Hong Kong milk tea specialist Hoko to open French toast kiosk in Hackney

The kiosk will serve six styles of Hong Kong French toast – three sweet and three savoury – made to Hoko’s recipe, where brioche is replaced with thick white milk toast, the frying pan is swapped out for a deep-fat fryer.

Savoury flavours will be Golden Yolk (salted egg yolk, cream cheese and optional pork floss); Soy Mochi (rice mochi filling, soy sauce, mirin sake and nori); and the 3:15PM (ham, cheese and honey) while sweet options will be include the Hong Kong Classic (golden French toast filled with peanut butter, maple syrup and butter); Matcha (Uji matcha lava and powder with whipped mascarpone); and Yuen Yueng (HK milk tea spread, espresso syrup and condensed milk).

Hoko will also serve its range of signature Hong Kong milk teas. The sweet, milky beverage traces its origins to British colonialism rule in the 1950s when Hong Kongers replicated the British’s habit of taking tea with expensive milk and sugar by mixing black tea with evaporated milk and condensed milk to make it more affordable.

The kiosk will join traders at Westgate St Market, including steamed specialist Bun House; natural wine maker Wingnut Wines; and the Calamari Canteen.