Illy Expresso-Lord Stow's Bakery

> Location : 281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
> Cuisine : Coffee, other refreshments and bakery
> Tel. # : (check website)
> Website : http://www.lordstow.com/

Within the excelsior hotel lies a tasty secret. a small coffee shop, illy expresso, on the ground floor features lisbon's finest egg tarts. on a side note, illy expresso carrys illy espresso coffee, which is the leader of premium espresso coffee from italy. for more information on this, please check here. so egg tarts! yes, besides macau restaurant, this place by far carries the best egg tarts you can taste in hong kong! so lisbon's finest eh? so what exactly is lord stow's bakery? let me quote directly from the website :

"Englishman, Andrew Stow opened Lord Stow's Bakery on Coloane Island, Macau in 1989. It was a modest affair, in a small village shop, in an area he loved. Local people quickly took to his European produce - a phenomenon in an area with no strong tradition of bread eating.

Andrew's philosophy was to ensure his produce was always fresh, healthy, natural and of the highest possible quality. He refused to allow his range to include the additives and preservatives so common in other bakeries. A year later, it was decided to add another item to his product range.

During a trip to Portugal in the mid-80s, Andrew had become familiar with their popular Pasteis de Nata - a kind of egg tart, which, centuries ago, had its orgins in the Lisbon waterfront area of Belem. Andrew decided he could improve on the traditional recipe and turn it into his own specialty. His Pharmaceutical background made him no stranger to experimentation and Andrew set forth. He began experimenting with his own version, dispening with the conventional ingredients of pork fat, flour and water and introducing some English touches. By doing so, he introduced these egg tarts to the Asian region in the form that they are now known."

"The Secret of the Egg Tart : The delight of a Lord Stow's egg tart is all in the crispness of the flaky pastry set up in contrast with the rich creamy filling.

Caramelized sugar gives the tart its slightly burnt appearance, which has become synonymous with Lord Stow's egg tarts.

Many people enjoy the added pleasure of a sprinkling of cinnamon on the top, a traditional Portuguese condiment to the egg tart."

so what did it taste like? the caramelized sugar on top of the egg tart along with the mostly egg white filling gives the egg tart a very delightful sweet taste! the sweetness isn't too sweet where it'll give you a sweet tooth. it is perfectly baked for a oh-so-yummy-taste! things like this is kinda hard to explain but the flaky pastry also gives the bite its finishing touch. it's kind of like eating pie. most of the time, people enjoying eating the crust more than the filling. but in this case, the filling and the pastry go hand in hand. just unbelievable!

besides the one in excelsior hong kong, lord stow's bakery can be found in thailand, japan, taiwan, philippines, korea and the original home, macau. all this information is listed on the official website! yeah, asia exclusive, haha. i have to say, this is the best egg tart i have ever eaten in my life! take nothing away from macau restaurant's egg tarts since they have the option of ordering egg white only ones. so yeah, that's all folks. carrying the world's best chain espresso coffee and the world's best egg tart deserves a good score. both i now know are of good quality. can things change? of course with further experiences. but for now, what's my take?

< 5 out of 5 >