That darn Robert Atkins. Ever since he created the Atkins diet, the world has suffered from a deathly fear of carbs. It seems that only recently has Hong Kong been recovering from that phobia with a spate of bread shops and bakeries coming to town with Taiwan’s popular Top Pot being the latest of that batch. This stately grey-green bakery has made Prince Edward’s Nathan Road its home, enticing in flower market visitors with the wafting scent of fresh-baked bread.
Top Pot’s specialty is its low-fat, low-sugar, additive-free and high-quality products. However, looking at the gargantuan-size loaves of bread available in fanciful shapes and colours (think star-shaped cheese buns and pink breads), you wouldn’t think the health factor was the first thing this bakery was promoting.
We dig the creative flavours here. The sooty chocolate and blue mountain coffee bread ($30) emanates a deep, warm scent that would wake any sleepyhead. Another standout is the milano truffle piece ($40), where soft buttery bread pockets wrap around chunky crumbles of cheese and milano truffles. All of the bread contains layers of textures and flavours that change with every chew. Otherwise, scones (three for $20), cheese sticks ($20) and even the red wine lychee bread ($28) should delight adventurous bread lovers.
With more Top Pot branches set to open here in the coming months, we are sure you’ll be hearing much more about this bakery in the weeks to come. Janice Jann
Top Pot Bakery 763 Nathan Rd, Prince Edward, 2396 5100; toppot-bakery.com. $100.