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We came here for lunch on a weekday. The decor has an old classic look that reminds me of going to cha chaan teng as a child. We came here on a mission, and it's to have some baked rice. We ordered the baked rice with spare ribs to share. It doesn't look appetizing as a Western cuisine perspective, but it surely tasted heavenly good. The spare ribs were deep fried to perfection -- juicy with perfect amount of breading and fat. The ketchup / tomato sauce has the perfect amount of acidity with some charcoal from baking. The rice base was egg fried. My only comment would be that the dish could have used some green and red bell peppers. I also got a cold lemon tea and my friend got a red bean ice. Both were done perfectly for a Hong Kong cha chaan teng.
I love this place for its classic retro like feel, the great view of the Temple St Night Market, and its laidback vibe. If you want to see what one of the oldest HK cafe is like in its original state, swing by this place. Do note that there is a minimum per person and for the best view, come by at night when you can glance out the window and see the night market. Came to this place in the late evening and was surprised that it wasn't as packed as my friends and I had thought. When entering, you'll get ushered by this old lady to go upstairs on the 2nd floor. There, if it's not packed, just pick your seat (windows highly recommended!) and wait for the menu. The menu itself is hugeee with a variety of options to pick from. Since I had a mad craving for some baked rice (a typical HK dish I always ordered in the States), I got the baked rice with porkchops. My rating for the dining experience: Wait time = Fairly long despite how the restaurant was half empty Service = Meh, it felt like we were ignored for awhile and we had to put in some effort to get noticed Food presentation = Decent Food taste = average. Baked rice was a bit too sweet for my taste and lacked any real depth of flavor to it. Porkchops were so so and not too memorable. Picture Opportunities = Yayyy. It was definitely nice to look out the window and see the view as well as taking pictures of the cafe itself. Overall, this is a nice cafe to visit but I felt it was a bit overhyped for what it was. In comparison to other cafes I've visited in HK, this one didn't stand out too much to me in quality of food and service.
Mido Cafe 美都餐室 is an iconic eatery in Yau Ma Tei on Temple Street. The interior has more or less remained the same since they have opened decades back, and is more about the atmosphere and experience, than it is a food destination. The best seats are upstairs, and if you go early enough you can get a booth by the window overlooking the temple. Great for people watching. But there is a minimum order. If you are here in the afternoon and only want a drink, the fail safe one is the classic red bean lotus seed ice 紅豆蓮子冰. It is just above water on the minimum charge, and is executed at a very high level. Good quality red beans, and nicely cooked plump lotus seeds. Some evaporated milk, sugar, and crushed ice. This is so much better than those Starbucks Blended Crappucinos, or even Hui Lau Shan mango ice blended drinks (which at some point really do lose their appeal). When the ice starts to melt a bit, use the spoon to get some red beans, lotus seeds, and ice. So darn refreshing! So booth seating upstairs, perfect company, red bean lotus seed ice drink, is a four star experience from a visitor's standpoint, just taking a break from walking in the area and relaxing. The scene and mood during evening/dusk should be another interesting experience. Now if you take into account the value, price, quality of the cooked food (and should you even brave the restrooms which is another whacky experience in itself), then the rating will drop. But I have to mention their fried wontons (Kum Lo style) 錦鹵雲吞 is probably worth trying (even though the price seems high by now), and is absolutely not your moo shoo poo poo American Chinese crab rangoon fried wontons. This is actually an original recipe. And would you believe it, Mido Cafe during the 50s/60s was actually used as a banquet hall....and apparently for weddings. And they served Kum Lo fried wontons as a banquet dish. Boggle$ the mind.
Mido Cafe is an old style Hong Kong cafe. What's special about this place is the nostalgia it brings. If its your first time coming here, make sure you head upstairs, because it looks way cooler up there. I can imagine this place looking exactly as it did back in the 50s or 60s. They're popular for their "baked rice". Personally I like both their Baked Spare Ribs rice as well as their Macanese Baked Pork Chop rice. Mido is pretty expensive by local Chinese cafe standards, but I'm a fan of their food. Their tomato sauce is pretty delicious. They also make a pretty decent milk tea. If you want to add something on the side, their toast is nothing special but still decent. The location isnt exactly near anything else, but its a good place for lunch, especially to bring out of towners. And the best part is; English Menus! When you're ready to leave, ask the workers for a bill, and pay downstairs. They also take Octopus for payment!
