Food was one of the few pleasures of 2020, a year devoid of parties and other diversions once the pandemic started. Restaurateurs reported an uptick in sales of back-to-basics comfort foods like fried chicken and old-fashioned shepherd’s pie.

That Western-style comfort fare extended into other culture’s offerings, albeit with their own interpretations. Sandy’s Café, located in Chinatown Cultural Plaza, is an example of this, with half its menu dedicated to Cantonese-Western fusion food in the style of Hong Kong’s cha chaan teng, or tea restaurants, that emerged with 18th century British colonial rule.

Most locals see Sandy’s as a standard, nondescript Chinese café with a handful of displaced items on the menu, but breakfasts — offered until 10 a.m. — are a reflection of its roots. Classic cha chaan teng dishes include ham macaroni soup ($11) served with toast and two breakfast meat choices, and condensed milk toast ($3).

This is what I would have loved to have had when I was a kid, whining about having to eat jook every morning for breakfast during trips to Hong Kong. I would have loved the sweet center of the milk toast, as well as Sandy’s French toast ($10, including a drink up to $3.50 value).

Instead of the Western-style eggy batter, this French toast has a frilly, lacy egg crust with a peanut butter center to give it more heft.

At lunch time, homesick Hong Kongers may gravitate toward spaghettis and tomato-cheese bakes, but a local crowd generally sticks to traditional fare. To date, everyone I’ve spoken to who has been here — and I agree — says Sandy’s offers the best roast duck ($16 half, $30 whole) on Oahu due to its sweet flavor, juiciness and brittle, crisp skin.

The char siu pork ($11) is also enjoyable. While I liked its quality and flavor, I noticed my friends were less enthused because it was drier than those found at other local spots.

I also believe Sandy’s offers the best wontons ($11) on the island. They’re not the spiciest of Sichuan wontons, but they pack a full shrimp that cradles delicious ground pork in a satisfying, toothsome package.

Noodle dishes like Singapore rice noodles ($12) and fried rice round out the menu. One of the more unique noodle dishes is the lo mein ($11) dusted with powdery sweet and briny dried shrimp roe. This is only for those who can tolerate the strong seafood smell.

Diners who want to experience fusion cuisine through others’ eyes may gravitate to the spaghetti dishes. It seems inconsequential to simply swap Chinese noodles for an Italian one, but if you’re not accustomed to it, the thicker, chewier spaghetti is less enjoyable in dishes like chicken spaghetti ($13) with black pepper sauce. Thinner Hong Kong-style noodles absorb the sauce for a juicy mouthfeel, whereas sauce merely glosses the surface of more slippery spaghetti noodles, highlighting their flabbier consistency.

The spaghetti fares a little better in the Western format of baked spaghetti ($12) blanketed with heavier meat sauce and cheese, with the tomato sauce more sweet than savory and an overall lightness suitable for a child’s palate.

The most successful of these Canto-Western dishes is the baked pork chop ($15) with tomato sauce and cheese over rice. Salt-pepper pork chops are repurposed in this dish, adding dimension to the light tomato sauce with their five-spice flavor. A few chunks of pineapple bring a sweet-sour kick to the dish.

As for the tea part of the equation, there is milk tea ($3.50) and honey lemon tea ($3.50), both served hot or cold, that are very sweet. Papaya white fungus plum jelly ($6) is listed as one of the drinks, but as a non-liquid jelly, it’s best eaten as dessert, a pleasant ending to what could be an eye-opening experience as to how people in another part of the world view our comfort cuisine.

Sandy’s Café
Chinatown Cultural Plaza
100 N. Beretania St., Ste. 113
Food: ***½
Service: **½
Ambiance: **½
Value: ****
Call: 808-200-0468
Hours: 8 A.M.-4 P.M. Mondays-Tuesdays and Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 A.M.-3 P.M. Sundays
Prices: about $30-$40 for two

Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).