Tai On Coffee & Tea Shop — Restaurant in Kowloon

The old Tai On Coffee & Tea was a long standing cha chaan teng located at the corner of Pitt Street and Canton Road in Yau Ma Tai. They opened up in 1969 and were a local favourite for five decades before finally closing down this past October.

Yet this past March, a new Tai On Coffee & Tea reopened at the same premise, making much use of the old layout, seating, decor and shop front signage. In many ways, you wouldn't even notice the changes other than the younger staff, modern and reduced food menu and introduction of modern coffee drinks, replacing the old-school HK style coffee from yesteryears.

I popped in for my first visit to the new Tai On Coffee & Tea recently. Staff were much friendly, spoke English very well and served my macchiato and coconut sheet cake slice in a timely manner. The macchiato was very good, a nicely prepared espresso drink with just the right amount of milk to cut the bitterness of the drink without diluting the espresso flavour. The coconut cake was pretty good as well, slightly moist, crumbly with a good coconut flavour and not too sweet.

Overall, it felt good to see how much of the old place they retained with the new version of the Tai On Coffee & Tea. So many old places are gutted and fully modernised into new age restaurants and coffee shops these days. By preserving the old cha chaan teng look, fell and name, they have created real and proper nostalgia here, something the younger crowd can enjoy and appreciate while allowing the older generation opportunity to continue to frequent a decades long favourite in the Yau Ma Tei...

The service needs to be improved. It's slow and the waiters/waitresses seem like they don't care about the costumers. We waited for at least 15 minutes to be seated, not because there wasn't space, but it seemed like they want to make the queue longer to attract more costumers.There were at least 3 empty tables in the restaurant. When the food is served, the waiters don't tell you that you have to get the cutlery yourself or where to get it. We sat there for 5 minutes thinking that they probably forgot. It was then that I heard another costumer asking for it, and then the staff told them that you have to get it yourself. As a new restaurant, you will have ALOT of new costumers, and you can't expect them to know. Be warned, we waited nearly 25 minutes for an egg tart. The worst part is that the long wait was for it to be REHEATED. If it normally takes that long, then either warn the costumer that it'll take a while, or buy a bigger oven so that you can put more items to bake. The person working the oven section seemed to just be taking their time plating the egg tart and spreading sauce on bagels. It's like they have all the time in the world. Local cha chaan tengs are known for their fast and tasteful food, yet this modern twist of a cha chaan teng lacks both. The only good thing was...

I had the pleasure of visiting Tai on Coffee and Tea for the first time, and it truly was a delightful experience. This trendy cafe exudes the classic vibes of Hong Kong movies, creating a unique and inviting atmosphere.

The staff here went above and beyond to ensure we had a memorable meal. When I hesitated about ordering the breakfast set due to my smaller appetite, they recommended the 'Tai on Duck Breast Pineapple Bun' instead. It turned out to be an exceptional choice, as the duck breast was incredibly delicious!

We also tried the 'Tuna and Cheese Toast with Salad,' and I was pleasantly surprised by the set's value. It even included a drink for $38 or less, which I found to be very reasonable.

The overall experience was so enjoyable that I can't wait to return to Hong Kong, and visiting Tai on Coffee and Tea will be at the top of my list. If you're in the area, don't miss the chance to savor their delicious offerings and soak in the...