Mido cafe is like a little time machine that brings you back to the 60s. Everything in here is very retro from the mosaic walls to the green gates on the windows. Instead of it being dated and in need of a renovation, Mido prides itself on this very fact. I honestly won;t be surprised if someone told me that this place has not purchased anything new in the past 20 years. I enjoy sitting upstairs by a booth facing the park across the street. It really does have an old time feel to it. When you order your food, don't expect anything exciting. Its your typical cha chang tang restaurant and I'd have to say the food is subpar. Ham and egg sandwich with a milk tea is pretty standard, but the people come here for the baked pork chop over fried rice. Pretty decent meal with a decent price tag, but nothing spectacular. I would say most people come here for the novelty and not the food. There isn't anything wrong with that. I love coming here to zone out from hectic hong kong every now and then to daydream and people watch from the booths.
Who would think to come to an old tea cafe in Kowloon... Uh yes. That's what you do when you come to HK. Interestingly, this is not some place I would go to if it were not for locals suggesting it. It is very authentic and dates back to one of the first in HK. So I am not so sure why someone would call it a tourist trap when there were no tourists in there when I was there (except for me) but brought in by locals. The thing to order here is the pork chop with tomato sauce. I finished every last bite. It was like american soul food to me but hongky style. The place looks divey and by no means fancy. It's good though. I really enjoyed the authenticity of the place. You can order a milk tea or ying yorg which is tea and coffee combo. The baked rice dishes is a must try. And if you come here during brunch, the french toast is also another to try.
TL;DR: Come here for the ambiance but not the food. The decor, I have to say, was very well kept and picture perfect. Definitely feels like you were in the 1950s or 60s. Upstairs has A/C downstairs only has fans for cooling. The servers usually encourage you to go upstairs anyway. You can choose where you want to sit, but of course you'll want to sit near the windows so you can look out to the Temple that gave Temple Street its name. We ordered the Iced Red Bean Milk, Yin Yeung (Coffee and Milk Tea mix), and Baked Pork Rice. Price is much higher than regular Cha Chaan Tang food even though that's exactly what they're serving and in even smaller portions. The food is a-ok, nothing special. To be honest, you're here for the architecture than the food, which is exactly what the owner of this place thinks as well. Service is minimal even though we came after lunch rush and their bathroom was broken. There's also a minimum limit per person.
Amongst the variety of Hong Kong tea diners all over the place, Mido Cafe on the Yau Ma Tei side of Temple Street, Kowloon, gets cited mainly for the nostalgia factor of being in a space that hasn't aesthetically changed much (does adding pot lights change anything?). Remnants of 1960/70s HK interiors are stubbornly all over Hong Kong, including at a Starbucks in Mong Kok. Here in Mido Cafe it is full on interior nostalgia in its classic over-tiled glory. Apparently for that reason this is a popular location for film shoots. At least it is air conditioned, and overlooks a park and temple to the south with its wide wrapping panoramic strip window. Diners are usually led upstairs then pay downstairs; it isn't packed like so many other 'cha chaan teng'. I actually find Mido more at a calm pace and less rip-your-head-off brash than other such cafes in Hong Kong (which overall is one brash way of experiencing HK culture). The impersonal service level so typical of Asian restaurants is still here though; oh well. Food is mostly typical basic made-quickly HK cafe stuff that gives hurried locals an excuse not to ever cook: noodle dishes, French toast, warm pineapple bun with a slice of butter, eggs and whatnot. Among other things we had was a macaroni noodle soup--nothing special, it was something easy my own grandmother used to make, and Mido's soup strangely enough tasted just like she made it. Posted signs demand a minimum HK$20 per head charge, something you can do by ordering a drink. Mido's retro though grimy diner setting is pretty much the main thing drawing the curious to such a place, which I guess is not that different an experience than if I were to hit up a retro diner over in North America. At least the menus has English and the waitress does not bleed impatience and attitude. {MTR: Yau Ma Tei, exit C}
The charm of this place grants it an automatic star. It feels like something out of a 1960s Hong Kong movie. The food was also great. The french toast was delicious and an interesting twist on more familiar "Western" versions. A friend had a club sandwich, which was also good, although not as good as the glorious french toast. The iced tea was also great, especially given Hong Kong's steamy summers. Service was passable (not especially friendly, but then again, not mean). Rumor has it that the Hong Kong actor, Chow Yun Fat, considers this his favorite restaurant in the city. We weren't able to see him, but maybe you will?
