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Pandan is Hong Kong’s dessert du jour. Adored for its lime green hue, fluffy texture and coconutty flavour, homegrown brands put creative twists on this Southeast Asian staple.
Dubai chocolate, who? Pandan cakes are Hong Kong’s latest dessert obsession. With their eye-catching colour and luscious creaminess, these cakes deliver a taste of the tropics straight to our urban jungle. Vanilla’s more exotic cousin, the flavour beloved in Singapore and made famous by Bengawan Solo (and the 852’s very own Pandan Man), pandan everything is enjoying its moment in the sweet treat limelight — begging for an Instagram moment at that!
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Pandan Man — Hong Kong brand dedicated to pandan
During the pandemic when it was impossible to satisfy cravings for Singapore’s famed pandan cake, the Pandan Man founders took matters into their own hands and perfected their recipe, making the much-loved dessert available in the 852. Having established themselves as Hong Kong’s pandan pros, they’ve branched out with innovative fusion confections, like the pillowy soft Pandan & Coconut Mochi, made from 100% natural ingredients —fresh pandan leaf extract, coconut milk and a palm sugar-coated coconut filling (the dark green comes from a hefty amount of fresh pandan leaves).
Sassy Tip: Keep pandan mochi at room temperature, and best when consumed on the day of purchase (as if you’d be able to wait longer!)
Price: $100
Pandan Man, Landmark Atrium pop-up, Shop 240, 2/F, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong
Pandan Man, Hysan Place pop-up, Shop B116B, B1, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Instagram: @pandan_man, www.pandanman.com.hk
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Lady M — Celebrated NYC patisserie perfects infusing pandan in refined creations
This celebrated patisserie hailing from New York City has taken off in Hong Kong for its exquisite handmade cakes that are delicate and not too sweet — seemingly the winning formula for 852 desserts. It has nailed it yet again with the Pandan Mango Shortcake, featuring a layer of pandan custard made from freshly extracted pandan juice, mango pieces and a thick layer of homemade coconut pudding, nestled between soft pandan sponge layers to create a perfect harmony of textures. Coated with its signature hand-whipped mascarpone cream infused with coconut cream and a splash of Malibu, it’s a pandan-infused taste of paradise.
Sassy Tip: There’s also a pandan version of the signature Mille-Crepes Cake should Lady M purists prefer — the Pandan Kaya Mille Crêpes.
Price: From $480
Lady M, various locations, Instagram: @ladymhk, www.ladymhk.com
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Orchid Padaria Bakery — Modern take on traditional baked goods
A local favourite for more than 20 years, this Hong Kong-style bakery gives traditional pastries a contemporary twist while preserving culinary heritage. It became famous for its signature star-shaped mille-feuille tarts encasing French custard, created by a former Mandarin Oriental pastry chef. Today’s hot ticket items are everything pandan. We can personally vouch for its Pandan Kaya Puff Pastry Egg Tarts (don’t be put off by its alien green filling enrobed in black pastry) while the Pandan Kaya Cookies and Pandan Kaya Toast also entices.
Price: From $20
Orchid Padaria Bakery, various locations across Hong Kong, Instagram: @orchidpadaria, www.orchidpadaria.com.hk
Oookie Cookie — Homegrown brand specialising in customised cakes
Hong Kong born and bred, Oookie Cookie’s journey began in 2016, expanding its range to include American classics such as chewy cookies and rice krispies, alongside European delicacies including meringues and almond thins. Perhaps most well known though are its desserts that have been given a unique 852 spin, such as the Cha Chan Tang Fondant Cake Collection that captures our city’s heritage with creations depicting pineapple buns, HK-style French toast and iced lemon tea. Its Pandan Crunch Cake is a textural delight comprising sponge, cream, caramel crunch and topped off with gold flakes for an added dose of fancy.
Sassy Tip: Keep in mind when ordering , the lead time for cakes is two days. All cakes can also be customised.
Price: From $558
Oookie Cookie, Shop 221, Lee Garden Two, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Whatsapp: 9220 8112
Oookie Cookie, Shop 3022A, Podium Level 3, ifc mall, Central, Hong Kong, Whatsapp: 9251 9849, Instagram: @oookiecookie, www.oookie-cookie.com
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Otera — Umami desserts designed to instil a sense of harmony
Meaning ‘temple’ in Japanese, Otera pastries and desserts are created to bring about a sense of harmony. With a focus on umani, where sweet meets savoury and sugar is used sparingly, you won’t find sickly sweet confections here. The Salted Pandan and Lemongrass Flan Cake encompasses homemade aged pandan leaf extract, lemongrass and sea salt, the salted pandan mousse boasting a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Sassy Tip: Only 10 whole cakes are available daily, so be sure to order in advance.
