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I'm a big fan of egg tart so I'm extremely picky considering it's one of my most favourite food! Quite frankly, after searching extensively for the best egg tart in Hong Kong, I still haven't come across any that I'd fall in love with. Taste is subjective though as everyone has their own preference and palate, so it's always open for debate. This post serves as a guide to help foodies who want more than just the usual Hong Kong classic Tai Cheong's egg tart and showcase what else Hong Kong has to offer for this lovely pastry!


Egg tart may look very simple, but it requires precision in baking techniques and accuracy in the quantity of ingredients to create the perfect egg tart. From our own baking experience, learning through trial and error is probably one of the most common taken paths to accomplishing the desired egg tart. So, what makes a good egg tart?

Firstly, it is always best to consume egg tarts while it's still pipping hot and fresh straight from the oven (新鮮熱辣蛋撻)! It has to have the right portion and balance between the egg filling and crust shell; on the aesthetics, the filling layer has to look smooth and shiny; texture wise, the egg custard has to be soft and moist, crumbly for cookie-base, flaky and crispy for pastry-base; and most importantly in terms of flavours, it has to have a strong eggy taste and buttery aroma.

Cheung Heung Yuen Restaurant 祥香園茶餐廳

Hoover Cake Shop  豪華餅店

This has to be my personal favourite out of all 8 egg tart places, I loved the fact that its appearance with its glossy layer on top was so amazing that I'm drooling by looking at it right now! It was the creamiest and had the strongest egg flavour among all with a right balance of sweetness, the puff pastry was extremely flaky and crispy as well. However a major drawback would be the crust was slightly overcooked as the burnt could be tasted in every mouthful, and the filling was kind of overpowered by it.

There's always a queue for their bread and cakes (not just egg tarts), so do look out for their freshly baked food and most importantly their egg tart!

Happy Cake Shop  快樂餅店

Honolulu Coffee Shop  檀島咖啡餅店

Kam Wah Cafe  金華冰廳

Probably all HK foodie tourists know about this Cha Chaan Teng, they have now extended another store beside the original one. There's nothing much to rave about their egg tart though. The filling was soft, smooth and bouncy, and had a subtle sweetness, however I found it lack of egg flavour regardless of its solid strong yellow colour tone. Despite the tart crust had a strong buttery taste, we prefer the base a tad thicker to give the right balance to the filling.

You can still give it a shot if you prefer your egg tart thin crust with generous filling, and if you are around Prince Edward area (near Mong Kok), otherwise I would give their egg tart a miss. Apart from that, their Bo Lo Yao (buttered pineapple bun), Mexican bun and Cocktail bun are the must-tries!

Kam Fung Restaurant  金鳳茶餐廳

Po Shing Cake Shop 寶城餅店

Tai Cheong Bakery 泰昌餅家

Please forgive my picky palate...And I'm still on a hunt for the best egg tart, so do let me know if you guys come across any calories-worthy ones!

Popular in Bali and Jakarta under the brands of Potato Head Beach Club and Potato Head Garage respectively, this latest branch in Singapore is gaining quick popularity especially for their cocktails and ambience.

Housing 3 different concepts under one roof, the second floor was a casual Three Buns, for their homemade burgers; third floor for Studio 1939, a reservations-only bar in an artsy studio for bespoke and craft cocktails, and finally The Rooftop, home to their own herbs, plants and tropical flowers, serving tiki cocktails (rum-based mixed drinks).

We went there at about 4plus, after a sumptuous meal at The Lokal and couldn't stomach any more burgers hence going for their sides to share. Thankful to catch them at the off-peak, there wasn't any queue though the portion upstairs was cordoned off.

With a menu that was pretty limited in choices for food - one-third of food, sides and desserts and another two-thirds for drinks/cocktails, we had quite an easy time deciding on the Naughty Fries and Zesty Lemon Pot Head.


Instead of the typical fries, it was thin round potato crisps shaped like taco chips for easier dipping to get more flavours in a mouthful. I loved the consistent crisp and how the usual cheese topping was replaced with spiced béarnaise (somewhat similar to hollandaise sauce except in the flavoring used), so that it blends in well without having a distinct cheesy flavour. Something that I would be going back for!


