Tai Cheong Bakery: A Traditional Bakery in Hong Kong Famous For Egg Tarts and Chinese Doughnuts

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This article is part of the Hong Kong Food Trip series. Check out the installments in this series: Australia Dairy Company (Cha Chaan Teng/Hong Kong-Style Cafe) | Hing Kee Restaurant (Claypot Rice) | Lin Heung Lau (Dim Sum) | Oi Man Sang (Dai Pai Dong) | Vission Bakery (Modern Bakery) | Yat Lok (MICHELIN-Starred Roast Meats/Goose) | Yuk Kin Fast Food (Fried Rice)

Locally called “daan tat”, Egg Tarts are an iconic pastry in Hong Kong and Southern China. This pastry has an eggy custard and a crumbly crust, and is readily available in cha chaan tengs (Hong Kong-style cafes), dim sum spots, and local bakeries. It also has British origins, drawing inspiration from the Custard Tart.

One of the egg tart institutions in Hong Kong is Tai Cheong Bakery. Established in 1954, Tai Cheong Bakery has been baking egg tarts, Chinese doughnuts, and other pastries.

Tai Cheong Bakery is a chain so it has several branches across the city. We went to its Central branch, which is conveniently located near the Mid-Levels Escalator. My concern with this branch is it can get crowded at times, as it is in a tourist area and is a stop for tour groups.

So how do I find their egg tarts? Honestly, the egg custard lack a wow factor for me. But this is compensated by its butter cookie crust, which is super crumbly and buttery, and varies a bit in taste depending on the flavor.

We tried the following egg tarts: Original, Cheese Egg Tart, Milk Egg Tart, and Milo (choco-malt) Egg Tart.

Counterclockwise Starting From Upper Left: Original (HKD12), Cheese Egg Tart (HKD18), Milo Egg Tart (HKD18), and Milk Egg Tart (HKD15).

Their Sugar Puff (Chinese doughnut) is crisp and airy. But there’s an odd taste to it (we suspect that they use old oil). Still, I managed to finish it.

We also tried their Chicken Pie. It has a creamy filling and a sweet and crumbly crust. If you know DECS in the Philippines and like their chicken pie, then you’ll also like Tai Cheong Bakery’s.

They also sell their version of what we call Iced Gems in the Philippines:

What is this called in Cantonese/Chinese?

Honestly, I’m not a fan of Hong Kong egg tarts because I find it plain. We have better egg pies in the Philippines, and I still prefer Macanese/Portuguese egg tarts or Pastel de Nata, which has a brûléed custard and flaky crust. So I’m not in the position to say if Tai Cheong Bakery has good egg tarts.

Are the egg tarts of Tai Cheong Bakery one of the best? What Hong Kong egg tarts should I try next?

For Tai Cheong Bakery branches and operating hours, visit their Website here.