(Bloomberg) – For over 20 years, the large TSUI WAH branch on Wellington Street has been a late-night favorite for Hong Kong people. Open 24 hours a day, Cha Chaan Teng offers local classics such as soup noodle, fried rice and egg sandwiches, washed in a glass of iced lemon tea – the perfect feed to absorb the alcohol of nearby Lan Kwai Fong. At 2 am, a lively cross section of Hong Kong can be found there, talking to each other in a broken atmosphere under the bright lights.
The restaurant, which closed in 2020, has its business hurt by protests and pandemic restrictions, is one of the lockdowns that have ended in many people at the end of the city’s nightlife Louche era.
In December, the chain opened a new highlight on Wellington Street, part of a wave of old names returning. I visited a few beers with a friend recently (for historical authenticity). The interior is still too illuminated, but the polite atmosphere still has a long way to go from previous incarnations. Hong Kong history has a bit of head: the curved wooden benches resemble wooden benches found on old trams, while the air conditioning ducts overhead are painted in a shiny red color.
Hungry, we ordered the barbecue pork belly with eggs (HK$122), pork and mushrooms on the rice, fried noodles (HK$98) and chicken wings, chicken wings (HK$78) – basically sweet soy sauce.
The pork belly has a rich sauce with a coated sweetness, and the eggs are cooked well, but the eggs are almost rich. The crispy noodles we poured in with red vinegar are filled with a brittle and soft mixture of texture. Full and juicy wings.
Looking around, Kung Fu prawns with fried noodles plus Kung Fu Pepper Oil (HK$128) seem to be a popular dish among other diners, a sparse mixture of locals and expats.
This is a great place for a football ball of seven or a late night meal after a normal meal. The food is available, but it is exotic enough for outsiders. This is not the ancient tsui wah, but the residents of Hong Kong have become accustomed to the change.
The total bill reached HK$366, which included several rehydrated fresh lime soda.
Ambience: High-end Cha Chaan Teng with pink neon frame windows. Part of the Central Classic Restaurant Revival. The restaurant is half full at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
Can you hold a private meeting here? You can, but I don’t think you won’t.
We will order again: We love everything we eat. Next time I will try the prawns.
Need to know: This restaurant is located in Silver Fortune Plaza, 1 Central Wellington Street, and is open from 7 a.m. to midnight every day. – Rich frost
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