HoKo Café Pop-up
it would leave you wonton (wanting) more!
Whilst walking around Soho, I discovered a gem called the HoKo Café, which serves delicious Hong Kong wonton noodles and their special, traditional Hong Kong milk tea.
Originally opened in Brick Lane, HoKo Café has opened a pop-up cafe in Wun’s Tea Room & Bar (another Cantonese Restaurant) located in Soho—a five-minute walk from Tottenham Court Road station. The exterior of the café looks like a piece of 1960s Hong Kong has been transported to lively Soho, adding an aesthetic touch to the already vibrant area.
The inside of the café matches the beautiful exterior and is decorated to look like the tea rooms in the 60’s Hong Kong. The wicker chairs, floral booth seats, rounded tables and signboards complements the retro aesthetic.
I especially loved the green theme with its walls, tile floors, furnishings and hanging potted plants to give it a fresh atmosphere. However, what I liked best was the panel of long windows that allowed the sunshine into the place, which made the cafe look like a scene from a movie.
I could go on about how much I adore the interior, but I will stop and get down to business on what really matters—the food!
When you enter the place, the staff would hand you a menu and before seating you, they would take your order at the front, which makes it quite efficient because you wouldn’t have to try to get the waiter’s attention, the literal bane of every dining experience.
As a child, wonton noodles are my favourite and it still is, but I was craving for the Hong Kong french toast paired with their milk tea.
The french toast was truly a delight; peanut butter was spread in between the bread and was crispy on the outside but soft on the inside; topping off with condensed milk drizzled over the toast with a square of melting butter. It was just the perfect balance of warmth and sweetness, which ironically wasn’t too sweet (ultimate Asian compliment)!
However, I do think that they could be more generous with the peanut butter spread. The milk tea was too bitter for me and could be a little sweeter.
My friend ordered the char siu rice, and it looked really flavorful too. Overall, I really like the place and the food, the staff were really friendly too; I would definitely eat there again.
If you would like to give HoKo pop-up café a try, then you better hurry because they are only in Soho until the end of March! If you can’t make it during this time, don’t worry because their main branch is situated at Brick Lane so you still can try it even when the pop-up is gone.
Written by Althea Scully