HONG KONG DESSERTS | Sweet Flavours of Hong Kong's Past at Kwan Kee Store

Kwan Kee Store in Sham Shui Po was established in the 1960s, and over the years has become a local legend for its purveyance of traditional Hong Kong puddings, particularly its bowl puddings which are said to be the best in the city. In this episode we gorge on the family-run shop's headliners, and in doing so get a window in Hong Kong's past.
Video Credits
Written, produced, filmed, edited, animated, hosted and original music by Sam Evans
Videographer and Co-producer: Vienne Leung-Evans

[@aquamondIII]

I was told cha gor originated from the Guangdong coastal area in particular regions around Chao Zhou where the famous kung fu tea came from. Chao Zhou people are food connoisseurs who pair their tea with various simple but hearty pastries and snacks. that's why we call it tea fruit. the fruit sound in Chao Zhou dialect refers to anything related to or made of flour starch

[@HongKongHoods]

That is fascinating knowledge, thank you so much for sharing! I would love to visit Cha Zhou someday!

[@streetsmart73]

One of my favourite haunts, sham shui po. Awesome 🥰🥰🥰

[@HongKongHoods]

Brilliant! Glad you like that place like we do!

[@Faidelar]

Really enjoy your videos... I like it when you visits all the "hidden" places but are really in plain sight. You bring out the rich history about the HK culture that is meaningful and yet, with a bit of meloncholy, the culture is fading in front of our eyes. Thank you!!!

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching and for the kind words, we’re glad you are enjoying the videos! Yes, there are so many hidden in plain sight gems in HK, it’s quite an incredible place and a shame that so many of them are disappearing!

[@Wasabi9111]

I totally agree. It’s nostalgic watching these videos. It reminds me of the hk I grew up with. I haven’t been back in over a decade and not sure I’ll have a chance to go back anytime soon. I’m not a fan of Chinese desserts but my late grandfather loved the white bowl pudding. This video reminds me so much of him.

[@HongKongHoods]

@@Wasabi9111 Thank you for sharing your memories and those about your grandfather. These little desserts really are an important part of local Hong Kong culture and history.

[@clee6746]

Another very enjoyable video to watch, you sure do have the open mind to try out different food.

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching. Glad you're enjoying the videos!

[@linkfeeney8873]

oh man, this video came across to me... I left hong kong back in the late 80's and my grandma would take me around to go food shoppng for the late morning... towards the end of it, she would stop at one of these shops to get one of these desserts... especially the bowl pudding... I would get the brown or the white pudding... boy, I missed her so much...*sobs*

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for sharing such a lovely story, it sounds like you have great memories from those days. Glad this video brought back some of those memories :)

[@John-K-N]

I believe most of the treats you highlighted originated in the region of Taishan in Guangdong, the "put chai ko" in particular. Love that you place emphasis in learning the history behind everything you taste and experience in your videos. And yea to the 'bounty bar' reference! Cheers.

[@HongKongHoods]

Thank you John for another great comment. Yes, for me personally, good tastes better if you know some of the story behind it! Thanks for the info, that great knowledge!

[@kathryntong1616]

Glad that you were able to find these treasures and like them. They are very different from the western desserts, and not many foreigners like them as they looked WEIRD, especially the black sesame ko. It makes my mouth watering - I wish I could find these traditional HK treats in Los Angeles. You should try the brown sugar red bean as well. It's even better than the white rice pudding.

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching and glad these treats made your mouth water, that’s too bad you can’t find them in Los Angeles. We were too late to get the brown sugar one on our visit, but definitely on our next visit!

[@reneelim8458]

One of my favourites growing up was the banana cake, and it never had bananas! The texture would be chewy and gelatinous, and made of glutinous rice.

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for sharing, that sounds delicious!

[@rakuraku8043]

Hey Sam, great to see a bunch of new videos on your channel again!! Good job in exploring this hotspot of amazing cheap eats in Sham Shui Po!! I doubt many tourists know about this gem in the rough... it's all a good variety of cuisines and street food...

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching Raku Raku, always appreciate your comments! Yes this is a very cool spot that most tourists won’t know about- but it’s such a neighbourhood gem!

[@nikkichong1274]

Sam, this looks great and it’s a good way to publicise and support local HK businesses

[@HongKongHoods]

Thank you as always Nikki! Hope you enjoyed, and appreciate the kind words.

[@davidng407]

You lucky young guy, you can eat anything! Another great video!

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching… for every pudding, snack or bowl, there’s a jog to keep the calories at bay!

[@wilsonma6868]

Kwan Kee 砵仔糕👍。Thanks for sharing.

[@HongKongHoods]

Thank you for watching!

[@EChinh]

Something I want to try when I go to HK. Thank you for a little background history. 👍

[@HongKongHoods]

Thank you for watching and glad you enjoyed the video!

