Cha chaan teng culture

The cha chaan teng — literally "tea restaurant" — is a distinctly Hong Kong institution: a fast, unfussy diner serving a mix of Cantonese and Western-influenced dishes born from a period when Western food was fashionable but expensive.

What to order

• Hong Kong milk tea — black tea blended with evaporated or condensed milk, strained through a cloth bag.
• Pineapple bun with butter — a sweet, crackle-topped bun (with no actual pineapple) served with a thick slab of cold butter.
• Macaroni soup with ham — a breakfast staple that surprises most first-time visitors.
• Yuenyeung — milk tea mixed with coffee, exactly as unusual and good as it sounds.

How to order

Service is brisk and no-nonsense by design — write your order on the paper slip left at the table, and don't expect much chit-chat. It's part of the charm, not rudeness.