Tai Cheong Bakery

Have wanted to try Tai Cheong Bakery's first cha chan teng since it opened in Singapore 2 years ago but only managed to finally get round to it recently. This is the Hong Kong brand's first foray into dine-in concept since its first bakery at Lyndhurst Terrace more than 60 years ago. Was in the area on a weekday when we decided to have an early dinner. Located at Holland Village, it has both indoor air-conditioned and outdoor dining area. There are a few tables in the former and we were fortunate to be seated inside. One of my dining companions ordered beef brisket curry rice while another had scrambled egg with chicken chop, choosing po lo bao over toast. Was surprised when the latter arrived as the portion was huge, definitely not a simple breakfast. The omelette was silky smooth, soft and moist while the po lo bao was fluffy like a pillow. And the chicken chop was crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside.

I had instant noodles in chicken (you can choose tomato too) soup with three eggs and ham. Loved the sunny side up though three yolks are too much even for an egg-lover like me, and could neither rave about the fried strips of luncheon meat nor fault the fork-tender beef brisket that had supposedly been braised for a good six hours. We also shared a cup of yuan yang – a good balance between coffee, tea and milk. However, it was not to my liking as I prefer mine to have a tad more coffee and less milk. Though the bakery is well-known for its egg tarts, we did not order it this time since we have tried the ones from this branch and Hong Kong (check out my post on What and Where to Eat in Hong Kong) before. Overall, it was a pleasant meal that was not too salty.

What and Where to Eat in Hong Kong (Part I)

Do not leave Hong Kong without eating at a cha chan teng or dai pai dong. The former can be found everywhere while there are only a handful of the latter left as the government stopped issuing licenses for them due to congestion and hygiene problems. Both, and cooked food centres similar to our hawker centres, sell anything from po lo bao to cart noodles (or instant noodles with egg, ham/luncheon meat/sausage) and rice. In Singapore, we may have shared table with strangers at a coffeeshop, food court or hawker centre. But here, it is normal to be seated with strangers at restaurants especially at crowded places. Now…what should you eat in this former British Colony that justifies the almost-four-hours flight? Having been here a couple of times over the last few years, these are my recommendations: