“Big licence stall.” That is the literal translation of Dai Pai Dong. But are we talking about Dai Pai Dong or Tai Pai Tong Teng?
Tai Pai Tong Teng. It may sound like a Chinese restaurant. But it may not serve Chinese food at all. Tai Pai Tong is a peak in Hong Kong.
Once upon a time, unlicensed food stalls sprouted across Hong Kong Island. This was in the late nineteenth century. The colonial government began issuing cooked food licenses. These helped families of injured or deceased civil servants. The licenses for food stalls in fixed locations were bigger. They needed to accommodate a photo of the license holder. The government required these to be prominently displayed. Thus, these distinctive food stalls became known as Dai Pai Dong. It literally means big license stall.
Interestingly, dai pai dong is also written differently. It is pronounced the same way. It means big stalls in a row. This refers to the arrangement of the stalls. They used long benches as seats in the early days. The term dai pai dong was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary in March 2016.
Accessible locations and cheap food made the dai pai dong beloved. This dining option was popular among the working class in Hong Kong. The stalls soon became associated with Cantonese slang. This was because of the lack of etiquette. People would walk into a dai pai dong in casual clothes. They sought good food and escape from daily stress.
Dai pai dongs offer many specialities. Congee, noodles, seafood, and hot and cold dishes were all on offer. Some quintessential dishes included salt and pepper squid. Sweet and sour pork was also a favorite. Stir-fried clams were popular. All had wok hei. Wok hei is a marriage of fragrance and flavour. It is a pillar of Cantonese cuisine. This flavour requires high heat. It also needs a seasoned wok. An experienced chef is essential. It is a demanding skill in Cantonese cooking.
Dai pai dong patrons often chat with neighbours. They would talk to waiters until midnight. Ice-cold beer helped. The fragrance of food and neighbourly affection made dai pai dong a fixture. It became fixed in the Hong Kong collective memory.
After the 1940s, there was a surge of dai pai dongs. They counted up to 200 at one point. But the food stalls caused pollution. They disturbed neighbourhoods. Loud crowds and cooking smells filled the streets. The stalls would block the road. Traffic jams resulted.
The government stopped issuing big licenses in the 1950s. They limited the transfer of the license to spouses only. This led to a decline. The licenses could not be passed down. They could only expire. They died with their original owners.
In the 1970s, the government tried to reduce the stalls. They invited owners to move into cooked food centres. Some stalls relocated to cooked food centres. The government also built mushroom kiosks. These housed several dai pai dongs. Mushroom kiosks had sturdy roofs and better ventilation.
Street-side dai pai dongs have dwindled. They have gone from 200 to around 25. They are mostly located in Central and Sham Shui Po. Mushroom kiosks are also being removed. They are considered a public health risk. Despite concerns, dai pai dongs remain a favorite.
Today, office workers run to dai pai dongs for lunch. Elderly people travel for a taste of the good old days. Parents bring children to mushroom kiosks. They pass on the vanishing memory.
In 2005, Man Yuen Noodles closed. The closing caught the attention of councillors. They demanded preservation of street-side dai pai dongs.
The Hong Kong government started to improve old stalls. They are loosening inheritance rules. They are issuing new big licenses. We can only hope that the stalls can be saved. Visit a dai pai dong to get an authentic Hong Kong taste.