careers in th ...

collaborated with

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...

and created a store with a "Bing Sutt Corner" at their store on

Duddell Street Duddell Street is a small street located near the Lan Kwai Fong district in Central, Hong Kong. Named after George and Frederick Duddell, it stretches from Ice House Street to Queen's Road Central. The street is noted for containing the city' ...

. It is a concept that fuses the retro Hong Kong teahouse style with the contemporary look of a coffeehouse.

In media and popular culture

*The similarities between the different set meals were satirised by ''

My life as McDull ''My Life as McDull'' ( Chinese: 麥兜故事) is a 2001 Hong Kong animated feature film. The film surrounds the life of McDull, a hugely popular cartoon pig character created by Alice Mak and Brian Tse which has appeared on comics ever sinc ...

'', a

McDull McDull () is an anthropomorphic pig cartoon character that was created in Hong Kong by cartoonist Alice Mak and Brian Tse. Although McDull first made his appearance as a supporting character in the '' McMug'' comics strips, he has since beco ...

movie. *As an important part of

Hong Kong culture The culture of Hong Kong is primarily a mix of Chinese and Western influences, stemming from Lingnan Cantonese roots and later fusing with British culture due to British colonialism (Jyutping: ; Traditional Chinese: 粵英薈萃). As an interna ...

, ''cha chaan teng'' is featured in many Hong Kong movies and TV dramas: **Featured in popular sitcom ''

Virtues of Harmony {{Infobox television , image = Virtues of Harmony.jpg , caption = Official poster , alt_name = , genre = Historical period sitcom , creator = Tsui Yu-on , developer ...

'', a

TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong SAR. The Company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Cantonese language service, and ...

-made soap opera tells the story of a family who runs a ''cha chaan teng'', usually boasting the

and "silk-stocking milk tea" produced by them. **

Stephen Chow Stephen Chow Sing-chi (, born 22 June 1962), known professionally as Stephen Chow, is a Hong Kong filmmaker, former actor and comedian, known for ''Shaolin Soccer'' and ''Kung Fu Hustle''. Early life and education Stephen Chow was born in British ...

played a ''cha chaan teng'' waiter in the 1998 comedy ''

The Lucky Guy ''The Lucky Guy'' (行運一條龍) is a 1998 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Lee Lik-Chi (李力持) and starring Stephen Chow, Sammi Cheng (鄭秀文), Daniel Chan (陳曉東) and Shu Qi. Synopsis "Lucky" Coffee Shop, a Cha Chaan Teng, i ...

'' (行運一條龍), and a ''cha chaan teng'' meal-delivery-boy in '' King of Comedy'' (喜劇之王) in 1999. *Some beverage companies put the term ''cha chaan teng'' on their products, such as "cha chaan teng milk tea" and "cha chaan teng lemon tea". *On 19 December 2007, lawmaker Choy So Yuk proposed during a legislative council session that Hong Kong's cha chaan teng be recognised and put up to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

as an "

intangible cultural heritage An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. Int ...

of humanity". The proposal came about after a recent Hong Kong poll found that seven out of ten people believe the cafes deserve a UNESCO cultural listing. *

MC Cheung Michael Cheung Tin-fu (born 1 December 1996), better known by his stage name MC, is a Hong Kong singer and actor. He rose to fame as the runner-up in the 2019 talent competition reality show ''King Maker II''. He subsequently signed a record ...

br>'Loser' music video
is filmed in a real bing teng in Yau Ma Tei in 2021. He acted as a staff in it. *

Keung To Keung To (, ; born 30 April 1999) is a Hong Kong singer and actor, and a member of the Hong Kong boy band group Mirror. He rose to fame after winning ViuTV's reality talent competition ''Good Night Show - King Maker'' in 2018. Keung made his ...

's role in 2022 Hong Kong film '' Mama's Affair''.

References

External links

A comprehensive gallery
of the ''cha chaan tengs'' found in Hong Kong {{DEFAULTSORT:Cha Chaan Teng Cantonese words and phrases Fast food Tea houses Hong Kong cuisine Tea culture Restaurants in Hong Kong