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A Guide to Hong Kong’s Cha Chaan Teng

Due to it’s proximity to Singapore and constant flight promotions
from various airlines, Hong Kong is naturally one of the most popular
destinations for Singaporeans. However, there’s one problem – most of
the menus in Hong Kong’s Cha Chaan Teng are written in traditional Chinese, causing
confusion for even Singaporean Chinese who are, at best, comfortable
with simplified Chinese. KKday helps you unriddle the mystery of Hong
Kong
‘s menus!

Typical menu in a Cha Chaan Teng
Typical menu in a Cha Chaan Teng

The local eateries, or more commonly known as Cha Chaan Teng, highlight its identity as a metropolis with diverse range of food for
you to choose from. The food are usually variations what we can find in
western countries or even Southeast Asia but improved with a touch of
Hong Kong. With acronyms and added or removed ingredients to alter the
taste, the menus sometimes get lost in translation. However, that will
never happen to you again with our handy guide.

Instant Noodles

Instant noodles with eggs and luncheon meat
Instant noodles with eggs and luncheon meat (Flickr/ winnerlei)

 

There are endless variations of instant noodles in Hong Kong. One of the more common ones is luncheon meat and fried egg served on a bed of Nissen’s Ding Ding instant noodles with some broth. Not only is it a comfort food for Hong Kongers, it’s a staple for many as well.Different kinds of bread

Toast with coffee
Toast with coffee (Flickr/ ahirut)

Cha Chaan Teng offers many different choices of toast and sandwiches! Other than the usual bolo bao aka pineapple bun, a bun sandwiched with a thick slab of cold butter, there’s the “Piggy Bun” – a French baguette served with butter and condensed milk.

Let us take you through the other items on the menu:

奶醬多 = Condensed milk + Peanut butter on bread
奶油多 = Condensed milk + Margarine on bread
占醬多 = Jam + Peanut butter on bread
公司三文治 = Club Sandwich (most elaborate of the lot – filled with luncheon meat, egg, lettuce, tomato etc.)

Phrases and sentences are usually shortened, so you may need some time to figure out what they mean and get use to the menu. If all else fails, don’t panic! You can always ask for an English menu, the friendly shopkeepers are more than willing to accommodate.

Mains

Hong Kong Pork Chop
Hong Kong Pork Chop (Flickr/ nelsonchou)

1. Hong Kong Pork Chop Spaghetti
Food in Hong Kong has a colonial influence; the touch of East meets West is clearly reflected in their food and this has became a part of their identity. This is one of the many dishes with a twist that you have to try.

2. Fried Fish with Creamy Corn Sauce
Another highlight on the menu, the fried fish drenched in creamy corn sauce is best eaten with rice.

3.  Chicken Chop Rice
This chicken chop rice is a popular item in Macau. The ketchup-based dish comes with eggs, sausages and other ingredients popular with meat lovers. Each restaurant has their own rendition of it.

4. Minced Beef with Rice
You have a choice of a dry or gravy version of the minced beef. The dry version comes with potato and onions while the other has a meatier flavour. Add an egg if the option’s available! The rule of thumb is to add an omelette to the dry version and raw egg to the gravy.

Hong Kong Style Milk Tea
Hong Kong Style Milk Tea (Flickr/ Jason Cartwright)



Hong Kong is a food paradise and it remains as one of Singaporeans’ favourite holiday destinations for many reasons. Trust us, you can never turn down a chance to visit Hong Kong!

Looking for more cha chaan teng to visit in Hong Kong?

For more exciting adventures in Hong Kong, check out:
>> Big Bus Tour in Hong Kong
>> Special Tour around Hong Kong’s Attractions
>> Hong Kong Ocean Park

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