Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Pineapple Bun in Sai Kung

Sai Kung Bakery Café
Man in Charge: Ricky
Location: Shop 6-7, G/F, Kam Po Court,
2 Sai Kung Hoi Pong Square, Sai Kung, N.T.
Phone: 27923861
Famous for: Pineapple Bun and Egg Tart

Roaming around Sai Kung after taking my daughter to soccer practice, I cannot help but notice this bakery tucked into a corner behind the seafood restaurants roll. I enjoy taking my daughter there because she can safely run around without cars and I can relax with a cup of coffee and a huge Pineapple Bun. When I finally sat down with Ricky, I realize this little cafe is a classic example of how a local eatery in HK came about and why people love them so much.

If you are here during the weekends, you will see a huge line outside this café waiting for these infamous Pineapple buns fresh out of the oven every 20 minutes. Selling on an average 300 buns a day, the line outside the café did not come easy. It was lots of trial and error for 8 years along with the brains of the old-timer pastry chefs who keep trying using the best of ingredients to create this phenomenon.

In Ricky’s opinion, a true Pineapple bun should have a sweet crust that is crunchy, and a bun that is soft and moist. If consumed warm, the combination of the crunchy and chewiness is just why this bun is HK people all time favourite bun. Although Ricky said his bun is not necessarily the best in HK, he said they take pride in using the best ingredients from around the world along with the experience of top pastry chefs who used to work for high-end cake shop in HK. The one special thing about his buns is that they keep producing them through out the day and each batch is fresh and hot, you cannot beat that.

Being the first European Bakery open in 2002, cakes and breads were their specialty. SARS came shortly after their opening and thanks to Tung Chee Hwa, then Chief Executive of HK granted Sai Kung to have out door seating permits in promoting tourism in the area. Not only Sai Kung was not affected by SARS, it is the place for a breath of fresh air. As local customer base grew, so did the demand for variety of products. Pineapple buns were introduced despite objection from a few partners. Baking it on site through out the day with top quality ingredient slowly caught on by word of mouth. Now, it became one of my routines every time I come to Sai Kung. Next time you visit Sai Kung, besides from the seafood, make sure you leave room for these extra large buns and also give the egg tart a try! They are to die for as well.

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