Rubin Verebes is the managing editor of Foodie and is very opinionated. Transforming his hobby of eating and drinking into a career, he shares his account of Hong Kong’s F&B scene and the worldwide state of dining in Rubin’s Take, a monthly opinion column.
I live in Sai Ying Pun, a neighbourhood touched rarely by the infectious hand of tourism, but it has experienced a brutal wave of gentrification that began eight years ago, when the MTR’s Island Line expanded westwards, opening stations at Sai Ying Pun, HKU, and Kennedy Town.
Where local confectionary stores, old-school garages, and neighbourhood noodle haunts once stood, they have now been replaced by glitzy Italian restaurants, natural wine bars, and trendy hair salons. Depending on who you ask, Sai Ying Pun’s livability has changed, so too with the city’s cha chaan tengs.
With my eating habits leading Foodie magazine, I litter my weekly calendar with invites to Hong Kong’s hottest new restaurant openings and tastings of innovative menus and cocktails. On my off days, notably Monday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings, you can find me sheltered in my local cha chaan teng, Luen Wah Cafe (聯華茶餐廳), seeking and taking pride in the home comforts. I routinely find time to dine at my local culinary home, and you should too.
Luen Wah Cafe is emblematic of any cha chaan teng, Cantonese cafés that popped up in the mid-20th century as Hong Kong became wealthier and more refined. The legion of cafés in the city employs local ingredients with Western-style cooking methods to serve tasty and fast “Western” food with local Chinese characteristics.
Luen Wah is sandwiched between a rice-with-two-sides takeaway shop and a new 7-Eleven location, having taken over a property agency – a precedent for a changing Hong Kong (even the real-estate gurus lose their real estate). And so has Sai Ying Pun. When Western restaurant group Castelo Concepts shut down operations at St Barts and Ollies in July 2023, Sai Ying Pun’s High Street lost its mojo as the “Western Lan Kwai Fong”, a term coined by locals.
As quick as a new restaurant with a funky fusion menu and cool chef pours into the neighbourhood (and Hong Kong in general), another humble eatery closes, much to the disappointment of locals fearing the worst of gentrification.
Luen Wah Cafe opened in 1962 and has luckily trudged along successfully in Sai Ying Pun, facing three waves of immigration in Hong Kong, two pandemics, and a new MTR station moving in.
Luen Wah is typical of any neighbourhood cha chaan teng. Mundane browns, beiges, and yellows colour the interior, fans hang above, wafting soy-sauce smell around, the walls are adorned with specials and menus, and the staff are naturally suspicious of newcomers and affable to regulars. There is an acceptable grit and grunge existing inside, synonymous with cha chaan tengs across Hong Kong. Forget the chain Cantonese cafés – these are the gems you need to dine at!
The menu runs identical to many other cha chaan tengs, yet some rare specials include a great, crisp French toast, a baked tomato crispy pork dish, and Hong Kong-style bolognese rice. You can expect Western and Cantonese-style dishes, rice and noodle bowls, desserts, and cool drinks.
With a lacking Cantonese vernacular, I speak Taiwanese-toned Mandarin to the staff at Luen Wah, of which the chefs and owners love. As a foodie with chronic choice paralysis, I know my presence is welcomed inside the ageing doors of Luen Wah Cafe.
The staff at Luen Wah know exactly that I am aching for salty proteins and carbs after a long workday. They recognise which guests I welcome with pride to savour their soup. And they are not upset when I’m absent for weeks before my next takeaway meal at the cha chaan teng.
Cha chaan tengs are not a dying breed. They play host to local neighbourhoods that survive off the flavours of traditional Cantonese tastes and the cheap, durable dishes found exclusively at Cantonese cafés. Hong Kong’s gastronomical power to serve worldly cuisine is only strong with the foundation of the cha chaan teng, your local restaurant serving the community.
The next time you’re craving a filling meal, head to your local cha chaan teng to support them, instead of chasing the high of the latest restaurant to open in Hong Kong.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author’s and do not represent or reflect the views of Foodie.