[@paddlepopbest919]

Awesome video ..Sam brother.. nice desserts

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed!

[@paddlepopbest919]

Sam brother, most welcome

[@user-se9hk8er6d]

Your Cantonese is so cute. Make yourself a challenge of making a Cantonese video or just a snippet of it haha😂😁🤣

[@HongKongHoods]

Haha I am still learning with the help of my wife 😆 that is a good video idea that may be fun to make at some point, thanks for the suggestion!

[@tsh80401]

Like this episode 👍💕glad Kwan Kee is still there selling the traditional deserts of our past😍 Sam’s description on them is so good arousing our eagerness to try them all👏

[@HongKongHoods]

Thank you for watching and glad you enjoyed the video! We are also happy that Kwan Kee is still going strong! :D

[@tammyfung9982]

I love your channel,thanks for introducing all the Hong Kong’s food😀

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for the kind words Tammy. More videos coming soon!

[@iDelta77]

I love HK and has not stepped foot on it since the "take-over" my heart goes out to the food vendor 'cause i know how much money they pay for the space.

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching. Fortunately there are still quite a few old-school eateries like this throughout the city, but they are disappearing fast :(

[@ivanscottlee]

Native HKer and naturalized NYer here. Just discovered your channel recently and your videos are making me homesick! Missing family and childhood friends there and the food (of course)! Keep up the good work and good eats!

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks Ivan, glad these videos are bringing back memories and evoking nostalgia! More vids and food coming soon!

[@JoyceCheung-tw7ef]

雖然我是香港人，但真的很少去深水埗，看完你的視頻，驚覺自已的童年回憶因你返返來！明天即刻去一趟深水埗找一找這間店舖賣一点曾經是我們兒時喜愛的小食先！😘😋😋🙏🏻🙏🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@sharonhappymum29]

Chinese desserts are so interesting. They got so many different flavors and texture. I love Kwan Kee desserts very much!

[@HongKongHoods]

Us too! Thanks for watching, and hope this video brought back some tasty memories!

[@indranil2u]

Thank you for the video, sounded like a place to visit but alas I read this. According to local sources, the owner had plans to retire and closed up shop in May 2023.

[@HongKongHoods]

Yes, this place is now closed unfortunately! 😢

[@Gemma6043]

Just love looking at videos of good places to eat in Hong Kong, miss that place so much!! Can you do a video on the famous bakery called bakehouse and the products they have???

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching Veronica and for the suggestion! We love Bakehouse for a weekend treat, and they've just opened a new branch in Causeway Bay!

[@davyp1532]

Nice one Sam! This place is definitely on my list of must do’s when I eventually get to Hong Kong.Off to buy a bounty bar now!!!

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it! Absolutely a great place to go for that old-school sweet flavour. Enjoy your Bounty ;D

[@FlexxenRandomPlaces]

Oooohhh now I'm craving for a yummy wobbly pudding 😍😫

[@HongKongHoods]

They’re delicious! Get your hands on one of you can :)

[@SO-rq3pm]

huge applauds to Sam for trying these unattractive, gloopy- and loopy-looking traditional puddings. They are less and less favoured by the young generation now (you can see how many western-style bakeries suddenly got hyped in the city the last two years). These puddings are meant to be grass-root, stomach-filling and easy-to-made by housewives using the simplest and humble ingredients. These puddings did have a heyday when Hong Kong economy relied on laborious light manufacturing industries 1950-1970s (before Apple products are made in China, Hong Kong was the world's no.1 manufacturer of affordable watches, toys, clocks, calculators etc.). All my family likes the sesame pudding best - Asians do love sesame (the darker the better). Modern science has also proven its high nutritious value. Seeds are full of vitamin E and essential fatty acids (hence good for our kidney coz in Chinese medicine, kidney and hair health are closely linked). I always suspect sesame is kind of super food. Look at the Arabs who consume huge amount of sesame, many of them have lush dark hair!

[@HongKongHoods]

Wow, thanks for all the information, that’s great knowledge, and very happy to hear that the puddings are a favourite of your family! Yes, so many western bakeries get all the publicity these days, and while some of them are good, it’s important to preserve such a delicious part of Hong Kong’s history too! I loved how these things tasted- very simple and old timey!

[@michaelyen3116]

What a nice video... Thank you so much for this lovely video...

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it!

[@jessical7823]

Honestly I am not into traditional puddings as there isn't much taste in them, perhaps they are usually not sweet enough for me. But after watching your video, you made them look more appealing than they are. In my view, you are one of the best advocates for local food!

[@HongKongHoods]

Thank you Jessica! We try where we can to promote local food and culture as much as we can, so your words mean a lot. Agreed that the puddings aren’t the sweetest, but moreish all the same!

[@frauic]

Not many westerners like the texture of traditional Hong Kong dessert (red bean soup, black sesame soup)

[@HongKongHoods]

It’s true that it’s a little different for westerners, but we love it!

