Yes, yes, I know Tai Cheong Bakery has been written about millions of times in newspapers and many other blogs because it has the most famous egg tarts (蛋撻) in Hong Kong and possibly the world, thanks to former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten and all the brouhaha that was created when it was forced to close down its original outlet due to high rent back in 2005. Hey, I remember queuing up for 45 minutes with fellow food blogger Chaxiubao back in May 2005 in their last few days of operation at their original outlet.
Hong Kongers were so dismayed at the impending closure of their favourite egg tart store that they managed to find another shop space down the road from their original outlet for them to reopen. So thankfully Tai Cheong’s egg tarts haven’t disappeared from Hong Kong.

Anyhow, I figured I can’t be in Hong Kong and not post an entry about this egg tart institution. After being made famous by Patten’s affection for them, these tarts are now affectionately also known as 肥彭蛋撻, literally translated to ‘Fat Patten’s egg tarts’.
The bakery doesn’t sell egg tarts only – you can also buy other traditional Cantonese pastries like 沙翁 (a form of puff that’s deep fried and sprinkled with sugar), chicken pie, bread, egg rolls, sesame candy, osmanthus pudding, sesame pudding, wife’s pastry, sponge cakes, etc. But really, the star is the egg tart.


I can never resist these yellow darlings especially when they’re fresh out of the oven. What I love about Hong Kong is that I can get freshly baked egg tarts at almost every street corner where there’s a Mom-and-Pop traditional bakery. On weekday mornings, I especially love the smell of freshly baked egg tarts in the morning when I walk past a bakery on my way to the bus stop where I catch a bus to work. Anyway, I like the shortcrust pastry egg tarts more than I like the flaky pastry (酥皮) ones. Tai Cheong egg tart’s shortcrust pastry are so buttery and delicious.
I also found out that certain branches (yes, they have expanded!) sell it cheaper. The Wan Chai branch (Shop No. 2, G/F, 74-80 Johnston Road) sells one for HKD4.5 but the main branch and the one in Causeway Bay (Shop B Jardine Centre, 50 Jardine’s Bazaar) sell it at HKD5 each. I suppose these places have higher rent.
Other branches can be found in Queensway, Mong Kok, Kowloon Bay, Diamond Hill and Sha Tin. The main shop is located at 35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central.