Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園) – Famous Hong Kong Milk Tea and Pork Chop Bun

After shopping along Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, we decided to take a short break at Lan Fong Yuen, a famous cha chaan teng (tea cafe) in Hong Kong. We had some difficulty locating it and even wrongly went into a Little India basement enclave selling handphone accessories. Finally, after getting directions from a helpful local, we managed to locate Lan Fong Yuen at WK Square.

Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園)

Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園) is a famous cha chaan teng (tea cafe) in Hong Kong known for its delicious “pantyhose milk tea” (also known as “silk stocking milk tea”). Their other signature items include the Pork Chop Bun, Chicken Fillet Instant Noodles, and 7-up with Salty Lime.

Lan Fong Yuen has two branches in Hong Kong, with one at Tsim Sha Tsui and the other at Central. We visited the Tsim Sha Tsui branch.

Great Service (Hong Kong Style)

Walking into WK Square, we finally managed to locate Lan Fong Yuen at the far end of the basement. I had heard about the aggressive attitudes of Hong Kong cha chaan teng staff, so I was mentally prepared to endure any appalling service or rudeness. Reaching the shop, I took a deep breath and held up my slightly trembling fingers, indicating two persons to the middle aged lady at the front. Surprisingly, she was actually quite friendly. We were led to a table near the entrance.

“Ok! Come sit here!” (she spoke in Cantonese but I think this is what she said)

As expected, we had to share our table with other customers, which is common for cha chaan tengs in Hong Kong. There were five of us seated at the small round table, leaving just enough space to put our food. We were given a menu but I already knew what I wanted to order. The same lady came back shortly and I promptly gave her my orders by pointing at the menu. She was actually nice enough to reaffirm my orders.

“Ok! This one, this one, and this one right? Thank you!” (in Cantonese)

Wow. She actually said thank you. It was time for me to exchange pleasantries too.

“Yes do ze!” I thanked her using my weirdly-accented Cantonese.

“Okok do ze!” she entertained me with a reply before hurrying off to give my orders to the kitchen.

Bustling Atmosphere

Lan Fong Yuen has a simple and traditional interior design. Fans of Hong Kong celebrities will be happy to see that the walls are lined with posters of iconic Hong Kong stars. Customers dine on wooden tables and chairs.

I enjoyed the bustling vibe of the restaurant very much! Even though we spotted several tourists here, I believe the atmosphere was still very much akin to a real Hong Kong cha chaan teng.

We went to the restaurant on a Sunday at around 3pm and the joint was fully packed, though there was no queue outside the shop. This was probably because the food are served very quickly. Customers are also expected to leave immediately once they are done eating.

Pork Chop Bun

Our first item was the signature Pork Chop Bun 金牌猪扒包 (HKD25). This simple burger comprised a piece of pork chop and slice of tomato, sandwiched between two soft buns. The pork chop was lightly buttered and mayo-ed, and tasted quite juicy and tender with a sweet savoury flavour. I liked the fresh tomato slice too, though Raevian preferred to eat the bun without it. On the whole, the bun was pretty satisfying though it didn’t blow us away (perhaps because our expectations were too high).

Crisp Bun with Butter and Condensed Milk

Next, we had the Crisp Bun with Butter and Condensed Milk 迷你奶油猪仔包 (HKD18). The buttered toasted bun was indeed very “crisp” and had a strong crunch to it. However, I felt it would have tasted better if it was slightly softer. The drizzle of condensed milk complimented the bun nicely, but I wished they could have been more generous with the portion. We definitely preferred the version at Tsui Wah (another cha chaan teng in Hong Kong).

7-up with Persevered Salty Lime

For drinks, Raevian ordered the 7-up with Persevered Salty Lime 咸柠七 (HKD26). This was quite an expensive drink but it tasted awesome! The cold fizzy beverage had the perfect balance of sweet, salty and sour flavours. It was the perfect drink to quench our thirst after half a day of exploring Tsim Sha Tsui. We have tried creating our own version of the 咸柠<七 before using 7-up, lemon and salt, but somehow we just couldn’t replicate the delicious Hong Kong version.

Pantyhose Milk Tea

Left: 7-up with Salty Lime. Right: Pantyhose Milk Tea

We were most excited to check out the famous Pantyhose Milk Tea 丝袜奶茶 (HKD21)! Do note that Lan Fong Yuen does not actually use silk stockings to prepare the milk tea. The tea is prepared using oblong cloth bags that simply look like silk stockings.

This was one delicious milk tea! It is prepared using Lan Fong Yuen’s secret tea recipe and I simply loved how the aromatic tea flavour stood up perfectly to the sweet creamy evaporated milk. This was a wonderful tea blend that definitely lived up to its reputation. The teh bings in Singapore have a long way to go to catch up!

Variation in Milk Tea Standard

Take-away Pantyhose Milk Tea from Central branch

Unfortunately, there seems to be some variance in the milk tea standard. We ordered the same pantyhose milk tea from the Central branch the next day, and while it was still quite delicious, the taste was significantly more bland and diluted. Perhaps this was due to the larger amount of ice cubes in the drink. While I was slightly disappointed, Raevian actually preferred the Central version because she doesn’t like her drinks to be too sweet.

I am not sure if this discrepancy in taste is due to a difference in branch or staff preparing the milk tea, but I guess one way to avoid this issue is to simply order the hot milk tea. In this way, the drink will not be diluted by the ice cubes and you should definitely be able to enjoy the rich tea fragrance.

Lan Fong Yuen Menu (click to enlarge)

Popular Items

Instant Noodles Set Meals

Sandwich Menu

Drinks Menu

Directions

Lan Fong Yuen (Tsim Sha Tsui) is located inside WK Square, a sports themed shopping mall at the basement of Chungking Mansions (a commercial building).

Go out from Exit D1 of of Tsim Sha Tsui Station and walk for two minutes along Nathan Road. You should then see the “WK Square” logo (see picture above). Go down the escalator, walk straight all the way for one minute, turn right, and you will see Lan Fong Yuen (Shop 26).

Conclusion

Lan Fong Yuen – Tsim Sha Tsui

Lan Fong Yuen – Central

We are super happy to have tried the awesome pantyhose milk tea at Lan Fong Yuen! The food was quite delicious too, but prices were a little high. I guess this is to be expected considering that the cha chaa teng is extremely popular with both locals and tourists. Service was surprisingly good (by Hong Kong’s hospitality standards). Lan Fong Yuen is a must-try if you are ever in Hong Kong!

Lan Fong Yuen (Tsim Sha Tsui)
What to order: Pork Chop Bun (HKD25), Pantyhose Milk Tea (HKD21), 7-up with Salty Lime (HKD26), Chicken Fillet Instant Noodles (HKD56 set meal)
Address: Shop 26, WK Square (Chungking Mansions), 36-44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Opening Hours: Daily 10.30am to 9.30pm
Phone: +852 2316 2311

Lan Fong Yuen (Central)
Address: 2 Gage St, Central, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: | Mon to Sat: 7.30am to 6pm | Closed on Sundays |
Phone: +852 2544-3895 / 2854-0731