Dai pai dong is a type of open-air food stall. The term originates from Hong Kong[1] but has been adopted outside Hong Kong as well.[2][3] The official government name for these establishments is "cooked-food stalls", while the more common name of dai pai dong literally means 'big licence stall' in Cantonese, referring to the stalls' license plates, which are larger than those of other licensed street vendors.[4]
Founded after the Second World War, dai pai dong are tucked next to buildings, on streets, and in alleys. For instance, the dai pai dong in the Central and Western District are regard as "terrace type" dai pai dong[5] since most of the streets are sloped, meaning the stalls occupy different terraces. In the late 20th century, the Hong Kong government decided to restrict the operation and license of dai pai dong in order to remove them from public streets. Some were relocated into indoor cooked food markets built by the government.[6] After the decline of dai pai dong from the 1970s, most of them no longer operate within the family but through sole proprietorship or partnership instead.[7]
According to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, only 17 dai pai dong remained in Hong Kong as of July 2024,[8] down from the 25 in 2014.[9] As a valuable touchstone of Hong Kong heritage and culture, the word dai pai dong was recognized by the Oxford English Dictionary in March 2016.[10]
Characteristics
A dai pai dong is characterized by its green-painted steel kitchen, untidy atmosphere, the lack of air conditioning, as well as a variety of low priced great-wok hei dishes. Regarded by some as part of the collective memory of Hong Kong people,[11] official dai pai dong are scarce, numbering only 28, situated in Central (10), Sham Shui Po (14), Wan Chai (1), Tai Hang (2), and Tai O (1) as of November 2005.[12]
Although the term dai pai dong is often used generically to refer to any food stall operating on the roadside with foldable tables, chairs, and no air-conditioning (like those on Temple Street), legally speaking the term can only refer to the ones which have the "big licences".[13]
History
Origin
In Hong Kong, unlicenced food stalls providing cheap everyday food such as congee, rice, and noodles appeared as early as the late 19th century. These stalls served the general public and could be found in Central, Wan Chai, and the peripheries of the Happy Valley Racecourse.[14] Stalls also assembled by wharf piers to serve ferry passengers, forming the so-called Waisik Matau.
After World War II came to an end in 1945, the British Hong Kong government issued ad hoc licenses to families of deceased and injured civil servants, allowing them to operate public food stalls to earn a living. This type of license was physically much larger than the ones normally issued, as a photograph of the licensee was required to appear on them. The license was therefore jocularly called "dai pai" by locals, earning the stalls the name of "dai pai dong".
Decline
However, dai pai dong soon became the cause of traffic congestion and hygiene problems, and some licensees even began to let out their stalls on the black market. In response, the government stopped issuing new "big licences" in 1956, and also limited their transfer.
Features
- Diners can tailor dishes on the menu to their liking, such as asking for a non-spicy variation.
- Sharing tables with strangers is customary when there is a shortage of seating.
- Some dai pai dong have problems with hygiene and upkeep, for example, rickety tables and stools, battered metal pots and bamboo chopsticks, and unappetizingly slick floors.[16]
- As dai pai dong is set up by four canvas stands, all one-storey tall, into the road it is better to add a cover, prevent some stuff dropped while people eating.[17]
- Many dishes are cooked in a wok over a large flame. Chefs cook quickly and utilise stir-frying techniques to mix flavours and ingredients speedily.[18]
- Unlike cha chaan teng, most dai pai dong do not provide set meals.
- "Cross-stall ordering" is possible: for instance, when one is sitting and eating in a stall selling noodles, he or she can order a cup of milk tea from another stall, which may be several stalls away.
Preservation
In May 2005, the existence of dai pai dong in Hong Kong caught considerable public attention, as Man Yuen Noodles, a dai pai dong selling noodles in Central, faced imminent closure due to the death of the licensee. The news came after the closure of a bakery notable for its egg tarts, also located in Central and forced to close because of the rise of rent.
Despite calls for its preservation by many locals, including some politicians, the stall was closed on 30 July 2005. The Hong Kong government was criticised for not trying its best to preserve dai pai dong as part of the Hong Kong culture. The news of the closure coincided with the government's proposal of the development of West Kowloon Cultural District. The bakery reopened in October 2005.[19] The stall unexpectedly reopened at a nearby shop on 1 December 2005.[20]
See also
- Cantonese restaurant
- Cart noodle
- Hawkers in Hong Kong
- Pai dong
Further reading
- Cheng Po Hung (2003). Early Hong Kong Eateries. Hong Kong: University Museum and Art Gallery, the University of Hong Kong.
- Ng Ka Wing Karen, Wong Lai Wah and Yiu Shuk Hing. From the Streets to the Shopping Arcades – Dai Pai Dong Culture in Hong Kong, paper issued by the Creative Learning and Hong Kong Culture and Society Project (CLHKCSP).
External links
- 大排檔活化工程| Rejuvenation of Cooked Food Stall Website about Wong Tai Sin's cooked food stall(黃大仙冬菇亭).
- List of Dai Pai Dongs in Hong Kong
- 28夕陽大牌檔 世紀街頭巷戰, Apple Daily, 6 September 2006.
- A picture of Man Yuen Noodles, Apple Daily, 26 July 2005.
- HONG KONG DAIPAIDONG: What's for lunch?, video and text.
- Short documentary video
References
- Patrick J. Cummings; Hans-Georg Wolf (2011). A Dictionary of Hong Kong English: Words from the Fragrant Harbor. Hong Kong University Press. p. 46. ISBN 9789888083305.^
- 人物专访："南京大牌档"创办人赵一飞^
- Night owl street treats 21 May 2009^