{hk} lan fong yuen {蘭芳園}

the watch showed half hour past the ninth hour.

exhausted and hungry. 

a couple of hours waiting at the ferry terminal, followed by an hour of the ferry ride would do that to you. 

disembarking from the terminal, i remembered a familiar name that i saw earlier this morning. 

"蘭芳園"

"lan fong yuen"

it wasn't the original stall in central that i wanted to try but i was ready to give in even to its branch at the macau ferry terminal building in sheung wan. especially there were so much uncertainty whether we'd have the time to include it in our itinerary especially with the limited time we had in hong kong which is a sea of food options.

this was it.  

the birthplace of the original hk milk tea "see mut nai cha" {絲襪奶茶} or translated to 'silk stocking milk tea". it was on my bucket list and a must try in hong kong to taste the local's beloved beverage at where it all started. the tea is a combination of five different tea leaves and brewed to be strained in a tea bag that is fabricated with white muslin, resembling silk stockings.

hence, the name. 

the tea is then added to the milk imported from malaysia.

it donned a "dai pai dong" {大牌檔} interior matching its exterior - almost as if paying tribute to its roots as a street stall on the gage street in central (its original branch) turned tea cafe. an old school decor resonated with the green-white patterned tiles on the floor that was echoed by the white tiled walls lined with sheathed album covers of a popular cantopop artiste, alan tam. 

we entered the restaurant cautiously as it seemed like the staff was ready to call it a day but was encouraged by some other diners who made their way in quickly. we instantly followed suit.

we were in luck! they were willing to take last orders for the evening but had us promise to finish up our food before their closing time. the three chefs in the kitchen seemed rather cheery despite the late orders and even managed a smile at us. pleasantly surprised by the friendly kitchen staff, we shifted our attention to the menu to place our orders and requested us to pay prior the food being served -- not their usual modus operandi but because of the late hour. 

[#protip] cash payment only!

the waitstaff was cleaning up a table as the couple had just finished their dinner. and then proceeded to clean the floors as we waited for our dishes to be served.

rice :: braised prok ribs in soy sauce over rice (hkd 48)

a generous serving of the braised pork with equally huge portion of rice where the grains were soft, and separated. the pork ribs were mostly tender and almost fall off the bone where they soaked in the vinegary, saltiness of soy sauce in the braising process. a tad too salty on its own, hence the rice was perfect as a counterpoise element. on the side, the stir fry cabbage may seem insignificant but happened to be a much needed aspect in cutting through the monotony of the dish and i wished there were more.

overall, not a bad plate of food, but nothing too memorable as i looked at {mh}'s dish in envy. 

noodles :: chicken steak instant noodles with green onion (hkd 48)

as much as i knew this was what my heart desired, my slightly scratchy throat advised otherwise. the lovely seasoned grilled chicken wore a coat of crispy skin to cover its moistness inside.

the one that makes a huge difference in the dish is the unassuming ginger and green onion sauce. it was a great palate cleanser and punched its flavor in between bite-fuls of noodles + chicken to add another aspect of flavor in the dish -- injecting the occasional freshness and herbaceous in the savoriness yet complementing the two main ingredients. {mh} gave a nod of approval as she finished her meal with gusto!

tea :: hong kong milk tea

included as part of the dinner set menu, the milk tea was something i was very much looking forward to. served warm, i added just a couple spoonfuls of sugar, took a deep breath and sipped. 

it was the moment of truth.

-- i declare it to be the best of the hong kong milk tea i've tasted and i've had quite a few in this #siansEATShongkong series. it was very smooth to the tongue with a milky deliciousness. the tea itself was prominent but interlaced beautifully with the creamy milk. 

was it amazing? missed it by a little but it was very yummy. in fact, i wouldn't mind returning for another cup or two. :)

lan fong yuen has made a name for itself because of its creation of the legendary classic local's favorite milk tea and it definitely lived up to its name..many times over. a dai pai dong turned tea cafe that has been around since the 1950s with the crowds that continued to grow in number, speak volumes of its mastery. and if you are ever in the neighborhood (and even if you are not), this is where you should try hong kong's beloved beverage -- the real deal see mut nai cha. 

lan fong yuen | location

shop 304d,
3/f shun tak centre,
168-200 connaugh road central,
sheung wan, hong kong

nearest mtr station: sheung wan station

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.