Taste of the Old Days of Hong Kong: Star Café
In the 1950s and 1960s, there were some popular snack stores in Hong Kong, which mainly sold frozen food such as cold drinks, ice creams and smoothies, so it was called the “ice room”. Without air-con for those days, during Summer time, everyone would go to the ice room to eat ice, and this is the predecessor of the current “Cha Chaan Teng” (Hong Kong-style tea restaurant). Since the “Snack Store License” held by the ice room is restricted by law, they can only sell drinks, sandwiches, pastries, etc., and cannot cook over an open flame. Therefore, it has gradually been replaced by other restaurants. At present, the so-called ice room on the market in Hong Kong is actually no different from a “Cha Chaan Teng”. It is only because of nostalgia that it calls itself an “ice room”, actually, many of them have only opened in recent years. However, there are still a few ice room left from the past. One of the old brands is what I ’m going to introduce to you now, its name is Star Café.
Star Café is located in the basement of the Champagne Court in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It was opened in 1966 and has a history of more than 50 years. It has changed hands twice until its current boss took over in 1998. At the end of 2017, there was news that the Champagne Court was acquired by a large real estate developer for reconstruction, and Star Café was facing closure, but last Saturday I just passed nearby and found that Star Café still exists. I rushed in without saying a word to feel the nostalgic delicacy again.
The location of Star Café
Most of the people who visit Star Café are regular customers or come by its reputation. Its location is very hidden, which located in the basement of the old building, and it may not be easy to find if you come for the first time. Enter the main entrance of Champagne Court at Kimberley Road, on the right, you will see the main entrance of the Dadol Hotel. Go down the stairs and then turn right, and you will see where Star Café is.
How does Star Café look like
Over the years, the appearance and interior decoration of Star Café has not changed much, because the owner wants to retain the original characteristics of the original Star Café, the facade and even the chairs inside are very nostalgic and old-looking, seems going back in time to the 1960s.
The famous dishes of Star Café
The most well-known dish here is the tomato soup noodles. It turns out that this dish is not created by the owner. It was said that many years ago, a diner proposed to add tomatoes to the noodles, and the result was very popular, so it became the signature dish here. The soup base of the noodles is different from other restaurants, which is cooked daily with fresh tomatoes instead of tomato paste, so the tomato flavor is particularly strong. For my must-eat dish, of course, is my favorite tomato beef noodle! The instant noodles are cooked al dente, the beef slices are tender and smooth, and the tomato soup is very sweet and sour, so appetizing. Another signature dish, the famous tomato and egg noodles, has a texture similar to white sauce spaghetti, but it has a strong egg and tomato flavor, and if you like cheese you can also choose cheese tomato noodles.
This kind of traditional ice room is now very rare, and I have no idea which day it will be suddenly acquired or closed. If you still haven’t tried it, I recommend you to take the chance now and try the nostalgic taste of civilian quickly, by the way, take photos and share with friends for sure!
Star Café
Address: Store 36, basement, Champagne Court, №16–20 Kimberley Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel.: +852 2724 4408
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