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Stacey Cee
Jordanian favorite Char Chan Teng’s Australian Dairy Company has been criticized for raising menu prices by 10% to “unrealistic” levels, with tea sets priced at up to HK$60. .
This half-century-old restaurant is ironically famous for its chaotic atmosphere and unfriendly customer service.
Despite its reputation for being asked to seat together and sometimes encouraged to eat quickly, locals and tourists still queue up for traditional Hong Kong-style food.
Price increases starting this month have some locals wondering if it’s still worth going there.
Lam, a regular who visits the restaurant every time he goes to Jordan, said HK$60 for a tea set was too expensive. “Even if it passes near Jordan, it may not come again,” Lam said.
However, some online users disagree, claiming that Char Chan Teng is so famous that tourists will continue to visit. “We don’t have to worry about customer flow,” one of them said.
Some people commented on the service on mainland social media Xiaohongshu.
“The line is too long, so you can’t eat slowly or take photos of your food. When you finish eating, you have to make room for the next customer waiting. Otherwise, you’ll be in a hurry. I’ll put it away.” Posts read.
However, Mr Xiao, who is from Beijing, told The Standard that after seeing the negative reviews, he planned to visit the restaurant to see for himself.
“There’s got to be a reason why you’re famous,” he said. After all, going out is also about experiencing the local culture.
Some mainland web users found the price increase acceptable, comparing the price of a newspaper to HK$10 and the “70 yuan (HK$76) for a bowl of Vietnamese pho in Shanghai.” ing.
Catering veteran Simon Wong Kau said Dairy Australia was not the only chachan teng under pressure to raise prices as it struggled to keep up with soaring operating costs.
When it comes to service, Wong isn’t worried about one restaurant’s performance affecting Hong Kong’s overall impression.
“It is inevitable that some web users will criticize bad service on social media. However, there are also tourists who share their catering experience with good service and reasonable prices.”