There are 2 restaurants in HK that brings you back to the 1950/60s (the other is Cheung Hing in Happy Valley) and this is one of them. Located on Temple Street, this place is more touristy and they have tried to take advantage of it with retro photos in the menu and a load of more expensive dishes. I would go to the back of the menu & have the traditional 茶餐廳 items which are not expensive. The food is average. read more
Old-school HK-style cafe decor makes this a bit nostalgic for some, but really aged for others. Even though there are tables downstairs, only the upper floor was available. Since I already had lunch, I only came for some tea and a pineapple bun. I'm not really a huge fan of baked pork chop rice (their specialty) anyway. The milk tea was the right consistency and flavor. It's done right in a lot of places in HK to begin with, but they hold serve here. The pineapple bun was very good but nothing that would make it exceptionally better than a bunch of other spots around. It was warm and fresh. The bread was soft while the crispy sweet topping made a good contrast to that bun. However, as stated, you can find that in various locations around here. Like some reviews have stated, the prices seem rather high here for HK-style cafe fare. Service is the usual brusque that you'll get from a 茶餐廳. It's probably a little bit due to the nostalgic decor that might attract folks. Otherwise, you're not really getting an overwhelming experience here that would surpass many other spots in the area. read more
**HONG KONG STYLE FRENCH TOAST IN AN OLD CAFE** I'm into the 1950-1960's period, so had to go here. ABOUT MIDO CAFE =============== Mido Cafe started back in the 1950s and is one of the oldest cafes in Hong Kong. A landmark at Temple Street and was featured in various Hong Kong movies. AMBIANCE ========= Once you enter the front door, go immediately upstairs. Sit at the booth. Those windows are EVERYTHING. ORDERED ======== FRENCH TOAST Not your typical American-style French toast. It's Hong Kong-style. Which meant that it was made with simple white bread and syrup. My mom used to make French toast like this. Nostalgic for me. RATING: 5/5 RED BEAN ICE One of their specialty drinks, but bland. Used to sweeter taste. RATING: 3/5 BAKED PORK CHOP IN MACANESE STYLE (takes 20 min to make) Meat was tender and went well with the rice. The rice should have been fried for better texture and taste. RATING: 3/5 OVERALL ======== Loved my afternoon experience. Food wasn't that great, but will return for the French toast and maybe their famous tea and coffee drink. Fast service, but not too welcoming. RECOMMEND for a nostalgic moment in Hong Kong. read more
10 years ago
We came here for lunch on a weekday. The decor has an old classic look that reminds me of going to cha chaan teng as a child. We came here on a mission, and it's to have some baked rice. We ordered the baked rice with spare ribs to share. It doesn't look appetizing as a Western cuisine perspective, but it surely tasted heavenly good. The spare ribs were deep fried to perfection -- juicy with perfect amount of breading and fat. The ketchup / tomato sauce has the perfect amount of acidity with some charcoal from baking. The rice base was egg fried. My only comment would be that the dish could have used some green and red bell peppers. I also got a cold lemon tea and my friend got a red bean ice. Both were done perfectly for a Hong Kong cha chaan teng. read more
I love this place for its classic retro like feel, the great view of the Temple St Night Market, and its laidback vibe. If you want to see what one of the oldest HK cafe is like in its original state, swing by this place. Do note that there is a minimum per person and for the best view, come by at night when you can glance out the window and see the night market. Came to this place in the late evening and was surprised that it wasn't as packed as my friends and I had thought. When entering, you'll get ushered by this old lady to go upstairs on the 2nd floor. There, if it's not packed, just pick your seat (windows highly recommended!) and wait for the menu. The menu itself is hugeee with a variety of options to pick from. Since I had a mad craving for some baked rice (a typical HK dish I always ordered in the States), I got the baked rice with porkchops. My rating for the dining experience: Wait time = Fairly long despite how the restaurant was half empty Service = Meh, it felt like we were ignored for awhile and we had to put in some effort to get noticed Food presentation = Decent Food taste = average. Baked rice was a bit too sweet for my taste and lacked any real depth of flavor to it. Porkchops were so so and not too memorable. Picture Opportunities = Yayyy. It was definitely nice to look out the window and see the view as well as taking pictures of the cafe itself. Overall, this is a nice cafe to visit but I felt it was a bit overhyped for what it was. In comparison to other cafes I've visited in HK, this one didn't stand out too much to me in quality of food and service. read more
