雅園餅店 Best Pineapple Bun on Hong Kong Island

Kowloon City has some of the best bakeries producing some of the most delectable pineapple buns. Because I ate them so much when I was living there, my pineapple buns standard is exceedingly high. I have to admit that since moving to Hong Kong Island, I got complacent. I usually inspect every bakery that I come across, but most of the time the pineapple buns looked and smelled so unappetizing that I wouldn't even try them. Either there wasn't enough of that delicious crusty top or the bread looked dry and cracker-like. Blech!

I have two bakeries near my flat that make passable pineapple buns whenever I have the craving, but they don't really do it for me. I've eaten buns at this bakery in North Point before, but I never noticed the pineapple buns until recently.

The egg tarts are actually quite nice, too. And only HKD11 for 4!

I had to stop taking pictures after this last one because the bakery lady was like, "Haven't you been here before? Why are you taking pictures?"

It was the colour of the pineapple bun crust caught my attention. The saturated yellow-orange means that it's rich in butter (or whatever heavenly ingredient they add in the crust), so I was curious enough to try one.

And you know, dudes, it was fucking AMAZING. The bread itself was softer than a unicorn baby's coo, and the crust! My God, the crust! Lots of it, perfectly crunchy, and it was baked onto the bread so well that it barely fell apart as I ate it.

There's another bun under the one I bit into, that's why it looks so weird.

These are so good that even Chabi, who normally doesn't beg for people food, climbed up to the table and demanded that I share with her. She even gave me a pimp slap when I was too slow breaking up the bun.

Chabi: Thank me for smacking you, betch!

Chabi and I could eat a dozen of these for breakfast, I shit you not.

Definitely on par with Kowloon City bakeries, if not even better! 雅園餅店 or Nga Yuen Cake Shop is at 54C Tanner Road, just behind Island Place. Their phone number (although the ladies who work there don't seem to be the type to answer the phone) is 2562 0878.

They open at 6 in the morning and close quite late, about 9, but I don't know if there will be any fresh pineapple buns that late. Each pineapple bun only costs HKD3.

廣東燒味餐廳 Guang Dong Barbecue Restaurant

I'm probably going to have a part two to this entry because when I went to Guang Dong, I was so tired that I could barely talk. Not that it stopped me from eating, though.

Guang Dong Barbecue Restaurant has a lot of branches all over Hong Kong now, but I feel like the Tsim Sha Tsui one is still the best out of all them. I started coming here when I was working in the music industry, and the office was in Tsim Sha Tsui. My super cool boss and I used to have lunch here. I was kind of skeptical at first because he's an ABC, but he was right about Guang Dong being awesome.

As you can see, my friend and I already started eating before I remembered to whip out my camera. We had char siu (barbecued pork) and siu ngaa (roast duck). I love Guang Dong Barbecue Restaurant because their meat is always so fatty and juicy.

It was quiet when we first arrived, but by the time we were finishing our meal, the place had filled up.

Their milk tea isn't hard on the stomach, in case my fellow lactose-intolerant cousins want to know.

Food is cheap. They also do takeaway.

I don't know about you, but the thought bubble over the duck's head really amuses me.

This branch is on Hankow Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, the same street that the Nike shop is on. You can call them at 2735-5151. Their steamed pork with salty egg rice is really good, too. I think I might eat that in my next entry about this place.

Best Bubble Tea on Hong Kong Island

Yes, I am willing to stake my reputation on that bold declaration. And the purveyors of that wondrous, pearl-enhanced nectar of the gods are 日出茶太. I'm not sure what the English name is. Cha Time? Tea Time?

Anyway, this particular outlet is in Causeway Bay. I don't know if they have any outlets anywhere else. This one is right around the corner from Sogo on Cannon Street. Exit D1 from Causeway Bay MTR Station.

Everyone I've taken to 日出茶太 has agreed that it's one of the best (if not the best) bubble tea they've had. There's just something about the milk (or water or powder) they use. It feels wonderfully creamy on the tongue, but doesn't cause turbulence in the belly. I'm very lactose intolerant, and I've never had a problem.

The prices are a teeny bit higher than other places. A taro milk tea with pearls costs HKD16, which is about HKD2 more than at Gong Cha. Worth it, though.

I urge you to try this place out, but don't drink their teas before a meal because you will be filled up for at least a few hours after.