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Header images courtesy of Sakimoto Bakery (via Facebook)
Japan’s foodscape has always exerted a magnetic hold on Hong Kong people’s taste buds, a fact testified by the sheer volume of restaurants in our city that specialise in cuisine from the Land of the Rising Sun! Besides perennial favourites like sushi and ramen, one trend that has been bubbling under the surface is Japanese-style bread and pastries.
Unlike their crustier and leaner European counterparts, Japanese bread is known to have extremely soft and fluffy interiors, while pastries are beloved for their novelty and great attention to detail. From pillowy shokupan (食パン) to kawaii pastries, here are the best Japanese bakeries in Hong Kong to graze your way through!
If you’re in need of a last-minute birthday cake or presentable treats for the office, Châteraisé is your go-to Japanese bakery. With over 30 locations spread across different districts in Hong Kong, you’re never too far away for an emergency dessert run!
Taking cues from both traditional Western and Japanese baking, this popular pastry franchise from Yamanashi Prefecture churns out everything from crêpe cakes and cream puffs to matcha roll cakes and dorayaki—all shipped straight from Japan.
At Châteraisé, the star of the show is their best-selling strawberry cream cake. In contrast to the typically heavier Western cakes, Châteraisé’s are built on a light sponge cake foundation, layered with whipped cream and fresh fruit. You could easily devour two slices without feeling weighed down!
It’s hard to walk past this Japanese bakery without stopping for a closer look at their mouth-watering Japanese-style cheese tarts and cakes. As regular visitors can attest to, the potent buttery aroma that emanates from Hanjuku Kobo calls to passers-by like a siren’s song to a group of unwary (and hungry) sailors.
Founded in Hong Kong in 2015, Hanjuku Kobo rose to household fame with their signature “half-baked” cheese tarts, which somewhat resemble Hong Kong-style egg tarts, but is filled with a delightful cream cheese mousse that oozes out like molten lava when eaten fresh. You could always opt for the classic cheese flavour, but we’re eyeing the chocolate and crème brûlée iterations. Apart from tarts, their portfolio also includes soufflé cheesecake, sliced cakes, roll cakes, and more.
From the dumpling-shaped matcha cream bun to the sweet purple potato bun with black bean, Ryoyu Bakery Studio’s limitless creativity is truly a force to be reckoned with. Using premium imported ingredients and tried-and-true Japanese baking techniques, this Kyushu-based Japanese bakery chain rolls out a wide and ever-changing selection of bready creations.
If you’re a regular, you can always count on there being something new to break up your breakfast routine. The quality of their bakes stays true to Japanese culinary excellence and prices run at a very reasonable range, so bag a few extra items and share with your friends and family!
Hailing from Osaka, Sakimoto Bakery has taken Hong Kong’s bakery scene by storm. You’ll see customers queueing up outside this homely, wood-furnished bakery for one thing and one thing only: shokupan (食パン; Japanese milk bread). Don’t be fooled by its simple and unassuming appearance—this is no ordinary loaf of white bread. With a sweet, buttery flavour and a plushy interior that tears into long, wispy strands, Sakimoto’s shokupan is just as delicious on its own as it is toasted and paired with a selection of toppings.
Sakimoto Bakery offers two versions of shokupan—gokunama milk butter and gokubi natural, the latter of which is made without eggs and milk. If you’re dining in, you would be remiss not to sample a few of their homemade jams, which come in intriguing flavours like Earl Grey, pistachio, and even rum and raisin!
Sakimoto Bakery, Shop 3208, Level 3, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, 3–27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 3590 8297
Another century-old Japanese bakery chain, Donq is a trusted source for grab-and-go carbs. Donq really nails it across the board with French and Japanese baked goods, delivering spectacular executions of both traditionally European baguettes and croissants, and well as distinctly Japanese bakes like brown sugar mochi bread and Japanese sweet potato bun. You’ll even find some more inventive options that meld the best of both worlds, such as their signature cod roe-stuffed French baguette. While the variety is extensive, hot-sellers tend to fly off the shelves quickly, so try going earlier in the day for the full selection!
Nestled inside City’supers across Hong Kong, this decades-old Japanese bakery from Hiroshima conjures up an eclectic range of pan-Western and Japanese baked goodies. Due to their exclusive use of high-quality flour, eggs, and milk imported straight from Japan, even a quick, on-the-go bite can turn into a luxurious treat.
You can’t go wrong with Little Mermaid Bakery’s signature Hokkaido milk bread and grains and seeds raisin bread, baked in stone ovens to yield superlative flavour and texture. Danish bars here are no pushovers, either; the maple and D24 durian (yes, you read correctly) flavours are positively to die for!
A wanderer, chronic overthinker, and baking enthusiast, Beverly spent much of her childhood in the United States before moving to Hong Kong at age 11 and making the sparkling city her home. In her natural habitat, she can be found baking up a storm in her kitchen, journalling at a café, or scrolling through OpenRice deciding on her next meal.
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