When it comes to New Year gifts, many people opt for egg rolls, and among them, honeycomb egg rolls stand out with their flaky texture and rich eggy flavor, making them a hot item during the New Year season. This time, our magazine
A good honeycomb egg roll should have an even golden yellow color throughout, neither too light nor too dark, and without uneven coloring. The texture should be flaky — too crisp where it breaks apart entirely with one bite or too thick is not ideal; the flavor should have a strong eggy taste.
First up is the well-known brand Hang Heung from Yuen Long. The color of its egg rolls is relatively light, leaning towards pale yellow, almost appearing undercooked. The rolls aren’t crisp enough to melt in your mouth instantly, and the egg flavor is quite faint — you need to take several bites before you can really taste the egg.
Next is Tak Shing Hong, which is often sold out and hard to find even in North Point. The color of the egg rolls is noticeably uneven — even within the same box, some are darker while others are lighter, and many rolls have one side darker and the other lighter. Sister Zhen noted that this is likely due to inconsistent baking temperatures. Upon biting, they immediately crumble in your mouth, very flaky; also, the eggy aroma comes through right away, but the egg flavor is average, not particularly outstanding.
Following is the product from Royal, managed by Master Ye Wing Wah, the creator of the Peninsula’s iconic milk custard mooncake, and Michelin two-star patisserie chef Lai Wing Kwun. Its appearance is on the darker side, though not burnt, it is far from the ideal golden yellow. However, it scores well for its flaky texture and long-lasting, rich eggy flavor.
The egg rolls from King Kee, a long-established brand in Cheung Sha Wan, have somewhat uneven coloring, especially at the ends. In terms of texture, they tend to be harder, lacking flakiness, and the eggy aroma isn’t prominent — instead, you get a noticeable sugar taste, resulting in a lower score.
Then there’s the rising brand Egg Roll Queen. At first glance, the surface looks attractively golden, but upon closer inspection, the inner part has a brownish hue. Sister Zhen mentioned this might be due to the middle of the oven being too hot. The rolls instantly crumble in your mouth, quite flaky; unfortunately, the egg flavor is so faint it’s almost non-existent.
Finally, there’s Super Heung Yuen, a small shop in Yuen Long that’s been around for years. The color of their egg rolls is fairly even, but on the lighter side, almost white, as if just cooked. The rolls are on the crisp side, requiring some chewing before swallowing, not very flaky; however, the egg flavor is rich and long-lasting.
Scoring results for the six egg roll brands
In the end, Royal wins the championship with its flaky texture and richly eggy flavor.
Interview: Fan Mingya
Photography: Yip Tin Wing, Lo Chun Wah