Mido Cafe 美都餐室 is an iconic eatery in Yau Ma Tei on Temple Street. The interior has more or less remained the same since they have opened decades back, and is more about the atmosphere and experience, than it is a food destination. The best seats are upstairs, and if you go early enough you can get a booth by the window overlooking the temple. Great for people watching. But there is a minimum order. If you are here in the afternoon and only want a drink, the fail safe one is the classic red bean lotus seed ice 紅豆蓮子冰. It is just above water on the minimum charge, and is executed at a very high level. Good quality red beans, and nicely cooked plump lotus seeds. Some evaporated milk, sugar, and crushed ice. This is so much better than those Starbucks Blended Crappucinos, or even Hui Lau Shan mango ice blended drinks (which at some point really do lose their appeal). When the ice starts to melt a bit, use the spoon to get some red beans, lotus seeds, and ice. So darn refreshing! So booth seating upstairs, perfect company, red bean lotus seed ice drink, is a four star experience from a visitor's standpoint, just taking a break from walking in the area and relaxing. The scene and mood during evening/dusk should be another interesting experience. Now if you take into account the value, price, quality of the cooked food (and should you even brave the restrooms which is another whacky experience in itself), then the rating will drop. But I have to mention their fried wontons (Kum Lo style) 錦鹵雲吞 is probably worth trying (even though the price seems high by now), and is absolutely not your moo shoo poo poo American Chinese crab rangoon fried wontons. This is actually an original recipe. And would you believe it, Mido Cafe during the 50s/60s was actually used as a banquet hall....and apparently for weddings. And they served Kum Lo fried wontons as a banquet dish. Boggle$ the mind. read more
Mido Cafe is an old style Hong Kong cafe. What's special about this place is the nostalgia it brings. If its your first time coming here, make sure you head upstairs, because it looks way cooler up there. I can imagine this place looking exactly as it did back in the 50s or 60s. They're popular for their "baked rice". Personally I like both their Baked Spare Ribs rice as well as their Macanese Baked Pork Chop rice. Mido is pretty expensive by local Chinese cafe standards, but I'm a fan of their food. Their tomato sauce is pretty delicious. They also make a pretty decent milk tea. If you want to add something on the side, their toast is nothing special but still decent. The location isnt exactly near anything else, but its a good place for lunch, especially to bring out of towners. And the best part is; English Menus! When you're ready to leave, ask the workers for a bill, and pay downstairs. They also take Octopus for payment! read more
12 years ago
Mido cafe is like a little time machine that brings you back to the 60s. Everything in here is very retro from the mosaic walls to the green gates on the windows. Instead of it being dated and in need of a renovation, Mido prides itself on this very fact. I honestly won;t be surprised if someone told me that this place has not purchased anything new in the past 20 years. I enjoy sitting upstairs by a booth facing the park across the street. It really does have an old time feel to it. When you order your food, don't expect anything exciting. Its your typical cha chang tang restaurant and I'd have to say the food is subpar. Ham and egg sandwich with a milk tea is pretty standard, but the people come here for the baked pork chop over fried rice. Pretty decent meal with a decent price tag, but nothing spectacular. I would say most people come here for the novelty and not the food. There isn't anything wrong with that. I love coming here to zone out from hectic hong kong every now and then to daydream and people watch from the booths. read more
10 years ago
Who would think to come to an old tea cafe in Kowloon... Uh yes. That's what you do when you come to HK. Interestingly, this is not some place I would go to if it were not for locals suggesting it. It is very authentic and dates back to one of the first in HK. So I am not so sure why someone would call it a tourist trap when there were no tourists in there when I was there (except for me) but brought in by locals. The thing to order here is the pork chop with tomato sauce. I finished every last bite. It was like american soul food to me but hongky style. The place looks divey and by no means fancy. It's good though. I really enjoyed the authenticity of the place. You can order a milk tea or ying yorg which is tea and coffee combo. The baked rice dishes is a must try. And if you come here during brunch, the french toast is also another to try. read more
