Hong Kong’s famous egg tarts, as well as its eclectic mix of dishes, can now be enjoyed at Honolulu Cafe’s newly opened branch in Greenbelt 5, Makati City.
The egg tarts, its signature pastry that’s baked to perfection, is a one-of-a-kind dish that has 192 layers of flaky crust with a luscious and creamy filling. The must-try specialty roasts, meanwhile, are the soy chicken, roasted pork belly, and roasted BBQ pork.
The Hong Kong-style cafe also serves other dishes that people are lining up for. There are flavorful dishes of pork buns, stir fried noodles, and curry dishes. The restaurant’s delightful blends of tea, milk tea, and coffee are also highly recommended.
Opened in the 1940s in Hong Kong, Honolulu Café is widely regarded as the original “Cha Chaan Teng”—which literally means “tea restaurant” or hole-in-the-wall café.
Derrick Yeung Siu-Yip, group CEO at Honolulu Cafe, shares that the egg tarts are the original concoction of his family who put up Honolulu Cafe. His father named the Hong Kong restaurant “Honolulu” for it to have a more Western-sounding name to appeal to the locals. Through word of mouth, it easily became famous not only among the locals but to foreign visitors as well.
For his part, as a second generation who now runs the restaurant, Derrick Yeung has successfully established branches outside of Hong Kong. Honolulu Cafe is present in Beijing, Taipei, Taichung, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila. The branch at Greenbelt 5 is the third in the country.
Hong Kong heritage brand
Honolulu Cafe is also one of the first to introduce the “Cha Chaan Teng” (tea restaurant) dining concept when it opened in Hong Kong in 1940 as Honolulu Ice Parlour, serving its own blend of Honolulu coffee, Hong Kong “stocking” milk tea, signature egg tart, “modern” pastries, buns, Cantonese barbecue roast meats, and Hong Kong-style fried noodles. Its unique offerings took the market by storm and it soon surged ahead of restaurants. It was so popular that industry peers recognized Honolulu Café as one of the most representative signature brands of the unique “Hong Kong Café” dining concept. It continues to make waves in the local food scene, especially because of its world-famous egg tarts and other traditional comfort food.
And after several decades of development and growth, Honolulu Cafe is not only where Hong Kong locals enjoy daily meals but it has become an attraction for visiting gourmets from all over the world looking for that unique Hong Kong Café taste.
“Cha Chaan Teng” or “Bing Shi,” provides a wide range of creative and delectable food and beverage creations where Western ingredients crossover with traditional Chinese fare. With its nostalgic ambience, great value for money and efficient service, the café delivers the essence of the past in the modern era.
