Australia Dairy Company has been one of the hottest eateries in Hong Kong for many years.

Its reputation has been built up over time due to its affordable and absolutely no-frills fare that has generated many fawning reviews contributed by food bloggers and tourists from around the world.

People who go to Hong Kong will pop by this traditional cha chaan teng in Jordan.

The most inexplicable part is that even the hungry will patiently wait up to 45 minutes to an hour in line, just for a taste of the glorious scrambled eggs, macaroni soup and toast, plus steamed milk pudding.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B62LY8AlQq0/

Many disgruntled reviewers have also denounced this place as being anti-customer service, owing to the grouchy staff, who have become part of this establishment's trademark -- but not like people mind.

The food, deco, vibe and good old Hong Kong hustle-and-bustle style has been so popular to the extent the snaking queues outside the restaurant has been part of its image and marketing.

A bit like this:

And this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Ublo7DaaM/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5wXz84pqho/

Queuing for the food is likely a quintessential aspect of the Australia Dairy Co. experience, given that the restaurant menu even features a photo of the long line outside:

The charm of the place was how packed it was anytime of the day because people perennially wanted breakfast food.

However, tourists and old-timers who pay a visit to the eatery these days will probably be surprised at how quickly they can get a seat.

On Jan. 6, 2020, it looked like this:

The restaurant still appeared sufficiently packed inside, but diners were not required to share a table with others -- which used to be the case.

However, people were still bussed in and bussed out for higher turnover rates to serve more people in absolute terms.

The restaurant even has a CCTV showing the queue situation.

Which was non-existent:

There are a few obvious reasons why the queue has subsided.

One plausible-sounding reason is that it could have just been the off-peak timing during the weekday, so the eatery would not be so packed.

Or more likely, the state of the queue is influenced by the health of the Hong Kong economy, which is in jeopardy owing to the months-long unrest and protests, which has seen visitor numbers plunge.

Even though no queue for steamed milk pudding is a boon, to see Hong Kong lose its packed, frenetic pace, is disconcerting.

Top photo: Photo by Tanya Ong, Instagram Johnhon.cy

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