Australia Dairy Company: My favorite scrambled eggs in Hong Kong

Dim sum, roast goose, and wonton noodles are the kings of Hong Kong cuisine. But what if I told you to add scrambled eggs to that list?

Ask any local for their favorite Hong Kong-style breakfast (cha chaan teng) and odds are their answer will be Australia Dairy Company. I have to agree with them.

Since opening in 1970, this iconic Hong Kong institution has gained a reputation for its steamed pudding, scrambled eggs, and chicken soup.

At any hour of the day, you’ll find a line of hungry people lined up outside the restaurant, patiently waiting to try the food.

The first time I visited Australia Dairy Company on my visit to Hong Kong, I couldn’t understand why people would wait in line for scrambled eggs. It wasn’t until I tried the fluffy, buttery scrambled eggs for myself that I understood why people waited in line for so long to try them.

And if you are wondering about the name, the owner worked on a farm in Australia in the 1940s. Hence, Australia Dairy Company.

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Best Time to Visit

There are a few things to know before visiting Australia Dairy Company.

Due to its popularity, you can usually expect a line of people out front of the restaurant at all hours of the day.

If you plan on visiting for breakfast, I recommend arriving when they open at 7:30 AM. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait in line, sometimes up to an hour.

Traveling alone and arriving before 8:00 AM, I was seated quickly at a small shared table, a common occurrence on my visit to Hong Kong. At the table, I even made a new friend from New York, whom I still talk to today.

Interior of Australia Dairy Company

Hectic, crowded, and loud. That is how I describe my visit to Australia Dairy Company. It was a great experience, eating and talking with locals and tourists like myself. These experiences are why I travel halfway around the world.

The interior was bright and simple, with almost no color except for a few yellow stripes injected into the white walls. Where there was space, there was a table. The tables were small and cramped, leaving little room. I often picked up my plate to eat.

At times, it seemed as if the workers in their bright white shirts outnumbered the customers. Watching the rushed workers run back and forth between the kitchen, tables, and cashier was amusing.

Australia Dairy Company is not a great place to hang out before or after eating. Everyone was either eating or leaving, but it was all part of the experience.

Australia Dairy Company Menu

Servers can be rude and rushed, so be prepared. Know what you want beforehand, and be ready to point at what you want on the menu, as some servers don’t speak English.

I did enjoy how fast my food arrived. It couldn’t have taken more than 30 seconds to receive it after I ordered it.

Set and House Specialties, Australia Dairy Company, Hong Kong — Set and House Specialties

While steamed pudding was the house specialty at Australia Dairy Company, everyone around me appeared to be ordering the breakfast set with eggs, toast, soup, and tea or coffee. If you want breakfast, arrive before noon. You can order the lunch set in the afternoon or go for the all-day tea set.

Main menu, Australia Dairy Company, Hong Kong — Main menu

While I recommend breakfast, a lunch menu was available with items including macaroni, spaghetti, porridge, and an assortment of sandwiches.

For these sets, you could add a variety of items, including ham, BBQ pork, beef, and fried eggs.

For such a small restaurant, I was surprised by the selection of beverages on the menu. There was something for everyone.

I won’t list everything, but there was coffee, milk tea, lemonade, hot chocolate, Coca-Cola, milk, and more.

They also offered special drinks, including lotus tea, iced drinks with red beans, pineapple, fruit, and even homemade jello.

Breakfast Set

Almost everyone on my visit seemed to order the Breakfast Set (HKD 36 or about $4.60). This set, available until noon, included scrambled or fried eggs, toast or bread with butter, macaroni with ham in chicken soup, and coffee or milk tea.

Scrambled eggs with toast, Australia Dairy Company, Hong Kong — Scrambled eggs with toast

Scrambled eggs and toast. One of the simplest breakfast items you can order. For something so simple, it’s surprising how easy it is to screw up.

There was something magical about these eggs. They could not have been any better. The texture was smooth and creamy with a buttery, rich flavor. A dash of salt finished off these eggs.

I want to know the secret of how they cook their scrambled eggs. See the line out front? Now you understand why people wait up to an hour to try them.

On the side were two thick slices of white bread. One side was lightly toasted, with the other drenched in rich, delicious butter. They sure love their butter here in Hong Kong. Top a piece of bread with some of the scrambled eggs, and you have something special.

I wasn’t as impressed with the Macaroni with Ham in Chicken Soup. The salty brown broth tasted like your run-of-the-mill chicken broth.

Floating in the milky broth were thin slices of ham and elbow macaroni. I strangely enjoyed how the broth soaked up the flavors of the rich processed meat and tender, chewy noodles. The noodles, cooked al dente, also soaked up the broth.

This soup was hearty but forgettable.

Service at Australia Dairy Company

The servers at Australia Dairy Company have gained a reputation with customers for being extremely rude. The service on my visit was efficient and not necessarily impolite.

After being led to an open seat, I promptly ordered, ate my food as fast as possible, and moved on. If you follow these same steps, you will have no issues with the staff.

Just remember about the line out front that needs to keep moving. Knowing what you want to order beforehand will save you trouble and time.

Even if the service was rude, the scrambled eggs were worth it for the quality and taste.

Conclusion

Australia Dairy Company is an interesting place. The first time I visited, I was trying to understand why people would wait in line so long for scrambled eggs and soup. I wasn’t all that impressed.

On my second visit, I wondered the same thing but soon realized how special the scrambled eggs were. No other place can compare. They were that good.

So is it worth waiting in line for an hour to deal with the servers and almost no space just for scrambled eggs? Only you know the answer. Some people will love this place, while others will hate it.

As for me, I can’t figure out why, but I enjoyed the experience, the chaos, and the food. It’s a place I would only go to a few times, but in the end, it was worth the trouble for the experience.

Next time I am back in Hong Kong, I will come to Australia Dairy Company first for breakfast.