Unless you live here in the 852, you might not automatically associate this city with having a sweet tooth; UK with all their heavy puddings, yes; France and its lighter than air pastries and cakes, yes; North America with their jumbo sweet-everythings, clearly; but beneath Hong Kong’s showy savoury-loving exterior, you’ll also find a soft shell of saccharine chasing aficionados who will cross over to the far corners of this town for a great bowl of shaved ice or durian-laden pudding that ensure any sweet shop worth its salt will have queues that you can count on.
Here’s a selection of some of HK’s best-loved sweet treats:
Matcha
Matcha roll cake
If you add matcha as a flavour to any dessert in this city, they will come. This fine green tea powder with a sharp and distinct flavour has truly become an obsession in this city. The process for making matcha originated in China but the best of the green stuff now comes from the Southern half of Japan. Whether its froyo, soft serve, shaved ice, pastries, puddings or lattes, there is no composition of this visually stunning ingredient that won’t draw the crowds.
Froyo
This is a trend that we thought would end year after year but yet the climate in Hong Kong seems akin to keeping the love afloat for decades to come with these gigantic bowls of yoghurty goodness. Perhaps it’s also the choose-your-own-toppings and combinations are an aspect that keeps the variety interesting and keeps us coming back for more. Gummy bears or blueberries? Choose one today, the next tomorrow…
Egg Tarts
We have the British colonial period to thank for these sweet custard circles sporting an often- luminous shade of yellow. Baked with a flaky shortcrust dough, people have their favourite shops to purchase, while some prefer the Portuguese version with its deep yellow filling and caramelised top layer encased in puff pastry.
Egg Waffles
Put eggs in our desserts and we will devour them. Often referred to as eggettes, the egg, sugar, flour and evaporated milk batter is poured into a hot iron with golf ball sized moulds to form these small crispy with a soft interior balls that can be flavoured with everything from peanut butter and chocolate to nothing at all. They are delicious in every form.
Soft serve
If you want to ensure endless queues, just advertise a two-for-one on soft serve and the mobs will patiently wait however long it takes to get a lick. Japanese medleys like matcha, Hokkaido milk and other tea varieties are extremely popular marriages for the rich and creamy cones, as is the obvious chocolate and honeycomb flavours.
Over in Fashion Walk, there are many dessert destinations to stop in for a sweet sampling:
The labour-intensive cakes at Lady M are an Instagrammer’s dream with a taste that’s all mmm’s and ahh’s.
Lady M, Shop C, G/F, 1-3 Cleveland Street, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay, 2861 1866
Head over to The Matchbox for the much-loved egg tarts.
The Matchbox, Shop 2B, G/F, 8 Cleveland Street, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay, 2868 0363
Stop by iCREMERIA for the green tea soft-serve and fresh japanese fruit.
iCREMERIA, Shop F-9, 1/F, 11-19 Great George Street, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay 2897 1118
With weekly-rotating ice cream sandwich flavours like this rose water macaron cookie with strawberry and cranberry jam, it can only be Elephant Grounds.
Elephant Grounds, Shop C, G/F, 42-48 Paterson Street, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay, 2562 8688
Tiramisu anyone? Yes, we thought so. EAT.it can sort you out.
EAT.it, Shop 1, G/F, 9 Kingston Street, Fashion Walk Causeway Bay, 2489 8822
Visit Celele for the cakes, glorious cakes.
Cedele, Shop C, G/F, 58-64 Paterson Street, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay, 2110 0490