[@kevinsoxx]

You really enjoy the hk style foods. Good!

[@HongKongHoods]

Glad you’re enjoying the videos!

[@kensuke101]

In a box of Celebrations, Bounty is one of my go to chocolate 😏

[@HongKongHoods]

Us too! Thanks for watching!

[@100185261]

i want your channel to blow up :) i love the content!

[@HongKongHoods]

Thank you so much! We hope so too!

[@irenelai2269]

Thanks!

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching!

[@irenelai2269]

@@HongKongHoods Thanks for documenting HK culinary culture!

[@HongKongHoods]

My pleasure, and hope you continue to enjoy our videos 💪🙏😊

[@jl6735]

Thanks Sam. I didn't know about this cake shop even though I go SSP regularly.

[@HongKongHoods]

We certainly recommend it. It's right on a busy corner, so you can't miss it if you know the address :)

[@biot_travel]

one of the best desserts i had in HK was purple rice (not the thai sticky version and it wasnt a pudding) - hardly seen an example of it since!

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for sharing! Could it have been sweet red bean soup by any chance?

[@biot_travel]

@@HongKongHoods this was very light purple (like ube / purple yam) and no liquids involved. pretty sure it was glutenous rice which kept it together - will have to prod around some more.

[@catherinelam9381]

Sam, u really surprised me that u like these traditional treats. Some foreigners or even locals didn't like them given that their appearance aren't that appealing. I am glad that u enjoy it. Would u please try the moon cakes which is a festival food during mid autumn festival?

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching Catherine! Yes, these traditional treats were really nice and refreshingly not too sweet! Enjoyed them and will definitely consider the moon cakes at some point in the future. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@lequanduong866]

I love Hong Kong and English at the same time so I'm really into your vlogs ❤ support your channel so keep up the good work 🥰

[@HongKongHoods]

Thank you for your support and for the kind words. More videos coming soon!

[@aarontham1079]

Try making videos on variety of mooncakes, dragon beard candy, sesame balls, crullers, wife's cake and husband's cake. Younger generations are no longer attracted to little bowl cakes and they are more interested in western pastries.

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@aarontham1079]

@@HongKongHoods I will be looking forward and I know you will create something educational and inspiring.

[@HongKongHoods]

@@aarontham1079 Thanks Aaron, much appreciated!

[@VC301000]

Sam, another good video before I sleep.

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching Dennis!

[@100185261]

great!

[@100185261]

i love your vids!!!

[@HongKongHoods]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@umutcal291]

Please more desserts 🍮🧁 vlogs 👍🏼

[@HongKongHoods]

We'll focus on more sweet things in the future :D

[@bouncingBrain]

it's nice that black sesame puddings will keep your hair dark, but look at the guy in the background inside the store. His hair is kinda grey. 😬

[@HongKongHoods]

That's a very good point- my only guess is that he doesn't eat them hehe

[@taiwaing5410]

👍👍👍

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks 🙏

[@ExploreHongKong]

Nice video ☺️ the Guo in Cha guo is written as 茶粿 instead of 果, literally means tea “rice cake”. ☺️☺️

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching @Explore_HongKong, and that's an excellent point... while 茶粿 is indeed the traditional name for this sweet snack, the first radical of the second word is sometimes colloquially omitted to make 茶果, or "tea fruit". Kwan Kee Store labels their puddings using both names, as seen at 3:59 and 4:59... so it makes for a slightly confusing naming system for this snack! 😊 Love your work, let's collaborate sometime!

[@ExploreHongKong]

​@@HongKongHoods Sure! looking forward to any future collaboration :)

[@johnsonleung6]

Sam, I did place comments on your two videos but they are not posted, dont know why. Anyway thanks again for this excellent video showing us how to go find the traditional HK Sweet Flavours especially the BuJaiGo. I can only recall in the 1960s that we used to buy those sweet deserts along the streets of HK. The deep fried porkchop buns should be competitive against the buns selling in Macau !

[@HongKongHoods]

Hi Johnson, thank you as always for commenting, and that's too bad about your other comments not being posted! That's amazing that you used to enjoy these back in the 1960s, I wish I had a time machine to go back to such a time!

[@WesleyWai]

actually Cha Go should be “茶粿” （Tea rice cake） instead of “茶果” （Tea Fruit） I guess this suppose to be a snack to take together with Tea.

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for watching! That’s a good point you make here. While 茶粿 is indeed the traditional name for this sweet snack, the first radical of the second word is sometimes colloquially omitted to make 茶果, or "tea fruit". Kwan Kee Store names their puddings using both names, as shown in the video at 3:59 and 4:59... so it makes for a pretty confusing naming system for this snack!

