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Branded | 12 September 2023
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Check out Humans of Hong Kong, our newest video series focused on telling Hong Kong stories!
Header image courtesy of @yinggg.eat (via Instagram)
Originally published by Sarah Moran. Last updated by Catharina Cheung and Celia Lee.
Egg waffles are absolutely one of Hong Kong’s most prized street snacks. It doesn’t matter what name you prefer to call them by—eggettes, egglets, or their Cantonese name (雞蛋仔; gai1 daan2 zai2)—these chewy, golden yellow, iconic Hong Kong nibbles are an indelible part of every Hongkonger’s childhood.
As legend has it, the egg waffle was invented in the 1950s when a grocery store owner received a poorly packaged shipment of broken eggs and, instead of throwing them away, decided to make use of them for a snack. The result was a pancake-like sheet of little round balls, and it was thus dubbed “雞蛋仔,” which literally translates to “little eggs.” With so many different egg waffle shops around Hong Kong, we’ve decided to round up our top choices for this egg-cellent street food around the city.
Starting from a hole-in-the-wall in North Point, this Michelin-starred establishment is one of Hong Kong’s OG egg waffle joints, with three branches across the city presently. This is the option for the purists out there, as Lee Keung Kee only specialises in doing the classic original flavour snack to perfection. Their egg waffles are different from any other ordinary ones around town with a unique, richer egg fragrance and flavour.
Lee Keung Kee North Point Egg Waffles, 492 King’s Road, North Point
Mammy Pancake pioneered the trend of egg waffles with different flavoured fillings. The owner of this popular joint is a former banker who, after experimenting with making egg waffles containing different fillings for her son, decided to open up a shop!
Now with Michelin recommendations under its belt, Mammy Pancake offers a large variety of carefully selected flavours. From the crowd-pleasing chocolate chip, and the classic banana chocolate combination, to more innovative fillings (and some of our favourites!) like pork floss and seaweed, matcha and red bean, or even salted egg yolk, Mammy Pancake’s egg waffles are always fresh, fluffy, and chewy.
More Eggettes is most famous for its signature sweet potato starry egg waffle: taro-flavoured egg waffles with carefully placed Honey Stars cereal in the middle of each waffle puff. The result is an eye-catching purple delight studded with yellow stars. They also offer other interesting flavours such as candied pineapple which tastes like Taiwanese pineapple shortcake, orange chocolate cereal stars, curry pork floss, and many more, giving this classic Hong Kong snack a unique twist. They’ve also got a honey fondant flavour with a sweet oozy filling. Yum!
You’ll hear quite a few heated debates regarding the “top quality” of Hung Kee’s egg waffles—it seems some are not fans of how thick they make the crusts. We think we’ve managed to hack purchasing egg waffles here though; definitely go when they’re not as busy so they have the time to really make your order delicious, with an ultra crunchy crust and extra fluffy middle. Their special recipe has supposedly been handed down in the family, so you know you’re onto something good!
Hung Kee Top Quality Egg Waffles, Shop A34C, The 2nd Path, Tai On Lau, 57–87 Sau Kei Wan Road, Sai Wan Ho
Believe us, there’s nothing “low-key” about this joint, as it’s almost always swarming with crowds. Join the eggy frenzy and try to disguise the impatient jealousy in your eyes as you wait in the queue. The original flavour is always worth a try if this is your first egg waffle, while other flavours are also available such as the Golden Hong Kong egg puff and the spicy hot Hong Kong egg puff. With no fuss or frills, your egg waffles will be presented to you in classic brown paper bags with holes, to aid air circulation and keep your snacks from going soft too soon. Such nostalgia.
Master Low-key Food Shop, Shop B3, G/F, 76A Shau Kei Wan Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan | (+852) 6601 5300
It’s a little out of the way, but if you’re in the Kwai Chung area and craving something to nibble on, then stop by McQ for their value-for-money egg waffles. You can't go wrong with the original, but if you’re more adventurous in your tastes, try the bamboo charcoal cheese egg waffle, which comes in a dark batter interspersed with light chunks of cheese. They also do a selection of other flavours, such as matcha and red bean and chocolate hazelnut.
McQ, Shop A107B, 1/F, Shek Lei Shopping Centre, 6 Wai Kek Street, Kwai Chung | (+852) 9168 8893
One of the most famous egg waffle and waffle joints in town, Bove has a selection of flavours for you to choose from apart from the simple yet no less delicious orginal. From pandan to Earl Grey, to classic combinations like chocolate and orange or local flavours such as the Ovaltine chocolate crunch, each waffle from Bove is a perfect balance between fluffiness and crunch.
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