When they said indulgent individual dessert pots, I wasn't expecting it to come in a pseudo takeaway container with a sticker on top. A terribly small portion that was nothing like a 'pot', it was one to pack bold zesty flavours within. A sharp citrus zest that grew onto my palate, it was just a tad too creamy for my liking. I would have preferred something lighter though the zesty kick was still a satisfying one.

Mains menu start from $18, with a choice of 6 burgers.

An ideal place to simply sit and chill, we loved the quiet time we had on our visit. While we were too full to try out other items on the menu, it's a place that we'd return to check out their cocktails while enjoying the ambience at night. We've heard that queues start to form from 7pm onwards, so be slightly earlier if you're checking them out!

Quietly tucked among the conservation shophouses at Amoy Street, Burlamacco is a fine example of a stylish Italian eatery with its offering of a modern, elegant yet unpretentious environment. The friendly owner and Chef, Gabriele Piegaia wishes to juxtapose the lively ambience with his professional culinary skills honed from working in Michelin 1* restaurants in Italy, including Ristorante Antica Zecca and Ristorante Antica Osteria del Bai. Chef Gabriele then moved on to improve his skills working in New York, London, Syria and now Singapore. With a list of culinary awards and accolades under his belt, Gabriele works with a battery of suppliers around the world to ensure the freshest produce is brought to the table.

Tuscan-born Gabriele lives by the golden rule, "What you see on the menu is what you see on the plate". As such, Burlamacco's signature dishes are simple hearty fares. Can they make our calories count?

A teaser dish on what to expect!

Incidentally, the iconic Burlamacco is a carnival mask from the characteristic town of Viareggio in Tuscany where one of the most famous Italian carnival is celebrated. Bearing a red, white and black carnival mask, the Burlamacco is an icon of vivacity and one cannot help but sense the vibe with the line of suspended lampshades that front the restaurant.

The casual dining scene in Singapore is almost as vibrant as the cafes with cuisines ranging from Thai to Korean. When diners like you and me are overwhelmed by the abundance of restaurants out there, it is honestly not easy to spot a rare gem anymore as most places succumb to shortcuts and compromise on serving the most authentic meal.

With much scepticism, we made our way down to this Thai bistro located on Joo Chiat Road. With no lack of famous eateries lined along Joo Chiat Road and the nearby East Coast Road, can this modest looking place serve a Thai cuisine that would make our calories worthy?


It was truly inspiring when I met the chef-owner Joel Ong, a home-grown Singaporean who took an unconventional route from most peers. Previously a student at NUS, he left school to become a musician and subsequently went on to pick up professional culinary skills at At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy. Having cooked at home from young, Joel was highly interested in Thai culture and travelled frequently to various parts of Thailand to learn more about the cuisine.

With two Thai chefs from Chonburi, they used to serve authentic Thai food at 5* hotel, Amari Orchid Pattaya. While the common Thai street food are available on their menu, Rochor Thai endeavours to serve quality restaurant food as the chefs make their sauces, spice pastes and base stocks from scratch with no reliance on MSG.

Som Tum Kai Kem, Papaya Salad with Salted Egg | S$8.80/++

A classic appetiser, this papaya salad had the usual green papaya, carrots, long beans, garlic, chillies, dried shrimps and peanuts freshly pounded and blended with their in-house special tamarind sauce. What made it a touch more special was the sliced salted duck egg which added another dimension to the dish. In terms of flavours, it helped to provide the salinity balance to the tartness of the green papaya and the spice of the chillies before coming to a harmony with the sweetness and acidity from the tamarind sauce.

Tom Yum Talay, Red Tom Yum Seafood | S$8.80/++

Available in two sizes, the larger portion is available at S$15.80, however this was more than enough to warm the stomachs of us three. With mild sweetness to tease our palate upon the first taste, the acidity grew with the sourness before the heat from the fiery red chillies took over. The portion was satisfying with succulent prawns, flower-cut squids and generous slices of fish fillet in the broth.

