The Hong Kong greasy spoon-style cafe in Prestwich selling milk tea and toast
If you're a fan of milk tea and thick, white sandwich bread slathered in condensed milk, peanut butter and lashings of golden syrup, Hea Toast & Dessert is the place for you
A Hong Kong-style cafe has opened up in Prestwich selling tea and toast with a distinctively eastern twist.
Opened by owner Jack Lau in June, here you’ll find butter-drenched toast, Hong Kong’s famously silky milk teas (inspired by our very own British cuppa) and Yeun Yeung – an iced drink that’s typically made from two-parts milk tea and one-part black coffee.
Made famous amongst Western foodies by Anthony Bourdain in Parts Unknown following a trip to China Cafe, a former fixture in the city since 1964, this Hong Kong-style French toast has now made its way to Bury of all places.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
All done on the cheapest white sandwich bread, over in Prestwich Hea’s signature Hong Kong Toast – also known as sai do si, or ‘western toast’ – is layered into a peanut butter sandwich, then dipped in egg and fried before being topped with a thick slab of butter and lashings of golden syrup. We’ll be honest, it’s the sexiest eggy bread we’ve ever had.
That’s not all that’s on offer here, though. There’s also a host of savoury toast options – a little kimchi and cheese number for the veggies, a tonkatsu pork and cabbage toast, and ‘The Classic’ made with scrambled egg, honey roast ham, sweetcorn, cabbage and a secret house sauce.
This cafe, the first of its kind to open in the area, is loosely modelled on the classic Hong Kong cha chaan teng – or “tea restaurant” – a phenomenon that’s been popular in the region ever since the British colonisation.
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Just like our greasy spoons here, these cha chaan teng are no-nonsense cafes and tend to specialise in relatively low-brow, East-West hybrid fare – combining the culinary traditions of two different worlds.
Drinks are central to the whole concept, and at Hea we find multi-colored ice cream soda floats sitting side by side with the aromatic Hong Kong-style milk tea, which is typically brewed strong and served with evaporated milk.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
It’s a refreshing shift away from your standard greasy spoon or butty shop and is staffed by the most lovely people. The service we receive on our visit is so warm and friendly, with owner Jack and his employee Jack Chan smiling non-stop, that we instantly feel at home.
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They even offer us some complimentary Shuimai, a sort of traditional Chinese dumpling, to enjoy alongside the raft of food we greedily order.
In the corner, a little ukulele sits in a box next to a sign that reads ‘play me’ and a tiny dog bowl of water. This really is just the most wholesome spot – good for the soul and full of comfort.
You’ll also find matcha ice cream, bubble waffles and a host of different milkshakes on the menu here, with the option to build you own however you like it – but it’s the tea and toast we’ve really come for, and it’s what we recommend you go for too. Trust us, you won’t regret it.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Eats
Popular outdoor dining event returns to MediaCity waterfront this summer
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s popular outdoor dining concept is back again this summer, and there’s a proper tasty lineup of traders.
Kargo on the Docks, which is MediaCity‘s al fresco dining pop-up, has taken over the waterfront and gardens once again with a fresh wave of local food traders and stunning artwork by Salford-based creatives, all as the sun shines down on Salford Quays this summer.
A handful of Greater Manchester‘s most popular independents have set themselves up Quayside inside those signature re-imagined shipping containers.
Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours including Caribbean, Lebanese, Mexican, Ethiopian, and Pan-Asian dishes.
Loads of local indie food vendors have taken over the Salford Quays waterfront for the summer / Credit: Supplied
Afro Shack – the sister brand to Kargo.MKT favourite House of Habesha – will be serving fusion food combining East African flavours with indulgent American fast food, while new kids on the block Wok Bros will deliver sizzling, wok-tossed Pan-Asian street food and 100% halal dishes inspired by authentic flavours and fresh ingredients.
Iconic Jamaican dishes will also be on offer from Sunrise Caribbean, while Quiero Tacos will bring slow-cooked Birria tacos, cheesy quesadillas, and vibrant rice bowls packed with the spirit of Mexico.