[@annisaanggraini7896]

Really i want to see behind the scene How you priper for this Vidio . 👍👍

[@HongKongHoods]

It may be something we do in the future! Thanks for the suggestion!

[@Trainandfoodlover8381]

I went there today

[@HongKongHoods]

How was it?

[@Trainandfoodlover8381]

It was good

[@kurlexchoi]

To consider from healthy standpoint, I would purchased the brown sugar red bean pudding-Put Chai Ko instead of the white sugar red bean.

[@HongKongHoods]

That's a good point, brown sugar is a little healthier than white sugar

[@SatishKumar41]

This one came as a surprise too. Sam coming up with nice vlogs but no announcements on Instagram. Anyways this one was sweet just like the desserts featured in the video. Keep up the good work and the surprises. Cheers

[@HongKongHoods]

Hi Satish, thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed! We will try to announce more on IG for future, but time has been a bit hectic these last few weeks as my wife and I have a baby on the way!

[@SatishKumar41]

@@HongKongHoods best wishes to both of you. Thank you for coming up with the vlogs despite really important things going on.

[@HongKongHoods]

Thank you for the kind words Satish!

[@SatishKumar41]

@@HongKongHoods always welcome. Even if you are replying in the middle of the night. Lol

[@tonytony3895]

Obviously your hard work pays off judging by the No of your followers, which includes me ! 👍💪👌😜🍥🍝

[@HongKongHoods]

Thanks for your support Tony it means a lot! Hopefully this channel will continue to grow this year 🐯🙏💪👍

[@drunkenmonkey1887]

Have you come across "ding ding" candy yet? Bear in mind I'm not sure it even exists anymore,nor is it anything special but it's something from a definitely bygone era and nostalgia for the old folks.

[@HongKongHoods]

I haven’t come across that yet, but thank you for the recommendation… we’ll look into it!

[@drunkenmonkey1887]

@@HongKongHoods it's not so much something you have to find and try. It's like a historical thing so if you want to take a side trek into proper olden times stuff then it'll be one of those things, along with the weird salt-pickled items, "dragon whisker" and of course, other dried meat/fish snacks. Stuff that used to be sold from carts on streets before it all got industrialised and wrapped in plastic.

[@SO-rq3pm]

I saw this in Causeway Bay some time ago but not sure it remains there since Covid. This candy is many people's childhood memories but the art of making it has already faded, very sadly. You also remind me of the cartoon or mythical characters lollipop, sold by vendors when we were young but they quickly disappeared since 1990s!

[@Simonbacon023]

Hi can I ask did you write any script before filming or you just spoke on the spot?

[@HongKongHoods]

For the talking points at the beginning where I introduce the establishment, I'll usually have written it out in a script, but for the food reactions, I usually write some points that I want to make, and do the rest on the fly :) Thanks for watching!

[@wjkwjk3484]

What is the address of Kwan Kee坤記士多 in Sam Shui Po, Kowloon ?

[@HongKongHoods]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYi1YYtqg5d9eas

[@ceciliac2225]

Sesame one is my favourite. The sign says $48 each. Suppose it’s worth it. Question: do you normally eat all the foods you ordered? Do you share with your camera person? Lol

[@HongKongHoods]

The sesame puddings are $12 each, so not so expensive! I share the food with my videographer… but we usually get 2 of everything to get the best shots. :)

[@eddiehung9306]

$48 per catty, so Sam's piece is about 150 g.

[@annieannieabcabc0000]

always get the brown put chai ko first! they sold out too fast

[@HongKongHoods]

Great tip!

[@tsoen-shinlam7621]

Kwan Kee has moved to Malaysia.......

[@HongKongHoods]

I knew it had closed down, but didn’t know it had moved to Malaysia! Thanks for the info!

[@user-ql3mm2to2y]

Kwan Kee has turned a little expensive imho

[@HongKongHoods]

Thats too bad! Although I can imagine that back in the day, many streetfoods were cheaper than they are today relatively speaking!

[@brandonbunyaen665]

Hope you bought them for your cam assistance?

[@HongKongHoods]

Absolutely! The camera operator always eats for free!

[@brandonbunyaen665]

Ok that's cool! So can I be your assistance? So I can eat free as wel.

[@HongKongHoods]

​@@brandonbunyaen665 If you're based in Hong Kong Brandon, we could certainly meet up and talk about the possibility.

[@brandonbunyaen665]

@@HongKongHoods I am in Hong Kong at the moment, visiting my auntie in shatin. So where about are you?

[@HongKongHoods]

@@brandonbunyaen665 I'm on HK Island. Do you have much experience with camera work Brandon?

[@Trainandfoodlover8381]

It is permanently closed

[@HongKongHoods]

It is, it closed a while ago unfortunately!

[@seanburke4743]

Geletamous or jeletamous ? 😂

[@HongKongHoods]

Great question Sean...who's to say?!!! 🤣