bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Pineapple buns, French toast with butter and stocking milk tea have sustained generations of Hongkongers, but the popularity of these home-grown culinary gems is now spreading.
With more Hong Kong people working and living on the mainland, the city's distinctive cha chaan teng eateries are mushrooming on the other side of the border.
And they are bringing the city's signature dishes to major cities. This is not only satisfying Hongkongers desperately looking for comfort food but is also spreading Hong Kong's food culture to the mainland.
A survey conducted by the Census and Statistics Department two years ago showed 218,200 Hongkongers took regular working trips to the mainland. Shenzhen, Dongguan,  Guangzhou and Shanghai were the most frequently visited  cities.  
The number of Hong Kong people, aged above 18, living on the mainland now total 155,400 compared with only 91,800 in 2005. There is no official figure on the number of cha chaan teng on the mainland, but anecdotal evidence show they are plentiful and growing. 
'There must be at least one on every major street in Shanghai, and there certainly is one in every big shopping mall,' Adeline Ding, a business executive and a milk-tea lover, said.
Sin Man-dong, who runs a cha chaan teng at a high-end shopping mall in Guangzhou, estimates there are 200 in the southern city. 
Charlie Hau Kit-fai, another cha chaan teng owner, says the figure in Shanghai could be around 500.
Difficulties in getting  Hong Kong food across the border inspired Sin and Hau, both originally from the city, to start their business ventures.
Cha chaan teng originated in Hong Kong with the idea of providing inexpensive Western food to local diners. Inspired by the Western way of serving food,  meals come in a single serving - whether it is toast, instant noodles, fried rice noodles with sliced beef or rice with scrambled egg and shrimp. Set meals, which offer  food and drink in one order, are another common feature in cha chaan teng, and it is this that differentiates cha chaan teng from traditional Chinese restaurants.
The Chinese fast-food market recorded more than 15 per cent growth in 2008, according to Euromonitor. Driven by rapid industrialisation, smaller family sizes and frequent exchanges with Western culture, increasing numbers of urbanites are turning to fast-food restaurants and cafes.
Sin and several friends opened Woo's Hong Kong Cuisine in Guangzhou's Tianhe district about a year ago. They are confident that as long as they are able to bring authentic Hong Kong taste to the diners, their business will prosper.
Hau, a film production executive, encountered the same problem as Sin whenever he and his production crew were working on the mainland. 'There are cha chaan teng here, but the taste is not right,' he said. His cha chaan teng, Cha's Restaurant, was opened a year ago, with a classic retro interior, mimicking that of Hong Kong in the 1960s.
In order to get the right historical look, Hau travelled extensively to look for the right tiles, tables and chairs, fluorescent lighting and wall clock. His efforts to ensure authenticity paid off, as the cha chaan teng broke even after two months. It attracts Hong Kong diners as well as locals who grew up watching Hong Kong television  shows and films.
The proprietors headhunted chefs and milk tea masters from Hong Kong to lead their kitchen and drinks counter. Sin imports Hong Kong-manufactured vinegar and spicy  sauce, Schweppes cream soda and 375ml glass-bottle Coca-Cola. 
Hau also sells old-style Hong Kong drinks, such as Coca-Cola with ice-cream, which only a handful of cha chaan teng in Hong Kong are still serving. 
Sin, however, concedes a certain  degree of localisation is needed to make his business successful. For example, he has spicy Sichuan food on his menu. 'Many mainland consumers like spicy food. They must order at least one spicy dish. So we introduced a few dishes to suit local tastes,' Sin said. 
At both cha chaan teng, Hong Kong diners account for 40 per cent of the customers, more than 50 per cent  are locals and the rest are foreigners working on the mainland.
Wei Baoying, a white-collar worker, is a frequent cha chaan teng patron. Her favourite food is pineapple bun with butter, or bo lo yau, and a glass of iced lemon tea. 'Going to a cha chaan teng to have my favourite food in the afternoon lights up my day,' she said. 'It is only 10 yuan (HK$11.40) for a tea set, and I can get my favourite food: it is what the actors eat in the films.'
For Wei, the simple fare brings back  sweet childhood memories. In those days, eating one freshly baked crispy-top bun from the small neighbourhood bakery was an essential activity every afternoon.
'With the dominance of big bakery chains, there aren't many small bakeries left,' she said. 'Crispy-top buns are more expensive than before, and it makes the cha chaan teng afternoon set a bargain.' 
Business executive Adeline Ding often catches up with friends at local cha chaan teng. A cup of  stocking milk tea is an essential refreshment. The Hong Kong-style milk tea is addictive because of its smooth and strong flavour. 'These cafes are not essential, but with their presence, I have more choices. I like it because the price is reasonable and they are centrally located,' she said. 
The nature of cha chaan teng, Hau says, makes them a viable business even for novice caf? owners.
'There must be a few essential items, such as milk tea and pineapple buns. Apart from that, there is plenty of room to design the menu, because the whole business is about the format and how we serve the food,' Hau said. 'Cha chaan teng food is simple; the only expertise needed is serving it the right way and with the right taste. Anyone who grew up in Hong Kong can do this business.' 
 Major fast-food chains from Hong Kong, such as Cafe de Coral and Fairwood, are established on the mainland. Ajisen, a specialist in Japanese-style food, is a popular eating place for families and white-collar workers. 
'The beauty of a cha chaan teng is its simplicity,' Sin said. 'It represents quick, and reasonably priced, tasty food. Diners come in, order food, eat and leave. It fits perfectly with the pace of Hong Kong.
'For people on the mainland, a cha chaan teng is synonymous with Hong Kong. They have been watching films and television shows for many years that feature Hong Kong food and are curious about the taste. Some visit Hong Kong frequently, and they like eating at cha chaan teng. Some are from the inland and the northern parts of  the mainland and they may not know our food well but they still want to try.'
The Guangzhou cha chaan teng owner thinks the popularity of the Hong Kong eateries on the mainland also suggests that mainland eating habits are changing. 'They are getting busier, so they  need to finish their lunch quickly, and many people are unable to have dinner at home, so a cha chaan teng is the right place for them to fill the stomach.' 
Hau believes cha chaan teng will become more popular. 'Basically we are serving Chinese food. I believe most Chinese people can acquire the cha chaan teng taste easily. It is far easier than asking them to eat  sashimi,' he said.



HK milk tea and comfort food an acquired taste on mainland