you used to be alright

in the mood for cha

i have great nostalgia for hong kong, even if i didn’t grow up there. i love looking at old photos, watching movies about the 50s and 60s, reading books about pre-1990s hong kong.

i’m not sure why that is – i don’t have any special need to watch movies or read books about the US in the post-war era, but stuff like wong kar-wei’s “in the mood for love” and “days of being wild” or photos or books from/about that era in hong kong make me happy.

if you’ve been reading this blog, or know me in person, you’ll know that one of my favorite things is food and new restaurants. so yesterday, a friend told me that i had to go to cha’s chantang, and immediately upon opening that link, seeing that photo and reading the review, i knew i had to go.

the food was good enough that i’ll keep coming back (unlike tsui wah), but i think the smartshanghai review above covers the food pretty well. but the details! oh the details!

there’s still a handful of these old style hong kong diners left in hong kong, around my old neighborhood in yaumatei, i can think of 2 or 3, and then a few more in sheung wan, wanchai and causeway bay. and i think that the owners of cha got it picture perfect. it looks like the set from one of wong kar wei’s movies, or my parents childhood.  even my born and raised American colleague said there was a bunch of really cool details.

the food was very good. the atmosphere was amazing. the price – not too bad, 40-some RMB for lunch (egg and shrimp over rice, salty lemon 7-up and some condensed milk and butter toast), but the time machine ride was great.

cha’s restaurant

30 sinan road, near huaihai middle road

shanghai