Last but not least, Mediterranean food lovers can expect juicy lamb koftas, golden halloumi, and richly spiced chicken shawarma from Habibs.
Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours / Credit: Mark Waugh (via Supplied)
As well as the tasty food on offer, as mentioned, Kargo on the Docks also features a range of artwork and installations from local independent talent – with each container adorned with murals from creatives including Fernandes Makes, Kelly Ma, and Caroline Daly, bringing a feel-good summer vibe to the MediaCity Gardens.
Visitors can also enjoy an art trail display through the gardens, featuring structures designed by, A Studio Called Jane, Luke Passey, and Tasha Whittle.
There will also be a range of pop-up events hosted at the venue throughout the summer, with more announcements to be made very soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
Kargo on the Docks is now back at MediaCity from today (9 May) and will be open Tuesday to Sunday from 12pm-9pm throughout the summer.
Featured Image – Mark Waugh (via Supplied)
Eats
I went all the way to Paris to test out Big Mamma ahead of Manchester’s most exciting new restaurant opening
Daisy Jackson
Hospitality heavyweights Big Mamma Group are finally heading to Manchester, opening a Circolo Popolare Italian restaurant in the city centre – so we nipped over to Paris to see exactly what’s in store for us.
In the 10 years since launching their very first restaurant, East Mamma in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, the group have spread their wings wide.
There are Big Mamma Group restaurants, under several different names, all over Europe – and although they all belong to the same family, each one is treated like a total individual.
Some have maximalist, kitsch interiors with animal print furniture, gilded ceilings and retro prints of men in Y-fronts; others are more traditional trattorias with exposed brick, terracotta floors and crisp white tablecloths.
These interiors are fun, which is so refreshing in an industry which sometimes takes itself a bit too seriously.
On our tour of Big Mamma restaurants in Paris I came across delightful details like a loo wallpapered in pictures of Rod Stewart, a cocktail menu designed like a retro football sticker book, and an ice cream parlour built into an old train station carriage.
Every corner is packed with whimsy and wonder and there’s a whole team dedicated to sourcing these little touches from antiques fairs, second-hand shops and independent makers, stashing them all in an Aladdin’s Cave of a warehouse. Each restaurant even has its own crockery pattern.
East Mamma, one of Big Mamma’s Paris restaurantsNo Entry cocktail barA Big Mamma speakeasyPink MammaLa Felicita food hallLa Felicita food hall
So yes, the interiors in Manchester will be similarly interesting and lavish.
Big Mamma Group has already confirmed that the huge two-storey Circolo Popolare trattoria will be inspired by a Sardinian Festa, meaning cosy alcoves, more than 8000 bottles of vintage booze, and a vast room inspired by an overgrown Mediterranean courtyard.
As it takes shape in Gary Neville’s £400m St Michael’s development, they’ll be moving in big sharing tables, antique trinkets, reels of twinkling lights and even an Italian wishing well ahead of the big launch next month.
But not enough of us are talking about the food yet – this is a restaurant group that sources its produce from 160 different Italian artisans to ensure that everything you’re eating as authentic and delicious as possible.
Food at Big Mamma
While the menus shift between restaurants you can expect hearty bowls of handmade pasta laced with truffle or tomato or cheese, crispy-soft pizzas layered in creative sauce bases (like zucchini cream or black truffle cream, along with their classic San Marzano DOP tomato sauce), and per iniziare starters like giant burrata balls, melt-in-the-mouth croquettes, and slivers of cured meats – all prepared in an open kitchen run by Campanian-born Alfonso Esposito.
And a show-stopper for Manchester will be an outrageous six-inch lemon meringue pie, with a wibbly wobbly tower of Italian meringue on top.
Circolo Popolare will officially open its doors on 6 June – and before then, there’ll be a very limited soft launch where you can snag yourself 50% off your bill. Sign up HERE, with bookings live on Monday 12 May.
Georgina Pellant -
26th July 2022 
