Name(English): Mido Cafe
Name(Chinese): 美都餐室
Category: Food & Beverages
Phone Number: +852 23846402
Address(English): 63 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei
Address(Chinese): 油麻地廟街63號地下
Address Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/G8Tiu4MGnbXnBoMMA
Address longitude and latitude: 22.310244361616203, 114.17026459726434
Nearest MTR Station: Yau Ma Tei MTR Station Exit C
Nearest MTR Station Google Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/sx6BicWH9xdYaqyKA
Nearest MTR Station longitude and latitude: 22.31296247490843, 114.17068600765496
How far from the nearest MTR Station: 3 min from Yau Ma Tei MTR Exit C
Opening hours:
MON 08:30 – 20:30
TUE 08:30 – 20:30
WED CLOSED
THU 08:30 – 20:30
FRI 08:30 – 20:30
SAT 08:30 – 20:30
SUN 08:30 – 20:30
Budget (per person): HKD50-80
Recommended Time to Visit: 9am for breakfast or 4pm for afternoon tea
Recommended Food/Drinks: “Boh Loh Yau” (菠蘿油),“Sai Dor Si” (西多士), “Yin Yeung” (鴛鴦)
Accessibility Note: Easy access
You may have heard of Cha Chaan Teng (茶餐廳) but maybe not the “Ice Houses” – Bing Sutt “(冰室)! The nostalgic vibes of these local cafes – precursors to Cha Chaan Teng, hark back to the 50s Hong Kong. A lot of them have been closed down thanks to high rents and competition but a few still remains. If you are craving for a retro afternoon tea experience, hop over to Mido Café, a two-storey “Chaan Sutt” (餐室) – a hybrid of the two café types, standing at the corner of the Temple Street.
Neon sign dangling off the building, mosaic tiled floors and stairs, handwritten menus hung onto the walls that are lined with booth seats and whirling ceiling fans – Mido Café seemingly can spice up your food experience with its classic vintage décor as well as its history. Established in 1950, the café has been serving a wide range of inexpensive westernized cold drinks and desserts tailoring for the working class back in the days, who were influenced by the British afternoon tea culture. From the classic red bean ice, iced milk tea, to pineapple bun, no wonder Hong Kongers would have gone to Bing Sutts to beat the heat for decades.
What distinguishes Bing Sutts from Cha Chaan Teng though? The restaurant licenses they are granted. Bing Sutts can only sell drinks and light food items that do not require a stove, whereas Cha Chaan Teng can sell all. It is no surprising you can order from a varied menu at Mido café being a mixed eatery – that’s why it can survive for 70 years among other competitors.
A classic combination of your afternoon tea goes like:
The roasty flavor of the drink and the sweetness of the deep-fried goodies and the baked bun make a good combo. But the textures and flavors of the food offered at Mido Café are yet to be the best at its given price. The pineapple bun is served warm but not generous enough with the slab of butter, and the thin layer of the French toast should be drizzled with more syrup, which struggles to give the mouthful experience. There are lots of local cafes that make better versions of the classics but it is still worth going and getting a picture of yourself with its vintage interior.
If you are a Hong Kong film fanatic, you will notice the café décor is used for many movies and TV series, from “Goodbye Mr. Cool” to “Street Fighters”, depicting the old Hong Kong settings, – so go ahead and recreate the iconic movie scenes!
Take a walk along the Temple Street after the afternoon tea as it is just right around the corner. Lost yourself in the cluster of street vendors selling a variety of products and don’t forget to grab some to bring memories home!
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