Honolulu HK Café: A Taste of One of Hong Kong’s Oldest Café’s

Honolulu HK Café’s rows of gorgeous golden-hued Bo Lo Buns (pineapple buns) displayed on its storefront in SM Aura were simply too perfect to be ignored. I don’t really have a sweet tooth, but I do appreciate this HK breakfast staple, especially when freshly-baked and paired with a cup of hot milk tea. It also doesn’t hurt that the restaurant boasts of decades of experience under its belt as it was established in 1940; effortlessly cementing its reputation as one of the pioneers in this particular restaurant concept.

HONG KONG STYLE MILK TEA with CONDENSED MILK (P130) and HONOLULU EGG TART (P50)

However, as we visited the restaurant during dinner time, it felt inappropriate to order the Bo Lo Buns in lieu of their other savory dishes. Instead, my mom and I decided to split one piece of their Honolulu Egg Tart and paired it with their Hong Kong Style Milk Tea. The Egg Tart had a salty flaky crust which was too thick for my liking. Lord Stow’s Egg Tarts would definitely still be a better choice for me. Fortunately, its milk tea was flavorful and delicious. The challenge to Honolulu HK Cafe would be its consistency in serving up a good blend as time passes by. Toast Box serves a mean cup of milk tea; however, you’d have to rely on chance for this as often times, their blend is simply too watered down. Hope this won't be the case for Honolulu HK Cafe in the long run.

CURRY FISH BALL (P198)

Its Curry Fish Ball is amazing. Don’t waste a single drop of its spicy and delicious curry sauce: soak all the goodness with some rice or simply drink it straight up!

BEEF BRISKET (P328)

Unfortunately, the Curry Fish Ball overshadowed the main dish we ordered which was the Beef Brisket. The curry sauce it came with was lighter in flavor and duller in color. The beef cubes were unfortunately on the chewy side. Tuan Tuan’s version of the Beef Curry would still best this; but of course that version comes with a heftier price tag.

STIR FRIED HONG KONG STYLE NOODLE WITH PORK CHOP IN XO SAUCE (P268)

I’ve always had a weakness for HK-Style Noodles. Once I see it on the menu, I immediately start salivating over it. Hence, it’s not a surprise that we opted for the Stir Fried Hong Kong Style Noodle with Pork Chop in XO Sauce. Forget about the soggy pork chop slices it came with; as the noodles had a perfect bite to them, and were flavorful enough to be enjoyed on their own.

The cherry on top of our dining experience was that the service crew were immensely attentive, polite, and accommodating throughout our entire meal!

Honolulu HK Cafe

LGF SM Aura Premier, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Date of Visit: March 2, 2019 with Lily Chua