The China Café Bids Its Farewell
You don’t know what you got till it’s gone, and that is the story of the China Café. I visited this old-schooled, Hong Kong styled café on December 28th, 2019. This is one of its very last days before saying goodbye to Hong Kong. Located in Canton Road, the China Café is a hidden gem amidst a typical street stall scene in Mong Kok.
I like to call these “bing sutts” “tea deli.” But perhaps the word “café” is just as true to the experience of dining in these “bing sutts.”
The cafés are part and parcel of daily life in Hong Kong. They are the place to be when someone does not have any particular food in mind but needing a quick fix at the same time. The menu items are similar in these cafés. There are the “quick sets,” which usually include an instant noodle with spam and egg item, or some kind of meat, or a combination of both, with tea or coffee. There are the “common sets,” which usually feature a dish of fried noodles, fried rice, or meat with gravy on rice. Tea or coffee follows, and the prices usually range between $40 to $60. Those who are opting for a light snack can pick the afternoon tea sets. They usually come with a pineapple bun and a generous slab of butter, or chicken wings, or an egg and beef sandwich, or a club sandwich.
To me, the top attraction at these cafés is always a nice, dark-brewed cup of Hong Kong milk tea.
China Café first opened its door in 1964, and it has witnessed a good 55 years of Hong Kong. From the outside its “gold plated plaque”[i](picture above) reflects clearly the era that it stands for. The glass case next to its door displays the very goodies that will fulfill the palate of its patrons. In the same vein, the walls and the floor inside are lined with colorful tiles, themed to the 1960s. Two hanging fans mount from the ceiling. As they spin one seems to see the times when (usually old) people would sit down at these cafés bright and early in the morning. They read newspapers on one hand and drank milk tea on the other. Or perhaps the younger generation will remember scenes from Hong Kong movies that were set in this very site.
Reports suggested that China Café experienced difficulty in business and that is why it is closing. Yet in its last days, the China Café had many customers lining up all the way till its closing hour (which is in the afternoon.) I was one of them, and many came with their cameras like I did.
I ordered a Kaya toast with milk tea. There was a very long wait for my snack, but that was fine. I wanted to share in this nostalgia for as long as I could. The Kaya is a spread made from coconut paste, Pandan leaf and eggs, the waiter told me. It is native to Malaysia, and relatively few Hong Kong cafés serve the Kaya now. Other famous menu items are the fried egg and beef sandwich, roast pork noodles, and pineapple bun with butter.
Finally, sitting at the table not far from me upstairs was actor Lam Suet, who starred in the Hong Kong movie PTU. This was one of the movies that was set in the China Cafe. This nostalgia was real.
Reference:
Jenny Leung, Time Out Hong Kong, One of Hong Kong’s Last Remaining Traditional Cafes Closes Down After 55 Years.
[i] The “gold plated plaque” is a direct translation of the Cantonese phrase referring to a longstanding, established name brand, store or restaurant.