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Hong Kong-style western cuisine (西餐, sai chaan, lit. West meal) is a style of American and European cooking served by some Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong, as well as places where many Hong Kong residents have immigrated to. This is the opposite of American Chinese cuisine, a Chinese cuisine geared towards Westerners; rather it is a western cuisine geared toward Hong Kong and immigrant Chinese.
Traditional Sai Chaan
Restaurants serving traditional sai chaan cuisine are mainly run by Chinese immigrants or their descendents and, at least in America, cater to the taste of mid 20th-century immigrant Chinese Americans, as well as Chinese Americans born in the US in the mid-20th century.
Generally, the meal will consist of:
- a cup of a Western soup, such as New England Clam Chowder,
- diner's choice of coffee or plain American tea
- a Western entree, such as oxtail stew or a pork chop, served with
- diner's choice of steamed white rice or spaghetti (without sauce), and sometimes
- dessert, consisting of a slice of pie, or red sweetened gelatin or agar agar
The traditional sai chaan will have other beverages available, such as Ovaltine, a brand of chocolate beverage, or Horlicks, a brand of coffee substitute. The restaurant may or may not serve American Chinese cuisine as well.
These restaurants represent some earliest efforts into fusion cuisine; some became famous by using soy sauce when preparing Western dishes.
Modern Sai Chaan
Restaurants serving modern sai chaan cuisine are mainly run by recent Chinese immigrants and cater to the taste of current Hong Kong residents or late 20th-century immigrant Chinese Americans, as well as Chinese Americans born in the US in the late-20th century.
Generally, the meal will consist of:
- a cup of a Western soup, such as New England Clam Chowder,
- diner's choice of coffee or Hong Kong milk tea (a very strong tea lightened with sweetened condensed milk)
- a Western entree, such as oxtail stew or a pork chop, served with
- diner's choice of steamed white rice, spaghetti (without sauce), or instant noodles, and
- dessert, consisting of tong seui (sweet soup containing variously red bean, tiny tapioca balls, and/or taro), or gelatin-based dessert such as Mango pudding.
The modern sai chaan restaurant will sometimes serve a long list of modern beverages such as tapioca pearl drinks, milk shakes, or Coca Cola with ginger. The restaurant may or may not serve American Chinese cuisine as well.
See also
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