Cha Chaan Teng Slangs

Unique Culture of Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng

The history of Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng can be traced back to the early 20th century, when Hong Kong was going through a phase of economic and social transformation. Known for serving quick, inexpensive meals, these small restaurants provide a convenient dining option for busy citizens.

Cha Chaan Tengs are famous for their diverse meals, which fuse traditional Chinese food and Western fast food to create a unique taste and flavor. From milk tea, yuanyang, curry beef brisket rice to pineapple buns, every dish bears the historical, cultural and economic changes of Hong Kong. These delicacies are not only a symbol of economy, but also a cultural experience shared by people. This cultural fusion is not only reflected in the food, but also in the decoration, service and people's daily conversations in Cha Chaan Tengs.

Cha Chaan Teng Slangs

Cha Chaan Teng is all about speed and efficiency. Floor staff have to communicate well with kitchen staff to ensure the right dishes are made to the customers in a speedy and efficient manner.

Over time, Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng staff have invented a whole set of slangs for food and drinks that are commonly served:

These slangs are mostly understood by experienced floor and kitchen staff in Hong Kong Cha Chaan Tengs. In general, customers are left with a piece of paper with some scribbles after placing their orders with a floor staff, and the scribbles are exactly Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng slangs. They are all meant to be simple, usually as Cantonese homonym, such that floor staff can write less to speed up the ordering process. 

Our Products in Cha Chaan Teng Slangs

Each of our product stickers has two scribbled characters. Guess what? We have created Cha Chaan Teng slangs for each of our products and we write them on the product stickers, resembling the hand written order notes with scribbles that we can see in actual Cha Chaan Tengs.

And of course, they are easy to write and understand, as they should well be in the Cha Chaan Teng culture!

9T = Milk Tea (9 sounds like milk in Cantonese)

0T = Lemon Tea (0 sounds like lemon in Cantonese)

果T = Fruit Tea (果 means fruit in Chinese)

妹T = Berry Tea (妹 sounds the same as berry in Cantonese)

We hope the combination of Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng slangs and our creativity will make you appreciate our products even better!