Above: Ovaltine milkshake $18
Above: egg and luncheon meat sandwich ~$12
I once heard someone say that one good thing that Hong Kong people learnt from the British was how to queue patiently. This must come in handy for those who frequent this merely 500 square feet cafe in Tsuen Wan, where people have been known to queue up to 30 minutes just to get a sandwich.
The reason? The portions are mammoth: the sandwiches are stacked way high. A small ham omelette is made with 6 eggs and costs only $16 (~AUD$2.50) while the larger serving is made with an unfathomable 12 eggs and costs $35 (~AUD$6). Good luck finishing that on your own.
Gala opened as a family business in 1978 and has been run by Mr and Mrs Mak for over 30 years. The cafe is named after their daughter (whose name is 'Ga' or '嘉' while '樂' signifies 'happiness') and these days other relatives also help out with the business. Meanwhile, the 65 years old Mr Mak and his wife tirelessly work from 6 in the morning to midnight 7 days a week, doing prep work before the cafe opens, making sandwiches, tea and coffee throughout the day until 7pm and cleaning the kitchen and dining area themselves afterwards. In a recent interview, Mrs Mak readily admitted that the taste of their food was likely just average, but really, with serving size and dedication like theirs, does this really matter?
Consciously avoiding peak meal times, I arrived at the cafe around 4:30pm one weekday. Although there was no queue to contend with, Mrs Mak's sister at the cashier could only direct me to the one remaining seat in the house: wedged into a tiny booth at the back where 3 others were already seated.
Despite the cramped and confined space, I was really looking forward to the Ovaltine milkshake (阿華田奶昔). In photos posted online, the milkshake was finished with an ice-cream/icy dome and if you can remember the cherry soda with chocolate ice-cream that Danny Zuko orders at the Frosty Palace in the movie Grease like I do, you will understand why I couldn't wait to try this. However, as you can see in the picture above, there was no dome on my milkshake. And as much as I love my Ovalteenies, the Ovaltine flavour in a milkshake didn't really work for me.
I also ordered the egg and luncheon meat sandwich. The overly stuffed sandwich was piping hot when it arrived. The egg was creamy, flavoursome and nicely complemented by the saltiness of the luncheon meat. And yes, in other words, I had Spam. Although Hong Kong has no annual Spam Day like in Hawaii, luncheon meat is still a pretty normal part of the food culture here, especially in cha chaan tengs (茶餐廳 or 'tea restaurants' i.e. the Hong Kong version of a fast-food joint) like this one. However, if you are already gagging at the very thought of putting luncheon meat anywhere near your mouth, you can opt for the popular beef and egg sandwich ( 鮮牛蛋三文治) at $14 instead.
With the gigantic size of the servings, it is very hard not to be satisfied after eating here. Although the food certainly did not break any new grounds, it was definitely generously done. It's little wonder that locals, who love good value for money, are willing to wait so long for a simple beef and egg sandwich.
Gala Cafe is located at 40B San Chuen St (新村街), Tsuen Wan. I walked past and completely missed it the first time because of the fruit stall which had set up directly in front of the shop. So look for that and you will find the shop.
The reason? The portions are mammoth: the sandwiches are stacked way high. A small ham omelette is made with 6 eggs and costs only $16 (~AUD$2.50) while the larger serving is made with an unfathomable 12 eggs and costs $35 (~AUD$6). Good luck finishing that on your own.
Gala opened as a family business in 1978 and has been run by Mr and Mrs Mak for over 30 years. The cafe is named after their daughter (whose name is 'Ga' or '嘉' while '樂' signifies 'happiness') and these days other relatives also help out with the business. Meanwhile, the 65 years old Mr Mak and his wife tirelessly work from 6 in the morning to midnight 7 days a week, doing prep work before the cafe opens, making sandwiches, tea and coffee throughout the day until 7pm and cleaning the kitchen and dining area themselves afterwards. In a recent interview, Mrs Mak readily admitted that the taste of their food was likely just average, but really, with serving size and dedication like theirs, does this really matter?
Consciously avoiding peak meal times, I arrived at the cafe around 4:30pm one weekday. Although there was no queue to contend with, Mrs Mak's sister at the cashier could only direct me to the one remaining seat in the house: wedged into a tiny booth at the back where 3 others were already seated.
Despite the cramped and confined space, I was really looking forward to the Ovaltine milkshake (阿華田奶昔). In photos posted online, the milkshake was finished with an ice-cream/icy dome and if you can remember the cherry soda with chocolate ice-cream that Danny Zuko orders at the Frosty Palace in the movie Grease like I do, you will understand why I couldn't wait to try this. However, as you can see in the picture above, there was no dome on my milkshake. And as much as I love my Ovalteenies, the Ovaltine flavour in a milkshake didn't really work for me.
I also ordered the egg and luncheon meat sandwich. The overly stuffed sandwich was piping hot when it arrived. The egg was creamy, flavoursome and nicely complemented by the saltiness of the luncheon meat. And yes, in other words, I had Spam. Although Hong Kong has no annual Spam Day like in Hawaii, luncheon meat is still a pretty normal part of the food culture here, especially in cha chaan tengs (茶餐廳 or 'tea restaurants' i.e. the Hong Kong version of a fast-food joint) like this one. However, if you are already gagging at the very thought of putting luncheon meat anywhere near your mouth, you can opt for the popular beef and egg sandwich ( 鮮牛蛋三文治) at $14 instead.
With the gigantic size of the servings, it is very hard not to be satisfied after eating here. Although the food certainly did not break any new grounds, it was definitely generously done. It's little wonder that locals, who love good value for money, are willing to wait so long for a simple beef and egg sandwich.
Nice review. Would you happen to know what time this place opens?
ReplyDelete