I’ll start off with an embarrassing incident. We were walking to the Hong Kong Cake Shop on busy Victoria Avenue Chatswood as I wanted to buy some bread and cakes (what’s new you might say). I saw a sign saying “Come in and try our fish balls”. Not being one to refuse a food invitation I walked in and helped myself to a toothpicked morsel from a plate of several on the counter. There was a loud gasp from the staff. Apparently I had helped myself to a paying customer’s plate that just happened to be sitting on the counter. I apologised profusely. I obviously had no idea and the owner apologised to me for scaring me. In my defence, your Honour, sample plates are usually on the counter with toothpicks and this customer’s order of 20 or so fish balls had a toothpick in every fish ball and of course they were small sample sized I naturally assumed….
I’m babbling of course. I recovered from my embarrassment and bought some goodies. Armed with a tray and tongs, the first thing to catch me eye was a Corrugated loaf ($2)-it was a good 15cms long and indeed corrugated in shape and flexible. It smells sweet and buttery and is interspersed with sultanas. My husband likes this bread sliced, with jam for breakfast.
The next thing I purchased was a lotus seed cake with preserved vegetable $1.80. I adore Lotus seed, it’s my version of chocolate flavour. If I see something lotus seed flavoured, I’ll order it above all other flavours. The pastry is fairly layered and the lotus seed paste thick. What I hadn’t counted on was the preserved vegetable. It had a strong aroma and a firm texture and if I could pinpoint an aroma it would be spicy ginger.
Another flavour that I particularly like is Chestnut (don’t leave me alone with a can of chestnut puree) and at $1.40 for the cake, it’s a steal. It’s a plain but soft vanilla sponge with a thin smearing of that Chinese mock cream that Chinese bakeries often have and then a squiggle of chestnut puree on top of mock cream at the top.
The last item was a red bean jelly ($1.10). They dislodged it from the bowl with a skewer for me to take away. She mentioned that there was rice in it so I thought that there would be sticky rice but it appears that it’s either rice flour in the jelly or something else entirely that I can’t see or taste or something was lost in the translation. In any case, it’s not the most flavoursome of jellies and I give to my husband, a jelly loving fanatic who gobbles it down.
The prices are typical of Chinese bakeries, amazingly good. Just don’t help yourself to the toothpicked balls on the counter!
Hong Kong Cake Shop
Shop B3 Victoria Plaza 369 Victoria Ave, Chatswood
Tel: +61 (02) 9419 2204
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10 Comments | Add your own
Yes, but…how were the fish balls???
Embarrassing indeed! I’m pretty sure I’ve done something on par with that, but I generally choose to block out such painful memories. I walk past that shop all the time to go to the grocery store next door, but have never been enticed to go in. Have never been particularly crazy about chinese sweets of this sort.
Hi Kate-They were chewy and spicy, not bad! But better if not swallowed while everyone is staring at you
Hi Y-I wish I could block it out although I’m sure I’ve got many more stored away somewhere never to see the light of day again
I love chestnut and lotus so I love to stop at these kind of bakeries.
I have similar experiences quite often, I’ve become very good at making getaways
Hi Cappucino-Hehe! Well I guess that’s the real key, the getaway!
order steamed lotus seed bun at your next yum cha (-:
Hi Tian-I’m dying to go to Yum Cha again. Are they in the same white fluffy outer as char siu buns? I like the filling of those but I find the white bready part a bit too thick for me.
Oh that is funny Lorraine! And I’ve done the same almost! I have grabbed something from a counter belonging to a paying customer too..but not actually eaten anything. And the paying customer has been quite miffed at me (dirty looks all the way).
Yours was a most honest mistake.. just bad timing! And a great story to re-tell! Sigh, I love Asian bakeries. Your dollar goes so much further. I tried a little ball of something in April.. it seemed to have a crunchy, sesame seed exterior (fried) with a white doughy/pastey centre.. it was delicious. I vowed to buy more to take home next time! It was from Breadtop.. something I discovered late last year in Melbourne.
I visited Darling Harbour twice a number of years ago and walked through Chinatown and discovered a couple of nice places I love going back to. One place for the quality, cheap sashimi near the Entertainment Centre and another place for the $1.20 cakes (a bakery). Come to think of it.. I’m more familiar with Sydney’s Chinatown than Melbourne’s.
Yummo to this post!
Hi Maria-I’m very comforted to know I’m not alone. Indeed I saw an episode of Kitchen Nightmares last week when Gordon was giving out samples of meatballs on a plate and the whole plate had toothpick spiked balls so I yelled at the screen “See? They’re samples!!!”. Clearly I am a little traumatised still
Mmm I love Breadtop, I haven’t had a bad item there ever. However I try and steer away as I know I can’t fit into my clothes as well if I have too much Breadtop! The asian bakeries are such a great bargain, especially when you compare $4 for a cake to $1.20 a piece.
the steamed lotus seed buns tend to have a thinner pastry, unlike the char siu buns
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