My apologies if this review sounds rushed and hurried. As soon as I left the restaurant, I had an overwhelming feeling to write a review. That's how good the food was.
The curry, oh my god, the curry. It's a life changer. I don't normally order curry at a cha chaan teng, just because of my personal concern over the spice-level (which ended up being fairly mild). Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, given the fact that my friend and I just finished a 10K run in the exhausting 30 degree C HK heat and high humidity... But, we made it to this cha chaan teng, which is located behind Jardine's Bazaar and next to the Indonesian Embassy. It's overall appearance is very unassuming (a stark contrast against Tsui Wah's bright decorative colors), which I found very calming after a tiring run - walls decorated with classic American advertisements on coffee, drinks, Audrey Hepburn, and some reminiscent of the roaring 20s.
Anyways, back to the food. The problem with me and cha chaan tengs is their extensive menu. I simply have a hard time making up my mind! Do I want noodles? Rice? Chinese-style "Western" dishes? A sizzling platter? My eyes studied the menu before settling on Rice with Brazilian Pork Chop and Fried Egg, in the "Western Dishes" section. You can pick the sauce and I chose a black pepper sauce - others include gravy or onion, tomato, etc. My friend went with Rice with Fish Curry. Both of our dishes came with hot tea/coffee - add HK$3 for a cold beverage.
The fish curry arrived first. My friend took a spoonful of the curry and poured it over his rice. He took one bite and said, "Celine, you have GOT to try this. No joke, this is really REALLY good." I didn't want to be disrespectful for a taste since my order hadn't arrived yet. But I yielded, to his urging and took a stab at the curry (literally, the first thing I ate was a piece of potato). Then the fish. IT WAS SO GOOD! (Insert Emma Stone GIF of her saying "This is the best!!") The fish had a crunchy yet chewy battered exterior, similar to that of sweet and sour pork. I don't know what they put in the curry, but it is simply magic. (The NBA player Curry is also a magician on the court, I digress...)
Then came my Brazilian Pork with Fried Egg. The pork was a bit tough to cut into (they didn't give me a knife, but gave my friend with the fish curry a knife..?), but upon biting into it, it was miraculously tender. The black pepper sauce was thick and peppery (as expected), and I enjoyed scooping it up to dress the fried egg, mmmm mmm! Ironically, there was also one large piece of bok choi - so much for being a "Western" dish!
Seriously, I would go back for the curry any time. Milk tea is perfect. And as my friend said, "Everything they make, they make it so well!" So far, so good.
Also, I am seriously in love with these cups. Does anyone know where can I get one that doesn't involve me buying a whole box of Black & White milk? read more