香港飲食文化攻略｜洗杯儀式、併桌文化、冰室演進，讀懂港式餐桌文化
Hong Kong Food Culture｜The Rinsing Ritual, Shared Tables & the Evolution of the Cha Chaan Teng
Azuki / 2023.07
港式
飲食文化
飲食文化
第一次在香港吃飯，服務生送上一壺熱茶，我以為是要給我們喝的。沒想到隔壁的在地人，熟練地把筷子、湯匙、茶杯放進熱茶裡燙洗，再把茶水倒進桌上的大碗，整個動作行雲流水一氣呵成。我和 Jack 面面相覷著，這景象直到今日仍深刻我心。接著，還來不及反應，就與陌生人併桌了；餐點不到幾分鐘便送上桌，剛放下筷子，盤子已經被服務生收走了。這些飲食過程快到不像話，或許這就是在高密度城市中發展的生活方式吧！
The first time we sat down to eat in Hong Kong, the server brought a pot of hot tea and I assumed it was for drinking. The person at the next table picked it up immediately, poured it over their chopsticks, spoon, and cup, then tipped the water into the bowl on the table. The whole thing took about ten seconds and looked completely automatic. Jack and I looked at each other. Before we'd had time to process it, we were sharing the table with strangers. The food arrived in minutes. By the time we put down our chopsticks, the empty plates were already gone. Everything moved faster than we were used to. Perhaps that's simply what happens when a city runs at this density for long enough.
The Rinsing Ritual｜How a Meal Begins Here
洗餐具｜在地人的開飯儀式
第一次到一點心飲茶，我們看著隔壁桌的大叔，把整套餐具直接放進熱茶裡燙洗，還以為自己錯過了什麼。原來，香港不少茶樓、茶餐廳至今仍保留著「洗餐具」的習慣。
早期香港公共衛生條件不像現在完善，加上茶樓每天接待大量客人，因此不少人習慣在正式用餐前，用熱茶再次沖洗自己的碗、筷、茶杯，久而久之便成了一種餐桌文化。現在即使衛生環境早已改善，許多香港人仍然保留這個動作。洗的不是餐具，而是屬於香港人的開飯儀式。
早期香港公共衛生條件不像現在完善，加上茶樓每天接待大量客人，因此不少人習慣在正式用餐前，用熱茶再次沖洗自己的碗、筷、茶杯，久而久之便成了一種餐桌文化。現在即使衛生環境早已改善，許多香港人仍然保留這個動作。洗的不是餐具，而是屬於香港人的開飯儀式。
At One Dim Sum, we watched the man at the table next to us pour hot tea over his entire set of utensils before touching any of them. We thought we'd missed an instruction somewhere. It turns out this practice, rinsing chopsticks, spoons, and teacups with hot tea before eating, is still standard in many of Hong Kong's tea houses and cha chaan tengs.
It developed during a time when public hygiene conditions were less reliable and restaurants were serving enormous numbers of people daily. The habit of doing a personal rinse before eating became embedded in the routine. Hygiene standards have long since improved, but the ritual remains. What's being washed isn't really the utensils. It's a way of beginning the meal on your own terms, a small act that belongs entirely to Hong Kong.
It developed during a time when public hygiene conditions were less reliable and restaurants were serving enormous numbers of people daily. The habit of doing a personal rinse before eating became embedded in the routine. Hygiene standards have long since improved, but the ritual remains. What's being washed isn't really the utensils. It's a way of beginning the meal on your own terms, a small act that belongs entirely to Hong Kong.
