Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園) – Creator of Hong Kong Milk Tea But…

[HONG KONG] I don’t usually have a fixed itinerary when I visit Hong Kong. Being a foodie heaven, you can get good food at almost every street. While walking around Central with Mr Robert Chua, we passed by Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園) and I remembered some of my friends have been telling me that they are the pioneer of Hong Kong milk tea that even famous food critic Chua Lam recommended this place! So we decided to give it a try.

Opened since 1953, Lan Fong Yuen has been a popular HK eatery as evident from the long queue outside the stall at non-peak hours. No wonder people say if you haven’t visit Lan Fong Yuen, it mans you haven’t been to Hong Kong. The staff would encourage you to just buy take-out orders but if you really want a seat inside, then each pax has to have a minimum spending.

As with most HK cha chaan teng, they emphasizes efficiency. You share seats, and your food is served quickly to match the hurried lifestyle in Hong Kong. The waiters rush you to make your orders and you have no time for you to sit there and ponder about life. I would expect the same for Lan Fong Yuen but surprisingly, we managed to even strike a conversation with one of the waiter who has been working there for 20 years.

Its French Toast is coated generously with egg batter and deep fried till it has a crispy exterior with soft interior. I can even smell the butter fragrance! The Pork Chop Bun was decent but not magical. It comes with a thin slice of juicy pork chop and tomato slices.

For a perfect afternoon tea, pair it with HK Style milk tea, also known as “silk stocking tea”. Using 5 different tea leaves from New Zealand and mixed according to their golden ratio, Lan Fong Yuen’s milk tea does sound impressive but unfortunately, my ice milk tea was super disappointing on our day of visit. Yes, it has a smooth, creamy texture thanks to the evaporated milk. But it was a little too diluted and bland for my liking.