茶記 Cha Kee Restaurant (Markham)

Hong Kong Milk Tea

Evaporated-milk-enriched black tea pulled through a stocking filter until it reaches a thick, tannin-forward creaminess that no boba chain has ever replicated

Yuenyeung

The half-coffee, half-milk-tea hybrid that is the most distinctly Hong Kong drink on the menu — bitter, sweet, and caffeinated all at once

Hong Kong French Toast

Thick white bread filled with peanut butter, deep-fried golden and served with a slab of butter melting on top and condensed milk poured over — a cha chaan teng classic

Wonton Noodle Soup

Thin springy egg noodles in a clear pork-and-shrimp broth with plump shrimp wontons — the soup is the thing; judge the kitchen by whether the noodles are al dente and the broth is clean

Baked Pork Chop Rice

Crispy pan-fried pork chop over fried rice baked under a tomato-onion sauce with melted cheese — comfort food in its most maximalist cha chaan teng form

Congee

Rice porridge with a smooth, long-cooked texture — order the century egg and pork version for the full HK experience; the quality here signals how much care goes into basics

Egg Tart

Flaky pastry shell with a smooth, barely-sweet egg custard filling — best when warm; the benchmark for any cha chaan teng dessert case

Pineapple Bun

Soft milk bun with a crackly sugar-shortcrust top (no actual pineapple), ideally served warm with a thick cold butter slab inside — judge freshness by whether the top shatters