Mini Guide｜洗餐具流程
1. 將熱茶倒進茶杯或碗裡。
2. 放入筷子、湯匙燙洗。
3. 將茶水倒進桌上的空碗，不要直接倒在桌上。
4. 洗完後再開始正式喝茶、用餐。
1. 將熱茶倒進茶杯或碗裡。
2. 放入筷子、湯匙燙洗。
3. 將茶水倒進桌上的空碗，不要直接倒在桌上。
4. 洗完後再開始正式喝茶、用餐。
Mini Guide｜How It Works
1. Pour hot tea into your cup or bowl
2. Place chopsticks and a spoon inside to rinse
3. Tip the water into the empty bowl on the table, not directly onto the surface
4. Begin eating
1. Pour hot tea into your cup or bowl
2. Place chopsticks and a spoon inside to rinse
3. Tip the water into the empty bowl on the table, not directly onto the surface
4. Begin eating
Shared Tables｜Space Used Well
併桌文化｜不能浪費的空間
如果第一次來香港，一定會被「併桌」震撼。
在台灣，可能少數店家也有併桌的行為，
但並不是很常見，而且就算真的有，也會和陌生人保持些距離。
在澳洲牛奶公司、一點心，甚至許多老字號茶餐廳，我們幾乎每天都和陌生人共用一張桌子。
一開始總覺得有點尷尬，但待久了才發現，在香港，餐廳計算的不是「桌」，而是「位」。
寸土寸金的香港，每一個位置都非常珍貴。
只要還有空位，店員就會安排其他客人一起入座。
大家彼此不聊天，也不互相打擾，只專心吃自己的餐點。
這是一種對空間最有效率的利用。
在台灣，可能少數店家也有併桌的行為，
但並不是很常見，而且就算真的有，也會和陌生人保持些距離。
在澳洲牛奶公司、一點心，甚至許多老字號茶餐廳，我們幾乎每天都和陌生人共用一張桌子。
一開始總覺得有點尷尬，但待久了才發現，在香港，餐廳計算的不是「桌」，而是「位」。
寸土寸金的香港，每一個位置都非常珍貴。
只要還有空位，店員就會安排其他客人一起入座。
大家彼此不聊天，也不互相打擾，只專心吃自己的餐點。
這是一種對空間最有效率的利用。
First-time visitors are almost always caught off guard by shared tables. In Taiwan, it happens occasionally, but with some sense of distance maintained. In Hong Kong, at Australia Dairy Company, at One Dim Sum, at most traditional cha chaan tengs, we shared a table with strangers nearly every day. The initial awkwardness fades once you understand the logic. Restaurants here don't count tables. They count seats. In a city where every square foot of space costs what it does, an empty chair is a resource. As long as there's a spot, someone will be shown to it. Nobody talks across the table, nobody intrudes. Everyone focuses on their own food. It's not rudeness. It's the most efficient possible use of a limited room.
Cha Chaan Teng｜Speed as a Service
茶餐廳｜高速上菜
如果說台灣餐廳重視服務，那香港茶餐廳更重視效率。
我們在澳洲牛奶公司外排了很久的隊，原以為還要再等上一陣子才有餐點上來，沒想到才剛點完餐不到幾分鐘，炒蛋、燉奶、吐司便全部送上桌。還沒完全吃完，服務生已經開始收走空盤。
到了華星冰室，Jack 連續兩次點到已售完的餐點，換來店員一句乾脆俐落「沒了」加無奈的眼神，沒有多餘的婉轉，這種直接，剛開始會得有點冷淡，但觀察久了才明白，這並不是針對誰。在高房租、高人流、高翻桌率的香港，速度就是餐廳能夠生存的重要條件。快速點餐、快速出餐、快速收桌，不只是工作流程，更是一種城市節奏。當理解了這一點，那些看似急躁的氛圍，其實只是香港日常的一部分。
我們在澳洲牛奶公司外排了很久的隊，原以為還要再等上一陣子才有餐點上來，沒想到才剛點完餐不到幾分鐘，炒蛋、燉奶、吐司便全部送上桌。還沒完全吃完，服務生已經開始收走空盤。
到了華星冰室，Jack 連續兩次點到已售完的餐點，換來店員一句乾脆俐落「沒了」加無奈的眼神，沒有多餘的婉轉，這種直接，剛開始會得有點冷淡，但觀察久了才明白，這並不是針對誰。在高房租、高人流、高翻桌率的香港，速度就是餐廳能夠生存的重要條件。快速點餐、快速出餐、快速收桌，不只是工作流程，更是一種城市節奏。當理解了這一點，那些看似急躁的氛圍，其實只是香港日常的一部分。
If Taiwanese restaurants prioritise service, Hong Kong cha chaan tengs prioritise speed. We queued outside Australia Dairy Company for a while, then assumed we'd be waiting for food once inside. Scrambled eggs, steamed milk, and toast arrived within minutes of ordering. Before we'd finished, the empty plates were already gone. At Wah Sing, Jack ordered twice in a row and was told, each time, that the item was sold out or not available at that hour. The response came without softening: a flat "no" and a look that communicated the same. It feels abrupt until you understand why. High rents, high foot traffic, high table turnover: speed is what keeps these places functioning. Fast orders, fast food, fast clearing. That's not indifference. It's how the city eats.
Bing Sutt, Cha Chaan Teng, Tea House｜What's the Difference?
冰室、茶餐廳、茶樓有什麼不同？
很多人第一次來香港，都會被各種名稱搞混。其實它們代表的是不同時代的飲食文化。
For first-time visitors, the names can be confusing. Each one represents a different era of Hong Kong food culture.
茶樓
最早的茶樓，是香港人喝茶聊天、談生意、閱讀報紙的重要場所。
「一盅兩件」指的是一壺茶搭配兩籠點心，也是老香港最具代表性的生活方式。
最早的茶樓，是香港人喝茶聊天、談生意、閱讀報紙的重要場所。
「一盅兩件」指的是一壺茶搭配兩籠點心，也是老香港最具代表性的生活方式。
Tea House
The original tea houses were where people came to drink tea, talk, conduct business, and read the newspaper. The phrase "one pot of tea, two orders of dim sum" describes the standard format, and was a cornerstone of daily life in older Hong Kong.
