巴黎咖啡店 Paris Cafe

九龍 油麻地 眾坊街
59 號 C 地鋪
59C Public Square Street
Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon
MTR Station: Yau Ma Tei


The Paris Cafe is a small cozy cha chaan teng in the heart of the eccentric and lively Yau Ma Tei. Usually I stop in here for breakfast on Sundays before church, so you can say I'm somewhat of a regular. Probably a 50/50 split between Western and Chinese inspiration, Hong Kongers call the type of food available at Paris Cafe sai sik "Western style," while I personally (and objectively) think of these as quintessentially Hong Kong. So there's nothing terribly original or unique at Paris Cafe, but you can't go wrong with the food here, and the atmosphere is among the more comfortable and homey I've found in Hong Kong.

火腿湯意粉＋炒蛋＋厚多士 Soup Noodle + Eggs and Toast

The noodle soup bowl was good, light enough for folks like me who can't stomach drippingly greasy foods to break fast in the morning. Plus, the soup has a subtle yet tasty chicken-y flavor, while the strips of ham and the green and orange of the peas and carrots give it a simple yet nice aesthetic touch. It also came with eggs and toast; a filling, just-enough, type of breakfast for me.

司華力腸＋窩夫夾餅 Cervelat Sausages and Waffle

This, on the other hand, might seem like an odd combination, but it wasn't bad. The sausages were like the kielbasas I'm used to from the States, and the waffle was crispy on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside :). Only problem with this breakfast set is that it's not nearly as filling as the other one, even though it's more expensive.

Both sets came with drinks. I got hot Ovaltine, one of the standard cha chaan teng options in Hong Kong.

Paris Cafe is an overall good local Hong Kong experience for travellers, but probably not for tourists. The "Parisisian" deco might come off a bit Cheesy, given the irony of how absolutely non-Parisian this cafe is (for example the Canto-pop Karaoke by the kitchen), but it nonetheless gives an artsy feel to the place.

New glossary terms:
- cha chaan teng: literally "tea meal hall," culturally comparable to the American diner, cha chaan tengs are Cantonese-style diners that serve up fast and filling sai sik and jung sik food
- jung sik: Chinese style
- sai sik: Western style