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Wok Hei Wonderland: Birmingham's Best Cha Chaan Teng Battle!

Emerging from a cloud of steam and wok hei to bring you the lowdown on Birmingham's sneaky-good Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng scene. 

For the uninitiated, a Cha Chaan Teng (or "tea restaurant") is Hong Kong's glorious answer to a diner—a place where East meets West on a plate, delivering comfort, speed, and enough stir-fries to fuel a small army. While there's no single fixed menu, you can bet your last pork floss on finding dishes kissed by that smoky, magical wok hei essence.

I've been rummaging through Brum's Chinese Quarter, and let me tell you, while you can't book a flight to Mong Kok, you can find some seriously authentic CCT vibes right here.

Kei Hing Restaurant: From Stall to Star

Tender and well marinated with wine
Now, Kei Hing is a bit of a local legend in the making. It started life as one of those humble, unassuming food hall stalls and now they've got their own bona fide setup within the food hall. And thank goodness they did.
'Salad' pork rib
Good milk tea is a must!
The Drunken Chicken is a masterpiece of marination. It's incredibly tender, and the wine flavour is perfectly balanced—it tastes like the chicken had a fabulous, boozy spa day. Then there are the Pork Ribs. Seriously tasty, but what really seals the deal is the sour salad it comes with. It’s a perfect, zesty counterpoint to the richness of the ribs. And the Aubergine? A symphony of flavour, perfectly blending meat and salted fish. Overall the portions are generous and the value is unbeatable. Small fact: Kei Hing actually has a branch running in Hong Kong as well! You know the flavours are legit when they're running operations back home.

Store 9: Nostalgia—A Bit Too Authentic?

Stir fried beef rice noodle with Wok hei 
Next up, we have the newer kid on the block, Store 9. The standout feature here is definitely the dĂ©cor. They're going for that classic, Hong Kong nostalgic feel—think vintage tiles and those typical, slightly uncomfortable-looking chairs. If I'm being honest, the dĂ©cor is a bit hit-and-miss. You can tell they were inspired by the old-school look, but it feels like they stopped short of really nailing the execution. It's like they had an amazing vintage photo and then printed it on a low-res printer.
Good curry fish ball and pork skin, char siu rice is average
But hey, we're here for the grub, not an interior design award, and the food is good. It holds its own in the CCT authenticity stakes, and despite the slightly confusing aesthetic, my belly was happy.

The Supporting Cast (and Final Verdict!)

Don't ignore the other veterans in the Chinese Quarter, either! Places like Hong Kong Dining and Wu Shueng CafĂ© also offer that authentic flavour profile. As I mentioned, the beauty of the Cha Chaan Teng style is the variety—everyone has their own signature dishes, and while they all fall under the same umbrella, they offer different experiences.

If I had to pick a winner for overall consistency and sheer plate-licking satisfaction, Kei Hing edges it out. But honestly, if you're craving some authentic, smoky Hong Kong goodness, you can't go wrong with any of these. Go forth, get a little tipsy on wok hei, and thank me later!

 

Restaurant info

Kei Hing Restaurant

Address: 1st Floor, Unit 4, 143 Bromsgrove Street, B5 6RG (Inside Han Dynasty Food Hall)

Store 9

Address: 110-112 Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 6SE 

Hong Kong Dining

Address: B105, The Arcadian Centre, 70 Hurst St, B5 4TD

Wu Shung Café

Address: 2 Bath Passage, Birmingham B5 4SZ

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Location: Birmingham, UK

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