Top 10 Traditional Local Bakeries in Hong Kong

CENTRAL: Tai Cheong Bakery

Tai Cheong Bakery has been around since 1954 but became famous as the ex-governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten’s favorite egg tarts. Their creamy and silky smooth egg tarts and more-ish Chinese donuts keep people coming back for more! This staple of Hong Kong culture has 14 branches across Hong Kong and has even reached out to Singapore. Go check out their main branch in Central!

Tai Cheong Bakery, G/F, 35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong,+852 2544 3475, www.taoheung.com.hk

Opening Hours: 7:30am-9pm Mon-Sun

CHEUNG CHAU: Kwok Kam Kee

Another family-run business that has been operating for over 40 years, Kwok Kam Kee makes around 60% of all ‘ping an’ buns for the Cheung Chau bun festival everywhere. Strategically placed not far from Pak Tai Temple on Cheung Chau, this bakery bakes thousands of these little buns, which were first created in the 18^th century to ward off evil spirits after a plague. Each sumptuously soft bun is stamped with the character for peace. Kwok Kam Kee does a whole range of traditional Chinese baked goods, but if you want to get a ‘ping an bao’, you’d better get in line quickly!

Kwok Kam Kee, 46 Pak She Street, Cheung Chau, Hong Kong,+852 9841 5683, Facebook Page

Opening Hours: 8am-7pm Mon-Sun

WAN CHAI: Happy Bakery

The institution that once was Happy Cake Shop has now moved and rebranded into Happy Bakery. Happy Bakery serves Hong Kong classics like whipped cream cones, Mexican buns, sausage bread, pineapple buns, and piggy buns. Perhaps one of their most famous treats is the cocktail bun, supposedly invented by a baker in the 1950s who was fed up with wasting leftover buns. Instead, he decided to grind up the old buns with sugar and coconut to make a filling for new buns, similar to the mixing of drinks in a cocktail, hence the name – it’s not actually alcoholic at all!

Happy Bakery, 66-68 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, +852 2528 1391

Opening Hours: 6am-6pm Mon-Sun

MONG KOK: Kei Tsui Cake Shop

This family-run bakery has been operating for over 40 years and is a staple amongst locals in Mong Kok. Kei Tsui Cake Shop has been Michelin recommended, providing traditional Chinese pastries and cakes to well-known clients like Hong Kong Airlines! Check out their delicious egg tarts, fluffy red bean pancakes, or the Little Chicken Biscuits! They’ve even got the wonderfully named ox-ear cookies, which are thin, sweet wafer-like cookies (no cows were harmed!).

Kei Tsui Cake Shop, G/F, 135 Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong, +852 2394 1727

Opening Hours: 8am-8pm Mon-Sun

KENNEDY TOWN & SAI YING PUN: St Lolan Bakery

St Lolan Bakery is another traditional and cheap bakery based in Kennedy Town as well as Sai Ying Pun, which is famous for the coconut tarts that they make with puff pastry, unlike most other bakeries that use cookie pastry. The low, low prices and the delicious taste of the treats mean that the pastries run out quickly. Aside from traditional Hong Kong and Chinese baked goods, they also serve mochi, although that usually runs out by midday. Get yourself a treat at St Lolan Bakery!

• St Lolan Bakery, G/F, 118 Belcher’s Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong, +852 2816 5328
• St Lolan Bakery, G/F, 293 Queen's Road West, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, +852 21519703

Opening Hours: 6:30am-9:30pm Mon-Sun

YUEN LONG: Hang Heung Cake Shop

Hang Heung has been open for over 90 years, having been founded in the 1920s. This Hong Kong icon specializes in traditional pastries, like bridal pastries, traditional wife cake, mooncakes, and their famous century-egg pastry, which is a light and fluffy pastry base with a special preserved egg in the center! Expect to see their classic Signature White Lotus Seed Mooncakes with Double Yolk around Mid-Autumn Festival, which is handcrafted with ingredients from Hunan, Xianglian. Traditional pastry recipes have been handed down in this bakery, and it’s definitely stood the test of time.

Hang Heung Cake Shop, G/F, 64 Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long, Hong Kong, +852 2479 2141, www.hangheung.com.hk

Opening Hours: 9am-8pm Mon-Sun

SHAM SHUI PO: Pat Sin Bakery

Pat Sin Bakery began as the pastry department of the Pat Sin Grand Teahouse in Cheung Sha Wan in 1966, then moved to Sham Shui Po in 1978 after the restaurant closed. However, Pat Sin Bakery has been making traditional Chinese treats (or ‘tong beng pou’) with a much longer history. The tradition of bridal pastry developed into eight categories, with the wife cake (or ‘lou po beng’) becoming the most famous. Pat Sin’s wife cakes are a flaky pastry filled with sweet winter melon, almond, and sesame paste, and lightly spiced with five-spice powder.

Pat Sin Bakery, G/F, 197 Nam Cheong Street, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong, +852 2729 9440

Opening Hours: 7:30am-7:30pm Mon-Sun

MONG KOK: Ming Wah Bakery

Ming Wah Bakery is a family-owned business in Mong Kok, serving the classic coconut tarts, banana rolls, chicken cookies, and red bean cakes. The prices here are ridiculously cheap with most products ranging between HK$3-10, what a steal! Their Kong Soh Peng (or Chinese Shortbread) is fantastic, the milky, soft, and sweet cookies were a hit in the 1960s and were the main meal for many a poor Hong Konger.

Ming Wah Bakery, 29 Soy Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong, +852 2782 5232

Opening Hours: 7am-12am Mon-Sun

KOWLOON CITY: Hoover Cake Shop

Some say that Hoover Cake Shop is Hong Kong’s Egg Tart King, as they use duck eggs, rather than chicken eggs, to make a smoother, stronger-flavored custard filling. Hoover Cake Shop even holds classes to teach you how to make these delicious Hong Kong icons! They also serve mochi here, with wonderful flavors like mango, peanut, and red bean. Even though Hoover Cake Shop does a lot of traditional baking, it also caters to the modern-day palate with Western-style baked goods like chocolate or coffee Swiss Roll! Decide for yourself whether this egg tart is the one for you!

Hoover Cake Shop, 136 Nga Tsin Wai Road, Kowloon City, Hong Kong, +852 2382 0383, hoovercakeshop.hk

Opening Hours: 6:30am-11:30pm Mon-Sun

JENNY BAKERY: TST & Sheung Wan

Jenny Bakery is renowned for its wide array of popular cookie flavors that have captured the hearts of cookie enthusiasts. At the top of the list is their signature Butter Cookies, which boast a rich, buttery taste that simply melts in your mouth. Chocolate Chip Cookies are another beloved choice, generously packed with delectable chocolate chips. Coffee lovers can savor the delightful Coffee Cookies, blending the perfect harmony of coffee flavor and buttery goodness. For those seeking a unique twist, the Matcha Green Tea Cookies offer a satisfying combination of earthy matcha and the trademark buttery texture. Almond Cookies provide a delightful crunch and nuttiness, while Coconut Cookies infuse tropical coconut flavors into the classic butter cookie. You will also find peanut balls and almond flakes. Get there early as lines start to form even before they open!

Jenny Bakery, Shop 42, 1/F, Mirador Mansion, 62 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, +852 23118070, https://jennybakery.com/hongkong/

Jenny Bakery, 15 Wing Wo Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, +852 2524 1988, https://jennybakery.com/hongkong/

Opening Hours: 10:00am-7:00pm Mon-Sun