GBA Lifestyle News
French toast for a late morning snack, French toast to share for dessert, French toast for your afternoon tea. Hong Kong-style French toast is for any time, any day. Let us show you the way…
When you talk about French toast in Hong Kong, you can’t not talk about the dai pai dong Si Yik — people travel especially to Stanley just to get a taste of the famous snack! Si Yik soaks its bread with lots of egg, puts a layer of kaya or peanut butter in between, and then deep-fries everything together. The result is a perfectly cooked, super soft and chewy French toast with a slight crisp. Si Yik’s other sandwiches are top-notch as well. Try the sandwich with butter and sugar (油糖多), sandwich with butter and jam (鮮油占多), or the sandwich with egg and beef (蛋牛治).
2 Stanley Market St, Stanley, 2813-0503. 6am-4pm, closed every Tuesdays.
What could possibly be more delicious than your everyday Hong Kong-style French toast? French toast with custard lava at Chau Kee, of course! Think soft, fluffy bread and custard that flows out in pools the minute you cut into it. The toast comes in three flavors: custard, black sesame, and taro. Try black sesame if you like something more traditional. For all the sweet tooths out there, go for custard or taro, which is rich, full-flavored and a surprisingly good match. Aside from its gooey toasts, Chau Kee also serves Cantonese dishes like dim sum and even the hard-to-find silver pin noodles.
Shop H1, G/F, Tung Lee Mansion, Water Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2559-2389. Closed on Mondays.
This small neighborhood cha chaan teng is one of our favorites. It’s intimate, serves great noodles with lots of toppings, great milk tea, and of course, a delicious Hong Kong-style French toast. It’s got just the right amount of oil, with the perfect crisp and a soft layer of peanut butter in the middle. While most CCTs put sugar syrup on your toast, Hing Kee tops it with condensed milk — sweet and indulgent, just the way we like it. For a perfect afternoon tea, we always go for a bowl of pork liver noodles in their tomato soup base, milk tea, and a French toast to share.
182 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, 2549-3419.
This Sham Shui Po establishment is legendary: it has three stores on the same block and sports a forever-long queue. Most famous for its pork liver and beef noodles, Wai Kee actually also does a delicious French toast with a twist: instead of the usual peanut butter, you’ll find kaya jam in between slices of toast. It’s soft and slightly crispy, covered in just the right amount of egg, with a thick layer of kaya in the middle. It’s the perfect sweet dish to complement your meal. Even HKSAR’s Ex-Chief Executive Donald Tsang is a fan.
62 & 67 Fuk Wing Street; Shop D, 165-167 Pei Ho Street, Sham Shui Po, 2387-6515.
With over 60 years of history, Shui Kee does things its own way: its iced milk tea is stored in a glass bottle and serves traditional Hong Kong sandwiches with iconic combos like egg and beef. The French toast here is also unlike those found in most Hong Kong cha chaan tengs: pan-fried with a thin layer of egg, the bread retains its soft texture, and is then slathered generously with condensed milk. While you’re there, have a chat with the talkative owner Uncle Cheung, who is now over 80 years old and has his own sofa chair in front of the kitchen. His grandson now sees to the shop’s everyday operations.
Shop 17, 2/F, Sheung Wan Municipal Services Building, Sheung Wan, 2850-8643.
Often touted as the city’s best Hong Kong-style French toast, Man Wah’s version uses a very thick bread so you get two textures at once: crispy on the outside and very fluffy in the middle. It is also topped with a chunk of butter and condensed milk, giving a surprisingly delicious savory-slash-sweet taste. Man Wah opened its first shop in Tai Po, but if that’s too far away, head to its Mong Kok branch for a reinvigorating afternoon snack while exploring the energetic neighborhood.
153-159 Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, 2392-4880.
If you like super crispy French toast, this popular local Sai Ying Pun restaurant has got you covered. The French toast here is the type most commonly found in local cha chaan tengs: nicely browned, crunchy, and enjoyed with sugar syrup, which you can pour to your heart’s content. If you want something more to your meal, try their noodles like stir-fry beef noodles, lunch sets, and milk tea.
19-23 Des Voeux Road West, Sai Ying Pun, 2291-0198.
[updated January 2019]
Want more of our favorite places to eat and drink in Hong Kong? Check out our Best of Food & Drink section!
