The founder, Yang Zhan Xi’s fascination with coffee led him to create a blend of coffee that has the distinct aroma of Hawaii coffee. This, coupled with popularity of Western cuisine in Hong Kong then, was how Honolulu Coffee Shop was established in 1940. Honolulu Coffee Shop has moved to its current location at Wan Cai in 1990 with 5 franchises all around Hong Kong.
I was just lamenting that that I did not have the chance to visit Honolulu Coffee Shop during the recent annual company trip to Hong Kong when I learnt that Honolulu Coffee Shop has recently opened an outlet in Singapore, called Honolulu Cafe.
No trip to Honolulu Cafe is complete without trying their signature Honolulu Egg Tart, which is made with dough that is frozen overnight and folded into 192 layers which gives its flaky exterior, complete with soft eggy custard.
Although I can’t tell if there are really 192 layers in the pastry, the buttery flaky pastry compliments the creamy and smooth egg custard perfectly. Some people may like that the egg custard is not too sweet, but for someone who likes sweet food like me, the custard is just a little bland.
Another of Hononlulu Cafe’s bestselling item is Honolulu Pineapple Bun with Butter. Better known as Bo Lo Yau in Hong Kong, this sweet bun has a checkered crunchy top that resembles the epicarp of a pineapple, which gives it its name. Served with a slab of butter, it is undoubtedly one of the most popular snacks in Hong Kong. I like the sweet crunchy bun itself but the addition of the unsalted butter does nothing to elevate its taste, only giving it a greasy aftertaste. I would recommend that salted butter be used instead, the contrast between the sweet bun and salted butter should be interesting.
Honolulu Cafe is famous for their strong aromatic coffee, but since I am super sensitive to caffeine and one cup is enough to ensure that I stay awake all night, I had Milk Tea. Mind you, this is not the ordinary milk tea you find in coffee shops or bubble tea shops. Brewed by an award-winning milk tea masterl and the tea itself is a blend of three different kinds of tea leaves. It is stronger than your average tea but smooth when you add in cream and sugar.
Besides the three items that I have tried, Honnolulu Cafe also offers many other popular snacks such as Curry Fish Balls and Instant Noodle with Ham and Egg, all of which look very appetizing.
I can’t vouch of the authenticity of the food because I have not been to the original shop in Hong Kong, but I have to say that it wasn’t as good as how I expected it to be.
Honolulu Cafe
Address: 176 Orchard Road, The Centrepoint #01-33F/G
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm