This custard-filled pastry is a local delicacy, but with so many to choose from, it can be hard to pick a winner. That’s why we’re here to help ...
After a long day at school or exams, there’s nothing more Hong Kong than treating yourself to some egg tarts. Whether you prefer Hong Kong-style egg tarts (you can pick either a crumbly, buttery shortcrust pastry (曲奇皮) or a flaky puff pastry (酥皮) with egg custard inside), or Macau-style Portuguese egg tarts (uniquely a flaky puff pastry, egg and cream custard and the signature crème brûlée-like finish on top) you can’t go wrong with one of our city’s most famous snacks.
To make sure you get only the best, Team YP bravely tasted egg tarts from across Hong Kong. We know, it’s a tough job. (By the way, we’re looking for summer cadets, who may get to take part in tough assignments like this one. If you’re interested, email [email protected] with your name, age, school and phone number and we’ll get back to you.)
We picked six bakeries and restaurants from regions including Hong Kong Island, the New Territories and Kowloon, and sampled egg tarts ranging from HK$3 to HK$11. Here’s how we ranked them in our scientific tasting. Have a read and take some inspiration of where to go next time with your friends!
THE BEST: Expresso Café at the Excelsior Hotel, 281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay
This Portuguese egg tart is our favourite, by far. Just a five-minute walk from Causeway Bay MTR Station, this is definitely worth braving the crowd of shoppers. The recipe is imported from the world renowned Lord Stow’s Bakery in Macau, founded by English master baker Andrew Stow.
The pastry is light and crispy, and is perfectly balanced with the creamy custard, which has a slight vanilla flavour to it. It’s not too sweet, but it is topped with a caramelised finish that makes the whole thing even more sumptuous. Even at
HK$11 per tart, it is worth every cent.
2nd place: Sakurashima Bakery, 7 Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok
Coming in second was this traditional Hong Kong-style egg tart. Using a shortcrust crust, the pastry is crumbly and has a smooth custard. Although it could have a little more filling, it makes up for it in taste and texture. You also get excellent value for your money: these are a bargain at HK$3 each.
3rd place: Kadoorie Bakery, 69 Waterloo Road, Yau Ma Tei
This Hong Kong-style egg tart is another great bargain at HK$4 a piece. Its puff pastry is well-cooked and crunchy, and has a nice nutty flavour. However, the pastry overpowers the mild custard, which could be a bit sweeter. We would still buy it though!
4th place: Macau Restaurant, 27 Lock Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
This is a Macau-style Portuguese egg tart. For HK$10, you get a very decent egg white custard that is lighter than the Expresso egg tart. It has a light, creamy texture, with a very balanced filling to pastry ratio. However, it is simply not as good as Expresso’s: the custard was sugary, the pastry was not as crispy as it could have been, and the top wasn’t so evenly caramelised.
5th place: Honolulu Restaurant, 176-178 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
Just a three-minute walk from Wan Chai station, this Hong Kong-style egg tart is definitely not worth the calories – or the price. Costing HK$8 each, the shortcrust pastry was too thick and too heavy.
The egg custard was decent, but slightly too sweet, and it was overpowered by the doughy pastry.
6th place: Wah Fai Restaurant and Bakery, 17 Heung Sze Wui Square, Tai Po
This Hong Kong style egg tart is HK$4, but does not deliver in terms of taste or texture like the similarly priced ones in Mong Kok or Yau Ma Tei. The shortcrust pastry is far too sweet and doughy, and completely overpowers the custard. It is something you could get at a generic dim sum place and is really nothing special. Our least favourite, we would not recommend buying this egg tart at all.
Did we miss your favourite egg tart? Head to www.scmp.com to leave a comment to let us know where we can find it!