CantonesePath · Living Culture
A Day at Cha Chaan Teng
From breakfast before work to a simple evening meal, explore everyday Hong Kong café food and learn the Cantonese to go with it.
茶餐廳
caa4 caan1 teng1 · Hong Kong-style café
A cha chaan teng is a Hong Kong-style café known for everyday meals and a menu that blends Chinese and Western influences.
Choose a mealtime. Tap a speaker to hear Cantonese.
Tap a speaker to hear Cantonese. Jyutping numbers indicate tones.
Try ordering in CantoneseA useful phrase for your selected meal
Three little culture clues
01
Sharing a table
When it gets busy, strangers may sit together. It is normal, practical, and part of the rhythm.
02
Fast ordering
Staff move quickly, and many customers already know what they want before sitting down.
03
Milk tea matters
Hong Kong-style milk tea is a classic drink and one of the best-known symbols of cha chaan teng culture.