Iced milk tea: My father is a coffee fiend, a man who will travel the world in search of the perfect bean to grind. My sweet mother, on the other hand, never liked it. She’s a milk tea gal, the product of a Hong Kong childhood under British colonization. I inherited my mom’s genes, because I can’t go a morning without Cantonese-style milk tea. There’s really no secret: black tea with some combination of evaporated or condensed milk, perhaps a touch more of sugar. It’s silky smooth, served hot or iced (I prefer it cold) and found at any reputable Hong Kong restaurant in Chinatown. Tasty Place Bakery & Cafe is your classic example of a cha chan tang, a Cantonese “tea diner” where you’ll find milk tea ($1.80). 2306 S. Wentworth Ave., 312-842-8802 (another location is at 2339 S. Wentworth Ave.)
