Kowloon Cafe

Located in Bensonhurst’s Chinatown , this cha chaan teng is dark, loud, and almost always packed—a good sign. Come here solo when you need a quick breakfast set for $7.50. But if you come with other people, you can feast on their best item: baked rice. The Hong Kong staple involves fried rice topped with a generous serving of sauce, chopped meat, and tons of melted cheese, before being baked into a gooey casserole that has the same effect on your body as a weighted blanket. We like the Portuguese chicken rice, which has a coconut curry sauce on top instead of the typical tomato-based variety. From 3-6pm, they also offer a special tea time menu with combinations like milk tea, chicken wings, and curry fish balls for $6.

Food Rundown

Baked Portuguese Chicken Over Rice

This boat of thick yellow curry packs a ton of coconut flavor. Even with the pile of melted mozzarella cheese on top, the coconut takes over. It’s an extremely rich dish that can easily feed two people. You can get it with rice or spaghetti.

Breakfast Set E

There are six different breakfast sets, and most come with some kind of egg component—except for this one. Set E comes with congee, and your choice of steamed rice rolls, or stir-fried noodles. We like the noodles, which are nice and springy, but the congee is the real draw. It’s well-seasoned, and heavy on the ginger. Every set also comes with a milk tea.