Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

For the full series (and do get ready some napkins and coffee to keep those eye lids open); hop over to : Motormouth in Hong Kong/Macau 2011.

Honolulu Coffee Shop serves a commendable range of pastries and beverages to perk up your day, no matter if it’s breakfast, brunch, lunch or best of all … tea time. And there we were for a good cup of Hong Kong style milk tea (fresh milk instead of the Malaysian style of teh tarik with condensed milk), paired with irresistible egg tarts and more.

Hong Kong’s ‘char chaan teng’ (typical cafes spanning every nook and corner of the city on steroids) never ceases to amaze me. Though you can mentally prepare for what’s on the menu (polo bao, milk tea, egg tarts, macaroni in soup, Nissin noodle soup, etc), yet every outlet serves a signature creation that’s no doubt the crowd puller that keeps the hungry gluttons back again and again.

In this case? Honolulu Coffee Shop (Openrice’s page) takes pride in their flaky egg tarts (as opposed to Tai Cheong‘s buttery short pastry version; the new review to come in a later post), and various buns/breads to cater to the smaller appetites. Read on to gather my thoughts on this cafe with a branch in Wan Chai and this on Stanley Street in the heart of Central, Hong Kong ….

For HKD6/RM2.40 each, you get fresh, flaky egg tarts with an impossibly wobbly and creamy (can I say sultry?) custard centre. The filling was so velvety smooth I could not snap a photo of a half-bitten one, seriously.

If you’re an egg tart fan, you can either be a fan of the buttery, cookie-type of pastry, or this flaky, multi-layered ingenious creation. The same goes for the ones in our backyard, whereby you get flaky, crumbly skin in egg tarts carted in dozens in dim sum outlets, OR the Hong Kong adaptations in the many John King‘s branches all over Klang Valley and Penang.

You can’t be on the fence and vouch for both camps, unless you’re Motormouth. 🙂

Polo Bao (pineapple bun, literally) at Honolulu paled in comparison to Kam Wah‘s, obviously. But still, the soft texture of the sweetish bun with a fluffy centre, topped with the crusted, caramelized sugar was a good bet. And let’s not compare this to the gazillion times watered down replicas here in Malaysia.

At Honolulu, the egg tarts are definitely your best bet. And don’t forget to wash them down with an ultra smooth cup of Hong Kong milk tea; known as Teh C here, but don’t push your luck as they would be wondering what in the world is the “C” you were referring to. Just call out for ‘Nai Cha’ (milk tea in Cantonese) and you’re good to go. For HKD16/RM6.40 per cup, the drink was worth two tarts and then some. Amazing how drinks are overpriced there huh?

“Foh Gei” or staff in the usual white uniform; commonly seen in TVB dramas and Hong Kong movies. Guess that’s the norm?

Verdict? Good enough to be worthy of the detour. Well, not exactly a detour, especially if you’re food hunting around Central or Sheung Wan. We had these before we went over to Sang Kee Congee Shop, about a block or two away. You can try the original outlet on Hennessy Road in Wan Chai, but that’s slightly out of the way (but you can go to Kam Fung while you’re there, a milk tea heavyweight to come in a later post …. again).

There are also other breads on display, but good luck guessing what they are if you don’t read Chinese. I struggled, but this thick-skinned brat was relentless enough to stand his ground and got things sorted out in a most pesky manner. As usual.

Was half expecting a smallish, half-lot cafe with gaudy interior, but this branch of Honolulu Coffee Shop impressed in the sense that the place looks more like a restaurant with air-conditioning than a backwater, classic ‘char chaan teng’

HONOLULU COFFEE SHOP (Openrice’s page)
G/F, 33, Stanley Street,
Central, Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Food Map to the rescue?
Exit from Central MTR station at D1 or D2 exit and walk towards Stanley Street. Stanley Street is parallel to Wellington Street (where the famous Yung Kee Roast Goose is).

The original outlet’s address :
G/F & Mezzanine Floor,
176-178, Hennessy Road,
Wan Chai, Hong Kong

* More reviews from Appetite For China, Kampungboycitygal, In The Sky, Lonely Planet

Still to come? Tai Cheong Bakery and Kam Fung Cafe. Not to forget Lord Stow’s slightly varied creation; the world famous Portuguese egg tarts.