In the minds of many, Hong Kong is merely a temporary transit point, a duty-free shopping paradise, a cultural desert, a modern metropolis filled with skyscrapers, bustling pedestrians, and indifferent faces... In reality, Hong Kong is more than just the impression you have of it. Tea houses that have weathered half a century, old film studios that have recorded the passage of time, workshops where artisans persist in their crafts, and independent bookstores that harbor deep sentiments—all hide traces of Hong Kong's culture, the classics that time cannot erase.
Immigrants to Hong Kong can savor the classic flavors of Hong Kong in its traditional tea restaurants.
If you only know to look for Tsui Wah Restaurant or Sham Tseng roast goose when visiting Hong Kong, you cannot truly experience the authentic old flavors of the city. It is better to visit an old-fashioned tea house or 'bing sutt' (ice room), sit in the environment of a vintage tea restaurant, "drink some tea and eat a bun," and savor the classic taste of Hong Kong amidst the bustling city.
Luk Yu Tea House – Knowing the Warmth and Cold Since the 1930s
Founded in 1933, Luk Yu Tea House is known to almost every old Hong Konger. From the moment it opened, it was a place for business tycoons to discuss "big deals." Later, a shooting incident occurred here, which added a touch of underworld atmosphere and made it even more popular.
Walking into the tea house, time seems to have frozen in the 1930s, with old-fashioned electric fans, antique calligraphy and paintings, rosewood tables and chairs, and even the dim sum order cards are in a style that has not changed for decades. The waiters are middle-aged men and women wearing the white jackets typical of servants in wealthy households seen in TV dramas. They keep a straight face, looking indifferent, with trays for serving food slung across their chests, delivering baskets of dim sum to the tables.
The food here does not follow trends; there are no innovative dishes, only traditional shrimp dumplings, rice noodle rolls, lotus leaf rice, etc. The most famous dishes are not written on the menu, such as the pig lung and almond soup, which only regular customers know about. The taste is not surprising; it is the old-school flavor. But it is precisely this old and conservative taste that keeps so many old neighbors waiting here day after day, year after year, guarding the unique experience of Luk Yu Tea House.
Address: G/F, 24-26 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong
Hours: 7:00-22:00
Mido Cafe – A Restaurant That Witnesses History
If the place that best reflects Hong Kong's street life is Temple Street, then the place that best reflects the food of Temple Street is Mido Cafe. This familiar restaurant, often seen in TVB dramas, has weathered the storms for more than half a century and has become an attraction in its own right.
The two-story restaurant has dining on the ground floor, with railings opening onto the street and old-fashioned electric fans spinning overhead, sending out a humid, warm breeze filled with a nostalgic scent. The second floor is a cozy seating area, where warm sunlight rests on the dark green vintage window frames through matcha-colored shutters. The condiment jars and teaspoons, knives, and forks on the tables are neatly arranged, shining with a sense of happiness; everything looks warm and inviting.
For a restaurant that has remained unchanged for many years, one should not be too critical of the taste of the food. Simple baked pork chop rice, stir-fried choy sum, and the signature red bean ice—this is how you taste the ordinary flavors of Hong Kong's working class.
Address: 63 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Hours: 8:30-21:45
Starbucks on Duddell Street – The Perfect Combination of Ice Room and Cafe
A modern, trendy Western-style cafe and an outdated, retro Hong Kong-style ice room—these two things that seem to have nothing to do with each other have sparked a connection in bustling Central. Taking advantage of the retro trend in 2009, Starbucks opened the world's first Starbucks Ice Room on Duddell Street.
As the most prosperous business district in Hong Kong, Central was not expected to have such a retro shop spring up. Upon entering the store, you will find that the interior is full of old-fashioned decor. From the "Cozy Seating Inside" sign to the old-fashioned fans, antique simple tables and chairs, the tiles on the floor and walls, as well as the hanging menus, old televisions, enamel cups, and matchboxes distributed throughout the store, every detail transports you back to an old ice room from the 1970s.
If the decor here is already special enough, the food is also ingenious. This is the only Starbucks in the world that sells the "Three Treasures of the Ice Room"—thick-cut butter pineapple bun, coffee egg tart, and hazelnut coffee cake roll. Every bite tastes like an "ice room," nostalgic and delicious!
Address: Shop M2, Mezzanine Floor, Baskerville House, 13 Duddell Street, Central
Hours: Monday to Thursday 7:00-21:00, Friday 7:00-22:00, Saturday 8:00-22:00, Sunday 9:00-20:00