Hong Kong-style Western cuisine
Hong Kong-style western cuisine (Chinese: 港式西餐; Cantonese IPA: [kɔŋ35 sɪk55 sɐɪ55 tsʰɑn55], Jyutping: gong2 sik1 sai1 caan1; Hanyu Pinyin: gǎngsī xīcān) is a style of American and European cooking served by some restaurants in Hong Kong (such as cha chaan tengs), as well as places where many Hong Kong residents immigrated to. This is the opposite of American Chinese cuisine, a Chinese cuisine geared towards Westerners; rather it is a western cuisine geared toward the Chinese population in Hong Kong as well as Chinese immigrants in other countries.
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Traditional Hong Kong-style western cuisine
Restaurants serving traditional Hong Kong-style western cuisine are mainly run by Chinese immigrants or their descendents and cater to the taste of mid 20th-century immigrant Chinese North-Americans, as well as Chinese North-Americans born in the mid-20th century.
Generally, the meal will consist of:
- a cup of a Western soup, such as New England Clam Chowder,
- diner's choice of coffee or plain American tea
- a Western entree, such as oxtail stew or a pork chop, served with
- diner's choice of steamed white rice or spaghetti (without sauce), and sometimes
- dessert, consisting of a slice of pie, or red sweetened gelatin or agar agar
The traditional Hong Kong-style western cuisine will have other beverages available, such as Ovaltine or Horlicks, brands of malted beverages. The restaurant may or may not serve American Chinese cuisine as well.
These restaurants represent some earliest efforts into fusion cuisine; some became famous by using soy sauce when preparing Western dishes.
Modern Hong Kong-style western cuisine
Restaurants serving modern Hong Kong-style western cuisine are mainly run by recent Chinese immigrants and cater to the taste of current Hong Kong residents or late 20th-century immigrant Chinese North-Americans, as well as Chinese North-Americans born in the late-20th century.
Generally, the meal will consist of:
- a cup of a Western soup, typically New England Clam Chowder or Borscht (though tomato based rather than beet based),
- diner's choice of coffee or Hong Kong milk tea (a very strong tea lightened with evaporated milk)
- a Western entree, such as oxtail stew or a pork chop, served with
- diner's choice of steamed white rice, spaghetti (without sauce), or instant noodles, and
- dessert, sweet soup containing variously red bean, tiny tapioca balls, and/or taro, or gelatin-based dessert such as Mango pudding.
The modern Hong Kong-style western restaurant will sometimes serve a long list of modern beverages such as tapioca pearl drinks, milk shakes, or Coca Cola with ginger. The restaurant may or may not serve American Chinese cuisine as well.
See also
External link
- Everyone's cup of tea? China Daily article on Hong Kong-style resturants in Beijing.