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Cha chaan teng culture and history

Cha chaan teng culture and history
Discover the unique history and culture of Hong Kong’s cha chaan tengs, local diners where delicious food and drinks with international influences thrive.
highlights from
100 Top Tables 2025 Restaurant Directory
100 Top Tables 2025 Restaurant Directory
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Hong Kong’s classic cha chaan teng culture captured in nostalgic exhibition

The exhibition at the K11 Art Mall captures the scenes, objects and sentiments of Hong Kong’s traditional local diners.

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Owner Davis Ng says staff departures drove decision to close branch of cha chaan teng known for its egg tarts.

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Video | This is where Hongkongers go for authentic local food

Once dining spots primarily for expats, cha chaan teng restaurants have become a staple for all Hongkongers and a defining characteristic of the city.

thumbnail of Cha Chaan Teng Hong Kong Authentic
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Sydney cafe an ode to old Hong Kong with milk tea, fish balls and Cantopop

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Dai pai dong cooks in Sham Shui Po on May 1. Increasingly, tourists prefer grit to glitter, turning away from modern, large-scale, planned events to seek out small, colourful, organic pockets of local history and culture. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung
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Chiu Chow dishes at Shung Hing Chiu Chow Restaurant in Hong Kong. Photo: Instagram/@scrumptious.foodie
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The Jumbo Floating Restaurant. Photo: Sam Tsang
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Dismay at sudden closure of one of Hong Kong’s oldest traditional cafes

Mido Cafe, a 72-year-old cha chaan teng in Yau Ma Tei, announced the news in an ambiguous note posted outside its premises. Many shared their grief on social media at the loss of a ‘Hong Kong icon’.

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The origins of Hong Kong’s cha chaan teng and where to find a good one

Born as a way to provide affordable Western food, cha chaan teng in Hong Kong have become a vital part of the city’s culture.

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Steeped in history: how Hong Kong-style milk tea became a staple

Super strong, drawn through a silk stocking four times, served with a splash of evaporated milk, the traditional drink with colonial roots has been energising Hongkongers of all types since the second world war

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Hong Kong-style milk tea is served with evaporated milk. Photo: Dickson Lee
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