Any trip to Hong Kong would not be complete without having a meal (or should we say every meal?) in one of their many cha chaan tengs, snacking on a couple of Hong Kong egg tarts in one seating and slurping up some Hong Kong-style milk teas to end your day on a sweet note.

Even though that the service is definitely not the best around, Hong Kong still remains as one of the best food destinations in Asia. Thankfully for us, there are quite a number of iconic Hong Kong restaurants that opened in Singapore over the past few years.

Forget about the 4-hour flight to Hong Kong, here are 7 Hong Kong food concepts in Singapore that will gau dim any lingering HK food cravings.

HONOLULU CAFE

Founded in the 1940s, Honolulu Cafe started out as just a humble eatery that serves Hong Kong-style coffee, tea and baked goods. They have since expanded their menu extensively and now serve Hong Kong classic dishes such as macaroni noodle dishes and weekly specials alongside their freshly baked egg tarts.

Their egg tarts (S$1.70) are to-die-for and we dare say that Honolulu Cafe dishes out one of the best renditions in Hong Kong.

#01-33 F/G, 176 Orchard Road
The Centrepoint
Singapore 238843
Tel: +65 6734 6609
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

TAI CHEONG BAKERY

As if the Holland Village area isn’t already a food haven, Tai Cheong Bakery has opened the brand’s first ever sit-in concept there in 2016.

Tai Cheong Bakery has been serving these irresistible delicious egg tarts for more than half a century and they hold a special place in the hearts of Hong Kongers across generations. Fret not if you are looking for more substantial meals for they also serve main courses such as Scrambled Egg Toast and Beef Brisket Curry Rice.

31 Lor Liput
Singapore 277742
Tel: +65 9828 1954
Mon to Fri: 10am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 9am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Holland Village

TIM HO WAN

Hailing from Hong Kong and perhaps one of the biggest openings here in Singapore is dim sum chain, Tim Ho Wan. With certain outlets open for 24-hours, this is another supper spot to consider should the likes of steamed, baked or fried dim sum peak your fancy.

The Baked Bun with BBQ Pork, Spicy and Sour Dumplings and the hugely underrated Vermicelli Roll with Shrimp are our go-to dishes at Tim Ho Wan and they never disappoint.

68 Orchard Rd, 01-29A/52
Plaza Singapura
Singapore 238839
Tel: +65 6251 2000
Mon to Fri: 10am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 9am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Dhoby Ghaut

TSUI WAH

Despite opening its doors only in June 2018, Tsui Wah has already been a hit amongst Singaporeans to get affordable and undeniably satisfying Cantonese cuisine.

Similar to what you will find in their Hong Kong outlets, Tsui Wah Singapore offers a variety of their signature dishes including Crispy Bun with Sweet Condensed Milk (S$4), Pork Chop Bun (S$7.50), King Prawns in XO Sauce with Tossed Noodles (S$11) as well as their legendary Swiss Sauce Chicken Wings (S$11).

3A River Valley Road, Clarke Quay #01-03
Singapore 179020
Daily: 11am – 1.30am
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

MAK’S NOODLES

Mak’s Noodles has got to be one of the best (if not the best) noodle stores in Hong Kong. Starting out as just a small eatery, Mak’s Noodle expanded to a chain of 6 eateries all over Hong Kong and now, a couple of outlets in Singapore too.

Their dishes are simple, comprising just noodles topped with their signature wontons but do not be fooled by their simplicity for every mouthful will envelop your taste buds with myriads of flavours!

#01-63/64, 176 Orchard Road
The Centrepoint
Singapore 238843
Tel: +65 6235 5778
Daily: 11am – 10pm

MUI KEE CONGEE

Mui Kee Congee serves delectable congee that is a league of its own. Using recipes and cooking techniques that have been passed down through three generations, you can count on Mui Kee Congee to deliver silky smooth congee filled with old-school ingenuity.

Be prepared to queue for up to an hour at this real-deal congee stall during lunch hours before laying your hands on a bowl of their delights. During dinner time, they also serve a variety of claypot dishes as perfect accompaniments to your meal.

1 Scotts Road, #01-12
Shaw Centre
Singapore 228208
Tel: +65 6737 2422
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6pm – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

KAM’S ROAST

Kam’s Roast has earned itself a one Michelin star for 3 consecutive years and for good reason. If you are there for the first time, opt for their classic char siew and roast pork noodles set (S$11.80) that features perfectly caramelised char siew and crisp roasted pork nestled atop springy egg noodles.

Granted that these dishes do not come cheap, what you get is a solid meal that will leave you satisfied and planning your next visit here.

9 Scotts Road
Singapore 228210
Tel: +65 6836 7788
Mon to Fri: 11am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 10.30pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

Famous Hong Kong cha chaan teng Honolulu Café has officially opened its inaugural international outpost in Singapore and we had the honour to savour their menu firsthand just a few hours ago.

Local chefs from Hong Kong’s Honolulu Café are also sent to Singapore to ensure that the dishes served here remain similar to the flagship store’s.

Honolulu Café was founded in Hong Kong during the 1940s, where it started out as a humble eatery selling coffee, tea and baked confectionery. The casual eatery is renowned for their scrumptious egg tarts, pineapple buns and Hong Kong milk tea – we are glad that we no longer have to board a four-hour flight just to satisfy our cravings!

No trip to Honolulu Cafe is complete until you have tried their signature Honolulu Egg Tarts (S$1.70++ each). Each palm-size flaky pastry encases to-die-for sweet soft egg custard; the dough had been frozen overnight and folded into many layers to achieve a crisp shell.

