Historic 70-year-old HK Eatery ‘Bing Kee Cha Dong’ closes down

A beloved Hong Kong eatery, Bing Kee Cha Dong, which has served generations of customers for over 70 years in Tai Hang, announced that it will “take a break” via social media.

The iconic stall, also a popular hotspot for mainland tourists, cited a lack of manpower as the reason for suspending operations until further notice.

Known for its authentic Hong Kong-style milk tea—once named by CNN as one of the city’s top four—Bing Kee gained even greater fame after local superstar Eason Chan was photographed dining there multiple times.

The stall, one of the last remaining traditional tin-roofed dai pai dong-style eateries in Hong Kong, became a must-visit destination for tourists.

Located at 5 Shepherd Street in Tai Hang, Bing Kee first opened in the 1950s, originally selling traditional Chinese pastries before shifting in the 1970s to serving classic Hong Kong fare like milk tea, toast, and instant noodles. Its pork chop noodles became a signature dish. 

The stall also gained cinematic fame, appearing in the 1988 Hong Kong comedy The Romancing Star 2 and the recent mainland drama The First Frost.

In 2017, then-chief executive candidate Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor visited Bing Kee during her election campaign, praising its perfectly brewed tea, springy noodles, and most importantly, its "heartwarming hospitality."

Beyond Eason Chan, the stall counted late gourmet critic Chua Lam, British fashion designer Paul Smith, and Japanese illustrator Mitsuko Onodera among its patrons. Onodera even immortalized the bustling tea stall in a watercolor painting.

Marco Lam (marco.lam@singtaonewscorp.com)