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Hong Kong Milk Tea, Chicken Wings, and the "In-Between" Feeling
Written by Umami Kid
On a random Saturday in Hong Kong, I visited a local 茶餐廳 - 興記咖啡. I initially went there with the intent of filming Instagram content, sharing my observations about this Hong Kong-style cafe.
When I stepped in and was escorted to a table with other customers, my social anxiety kicked in. What would they think of me if I pulled out my phone and started talking to the void? I know that I already stand out from the locals (the way I dress, or the way I carry myself), and some people are staring at me. In a hyper-local spot like this, vlogging still feels a bit like breaking the social code.
I asked the waiter if I could get a cup of Hong Kong iced milk tea (想要一杯凍奶茶). I was going to film myself ordering in Cantonese, but forgot the timing, a bit overwhelmed. The waiter told me in Cantonese at lightning speed that I must order items with a minimum of 30 HKD. By the time I grasped what she meant, my brain was too overwhelmed to answer back in Cantonese—simply, my brain did not have enough capacity to pull up all the drawers in my head, with different Canto vocab, just to combine them into something workable. When I think about it, maybe I could have said, 咁我想加呢個 (pointing to the item).
But anyway, because I was overstimulated, I just said, “Oh, I have to order more? Can I get the chicken wings, then?” in English (fair enough).
I bet the waiter was very confused—an Asian girl, could be a Hongkonger, yet dresses like a gwai lou (foreigner). She started in Canto, but suddenly switched back to English—all the scripts were broken.
Finally, I asked her if I could get the check, “買單.” She said I should go to the cashier in a tone that I assume meant, “Why don’t you know this?” (I’m not blaming her; in fact, I actually get her. Explained later on.)
Once I came back to my apartment from this interesting encounter, I reflected on my experience (as always, my brain loves to analyze micro-interactions).
I hypothesized that for the local restaurant staff (at 茶餐廳s), there are two categories of customers—locals and tourists/expats; nothing in between. For the locals, blending in is easy because they grew up here. Meanwhile, the tourists/expats category speaks full-on English, mostly without knowledge of the Cantonese language or rules (“how people do it here” type of things). For them, I am a technical glitch: someone who isn’t local but has some cultural roots here, yet not a mainlander, also not one of those foreigners who don’t show much interest in learning about the local culture/language. I am someone who cannot be molded into either of the categories.
Obviously, I am okay with that, but I genuinely thought that it was interesting: that I am navigating an experience of an in-between. In between different cultures, not necessarily one or the other. Though it can be difficult sometimes, I thought I might want to share this anecdote because, for me, it is beautiful.
(By the way, I didn't get to try this time, but their French toast seems to be one of their top-selling items! Looked fluffy and dangerously buttery :))
📍興記咖啡
182 Hollywood Rd, Tai Ping Shan
~Hong Kong Milk Tea and the Feeling of "In-Between"~
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