Editor""s note: Gang wei, or literally Hong Kong taste, is a concept often talked about, but almost impossible to define. No one can tell what the taste is exactly, yet it can be found everywhere in the city: the ting-a-ling of the trams, the shumai in tea houses and the burning incense in the Tin Hau Temple. As the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region celebrates the 20th anniversary of its return to China, we bring this A piece of Hong Kong series to try and explore the spirit of Hong Kong from some of the most intriguing aspects of the city.
Lin Heung Tea House
The lotus seed paste bun, Shumai made with liver, steamed Chinese sausage rolls and a cup of tea are typical delicacies from Hong Kong. To integrate into Hong Kong people""s life, there are few better ways than spending a lazy morning in a local traditional tea house. The best place to go is the Lin Heung Tea House, which has been around since 1918.
Diners have to stand around the tables and get seats for themselves. Dim sum is served on traditional trolleys, and to get a dim sum, one needs to follow the trolleys with a card and the server will chop a stamp on it after passing the chosen food.
The famous tea house is featured in several films, including the Longest Summer and In the Mood for Love.
Bing sutt style themed Starbucks
Bing sutt, otherwise known as an ice room in Cantonese, is a type of traditional coffee house in Hong Kong, which was very popular during 1950s and 1960s. Providing light meals and drinks, it is a unique place where Chinese food meets Western food.
Bing sutt is often characterized by old furniture, small tiled floors, hanging fans and folding chairs. In this Starbucks on Duddell Street, the tables, seats, decorations and even menus are a duplication of an old-style bing sutt, which brings people back to the old days. You will be itching to join other customers taking photos of the retro menu and decor, along with the treasures and knickknacks on the walls and tables.
Kau Kee Beef Brisket
This obscure shop in Central has people lining up all year round to savor a bowl of beef brisket, with or without noodles. The shop is famous for clear soup beef brisket, which was invented by its founder. Kao Kee also offers beef brisket with curry sauce. Both recipes are secret known only by the owner.
The shop""s fame is, to a great extent, bought by celebrities who are loyal fans, including superstar Leslie Cheung who used to visit before he died in . Therefore, the shop has become a place where Cheung""s fans gather to commemorate him.
Ice cream van
In Hong Kong, Mister Softee, owned by the Ng Enterprises Ltd, consists of a number of ice cream trucks. The red, white and blue exterior of the trucks, together with the the Blue Danube tune they play, are part of the collective memory of many Hong Kong residents. Mister Softee""s Hong Kong operation was renamed to Mobile Softee in .
Although the van only provides four kinds of ice cream, it is one of the sweetest memories connected to every local resident""s childhood.
Dai pai dong
Dai pai dong are open-air street stalls which serve cooked food. The name means a restaurant with a big license plate, and refers to the large size of the licenses they were issued in the past. Today, the term is applied to all open-air food stalls, and not just the ones with this specific license.
Da pai dong can be found almost anywhere around the city. Although the stalls serve just about any snack or food, they are best known for their humble home dishes like a stir fry. The diners may find this a good chance to bond with local people because, very likely, they will end up sharing a table with strangers during busy hours.
