Hong Kong flavours

A famous tea house/ cafe in Yau Ma Tei

Hong Kong has many local specialties like egg tarts, pineapple buns, wonton noodles and fish balls ho fun etc, and usually they can be found in most ‘tea houses’. Forget hygiene and service, they are not places to linger, just enjoy the unique flavours of HK… These are some of the best/ most famous ones:

Tai Cheong Bakery, Central
Supposedly, this place serves the best egg tart in town, however, it’s not my favourite. Probably because I am not a fan of the short crust pastry, I find it too buttery/ lardy and smooth. I think their egg tarts are above average, but not the best in my opinion. Overhyped? Probably. It’s called the Pattern effect!

Honolulu Coffee Shop, Central, Wai Chai
My favourite place for egg tarts! Nothing beats the freshly baked egg tarts with flaky crust and hot custard! I am not an egg tart connaisseur, so I can’t say there aren’t better ones out there, but I think this place serves pretty consistent and decent tarts. I only do take-outs here, it’s much better than sitting inside…

Kam Fung Restaurant, Wai Chai
My friend took me here and made me queue with her for about 10 mins! We had the famous chicken pie, egg tart and milk tea in a very narrow and uncomfortable carriage-style seating. The chicken pie was not bad, but nothing special. The egg tart had a weird after taste… we suspected that maybe the butter/ lard was off?! Milk tea was quite smooth, but not really worth the 10-minute wait. Chaotic, uncomfortable and overhyped, I doubt I will be back.

Mak's Noodle Ltd, Central
Mak’s wonton noodle is most famous for their wontons, and their price tags (when compared to other wonton noodle places)! I am not crazy about their wontons, but I do like their shrimp dumplings, I think they are much better than their acclaimed wontons!

Mak An Kee Noodle, Central
Apparently this owner is related to the boss of Mak’s noodle ltd, but this hidden place is much more low-key. I think the wontons here are better than Mak’s and cheaper too!

Mak Mun Kee, Jordan
Another famous wonton place, but in Jordan. Good wontons and shrimp roe lo mein.

Fish Ball Kong Chai Kee, Central
Good fish balls ho fun, and I particularly like their chilli sauce!

Tsui Wah Restaurant, Central
Good place for the late-night munchies such as fish balls ho fun and other noodle dishes after drinking in Lan Kwai Fong.

New Cheung Hing Restaurant, Happy Valley
A friend of mine likes to come here for egg and ham sandwiches and instant noodles. Personally, I think my homemade instant noodles are better! I don't think their food is particularly special but I guess people come here for nostalgic/ celebrity factor rather than the food.

Law Fu Kee, Central
Good cheap place for all kinds of congee!

Ocean Empire Food Shop, Wai Chai
Cheap congee and cheung fun place, pretty standard.

Australia Dairy Co, Jordan
I never tried their famous scrambled egg sandwich, but their steamed egg dessert and thick toast were all pretty satisfying.

Yuen Kee Dessert, Sai Wan
I remember coming here as a kid… my recent visit brought back all the old memories! Luckily, the almond soup was still smooth and thick… will definitely come back again to try out other desserts!

Afternoon tea/ cafes in Hong Kong

Afternoon tea is almost like a daily ritual for my friends and I, so our quest is find the ultimate tea/ coffee haven in town. Unfortunately, we have not been very successful... I am a coffee drinker and some of my friend are tea lovers, so it's hard to find a place that satisfies all our needs. Here are some my recent experiences and Starbucks is not on the list:

Agnes B cafes - The food at the Causeway Bay branch was not good, the IFC one has a better view and is more comfortable. Coffee was fine, would probably try their cakes next time.

Antique tea room - nice small cafe with so-so service. However, it's quite a pleasant/alternative place to have coffee/ tea and cakes with friends in Central esp. if you don't want to do starbucks or upmarket hotels.

China tee club - It's been a long time since I came to this place... We were told that there would be a minimum charge for non-members, but luckily, the tea and fruit crumble I ordered passed the test, so I left the place full and satisfied.

Clipper lounge, Mandarin Hotel - what changed? Both my friends and I didn't notice much change after the renovation except for the slip in service!

Conrad lounge - The tea buffet here has less variety than Marriott, but it is also less packed and not as noisy. Not a bad place if you want to catch up with friends, but if you are looking to stuff your face within 2-3 hours, then probably Marriott is a better choice.

Cafe Corridor - Quite a small, hidden cafe opp. Time Square with only a few tables. Coffee and cake here were not too bad, but don't expect much service.

Island Shangri-la's Gourmet - Pleasant small hotel cafe with a wide range of cakes, but the coffee had a burnt aftertaste... for the price they charge, they really need to do better.

Habitu, Central - Comfortable and laid back. Decent cafe with decent food and coffee.

Harlan's - Never noticed this place until my friend booked an afternoon tea session here! Quiet and spacious, it was a good place to chat. Tea set was quite good and filling, but service was a bit sloppy.

Le Gouter Bernardaud, IFC - Yummy cakes and macarons and decent expresso but service was not so good.

Marriott Lounge - Weekend afternoon tea buffet here was a bit like sitting in a bazaar! Packed with families, foreign hotel guests, tai tais and teenagers... it was so hectic! As expected, service was inattentive and noise level was high. A wide range of food was available including dim sum (not freshly made), sushi, congee, salad, chicken wings and waffles etc. Average standard but good value for money.

Robouchon Bakery - Coffee here was strong but slightly bitter, but beware of the fresh juices here... ordering them might break your wallet! Croissants & many items from the bakery were delicious, though snotty service has put me off this place!

Cafe S. - I like the this little Japanese-style cafe next to the Sogo bookshop, it's quiet and comfortable. Less choices than UCC downstairs, but much nicer environment.

Tiffins, Grand Hyatt - Afternoon tea buffet here has always been quite consistent over the years. Not cheap but there is a variety of savoury and sweets to choose from. Their homemade ice-cream is divine!

UCC - Coffee and waffles are pretty good, but I can't stand the noisy branch inside Sogo.

Caffé Vergnano 1882, Lee Gardens - We didn't eat here but thought the coffee was good and strong, would come back again.

Zoe cafe - Wide variety of small, yummy but pricey cakes, the place is tiny and always packed!