On a Tuesday night after dinner hours, but still steady traffic.
Restaurant: Tong Pak Fu
Cuisine: Chinese/Taiwanese/Desserts
Last visited: April 13, 2010
Location: Multiple locations in Hong Kong
Address: Metro: Causeway Bay – Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
銅鑼灣渣甸街38號地下 (in Chinese – I can’t read that though)
Tel: 2630 0110
Price Range: $10 or less
1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!
Food: 5.5
Service: 5
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 6
Additional comments:
- Popular to locals
- Famous for shaved ice milk desserts
- Specializes in Taiwanese desserts
- Some Cantonese dessert available
- Late night
- Busy, line-ups after dinner hours
- Quick, casual
- Menu available in English/Chinese
- 10+ locations in Hong Kong
- Very similar to Frappe Bliss in Richmond, BC
**Recommendations: Mango shaved ice with mango syrup, green tea/matcha shaved ice, guava shaved ice with passion fruit syrup. I didn’t know you could customize your order, but you can.
Tong Pak Fu Restaurant specializes in a popular Taiwanese dessert known as “shaved ice”. However instead of using the traditional shaved ice they use shaved ice milk! This makes it a healthier dessert and it’s very light in texture and flavour. Shaved ice milk is one of my favorite desserts. If you haven’t tried it, you must try it! This was my dessert after my dinner and dessert at Under Bridge Spicy Crab Restaurant… actually it was my dessert on several occasions…
On a Saturday night after dinner hours. Packed with long line ups.
It’s definitely a popular trend in Hong Kong and Tong Pak Fu attracts a long line up after dinner hours especially on the weekends. I came here twice while I was traveling in Hong Kong. It’s pretty much the same as Frappe Bliss in Richmond, BC except it’s plated differently and more flavorful. The toppings are also better at Tong Pak Fu than Frappe Bliss and they have more variety in flavours too.
On the table:
- Mango shaved ice milk, sprinkles, fresh strawberries, coconut jelly, white tapioca pearls & mango syrup $35HKD – about $5CAD
- You can customize your flavour and toppings, but I just ordered their mango specialty.
- Their most popular flavour is mango and it comes with mango and I liked it the best too. It had the most flavour.
- The shaved ice milk literally melts in your mouth instantly. It tastes like eating fluffy sheets of cotton or air.
- It’s like thinly shaved ice cream but less creamy and very light tasting.
- The white tapioca pears aren’t good though.
Green Tea “Matcha” Shaved Ice Milk – 5/6
- Green tea “matcha” shaved ice milk with green jelly, white tapioca pearls, grass jelly and condensed milk $35HKD – about $5CAD
- This is another one of their specialties. For me the toppings aren’t great and I would rather have fresh fruit or something less “Asian”…I’m just not a fan of Asian toppings though.
- It green tea shaved ice does have a very strong matcha flavour though, which I like!
- Guava shaved ice milk with mangoes, sago, coconut jelly, and passion fruit syrup $35HKD – about $5CAD
- I really recommend trying their guava shaved ice because this flavour is very uncommon and one of their specialties. It’s only available on certain days too.
- you must get the passion fruit syrup if you get guava. It really helps to enhance the guava flavour, otherwise it’s too subtle.
- Always try to get mango in Hong Kong – it’s pretty much always fresh and always sweet.
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This makes it a healthier dessert and it’s very light in texture and flavour.
Me not being a “crazy dessert fan” find, at times I find statements like this funny at times… Sugar + dairy? :-/ But, then again, compared to the rest of us normal people, you seem impervious to the effects of having way too much sugar/fat! 😛
For me the toppings aren’t great and I would rather have fresh fruit or something less “Asian”… I’m just not a fan of Asian toppings though.
Really? I was under the impression you like mochi as a topping!
Now, joking aside, back when I was living in Panama, we had shaved ice and we liked it that way as it is more “refreshing” than eating something with dairy. But, then again, we had it almost anytime rather than dessert.
YUM! looks amazing!! I tried Frappe Bliss, also very yummy! I think when and IF I travel to Asia, I will def. have to go to this place 🙂
I like the name of the this place as it’s a play on the famous scholar’s name.
I had this when I was in HK. I find it better than the ones at Frappe Bliss in Richmond. Like you said it’s definitely more flavorful and there are a lot of interesting flavors and toppings.
Lydia – Oh I really really hope you make it there!! Yeah these are pretty delicious and there’s so many bakeries that I think you would love too!
Janice – Hey I didn’t know about the name, thanks for the extra info! That’s awesome that you had it in HK as well – I wanted to try so many more flavours but part of me tried not repeating restaurants. I could have come everyday though…so good!
KimHo – well I did say “healthIER dessert” and not “healthy dessert” lol..you got me there! I DO love mochi…but generally Asian desserts just don’t do it for me.
Shaved ice is probably more refreshing than shaved milk..but it’s not as flavourful is it?! And sometimes after you eat all the toppings you’re just left with ice/sugary water….or this wannabe slurpee…I finish shaved milk before it has time to melt! 😀
Haha, I went to this exact place in HK! It rocks!
Hi Brian! Awesome!! Love this stuff! Thanks for commenting!
This stuff is addictive. I went to this dessert place during my HK trip. I have craving for it now that I’m back in Toronto. Does anyone know where to get this stuff in Toronto?
Di – We can get it here in Vancouver, but not sure about TO. Come to Vancouver! It’s closer than Hong Kong at least 🙂 Or you can franchise Frappe Bliss! Check out my post on it in Vancouver!