Why macaroni soup is good for the soul

I love a cha chaan teng breakfast. Growing up, breakfast was jam on toast or something from the bakery on the way to school. So whenever my family had time for a cha chaan teng brunch, it always felt like a luxurious affair. And for me, that has to include a bowl of macaroni soup. 

At Australia Dairy Company, the Jordan mainstay famed for their eggs and their grouchy-yet-lightning-fast servers alike, I always get the Daily Set. Usually, a plate of generously buttered toast, slurpable, creamy scrambled eggs, and a slice of ham arrives first. While I’m busy stacking an open-faced sandwich, a bowl of almost-clear macaroni soup topped with slivers of lean char siu or ham is unceremoniously slid onto the table – all before I’ve even had a sip of coffee. 

Macaroni soup for breakfast started at Hong Kong’s bing sutt (“ice room”, the predecessor of cha chaan teng named for their selection of icy drinks) in the 1950s. Armed with ubiquitous and cheap post-WWII foods like Campbell’s Cream of Chicken and macaroni pasta, Hongkongers created a hearty, soupy dish that became the hottest new staple for breakfast – and for the soul. Office workers and labourers alike would go for their first cheap and filling meal of the day, and macaroni soup often did the heavy lifting. 

When discussing the best cha chaan teng breakfast spots with a visiting friend, I was taken aback by his remark: “Love the eggs, but I always say no to soggy macaroni in hot water.” His description wasn’t wrong. “Al dente” was never in the cha chaan teng lexicon. But while this soup always played third wheel to my favourite breakfast dishes, I’d never reject it. 

These days, macaroni soup comes in many forms. Café Seasons makes it with a creamy chicken broth reminiscent of tori paitan ramen. There’s a reason why Sing Heung Yuen’s tomato macaroni soup has snaking queues awaiting it every day. Even McDonald’s has a “twisty pasta” soup with ham and egg. Tastes may have evolved, but I’ll always gladly take a plain macaroni soup to start my day.