Shanghai’s four best restaurants for homesick Hongkongers – think pineapple buns, Ovaltine and scrambled egg with shrimp

I have to admit, some of my delight upon entering Cha’s was the result of finding a clean, well lit sanctuary from the torrential Shanghai summer rain. But that was just one small part of the transformation that took place after setting foot inside the Cantonese diner. Through an entrance so innocuous that I had to double back to find it, I left the bustling Shanghai street to find myself transported into what looked like a classic cha chaan teng in mid-century Hong Kong.

From the red italic Enjoy Coca Cola logo emblazoned on a vintage fridge set against a frame of Tiffany-style orange and green stained glass, to the red crates of Vitasoy stacked from floor to ceiling in the corner, Cha’s is the perfect hole in the wall for Hongkongers in Shanghai who are nostalgic for their home.

Cha’s features many classic cha chaan teng elements: square, glass covered tables, utilitarian tiled floors, cheap hong cha (red tea), and bright fluorescent lighting. The ceiling fans circle lazily and waiters stand at attention in white jackets, shapeless and saggy at the shoulders from being washed and starched too many times.

At the back of the restaurant, glass cabinets hold shelves of pineapple buns, egg custard pastries, and tins of Cadbury’s drinking chocolate, Ovaltine, and Black and White evaporated milk.

Great cafes make you feel comfortable – the food is simple, the ambience is casual, the waiters are efficient, and customers are there to fill up and go rather than to see and be seen. But the best places can invoke a feeling like home, of casual hospitality and timelessness.