Egg tarts & old-school bakeries

The Hong Kong egg tart (daan tat) — a custard filling in either a flaky puff pastry or a sweeter, cookie-style crust — has been a fixture of local bakeries since the mid-20th century, and one shop in particular is most associated with it.

Tai Cheong Bakery

Opened in 1954 on Lyndhurst Terrace in Central, Tai Cheong is credited with popularising the cookie-crust style of egg tart and became internationally known after Hong Kong's last colonial governor, Chris Patten, was photographed visibly enjoying one during his time in office — the shop still nods to the story today. Egg tarts are baked continuously through the day and are best eaten warm, straight from the tray; several branches now operate around the city beyond the original Lyndhurst Terrace shop, including one at the Peak Galleria near Victoria Peak.

Cookie crust vs puff pastry

The two main styles come down to preference: puff pastry gives a flakier, more delicate shell, while the cookie-style crust (Tai Cheong's signature) is denser and slightly sweeter, closer to shortbread.

Where else to look

Most traditional Hong Kong-style bakeries (as opposed to Western-style patisseries) sell some version of an egg tart — worth trying a couple from different shops to compare crusts, rather than assuming one famous name is the only word on the subject.