Kor Moo Yang, Grilled Pork Collar with Aromatic Dried Chilli Sauce | S$12.80/++

A huge fan of grilled pork collar, I have struggled to find a place where I can go to in Singapore for this comfort food. My best experience with this delicate piece of protein was at nahm in Bangkok where cooking was executed to perfection.

Grilled upon order, the pork collar retained moisture and tasted succulent as you bite into the juiciness of the melted fats. I loved the nice coating layer of crispness which was beautifully complemented by the heat from the chilli flakes, sourness from the tamarind, savouriness from the fish sauce, shallots and little palm sugar to enhance the flavours of the grill.

Pad Kee mao Goong, Drunkard's Prawns | S$16.80/++

One of the signature dishes at Rochor Thai, it had an interesting story where a drunkard actually ate this flavourful dish that and woke up! What titillated my palate for this was the fragrance from the hot basil leaves and the red chillies. The portion size was surely generous but for most diners who would be more used to the crunch of your prawns, expect the texture to be tender soft. This might be due to it being slightly overcooked but on the positives, the prawns were thoughtfully deveined and deshelling was certainly made easy for diners.

Hoay Pad Prik Pao, White Clams Flambe with Chef's Stock and Thai Chilli Jam | S$14.80/++

Of the three types of basil, the chefs cleverly introduced a second type of basil, Thai sweet basil in this dish. Drawing resemblance from the usual tzechar stir-fry of the clams, the beautiful fragrance from the Thai sweet basil whetted my appetite. Be sure to scoop some of the lovely stock to go with the carefully cleaned clams as it adds a balanced flavour of savouriness and sweetness with a subtle hint of heat.

Pla Nin Pao, Salt-baked Whole Tilapia with Seafood Dipping Sauce | S$22.80/++

Pak Boong Gai Daeng, Wok Fried Morning Glory | S$7.80/++

More commonly know as kangkong, this stir-fry introduced some greens to complete a hearty meal. With fermented bean paste and chillies, the dish had sufficient wok-hei yet allowing the stems to retain their crunch.

Khao Niew Ma Muang, Mango sticky rice | S$7.80/++


There was a strong coconut fragrance in the sticky rice and served warm, it was truly some sweet calories to sum up a sumptuous Thai meal. The mung beans atop the thoughtfully designed heart-shaped sticky rice added a layer of texture with a nice crunch. The sweet Thai mango was also spot-on, overall a simple dish done well.


Offering a casual dining ambience, Rochor Thai offers honest cooking at very affordable prices. What really impressed me was dedication and quality of food served at this modest looking restaurant. If you know your Thai food, expect to enjoy a satisfying dish. That being said, we did not go for the usual street food such as Pad Thai or green curry but who needs those when you can enjoy perfectly grilled pork collar and salt-baked fish?

It was simply amazing to watch Joel in action as the chef took efforts to step out from the busy kitchen to speak to his customers and obtain their feedback. The serving crew on the floor were also fetching feedbacks and checking with the customers on their meals from time to time. While most would regard such dedicated customer service as a given, how often was your last meal at a bistro or restaurant that you received such attention?

We later also learnt that an interesting way of enjoying the dishes would be to order sticky rice instead of the usual fragrant Jasmine rice as the Northeastern Thais' way of enjoying their savoury dishes were to first enjoy the meat or fish followed by the sticky rice dipped in the accompanying sauce. If you ever need recommendations on what dishes to order, be sure to check with the staffs and they would be more than pleased to offer you some useful advice to suit your palate.

As Rochor Thai celebrates their 1st year anniversary in August 2014, they will be giving away a pair of return tickets to Bangkok on Thai Airways! Simply spend a minimum of S$50 in a single receipt for a chance and triple your odds by spending in excess of S$100! For all single receipts in excess of S$200, Rochor Thai is offering 8x winning chances!

Other ongoing promotions include "Ladies Night Out" where a minimum of four ladies dining on every Wednesday receive 50% off their bill!