Explore the world of Canto-Western cuisine

Goldfinch, which opened in 1962, has become popular again after Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai chose its dark and musty interior as the backdrop for a romanticized '60s in his sultry "In the Mood for Love," as well as for a scene in the movie "2046."

Meanwhile, curious young diners are drawn by the restaurants' timeless qualities, their tattered leather-bound menus, dimmed yellow lighting, smoked mirrors, stained leather booth seats, large portions and no-nonsense presentation.

Soy sauce Western meals typically begin with soup served with a sweet bun, or a salad of prawns and fruit that comes with a dollop of salad cream, which is similar to mayonnaise. Dessert usually is something old-fashioned, such as ice cream or sweet milk poured over orange gelatin.

The main course typically is a sizzle-plate steak accompanied by fried rice, spaghetti or french fries. Other popular mains include a fried rice that is baked with a layer of a cream or tomato-based sauce - likely inspired by lasagna.

Among the most famous soy sauce Western dishes is "Swiss sauce chicken wings" created by Tai Ping Koon, a 146-year-old restaurant. The eatery claims to be the first Western restaurant to open in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, once known as Canton.

The story goes that a foreign diner who first tasted the dish - a plateful of wings marinated in spiced, sweetened and almost caramelized soy sauce - exclaimed that it was "sweet," a comment misinterpreted as "Swiss" by the Chinese waiters.

Because of the misunderstanding, diners thought they were eating an authentic dish from Switzerland.

Another dish that could bewilder foreigners is macaroni cooked in clear broth, often eaten with a fried egg and ham for breakfast or a light lunch. McDonald's adopted the dish and sells it in the morning.

"These tastes are definitely completely different from real Western fare. Foreigners will find this food very unfamiliar, even unrecognizable," says Lau. "But that's OK, because I also find some Chinese food in Britain unrecognizable. This happens all over the world."

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