The fuel for Hong Kong’s engine – milk tea

Hong Kong: Some cities are fuelled by coffee. In Hong Kong, it’s milk tea that keeps things running – a potent nostalgia-infused caffeine hit, with fierce competition to brew the best in town.

There are thousands of restaurants offering the full gamut of international cuisines, but the city’s no-frills diner-style cafes, some of them decades old, remain perennial favourites with locals, and still do a roaring trade. Known in Cantonese as cha chaan tengs or “tea restaurants” they serve up cheap local favourites, from fried egg sandwiches and buttery French toast.