Selling a diverse mix of imported fruits and an eclectic collection of vintage toys, Cheng Kee Store in Sham Tseng looks more like a novelty shop than a haven for coffee and milk tea connoisseurs.
Owner Cheng Yu-hung has attracted an even bigger following to his family-owned store since placing second runner-up in a local milk tea competition two months ago. His beverages are one of the many culinary attractions in this coastal district near Tsuen Wan, best known for its roasted goose.
German ship's master and coffee lover Michael Lewitzki recently revisited Cheng Kee to enjoy the HK$128 Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee after first tasting it six months ago. 'I can't forget the coffee. [Cheng] grinds the coffee by hand ... and he makes a performance out of it. I have travelled a lot and haven't seen anything like it - and the coffee tastes fantastic,' Lewitzki says, as he sips a bowl of black coffee.
Describing himself as a coffee artist rather than a barista, Cheng says he learned how to make coffee and milk tea from his parents, who opened the cha chaan teng in the 1950s. They taught him that both beverages are best served at room temperature.
'When the water is too hot, it destroys the aroma of the tea. I make sure that the aftertaste lingers and it isn't bitter when it cools,' he says, adding that it takes about one hour to drop to room temperature.
At HK$68 for a cup of milk tea, perfection doesn't come cheap. 'I ask my customers to take their time to enjoy the drink. I enjoy talking to them. I don't do it for the money; it's more like a hobby,' Cheng says.
