Hong Kong's traditional, local bakeries are no doubt an important part of every Hongkongers' lives. Yet, with everyone's constant desire for novelties and the latest 'grammable food, these local bakeries are often overlooked. Thankfully, with the rising trend of cultural and heritage preservation in recent years, traditional bakeries are making a come back.
The Forest Bakery, a new traditional bakery founded by three masters of authentic, Hong Kong-style baked goods, has one goal in mind – to preserve authentic tastes for new generations of Hongkongers to come. This dream team consists of Chow Hoi, a first-gen baker from Sun Hung Kie Bakery Company, one of the city’s oldest traditional bakeries; Wong Cheung-yum, an ex-baker with over 30 years of experience at multiple famous local bakeries; and Jerry Man, a skilled baker who has worked with traditional bakers for many years, and a firm believer in artisanal bread made using all-natural ingredients. Located at one of Sun Hung Kie’s old locations, The Forest Bakery opens its doors to bring Hongkongers a plethora of traditional, signature baked goods alongside some new creations:
Pineapple bun loaf
A hybrid of your typical loaf of bread mixed with the signature crispy top of a pineapple bun. Available in three flavours – black sesame dumpling, matcha red bean, and purple yam.
Lava ‘toastie’ bun
A modern take on milk ball buns, a rare type of traditional Hong Kong baked good (due to its high production cost and time consumption). With a crispy custard top and a sweet molten filling, the ‘toastie’ is available in four modern flavours including Oreo, Ovaltine, condensed milk, and matcha. Only 100 pieces will be sold each day.
Apart from sweet treats, savoury options are also available such as the cilantro or cod roe Hong Kong-style garlic bread, as well as a pineapple cheese bun with a savoury melted cheese filling.
In light of the current outbreak in the city, the bakery is introducing a special frozen pineapple bun that’s only baked 80 percent through for customers to finish off the baking process at home. Not only does this prevent the bread from getting stale, but customers will also get to enjoy a freshly baked bun with a crispy top and fluffy insides whenever they want in the comfort of home. Best of all, each frozen pineapple bun comes with a slice of cold butter. So, if you’re looking for a full cha chaan teng experience at home, make yourself a cup of Hong Kong-style milk tea to go with it, and you’re all set! Andrea Wong
The Forest Bakery
Unit 111, Lok Wah Commercial Centre, 70 Chun Wah Road, Ngau Tau Kok
Opens daily from 6am to 9pm