Every morning at 7am, chef Aman Kwok reaches his cha chaan teng in Shau Kei Wan to begin cooking a range of meals in preparation for the hectic lunchtime rush – especially to prepare baked pork chop rice, a beloved Hong Kong dish.
His 35-year-old dish includes fried rice with pieces of pineapple, a tomato-based sauce, and, naturally, a pork chop covered in melted cheese.
Kwok, the second-generation proprietor of the 50-seat Kam Shing Restaurant, mentioned that the HK$70 (US$8.90) dish was a top seller, making up roughly half of all daily orders.
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The tomato-based sauce is highly appealing, particularly when it's sweet and tangy during the summer heat," Kwok remarked. "Combined with a generous portion of pork chop and fried rice, it fulfills multiple cravings at once. It offers good value and is convenient.
The traditional meal lovingly referred to asguk zyu- roasted pork in Cantonese - is available throughout the city, including in some of the most famous fast food chains.
It has continued to serve as a dependable favorite among residents for many years, with Kwok suggesting it might be a distinctive attraction for visitors to highlight the city's culture.
"Hong Kong was once a British colony and is now part of China's territory. [The dish] represents the blending of Eastern and Western cultures and could truly embody Hong Kong," Kwok mentioned.
In June, the fast-food chain Cafe de Coral submitted the dish to the government for consideration as an intangible cultural heritage item in Hong Kong, with results anticipated to be revealed in December.
"The meal maintains the structure of a Western-style dish but includes local flavors and cooking techniques, resulting in a classic 'Hong Kong-style Western dish' cherished by many," stated a representative from Cafe de Coral, noting that the chain has been offering its version of the dish since 1968.
At present, the methods for preparing dim sum, soy sauce, glutinous rice wine, mooncakes, egg tarts, noodles, milk tea, and numerous other items are outlined in the government's documentation.inventory of intangible cultural heritage.
Dr. Siu Yan-ho, an academic from Baptist University focusing on food culture, explained how baked pork chop rice is a distinctive creation of Hong Kong, shaped by the city's blend of Chinese and Western influences due to its colonial past.
"In short, the top layer is Western whereas the bottom is Chinese," noted Siu, explaining that the dish resembled pasta baked in a casserole, but with Chinese-style fried rice instead.
It was crucial for people in southern China to consume rice - they experienced physical weakness when it was absent.
A former chef, Siu noted that having a piece of meat accompanied by a sauce or gravy aligns with people's perception of Western dining traditions.
"In the 1950s, following World War II, Hongkongers frequently desired Western food and viewed imported goods as superior, which were mainly enjoyed by the wealthy, yet these items were costly and certain hotels that offered them practiced discrimination against Chinese people," he stated.
Astute local restaurant owners identified a gap in the market and created their own take on Western dishes, as stated by Siu. They introduced new options for diners with a mainly Cantonese diet, tailoring them to suit their preferences by incorporating elements like rice.
It was within this distinct historical setting in Hong Kong that these East-meets-West dishes emerged, he pointed out, with the baked pork chop rice gaining widespread popularity during the 1970s and 1980s as numerous restaurants began offering the dish.
Siu mentioned that he believed there would remain a demand for it across various price ranges, pointing out that some versions included high-end ingredients priced as high as HK$300, generating buzz and renewed attention in the market.
"A beloved dish for local customers, baked pork chop rice will continue to be popular even with the growing range of food choices today," he stated.
It has consistently been a legendary dish and a well-known name in Hong Kong.
Further reporting by Oscar Liu
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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.
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