Price: $560
Otera, Unit 03, 21/F, Technology Plaza, 651 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong (Factory opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm to 7pm, by appointment only), Instagram: @oterahk, otera.hk
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The Cakery — Local bakery peddling guilt-free pandan fix
Local bakery, The Cakery, aims to deliver a sugar fix you can feel good about thanks to healthy ingredients. It replaces refined sugar with natural sugars, ramping up good fats and proteins to improve the nutritional profile of desserts. The range of organic, vegan-friendly, sugar and gluten-free treats offer balanced macros suitable for most dietary requirements. Dairy free? No problem. The plain chiffon cake filled with pandan jam and topped with pandan cream and mochi lets you get on the pandan bandwagon, without having to pay for it later.
Price: $60 per slice
The Cakery, various locations, Instagram: @thecakeryhk, www.thecakery.com
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ChaTraMue — Thai tea brand with a range of pandan flavours
Established in Thailand more than 80 years ago, ChaTraMue is synonymous with the Thai tea we associate with sweet, condensed milk goodness. With a series dedicated to drinks featuring pandan, the flavour of the moment (our fave is the Milk Green Tea latte with chewy tapioca bubbles). Best of all though, is their pandan spin on traditional Thai dessert Kanom Krok Bai Toey. Recently launched exclusively at their Central location, each mini pancake is a chewy, gooey bite of pandan-coconut creaminess, served with either Thai tea sauce or green tea sauce.
Price: $42 for a box of 10
ChaTraMue, various locations, Instagram: @chatramue, www.cha-thai.com
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The Peninsula Boutique & Café — Pandan gets the 5-star treatment
Upholding the legendary hotel in which it is housed, The Peninsula Boutique & Café’s cakes are as refined as you would expect, with top-notch patissiers showcasing gourmet ingredients in their edible works of art. Its Mango Coconut Pandan Cake is no exception, highlighting mango marmalade and coconut mousse complemented with cremeux and biscuit imbued with pandan leaf. It’s the next best thing to a tropical Southeast Asian escape!
Price: From $498
The Peninsula Boutique & Café, The Peninsula Arcade, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, 2696 6969, Instagram: @thepeninsulaboutique, www.peninsulaboutique.com
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Warung Chandra Indonesian Restaurant — Authentic, affordable layer cake
A cosy spot loved by Hong Kong’s Indonesian community and locals alike, Warung Chandra is known for its legit homestyle eats, like nasi uduk, rendang, and gado gado, and friendly vibe. Its takeaway dessert selection out front entices and we can never resist picking up a treat or two when passing by. Don’t sleep on the Pandan Kueh Lapis, a traditional Southeast Asian steamed layered cake composed of rice flour, tapioca flour, coconut milk, sugar and pandan extract or paste. The multi-layered cake is visually striking with its translucent, wobbly layers, and its slightly sticky texture what we imagine the lovechild of a cake and pudding to be.
Price: $8
Warung Chandra Indonesian Restaurant, G/F, 9-11 Pennington Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, 2881 0103
Warung Chandra Indonesian Restaurant, 99 Fa Yuen St, Mong Kok, Kowloon
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Sweet Secrets — Best pandan cake for those with dietary requirements
One of the first Hong Kong bakeries catering to food intolerances, more than 70% of the Sweet Secrets menu is made without eggs, refined sugar, dairy and nuts so that diabetics and those on paleo, vegan and keto diets can still have their cake and eat it. Created in memory of the founder’s mother, the Signature Nostalgia Cake also happens to be diabetic-friendly, gluten free and low in carbs (made from 100% almond flour) and sugar. Inspired by Singaporean dessert Ondeh Ondeh, this East-Meets-West confection comprises a light aromatic pandan cake, layered with grated coconut marinated in palm sugar syrup. While it contains nuts, the cake is free from additives, artificial colouring, emulsifiers and gelatine.
Price: From $790
Sweet Secrets, Room 1203, Wing Lee Industrial Building, 54 Tong Mi Road, Mong Kok, Kowloon (address for pickup orders, by appointment only), Whatsapp: 9371 9089, Instagram: @sweetsecretscakes, www.sweetsecrets.com.hk
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Shaz Confections — Authentic pandan cake with roots in Singapore
Best known for its signature Pandan Chiffon Cake, Shaz Confections cakes reflect the brand’s Singaporean roots, raising the bar in terms of authenticity. Its most unique offering, however, is the Pandan Coconut Crepe Cake, which combines fresh pandan leaves and coconut cream with a light dusting of desiccated coconut and roasted pistachio. Note that the decorative flowers are subject to seasonal availability and may be different from pictured.
Price: From $520
Shaz Confections, Whatsapp: 5598 9321, Instagram: @shazconfections, www.shazconfections.com
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Main image courtesy of Sassy Media Group. All images courtesy of their respective establishments.
