Cha chaan teng

Cha chaan teng(Chinese:茶餐廳;Cantonese Yale:chàhchāantēng;lit.'tea restaurant'), often called aHong Kong-style cafeordinerin English, is a type ofrestaurantthat originated inHong Kong.Cha chaan tengsare commonly found in Hong Kong,Macau, and parts ofGuangdong.  Due to thewaves of mass migrations from Hong Kongin the 1980s, they are now established in majorChinese communitiesin Western countries such asAustralia,Canada, theUnited Kingdom, and theUnited States.  Likened to agreasy spooncafe or an Americandiner,cha chaan tengs are known for eclectic and affordable menus, which include dishes fromHong Kong cuisineandHong Kong-style Western cuisine.They draw comparisons to Westerncafésdue to their casual settings, as well as menus revolving aroundcoffeeandtea.
Since the 1850s,Western cuisinein Hong Kong had been available only in full-service restaurants—a privilege limited for the upper class, and financially out of reach for most working-class locals. In the 1920s, dining in a Western restaurant could cost up to $10, while a working local earned $15 to $50 per month.
After theSecond World War, Hong Kong culture was influenced by British culture,with locals beginning to add milk to tea and eating cakes. SomeHongkongersset upcha chaan tengsthat targeted a local audience.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 tengssprang up as rising lower class incomes made such "Western food" affordable,causing "soy sauce western restaurants" andbing sutt(冰室, "ice rooms") to turn intocha chaan tengto satisfy the high demand of affordableand fast Hong Kong-style Western food.
In recent years, the management ofcha chaan tengshas adapted to developments in the Hong Kong economy and society. During the1997 Asian Financial Crisis,cha chaan tengs became much more popular in Hong Kong as they still provided the cheapest food for the public.
Before 2007, mostcha chaan tengsallowed people tosmoke, and some waiters would even smoke when working. Since 1 January 2007,Hong Kong law prohibitssmoking within the indoor premises of restaurants.
In April 2007, one of the Hong Kong political officers suggested thatcha chaan tengbe listed in theUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, because of its important role in Hong Kong society.On 19 December 2007, lawmakerChoy So Yukproposed, during alegislative councilsession, that Hong Kong's cha chaan teng be recognised and put up toUNESCOas an "intangible cultural heritageof humanity". The proposal came about after a Hong Kong poll found that seven out of ten people believed the cafes deserved a UNESCO cultural listing.However, despite these proposals, cha chaan teng was not added to UNESCO's lists.
In June 2014, a number of well-known dishes atcha chaan tengs—namely milk tea,yuenyeung,pineapple bun, andegg tart—were enlisted into the first Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong.
The name, literally "tea restaurant", serves to distinguish the restaurants from Western restaurants that provide water to customers instead of tea.Cha chaan tengestablishments 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 theirutensils, a common custom in Hong Kong. The "tea" in the name refers to inexpensiveblack tea, which differs from the traditionalChinese teaserved in traditionaldim sumrestaurants andteahouses(茶樓).
The "tea" may also refer to tea drinks, such as theHong Kong-style milk teaand iced lemon tea, which are served in manycha chaan tengs. The older generations in Hong Kong refer to dining in these restaurants asyum sai cha(飲西茶; lit: "drinking Western tea"), in contrast to goingyum cha.
Somecha chaan tengsadopt the word "café" 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 ofyuenyeungand Hong Kong-style (condensed milk) coffee.
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.
The staff in acha chaan tengwork long hours, sometimes also night shifts.
Because of the limited land and expensive rent,cha chaan tengs are gradually being replaced by chain restaurants, such asCafé de Coral,Maxim's, andFairwood. As chain restaurants dominate the market, Hong Kong'scha chaan tengculture 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.
To speed up the ordering process, waiters use a range of shorthands when writing down orders (essentially, a Cantonese equivalent to the phenomenon of Americandiner lingo).
Customers similarly use special phrases when ordering:
Acha chaan tengserves a wide range of food, fromsteaktowonton noodlestocurrytosandwiches, e.g.Hong Kong-style French toast.Both fast food andà-la-cartedishes are available. A largercha chaan tengoften consists of three cooking places: a "water bar" (水吧) which makes drinks,toast/sandwiches, andinstant noodles; a "noodle stall" which preparesChiuchow-style noodles (including wonton noodles); and a kitchen for producing rice plates and other more expensive dishes.
Drinks
The invention of drinks likeyuenyeung(鴛鴦), iced tea with lemon (凍檸茶), andCoca-Colawith lemon (檸樂) is often credited culturally tocha chaan tengs.
Adding ice in a drink may cost an extra fee. Some people simply ask for a glass of ice.
Snacks
Fried dishes
Soup dishes
Miscellaneous dishes
A feature found incha chaan tengsis 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 additionalHK$2–3 charge for cold drinks. Sometimes, an additionalHK$5 is charged for toasting the bread (烘底).
Other sets include:
Generally, the tables incha chaan tengsare square for four people, or round for six to eight 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.
Much of the plastic-ware found on the table is provided by beverage companies as a form of advertising. This plastic-ware includes containers holdingtoothpicks, plastic menu holders, etc. Brands likeOvaltine,Horlicks, andRibenaare the usual providers. To minimise costs,cha chaan tengsalso rarely have utensils that bear their own brand name. As a result, the same utensils can be found in many differentcha chaan tengs, even different chains. These utensils can be bought insupermarkets, department stores, and stores specializing in restaurant supplies.
Walls and floors incha chaan tengs are often tiled because they are easier to clean (especially inHong Kong's humid summer weather). In overseas communities, these restaurants are famous for stocking Chinese newspapers and having LCD televisions on the wall, broadcasting Hong Kong news services.
Other kinds of local restaurants related tocha chaan tengin Hong Kong includechaan sutt(餐室; lit. "meal chamber"),bing sutt(冰室; lit. "ice chamber"), andbing teng(冰廳; lit. "ice dining room"), which provide a lighter and more limited selection of food thancha chaan teng.
In the old days, these eateries only sold different types of "ice", sandwiches, and pasta butnorice plates. However, some of the restaurants bearing these titles today ignore the tradition, and provide all kinds of rice plates and even wonton noodles. Originalchaan sutts,bing sutts,andbing tengs, which can be regarded as the prototype ofcha chaan tengs, are now scarce in Hong Kong.
In June 2009, Hong Kong retail design storeG.O.D.collaborated withStarbucksand created a store with a "Bing Sutt Corner" at their store onDuddell Street. It is a concept that fuses the retro Hong Kong teahouse style with the contemporary look of a coffeehouse.
Somecha chaan tengshave moved to abuffetstyle of service.Fei Du Du Cha Chaan Teng, owned by Stephen Cheng inTsuen Wan, was the first knowncha chaan tengto move to a buffet style, on 1 March 2013.The idea originated when Cheng, facing high rent, decided to try a new method to run his business to compete with the highinflationrate.With reported success, several other restaurants also switched to buffet style.
Customer reception seemed generally positive, as prices decreased. One customer fromSham Shui Posaid the meal was almost 70% cheaper than the food served in the industrial regions nearby.