I was on a sugar high during my stay in Hong Kong. I blame the milk tea.
Hong Kong-style milk tea is in a class of its own, different from other forms of milk tea you’re likely to encounter. Also called pantyhose milk tea or silk stocking milk tea, it gets the signature intense, smooth flavor from the being strained back and forth through a long cloth sieve that resembles women’s stockings. In this episode of an HK food show on Youtube (in Cantonese only), the proprietor of one cafe explains how he uses a blend of six types of tea leaves and boils and strains the tea eight times. At the end, evaporated milk and a heaping spoonful of sugar is mixed in to create the final cup of pure caffeinated bliss.
Granted, pantyhose milk tea, known as “si mut naai cha” in Cantonese, can get a bit heavy at times. But for me, it’s about as addictive as Vietnamese coffee and Thai iced tea. Since I can’t get milk tea this good in Beijing, I spent my trip in Hong Kong indulging in this thick, sweet concoction in almost every shape and form.
For the summer time, of course, there’s iced milk tea, best drunken on a lazy afternoon in a cha chaan teng with a newspaper and pineapple bun. But some cha chaan tengs (Cantonese cafe/diner), acknowledging that melted ice can dilute the tea too much, have devised some quirky ways to keep the drink cold without flavor loss. One spot I visited serves their milk tea in plastic cups nestled in bowls of ice. In the aforementioned Youtube video, the shop makes its ice cubes out of the same hand-pulled milk tea.
And if tea alone doesn’t give you enough jolt, there’s always the yuanyang (yinyeung in Cantonese), a half milk tea and half coffee blend, usually served hot. Note that this is only good if you’re not a coffee purist. Most places use instant coffee.
As for foods to go with your milk tea, there’s instant noodles with canned luncheon meat…
…macaroni with Spam, which will appeal to anyone who grew up in Hawaii or a former British or U.S. colony…
…or more egg tarts.
Hong Kong-style French toast and beef brisket noodles (ngau lam fun) are also pretty spectacular accompaniments. Almost anything goes, as long as it’s no frills, cheap, and can imbue a sense of nostalgia for colonial Hong Kong.
Some favorite spots for Hong Kong-style milk tea (絲襪奶茶 si mut naai cha):
Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園) – A popular and legendary little metal shack in Central, where pantyhose milk tea was supposedly invented.
2 Gage Street, Central (also a newer branch down the street)
中環結志街2號
2544 3895/ 2854 0731
Honolulu Coffee Shop （檀島咖啡餅店） – Very old school 1950′s style cha chaan teng, with an effortlessly retro mint and pink decor.
33 Stanley Street, Central
中環士丹利街33號
2526 8063
Tai Hing (太興燒味連鎖店) – Modern, clean, has full menu of HK-style Cantonese food.
26-31 Tai On Building, 57-87 Shau Ke Wan Road, Sai Wan Ho
西灣河箕灣道57-87號太安樓地下G26-31舖
2567 7362
Cafe de Coral – It’s a chain, but serves better milk tea than many establishments around the city. During afternoon tea a hot milk tea is only $6, the cheapest I’ve found in the city. Locations all around HK.
I’ve been trying to recreate the macaroni in soup with spam at home but somehow can’t get the broth to taste the same. Sometimes you’d even get a fried egg on top. Ahhh… nostalgia!
Mmm….nostalgia! I can remember them very well. Kung zai mein with fried spam and fried egg, or the same with macoroni…wash down with see mut naai cha and a dan tart to finish the meal…yum!
I think the spam they use in HK is not the western SPAM but chinese luncheon meat.
Lizzie, try add a bit of Knorr chicken stock powder to the soup base that will boost the flavour.
They do use Western Spam in HK, but I think the stuff in the photo is “foh tui”, not “ng tsaan yook”.
Okay, my heart is racing just thinking about the sugar and caffeine jolt of these teas. I like the idea of making ice cubes out of the tea itself – no dilution!
That particular macaroni with Spam does not appeal to me but that egg tart sure does. How mean of you to torture me with such a picture perfect dan taat!
Good thing we’re going up to SF on Saturday to visit Golden Gate Bakery.
Nate – I have always found the perfect sheen on a dan taat to be a thing of beauty. And so addictive, as far as Chinese pastries go.
OMG, I LOVE HK milk tea!! soo yummy and I agree it’s totally addictive! Lovely blog too
Tastes of Home – Thanks! Welcome!
One of the first thing I do everytime I am in HK – enjoyed a cup of “naai cha”.
Normally have coffee in the morning but if I am in HK, “naai cha” takes over. And I love the breakfast selection they have.
I use the Honolulu in Stanley street to teach Cantonese in! It’s my favourite cha chan teng.
You can see a session on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/cantocourse
I think it’s Episode 15, Aluminium Man
Thanks for the link to the youtube video. I watch So Good sometimes but never caught this segment. I’m trying to recreate hong kong milk tea at home.
cocochanelella – Isn’t that a great video? I especially love the part when they pull out the milk tea ice cubes.
I’m a big fan of Hong Kong style Milk Tea as well. Been trying to figure out a quick and dirty way to get my fix and ended up publishing my results here:
http://perendinate.com/2010/01/06/step-by-step-guide-on-how-to-make-hong-kong-style-milk-tea/
Take a look and feel free to share any pointers you may have.
Thanks Diana, great post. I am eyeing that visit to Honolulu and Lan Fong Yuen in my next visit.
Last time when I was in HK, I kept searching for milk tea to satisfy my cravings. And although slightly pricey compared to what we have here in Malaysia (here RM1.50/USD0.50 – one glass of iced milk tea), while in HK (about HKD10++) very hard to get cheap ones.
But the taste is different. Very milky, creamy and smooth.
I love milk tea and Hong Kong style cafes! :)