A Hong Kong Legendary sweet food Item to indulge in

**Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972 - I know the place.**

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Top 10 Egg Tart Outlets in Hong Kong to try for Tourists 2026

A Hong Kong Legendary sweet food Item to indulge in

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Egg Tarts | Legendary Sweet Food Item | Hong Kong

The History and Evolution of the Egg Tart culture in Hong Kong : For curious visitors who want to explore Hong Kong’s Iconic Food Items and Local Dining Culture

I do not do food tours in Hong Kong (and I have written blog posts on the reason why), I leave that to local experts and Food Tour Companies are also very familiar with the Egg Tart Culture in Hong Kong.

Generally speaking I do not stop at egg tart outlets unless I am at Victoria Peak with guests and the Tai Cheong Bakery has an outlet there and to be honest Tai Cheong egg tarts are the only ones I eat.

I have tried others and most were absolutely fine so feel free to try them, in general ones offered up in most restaurants are quote often a mini version which defies logic in my food universe.

So when in Hong Kong please do try an egg tart at least once!

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Top 10 Egg Tart Outlets in Hong Kong to try for Tourists 2026

I have loved eating egg tarts since I was a kid and I am still like to have them every now and then and for the record my record is 6 in one sitting so to speak and yes, my favourite’s are always the Tai Cheong Bakery ones.

See below for the great story about this iconic food item

Chris Patten, the 28th and final Governor of British Hong Kong (serving from 1992 to 1997), left an indelible mark on the city not just for his role in the handover to China, but also for his unapologetic enthusiasm for one of its simplest pleasures: the humble egg tart, or dan tat. These flaky pastries - featuring a buttery, cookie-crumb crust cradling a silky, caramelized custard filling - had already been a Hong Kong staple since the late 1940s, evolving from British custard tarts fused with Cantonese techniques using local ingredients like evaporated milk and lard. But Patten elevated them to iconic status through his very public passion, which bordered on addiction and became a cheeky symbol of his time in the colony.

Patten's love affair with egg tarts reportedly began early in his governorship, as he embraced Hong Kong's vibrant food scene amid the high-stakes politics of the handover. Locals, who already viewed him with a mix of affection and exasperation (he was a reform-minded outsider pushing for democracy), soon dubbed him "Fei Pang" (肥彭), or "Fat Patten," a playful Cantonese nickname implying he was ballooning from overindulgence in the city's artery-clogging treats. The moniker stuck, turning his culinary weakness into a endearing cultural footnote—Patten himself leaned into it with good humor, once quipping about his "gustatory exploits" during interviews.

At the heart of this obsession was Tai Cheong Bakery (泰昌餅家), a no-frills spot on Lyndhurst Terrace in Central that opened in 1954 and pioneered the now-famous shortcrust-style egg tart. Patten declared Tai Cheong's version the best in Hong Kong, making frequent visits during his tenure and munching them fresh from the oven (they're at their peak warm, with that signature crackle). The bakery, ever opportunistic, immortalized the governor by naming their signature tart the "Fat Patten Egg Tart" (Fei Pang Dan Tat), a cheeky tribute that boosted their fame worldwide. Yes, he absolutely sourced his fix from Tai Cheong—their Central outlet was his go-to, and photos from the era show him there, tart in hand. His endorsement turned the bakery into a must-visit pilgrimage site, helping it survive rent hikes (it even relocated in 2012 after eviction threats, with fans rallying to save it).

Even after the 1997 handover, Patten's addiction endured. Rumors persist that on return trips to Hong Kong, he'd stock up on dozens to smuggle back to the UK, defying their short shelf life for the sake of nostalgia. His influence lingers today: Tai Cheong now has over a dozen branches (including in Singapore and Macau), and fans still rate egg tarts on a tongue-in-cheek "Chris Patten scale" from 0 (inedible) to 5 (governor-approved perfection). In a city where food is politics and memory intertwined, Patten's tart tale humanized the end of an era—proof that even amid colonial farewells, a good pastry can sweeten the bittersweet. If you're in Hong Kong, swing by Tai Cheong; just don't blame "Fei Pang" if you leave with a dozen.

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Tai Cheong Bakery | Legendary Egg Tarts | Hong Kong

Tthere is always a long queue 7 days a week outside the Tai Cheong Bakery on Lyndhurst Terrace in Central on Hong Kong Island

Next time you want to eat a pineapple bun (another iconic Hong Kong Dessert which I hate!), go instead to the food hall at Marks & Spencers or one of the hundreds of cake shops that have popped up, they have some awesome takeaway desserts or buy 6 egg tarts from the Tai Cheong Bakery and pork out and feel terribly guilty afterwards.

Finally, my all time favourite local dessert is mango pudding which MUST be served with a cherry on top and carnation milk, simply awesome, I could actually live on mango pudding, basically the traditional one is a solid yellow colour mango jelly (in my terms) and for some obscure reason it comes in a tiny bowl, I have been known to eat 3 or 4 of them in one sitting and I get really mad when they forget the Carnation Milk and Cherry.

Tai Cheong Bakery has several popular locations in Hong Kong

35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central (the original/most famous), another in The Peak Galleria, and branches in Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui (Miramar Shopping Centre) and Tsing Yi Station, offering their renowned egg tarts and other baked goods across the territory.

For tourists coming to Hong Kong the most iconic location is in the Peak Galleria Mall at Victoria Peak, easy to find and I try my best to make a stop there on a regular basis!

Here are some key Tai Cheong Bakery locations:

Hong Kong Island

Central (Original): G/F, 35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central (famous for queues & Chris Patten's favorite egg tarts).
The Peak: Shop 206A, Level Two, The Peak Galleria, 118 Peak Road, The Peak.
Wan Chai: Shops G09 & G10, Lee Tung Avenue, 200 Queen's Road East (near Wan Chai MTR Exit A3).

Kowloon

Tsim Sha Tsui: Shop G38, GF, Miramar Shopping Centre, 132 Nathan Road (near TST MTR Exit B1).

New Territories

Tsing Yi: Shop TSY 54, 1/F, MTR Tsing Yi Station.

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The History | Legendary Egg Tarts | Hong Kong

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The History + Types | Legendary Egg Tarts | Hong Kong

Learn more | The Best Food Tours in Hong Kong 1 - Hong Kong Foodie Tours

Learn More | The Best Food Tours in Hong Kong 2 - Hello Hong Kong

Learn more | The Best Food Tours in Hong Kong 3 - Hong Kong Greeters

I do not do food tours

I am pleased to say a lot of Food Tour Companies will have egg tarts on their tasting menu

I have very specific reasons and part of it is that I do not speak Cantonese or write Chinese, I am from Yorkshire in England and I lack the language gene and it is not through lack of trying and yes a lot of restaurants do not have English menu’s or staff who speak conversational English.

.. and yet I have eaten at close to 1,400 restaurants in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972, my wife was born in Hong Kong and we have been together over 40 years and her first language is Cantonese and a lot of her family are Chinese or half Chinese so I have never had much of an issue!

This does not translate to doing food tours though, yes, I could do them, no problem there but they would never ever be as good as the food tours done by my friends (see the 3 links above) most of their awesome guides are locally born Hong Kong Chinese and obviously food culture is part of their DNA, it is impossible for me to compete with that!

So please feel free to contact them for food tours