Reviewing the food first
I find a lot of these reviews based solely on the atmosphere, the history and purporting how these eggs are the best in the world in an unbeatable dining experience. Some feel you have to go because not going is a travesty to all that is Hong Kong dining. Be sure to take such advice with a grain of salt and make sure you go for the food, as if you're not you'll be disappointed. Also take away the atmosphere, the crowds, the history, and the hype and you are able to judge the food as it is. Nice comfort food that is cheap, efficient, and consistent but not world class.
Therefore my review is catered to Asian Americans or people from the United States who are going for the food as well as warning them that this place is not a tourist attraction. For those who do not know this it is indeed run by the former (??) HK black mafia. According to my mother it was rumored to turn many "bad kids" around and is renowned as somewhat of a YMCA of HK cafes. Again take this bit of history with a grain of salt and focus on the food over any potential humanitarian efforts.
Scrambled Eggs and Toast
First I find it hard to rate a place that has good scrambled eggs and toast as a 5. I tend to rate on variety as well as quality and this place ranks at best as a 4. Having some of the best scrambled eggs on the island does not mean this place is a must go for every foreigner who ventures to HK. Besides I do not consider scrambled eggs and toast the apex of all that is Hong Kong dining. But on that note, this place does boast some very nice scrambled eggs and toast.
Taste wise I prefer the Flying Pan much more, but that is comparing eggs benedict to scrambled eggs which is indeed unfair. I digress and will say these are good scrambled eggs but not "the best" nor will I recommend someone going there JUST to eat scrambled eggs and toast.
The best scrambled eggs and toast I have EVER had was from a local breakfast restuarant in rural New York. It beat this one clear out of the water though this one does share some similarities. Both of these places were "local" and both of these places used excellent quality milk to produce such a high quality of scrambled eggs. Australia Dairy is purported to use hokkaido milk (ironic considering their namesake), and the NY place I went to used farm fresh New York milk. Their eggs also had more substance and was they were also farm fresh. And if you know eggs you know they can either be crap or divine. I cannot source the eggs of ADC but the taste just was not up to snuff.
The toast on the other hand is a force to be reckoned with. If you're a bread-a-holic you probably won't find better quality unless you are willing to shell out quite a bit more. That said, the value of the breakfast set is quite high and even though it's not the best I've ever had it's good. If you're a tourist who's never been to HK on a limited time frame I recommend going to Excelsior for Lord Stowe's egg tarts instead and trying out the eggs here. If you've grown up on a farm it's safe to say you've most likely had better. It's also ok to skip Australia Dairy unless you're a fan of the following dish.
Steamed Egg White and Milk
If you have ever went to Causeway Bay and paid for the overpriced Milk Tops, I must say this is better. The texture and the taste of eating this when it is freshly heated makes this the only reason why I would venture out to Jordan. If people overhyped for this dish I would understand even if I cannot wholly agree. As other reviewers have said, this is creamy and sweet and quite easy on the senses. For Hong Kong this is close to the best milk quality you can get, and since I'm a dairy maven I have cravings for what I consider good milk and therefore this dish.
Why I do not go there everyday however is because I have indeed tasted better dairy and while this steamed egg and milk is not found everywhere, I do not consider this, in any means, fare that defines Hong Kong. If you were hard pressed though and wanted to say this is the best, then it at least would be more understandable than eggs.
So Called Crappy Service
Not every cha chan teng I will actually like, and frankly the ones I will revisit I can count on one hand. But since this is one of the exceptions I will say this. Despite understanding the etiquette involved in the waiting business I never had a problem with this cafe as their attitude reflects mine: Go in, Eat, Get out. If they ever had a mantra it would be, "we serve you fast so you should eat fast". There are also a few other points to take into consideration.
First of all the place looks as cheerful as a tiled lavatory. Sure it's clean, sanitary and better than other HK cafes, but it's definitely NOT the Four Seasons and I don't particularly care to linger here.
Second, for the price and the quality you are here to EAT not to whimsically reflect on how wonderful the history of this place is. Like the servers, their courtesy is giving you good food fast and your courtesy to them is to be sure you don't hold up other waiting customers aka money. Ask in dulcet tones how this place came about and you may get a curt and gruff sneer. If that puts you off, don't come here.
Third, because of the history behind this place MANY foreigners like to do number two and frankly it's annoying. You're a newbie and perhaps you get more leeway, but they're not here to play tour guide. A dozen other hungry customers need to get served and if you're not ordering more food you are not a priority.
A few of these people don't get it especially with reviews like the ones I find here (aka stop overhyping and confusing non locals). Honestly you'd fare much better with the service if you treat this place as a quick stop.
Verdict and Recommendation
All in all this place does have good food and a very good Steamed Egg White and Milk Custard. But if you hate eggs or want to experience varied fare, you're pretty much SOL hence the 4 rating.
My recommendation, however, and especially if you're foreign is paying a bit more and experiencing the international dining in Hong Kong. And if you really want good eggs, go to the Flying Pan while getting a steamed egg white and milk to go.
Don't dig all the hype and go for the setting alone. You won't be able to sit there and enjoy it for long.
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