Second-generation cha chaan teng owner creates unique milk tea with father's support
Isaac, the owner of "Kam Yi Siu" (Golden Junior), studied in Canada before returning to Hong Kong to become a fitness trainer. "Actually, I never thought he would come back," said his father Raymond, a gentle man dressed in trendy clothes. He never imagined his son would return, let alone follow in his footsteps to become a "second-generation cha chaan teng owner," working side-by-side with him.
Isaac grew up working with his father. "We used to live in Kowloon Bay, and I'd often follow my dad on a two-hour drive to Leung King Estate in Tuen Mun to work. At that time, the place was called Tai Pan Congee, and then he opened Kam Tai Pan." He recalled his childhood with a laugh. After returning to Hong Kong, he often helped out at the cha chaan teng, initially just thinking of "lending a hand to the family." "After all, Dad's getting older, and someday I might have to help." Although he said this, Isaac didn't have a specific timeline for taking over. The real turning point in his life came with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which affected the whole world.
"During the pandemic, all the gyms were closed. I didn't want to do nothing at home all day, so I spent more time helping out at the cha chaan teng. I learned everything, like how to make milk tea and how to stir-fry satay beef," Isaac said. Later, he met the "Golden Tea King," who encouraged him to learn how to brew and select tea leaves. He then slowly tried to improve Kam Tai Pan's recipe, launching his own milk tea flavor, and began to develop an interest. "During the pandemic, I saw grandpas and uncles who, even without dine-in service, insisted on buying a large milk tea at night and drinking it outside. Given the situation at the time, it might not have been suitable for them to go in and out, so I thought, 'Why not bottle it for them?' After that, we sold more and more." Bottled milk tea was born at Kam Tai Pan.
When Isaac wanted to expand the bottled milk tea business, Raymond interjected, "At that time, I wasn't optimistic." Despite his reservations, Raymond didn't stop Isaac from embarking on this new venture. Later, he even helped Isaac set up a factory for the bottled milk tea. "Young people really are quick-witted," his father couldn't help but praise. "He also has another good quality: he insists on not adding preservatives or artificial colors to the milk tea. He's very firm on this, and it's actually very difficult to do." Now, the bottled milk tea has successfully entered large supermarkets like Citysuper.