The original tea houses were where people came to drink tea, talk, conduct business, and read the newspaper. The phrase "one pot of tea, two orders of dim sum" describes the standard format, and was a cornerstone of daily life in older Hong Kong.
冰室
1950 年代，冰室主要販售冷飲、冰品與簡單輕食。
當時西式飲食仍屬新鮮事，因此冰室成了香港人接觸西方飲食文化的重要場所。
1950 年代，冰室主要販售冷飲、冰品與簡單輕食。
當時西式飲食仍屬新鮮事，因此冰室成了香港人接觸西方飲食文化的重要場所。
Bing Sutt
In the 1950s, bing sutts served cold drinks, ice, and simple light food. Western-style food was still relatively new, and these places became the setting where Hong Kong people first encountered it.
In the 1950s, bing sutts served cold drinks, ice, and simple light food. Western-style food was still relatively new, and these places became the setting where Hong Kong people first encountered it.
茶餐廳
後來冰室開始加入主食，逐漸演變成今天熟悉的茶餐廳。
絲襪奶茶、菠蘿油、公仔麵、豬扒包、常餐，都是這個時期發展出的代表性料理。
茶餐廳可以說是香港融合中西文化最具代表性的產物，也是現在最貼近香港人日常生活的餐飲形式。
後來冰室開始加入主食，逐漸演變成今天熟悉的茶餐廳。
絲襪奶茶、菠蘿油、公仔麵、豬扒包、常餐，都是這個時期發展出的代表性料理。
茶餐廳可以說是香港融合中西文化最具代表性的產物，也是現在最貼近香港人日常生活的餐飲形式。
Cha Chaan Teng
As bing sutts began adding full meals to their menus, they evolved into the cha chaan teng as it exists today. Silk stocking milk tea, pineapple bun with butter, instant noodles (known locally as "gong zai min"), pork chop bun, set meals: these are the dishes that defined the format. The cha chaan teng is arguably the most characteristic product of Hong Kong's blending of Chinese and Western food culture, and the form of eating that remains closest to everyday life here.
As bing sutts began adding full meals to their menus, they evolved into the cha chaan teng as it exists today. Silk stocking milk tea, pineapple bun with butter, instant noodles (known locally as "gong zai min"), pork chop bun, set meals: these are the dishes that defined the format. The cha chaan teng is arguably the most characteristic product of Hong Kong's blending of Chinese and Western food culture, and the form of eating that remains closest to everyday life here.
Siu Mei｜Roast Meats as Daily Life
燒臘文化｜香港人的庶民日常
除了茶餐廳，燒臘也是香港最具代表性的飲食文化之一。走在街頭，櫥窗裡總能看到油亮的叉燒、燒鴨與燒肉高高掛起，師傅俐落地揮刀切肉的聲音，幾乎成了香港街頭最熟悉的背景音。
我們最後一天特地買了雙拼燒臘飯，到廟街旁的小公園慢慢享用。沒有精緻擺盤，也沒有高級餐廳的氛圍，卻吃出了香港最日常的樣貌。對許多香港人來說，燒臘不是觀光美食，而是一份快速、實惠，又能填飽肚子的家常便飯。
我們最後一天特地買了雙拼燒臘飯，到廟街旁的小公園慢慢享用。沒有精緻擺盤，也沒有高級餐廳的氛圍，卻吃出了香港最日常的樣貌。對許多香港人來說，燒臘不是觀光美食，而是一份快速、實惠，又能填飽肚子的家常便飯。
Alongside the cha chaan teng, roast meats, known in Cantonese as siu laap,is one of Hong Kong's most defining food traditions. Walk down almost any street and you'll find a shop window with char siu, roast duck, and roast pork hanging under the lights, and the sound of a cleaver hitting the board as the cook portions it out. On our last day, we bought a roast duck and crispy pork rice from a shop near Temple Street and ate it on a bench in the park nearby. No presentation, no atmosphere to speak of, just a box of roast meats in the open air. For most Hong Kong people, siu mei isn't a food destination. It's a quick, affordable, reliable meal, the kind you eat without thinking much about it, which is exactly what made it feel the most honest.
Reflection
Azuki旅行結語
香港的餐桌，其實就是這座城市最真實的縮影。洗杯，是從過去延續至今的生活習慣；併桌，是高密度城市發展出的空間智慧；快速上菜，是效率文化最直接的展現；而冰室、茶餐廳與燒臘店，則共同記錄著香港一路走來的歷史。
The Hong Kong table is a compressed version of the city itself. The rinsing ritual carries something forward from the past into the present. Shared tables are a solution to a spatial problem, worked out over decades. Fast service is efficiency made visible. And the bing sutt, the cha chaan teng, and the siu mei shop together form a record of how Hong Kong has eaten its way through its own history. Sitting down to a meal here, once you know what you're looking at, is a way of reading the city.
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