Tea breaks with tradition
Present-day iterations of Hong Kong's beloved cha chaan teng are often about memorializing elements of the traditional model. Faye Bradley reports.
The cha chaan teng gets a more lavish update at the luxurious Rosewood hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. "Holt's Caf is a stylish destination that elevates traditional Hong Kong-style cafe culture to an upscale, lively contemporary experience," says chef de cuisine Chung Kwok-wai. Iconic dishes are next leveled with premium ingredients, while the establishment's tea conservatory and in-house tea master raise the dining experience to new heights.
"We wanted to create a familiar restaurant that was approachable for our guests ... (one that) serves enhanced comforting classics that you can find in a classic Hong Kong cafe," Chung elaborates. Case in point: for Holt's Caf's Premium char siu rice, the chef uses Japanese grains - which are plumper and have a stickier, firmer texture - and nutty Iberico pork from Spain. A superior, golden-yolked Japanese egg and artisanal, one-year-aged soy sauce from heritage brand Yuan's provide the final flourish to this four-hour-roasted dish. Another cha chaan teng staple, Hainan chicken rice, uses tender, local yellow-feathered chicken, and Thai rice cooked with fresh lemongrass, shallots, galangal, chicken oil and coconut milk, while the traditional chicken broth benefits from a sprinkling of vibrant Chinese goji berries.
