Hong Kong’s comfort food essentials: Bo Lo Yao (菠萝油), French Toast (西多士), and aromatic Milk Tea – a perfect trio.
Choosing a hotel in Kowloon for our trip was a no-brainer – the ultimate reason? Delicious, diverse food. Nestled near the bustling Mongkok (旺角), known for its vibrant chaos, was our stay, strategically accessible by public transport.
Mongkok’s seemingly “shoddy” side, crowded and lively, was a food haven for us. Amidst the choices, our destination was clear – Mido Cafe (美都餐室) @ 63 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.
This Cha Chaan Teng (茶餐厅) on Temple Street (庙街) boasts over five decades of history. To showcase its age, observe a signboard with the cafe name, its text following the traditional right-to-left Chinese writing from the olden days.
Mido’s famous ‘Pineapple Bun’ (Bo lo bao 菠蘿包) charms with its sweet, flaky crust. Ideal for any time of day, especially breakfast. Mido’s version, warm and fluffy, pairs perfectly with the iconic Bo Lo Yao 菠蘿油 – a slice of cold butter inside.
Pro tip: Ensure the butter is semi-melted for the best experience.
Ready for more food adventures? Yes..
Displaying old newspaper articles at the entrance, the success stories and the open secret behind their French toast were revealed. Steeping the bread in the egg solution for over 5 minutes before deep frying ensures it absorbs enough egg liquid, maximizing the eggy taste.
Mido Cafe gained its fame in the F&B industry over decades, not for the bo lo bun, but for its signature French toast.
The result? A French toast that’s crispy outside, moist inside, with a strong eggy flavor. However, it leans towards being oily, and to enhance the decadence, a generous knob of butter tops it off. Visciously delicious, quite literally! :)
For those looking to save some money and don’t mind opting for a set menu, you can still enjoy Bo Lo Yao at Mido. Just check with the cafe server for the off-menu option. Happy savings and happy eating.
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Wow, you really managed to dig lots of good food from my hometown during this trip. If I know you are coming here for a trip, I will suggest another cafe’ named “金華”for it’s famous bo lo bun w/butter. It’s in Mongkok, close to 花园街Fa Yuen Street. There they don’t heat it up in the microwave before serving. Why ? Because they are people sitting inside cafe’ and standing outside wait for bo lo bun from oven most of the time. I do have strong craving of 金華’s 菠萝油 from time to time. I don’t mind to travel 40 minutes 2, 3 times a month just for the warm bun with crispy biscuit-like crust and butter. Yummy, yummy !
I heard that before.. We ended up choosing Mido’s for its 50 years 老招牌..
I will keep in mind of your strong recommendation next time when I go there! :D