I'm sure that the mere mention of "Hong Kong Café" to many Singaporeans would evoke thoughts of French Toast, Milk Coffee, Milk Tea, Coffee & Tea Mix, Boiled Coke with Lemon and various other Noodle dishes. The story I've heard is that many Singaporeans who have visited Hong Kong raved about THE Cha Chan Teng [loosely translated as Café] in Central called Tsui Wah [located opposite the famous Roast Goose restaurant, Yung Kee]. I remember squeezing into a booth at Tsui Wah in the wee hours of the morning with my girlfriends after a night of bar-hopping. It was most comforting to have a steaming hot bowl of "hor fun" (rice noodles) soup.

Whatever the case, I'm glad that the Cha Chan Teng concept was introduced to Singapore. In recent years, Singaporeans have seen the establishment of many Hong Kong-style cafés all over the island. I've tried quite a few but my all-time favourite is still "C.Nai Hong Kong Café". The first outlet is located at East Coast Road, which is very close to my home and thus served as one of my favourite supper spots. [NB: C.Nai is a Cantonese slang for "housewife". It generally refers to the stereotypical HK housewife who ceased to pay attention to her appearances after marriage]

My favourite snack here is French Toast with Peanut Butter. I like the French Toast here because it is less oily than the other versions that I've had in some other Hong Kong Cafés. This is definitely a MUST-TRY!

My favourite drink here is the "Si Mud" Tea, which is essentially a Hong Kong version of "Teh C" in Singapore. The drink is made of black tea and evaporated milk. "Si Mud" is Cantonese for "Silk Stocking" but fret not, the tea is not made using real stockings but is usually made using a cloth brewing bag. This is also a MUST-TRY!

C.Nai Hong Kong Café

East Coast Road Branch
378 East Coast Road
(Opposite the Caltex Station. Close to the junction of East Coast Road & Telok Kurau Road)
Tel: 6440-3808 & 6440-0083

Operating Hours:
Mondays to Fridays: 6pm to 3am
Saturday, Sundays & Public Holidays: 5pm to 3am

Novena Branch
275 Thomson Road #01-08 Novena Ville
(opposite Church of St. Alphonsus aka Novena Church)
Tel: 6256-5655 & 6256-5855

Operating Hours: Daily 11.30am to 11.30pm

C.Nai Hong Kong Café Xpress @ East Coast Park
1000 East Coast Park, Marine Cove.
(Next to McDonalds)
Tel: 6444-0123

Operating Hours: Daily 12pm to 12am