MoMo & Coco

HK’s best modern viral bubble egg waffles

Introduction

 

Time has flown – it is hard to imagine that it has been nine years since we wrote our guide to NYC’s best bubble egg waffles. Invented in Hong Kong around the 1950s, the bubble egg waffle or gai daan zai in Cantonese speak, is being continuously reinvented. From cradling giant scoops of ice cream and sprinkled with an assortment of toppings in New York to being infused with a multitude of creative flavours in Hong Kong, it’s an example of traditional foods being revitalized and renewed, but never forgotten. In this latest guide of Hong Kong’st most iconic desserts, we trekked down the most interesting flavours on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Let us know if we missed any!

 

Pineapple Tart Egg Bubble Waffle from Modos

  • ☑ Dessert destination: Modos, SA27A, 2/F, Argyle Centre, Mong Kok.
  • ☑ Budget: $ (HKD $24-35)
  • ☑ Must eat flavour: Pineapple Tart, Lava Honey, Pandan.
  • ☑ Short and sweet story:  Overall best modern egg bubble waffles. Nestled in the labyrinth that is Mong Kok’s Argyle Centre, Modos is our favourite spot in HK for creative bubble egg waffle flavours. Made to order, Modos’ bubble egg waffles are well-balanced between soft, slightly chewy interio and slightly crunchy exterior. We highly recommend the “Pineapple Tart,” akin to eating a multitude of mini new year pineapple tarts. The softly-hued green “Pandan” egg waffle is more subtle in flavour by contrast.
 

Crunchy Ovaltine Egg Bubble Waffle from Ice Puffs

  • ☑ Dessert destination: Ice Puff, F51, Argyle Centre, Mong Kok.
  • ☑ Budget: $ (HKD $33)
  • ☑ Must eat flavour: Ovaltine.
  • ☑ Short and sweet story:  Best for crunchy egg bubble waffles. Also located within the Argyle Centre maze, Ice Puffs is another bubble egg waffle spot worthy of your stomach space. The menu is smaller, and errs towards savoury. Of the sweet flavours on offer, check out the Ovaltine — it’s a little chocolate-y, but not sweet, and altogether a crunchy afternoon tea.
 

Brown Sugar Mochi Bubble Waffle from Mammy Pancakes

  • ☑ Dessert destination: Mammy Pancakes, various locations on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
  • ☑ Budget: $ (HKD $30-45)
  • ☑ Must eat flavour: Brown Sugar Mochi.
  • ☑ Short and sweet story:  Best for extensive menu of savoury and sweet bubble egg waffles. Scattered in many locations across the city, Mammy Pancakes is to the bubble egg waffle what Hashtag or Bakehouse is to the egg tart – revitalizing iconic Hong Kong sweet treats for the younger generation. Its flavours skip around from traditional such as red bean to matcha to bubble tea pearls. Mammy Pancakes’ “bubble” waffles are more like a long tear drop, instead of the typical spherical bubbles. They err sweeter than most of the other bubble egg waffle purveyors on this list, and no matter how times we have tried it, they are consistently crunchy and soft. It’s little wonder many of their locations have long queues.
 

Starry Cereal Bubble Egg Waffle from More Eggettes

  • ☑ Dessert destination: More Eggettes, Shop B2, G/F, 17 Yu Chau Street, Prince Edward, Hong Kong.
  • ☑ Budget: $ (HKD $40)
  • ☑ Must eat flavour: Sweet Potato Starry.
  • ☑ Short and sweet story:  A little north of Mong Kok, at the border of the commercial and residential area, More Eggettes is a little old-fashioned corner store serving a selection of old-style HK street snacks. The bubble egg waffles here distinguish themselves from the others by being filled with starry cereals for extra crunch.
 

Pineapple Bun Bubble Egg Waffle from Chicken Egg Boy

  • ☑ Dessert destination: Chicken Egg Boy, Shop 2, G/F, Nam Wo Hong Building, 148 Wing Lok St, Sheung Wan.
  • ☑ Budget: $ (HKD $59)
  • ☑ Must eat flavour: Pineapple bun.
  • ☑ Short and sweet story:  What happens if you combine the egg bubble waffle and a pineapple bun together? A little shopfront in a less hectic part of Sheung Wan opened up around the time we relocated to Hong Kong earlier this year and did just that, and the crowds have lapped it up ever since … even though it is almost 2-3 times the price of the bubble waffles on this list. Each bubble of the waffle is perfectly formed, and taste-wise, it’s much less doughy than the traditional egg waffle, possessing that crispy texture characteristic of the surface of a pineapple bun to offset all that carbohydrate intake. Somewhat interesting, but overall, undeniably excellent marketing.

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