TL;DR: Come here for the ambiance but not the food. The decor, I have to say, was very well kept and picture perfect. Definitely feels like you were in the 1950s or 60s. Upstairs has A/C downstairs only has fans for cooling. The servers usually encourage you to go upstairs anyway. You can choose where you want to sit, but of course you'll want to sit near the windows so you can look out to the Temple that gave Temple Street its name. We ordered the Iced Red Bean Milk, Yin Yeung (Coffee and Milk Tea mix), and Baked Pork Rice. Price is much higher than regular Cha Chaan Tang food even though that's exactly what they're serving and in even smaller portions. The food is a-ok, nothing special. To be honest, you're here for the architecture than the food, which is exactly what the owner of this place thinks as well. Service is minimal even though we came after lunch rush and their bathroom was broken. There's also a minimum limit per person. read more
Amongst the variety of Hong Kong tea diners all over the place, Mido Cafe on the Yau Ma Tei side of Temple Street, Kowloon, gets cited mainly for the nostalgia factor of being in a space that hasn't aesthetically changed much (does adding pot lights change anything?). Remnants of 1960/70s HK interiors are stubbornly all over Hong Kong, including at a Starbucks in Mong Kok. Here in Mido Cafe it is full on interior nostalgia in its classic over-tiled glory. Apparently for that reason this is a popular location for film shoots. At least it is air conditioned, and overlooks a park and temple to the south with its wide wrapping panoramic strip window. Diners are usually led upstairs then pay downstairs; it isn't packed like so many other 'cha chaan teng'. I actually find Mido more at a calm pace and less rip-your-head-off brash than other such cafes in Hong Kong (which overall is one brash way of experiencing HK culture). The impersonal service level so typical of Asian restaurants is still here though; oh well. Food is mostly typical basic made-quickly HK cafe stuff that gives hurried locals an excuse not to ever cook: noodle dishes, French toast, warm pineapple bun with a slice of butter, eggs and whatnot. Among other things we had was a macaroni noodle soup--nothing special, it was something easy my own grandmother used to make, and Mido's soup strangely enough tasted just like she made it. Posted signs demand a minimum HK$20 per head charge, something you can do by ordering a drink. Mido's retro though grimy diner setting is pretty much the main thing drawing the curious to such a place, which I guess is not that different an experience than if I were to hit up a retro diner over in North America. At least the menus has English and the waitress does not bleed impatience and attitude. {MTR: Yau Ma Tei, exit C} read more
8 years ago
I had been told I needed to try HK French Toast and HK Milk Tea. The milk tea was a little disappointing (but also I'm not a huge black tea fan so that might be it). The French toast was definitely different and intriguing to try. I liked it, but not enough that I would come back. read more
9 years ago
The charm of this place grants it an automatic star. It feels like something out of a 1960s Hong Kong movie. The food was also great. The french toast was delicious and an interesting twist on more familiar "Western" versions. A friend had a club sandwich, which was also good, although not as good as the glorious french toast. The iced tea was also great, especially given Hong Kong's steamy summers. Service was passable (not especially friendly, but then again, not mean). Rumor has it that the Hong Kong actor, Chow Yun Fat, considers this his favorite restaurant in the city. We weren't able to see him, but maybe you will? read more
9 years ago
10 years ago
10 years ago
Nice little old school cafe in the heart of Yau Ma Tei. Bring back a lot of childhood memories, but food and service isn't great here. The milk tea taste water down. Took a long time for the food and drink to come out even though place was half empty. Some guy behind me ordered curry rice and even he complained and left. Expensive in comparison to other places and definitely expensive for the quality of food. read more
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More info about 美都餐室
G/F, 63 Temple Street
廟街63號地下
Hong Kong
Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon
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2384 6402
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