Is it exactly like those god-like ones we had in Hong Kong? Close enough. Well, we have to be honest that we were too carried away with taking photos and swooning over the tart of our dreams, so by the time we bit into the case, it was cold. That said, the custard was distinctly creamy, smooth, wobbly and subtly sweet; we remembered the ones in Hong Kong to be like that. The pastry was no doubt flaky, and fragrant with strong primary notes of butter.

Hopefully the next time we visit, we’d get to taste them warm for more exact comparison!

Honolulu Cafe’s next bestselling item is the popular Hong Kong snack, Honolulu Pineapple Bun with Butter (S$2++ each). Known as Bo Lo Bao in Cantonese, these buns are crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and served lukewarm with a slab of melting butter in-between.

Yes, get this.

Another favourite is the Chicken Wings with Swiss Sauce (S$6++ for six pieces) – which actually has zero link to Switzerland. Instead, these tender chicken mid wings have been marinated in a myriad of Chinese wine, soy sauce, spices and sugar. The plate came with generous sauce, and we took the effort to coat our wings in the soy sauce further before eating them. Mamma mia!

Now, this may sound random but another must-order savoury dish would be the succulent Sweet and Sour Pork with Rice (S$7.80++). You would think it is weird to eat a typical “tze char” dish at Honolulu Cafe, but trust us – these succulent pork chunks are well executed. Those with a stronger palate may find it a tad too bland, but we thought it was just the right balance of flavours.

We have always struggled to find authentic Hong Kong-style curry fish balls in Singapore and boy, are we glad that Honolulu Cafe has finally filled the gap! Bouncy and “full”, these Curry Fish Balls (S$3++) pack an addictive punch with every bite.

The curry paste is imported from Hong Kong and cooked to order here in Singapore, so it is definitely one of those highly recommended that you should get.

Mr. Luo Tak – the Winner of both 2010 International Hong Kong Milk Tea Competition and 2011 Hong Kong Yuan Yang Competition – is stationed at Singapore’s Honolulu Cafe to make sure that customers can enjoy authentic Hong Kong-style milk tea.

Help yourselves to Tea or Coffee with Condensed Milk (hot – S$3++, cold S$3.20++) or a glass of Yuan Yang (hot – S$3.30++, cold – S$3.50). Yuan Yang is essentially a beverage that has infused Hong Kong tea and brewed coffee into one kick-ass caffeine-loaded rejuvenating drink.

However, if you prefer your milk tea to be super sweet with overpowering evaporated milk afternote, this ain’t for you. We prefer ours to come with a lingering bitterness from the tea, and this met our mark.

With up to 35 dishes on the food menu, 13 drinks on the beverage list and three desserts, there is surely something you would definitely fancy at Singapore’s Honolulu Cafe. Other familiar Hong Kong delicacies such as Beef brisket in Soup (S$6), Pork Chop Bun (S$5++) and Condensed Milk Toast (S$2++ each, S$2.50++ for two).

It is only natural that new restaurants would have teething problems, mostly with operations. Honolulu Café has taken a very good first step by opening their first overseas outpost here in Singapore – because we love Hong Kong cuisine, right?

Hopefully, the team will be able to adapt well to Singapore’s service climate, and that the restaurant would run more smoothly in months or even weeks to come. For now, can we just say again how much we love Honolulu Café? You might have read this one too many times but it stays true.

BEST. EGG. TARTS. EVER.

Honolulu Café
The Centrepoint #01-33F/G
176 Orchard Road
Singapore 238843
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

This post was brought to you by Honolulu Café.

Hong Kong’s famous cha chaan teng Honolulu Cafe is opening in Singapore! Famous for its egg tarts with flaky pastry, it will open a 1,500 sq ft restaurant with 50 seats at The CentrePoint in Orchard Road at the end of April 2016. We will go out on a limb to say that Honolulu Cafe has the best egg tarts in Hong Kong.

Over the past years, we have seen several openings of successful Hong Kong food brands in Singapore.

Honolulu Cafe is a franchise brought in by a new company set up by Mr Lee Yuen Yong – the managing director of F&B company Asia Gourmet. For those who are unfamiliar with the name, it is the same company that brought in wonton noodle specialist Mak’s Noodle from Hong Kong. Unsurprisingly, it is opening Honululu Cafe at CentrePoint where Mak’s Noodle first debuted.

Here’s some background knowledge about Honolulu Cafe – it was founded in the 1940s by the late Mr Yeung Jin Hei. The cafe started out by selling Hong Kong-style coffee, tea and baked goods.

But over the past 20 years, it has gradually expanded its menu and added more dishes, and today you can find everything from noodle dishes to sandwiches, baked pastries and rice dishes. Honolulu Cafe in Hong Kong is now a full-fledge cha chaan teng, and whenever we are in the city, we find ourselves returning to Honolulu Cafe again and again for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

It currently has three shops in Beijing and one in Shanghai. Honolulu Cafe in Singapore will be its fifth overseas outlet and it will serve freshly baked egg tarts (S$1.70 each), along with the Hong Kong classic dishes such as macaroni noodle dishes and weekly specials.

And of course, when Honolulu Cafe hits our shores, the egg tart is what you must try, for it was what made Honolulu Cafe so famous today. Its signature flaky tarts boast a very buttery and mildly sweet light-coloured pastry shell, filled with a center of smooth, creamy egg custard.

Other than the amazing egg tarts, you should also save room for their Pineapple Buns (Bo Luo Bao).

We are the biggest fans of Honolulu Cafe and everyone knows that by now, so you bet we are most excited about their arrival in Singapore!

With Tai Cheong Bakery and Honolulu Cafe set to enter the Singapore market, would we see a new egg tart craze this year in 2016? We cannot wait to find out.

For more recommendations, read our guide to the top 11 Cha Chaan Teng in Hong Kong.