2018-01-16 [Dining Comments & Restaurant Reviews] Sun Wah Cafe(新華茶餐廳) - A small talk on Hong Kong Style Cafe's "Hidden Menu"

Today is an article of the first dining comments & restaurant reviews...

Today target is Sun Wah Cafe(新華茶餐廳), one of a local famous Hong Kong Style Cafe.

I have ordered the "All Day Breakfast Set"(特餐), which is an all-day breakfast set and should be one of a common set on most of the Hong Kong Style Cafe.

By directly interpreting the menu, the set includes 4 items listed in the menu the hot drink could be changed to a cold drink by adding $3 as the alternative.

In fact, for these 4 items, I actually placed the order as below,

Satay Beef Noodles => Satay Beef Pasta
Ham Omelette
Bun with Butter => Sandwich Bread with Butter
Milk Tea (Hot)

Yeah, almost half of the set has been modified in the actual order, and the alternative orders are free for such modification!

Actually, those "hidden" alternative menu service is available on most of the Hong Kong Style Cafe and is one of a "common knowledge" among the local Hong Kong people. Therefore, most of the restaurants tend not to show such alternative options explicitly in the menu, and just offer the alternative options as a "hidden menu".

Although such options are "hidden", there are some common rules, such as noodle can be changed to pasta, bun to bread, omelette to sunny egg etc. In case that the alternative order is similar, it should be almost free of charge or just added up with few bucks.

Sometimes, you could ask for the alternative orders to upgrade or changing the choice as your favor, for such cases, you could place the order as you wish, but may request to pay with an extra cost in the final bill. 'Tailor-made orders' are always welcome in Hong Kong Style Cafe, the only matter should be about the money at all.

Remember to double checks the bill when you place the order and terminate the order ASAP, it could help you to avoid facing a surprise bill. For most of the case, the order could only withdrawal the order before it accepted by the kitchen.

The puff pastry egg tarts should be the most famous menu at Sun Wah Cafe for $6@. There is no any set included, you could only order the puff pastry egg tart by a separated order.

And how good of the puff pastry egg tart here? Sun Wah Cafe's puff pastry egg tart changed my mind on puff pastry egg tart, which I only favored the egg tart in butter cookies crust until I met their puff pastry egg tar! There's all I could guarantee that you should never be disappointed the egg tarts here.

And then with the full of the "All Day Breakfast Set", one noddle with bread and a choice of the omelette or sunny eggs, plus a cup of tea or coffee.  A well-known combination set menu among Hong Kong Style Cafe.

The Satay Beef Pasta may not be the best in Hong Kong, actually, the quality is not very stable, I still take it as my regular choice. The bread and omelette are not really outstanding but still above the average in Hong Kong. The balance of the milk and red tea here is good, and it should be the best drink option here.

The final bill, $12 for 2 egg tarts and $37 for the order of the set menu. A really good for the money in nowadays Hong Kong among the same type of the cafe at all.


In conclusion, except the really outstanding puff pastry egg tarts, Sun Wah Cafe is not an exception among local Hong Kong Style cafe, but the food quality is still above the average and reasonable for the money.

It should be a good choice if you want to have a try to Hong Kong local food and challenge to place an order according to the "Hidden Menu".




##### Map & Access #####

Sun Wah Cafe(新華茶餐廳)
Address: 334 Castle Peak Rd, Cheung Sha Wan