Hong Kong is literally packed with hidden gems. One of such is Mido Cafe, a traditional [ cha chaan teng ], literally translating to 'tea restaurant'. Some of the classic cha chaan teng dishes include: pineapple bun with a slice of cold butter in the middle, peanut butter french toast, ham and egg sandwich, and a piping hot cup of Hong Kong style milk tea to wash it all down.
While I've read/heard that Mido has taken a turn for the worse due to its growing popularity with tourists I was actually pleasantly surprised to find packed with locals with an occasional sprinkle of foreigners. Another thing I cannot complain about is the fact that they offer an english menu for their non-Chinese speaking/reading patrons. Which, in my case, came in mighty handy*.
Anyways, what I loved about my visit to Mido Cafe is that it was cultural experience as well as a dining one. The owners opened the restaurant in the 1950's and not much has changed since then. They've kept everything from the tiles to the wall hangings. And I'm pretty sure I saw an antique cash register on the first floor (or was it the second?). Talk about a blast from the past!
As you can tell from the photos Kelly and I stuffed ourselves silly that afternoon, but we couldn't help but order everything that sounded good on the menu. Given that I'm practically illiterate when it comes to the Chinese language, cha chaan tengs are not one of my usual haunts, and I needed to take advantage of every opportunity.
*In my defence, I stopped learning how to read and write in Chinese when I was 10, and also it's a friggin' difficult language! :P
While I've read/heard that Mido has taken a turn for the worse due to its growing popularity with tourists I was actually pleasantly surprised to find packed with locals with an occasional sprinkle of foreigners. Another thing I cannot complain about is the fact that they offer an english menu for their non-Chinese speaking/reading patrons. Which, in my case, came in mighty handy*.
Anyways, what I loved about my visit to Mido Cafe is that it was cultural experience as well as a dining one. The owners opened the restaurant in the 1950's and not much has changed since then. They've kept everything from the tiles to the wall hangings. And I'm pretty sure I saw an antique cash register on the first floor (or was it the second?). Talk about a blast from the past!
As you can tell from the photos Kelly and I stuffed ourselves silly that afternoon, but we couldn't help but order everything that sounded good on the menu. Given that I'm practically illiterate when it comes to the Chinese language, cha chaan tengs are not one of my usual haunts, and I needed to take advantage of every opportunity.
*In my defence, I stopped learning how to read and write in Chinese when I was 10, and also it's a friggin' difficult language! :P
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