Best Breakfast ever possible @ Sing Heung Yuen, Central

Sing Heung Yuen is always my favourite spot for breakfast. Despite its outdoor setting and so-so hygiene, I am always more than happy to eat there. The reason is simple: they serve simply the BEST toasts and chui-chuis in HK.

I always prefer thicker slabs of toasts over the paper-thin ones. Although more and more chaa-chen tengs claim that they are switching to the 'thick toasts', a lot arent really doing the job right as the toasts arent thick enough. Even if they were the interior would always be either undertoasted or overtoasted. They could never get the job right from the outside to the inside.

That's why SHY (what?! i just realize the short form spells S.H.Y. is it a joke?) is the best. You should definitely try the thick toasts and you would understand what I mean. The toasts are usually cut diagonally into four smaller triangles, and they are always topped with so much peanut butter/jam/whatever that you think its perhaps over-precipitated.

But the main point lies with the toast: while lightly crunchy and crispy on the outside, the inside maintains a soft, tender, and a little chewy, consistency that sticks onto your teeth as you bite but quickly falls off as you chew. In short-its neither too dry nor too wet, too coarse nor too fine, and it actually tastes good instead of bland as ordinary toasts will. Its mind-blowing. Its just- perfect.

SHY's signature 'dish' got to be their chui-chuis since almost everyone will be ordering one no matter how many ingredients they have already ordered for in their noodles. But when you compare the chui-chui and the toasts, its hard to say which one's better as they are different. While the toast has a more consistent texture and crispiness, the chui-chuis are bipolar as the top crust and the base vary greatly - the top crust is ALWAYS so light and crispy that it just goes 'cheppp' as you bit in. The base is more filling in the interior and it gives a deep 'zeeeep' as you bite, and it tends to be harder but prefect for people who need someone to chew onto. I usually prefer the base over the top.

Now that the breads are already marvellous by themselves, it doesnt reallly matter what you have for toppings, but my favourite combination will always be the golden triangle of butter-honey and lemon zest. But whether it tastes alright or too sour depends on the mood of the toast-maker. Sometimes i do have chui-chui so sour that its unbearable; while sometimes i also have ones as sweet as if theres no lemon zest at all. But sometimes i go have the rightly balanced ones, and they taste GREATT. a must-have if you happen to be here.

As for the drinks, dont expect too much as SHY as they are less professionally made than the toasts and buns. The ying-yeung I had had a rich taste of caffeine but not much of the milk, and the texture was quite thin. So maybe i should have focused on eating the bun instead of poking fingers around the drinks, which is clearly not their field of speciality.

Will come here again and again and again for sureee!

勝香園 Sing Heung Yuen
2 Mei Lun Street, Central
星期一至六: 08:00-17:30; 星期日: 休息