HOKO Hong Kong Cafe — Restaurant in London

This place has been super hyped up ever since the first pop-up store so I was glad that I finally had the chance to try it out on a Saturday.

We knew it was going to be busy so we made sure to get there just before 12:30 and luckily we only had to wait for 5 minutes. You order on a monitor screen and show your receipt to one of the staff members who guides you to your table.

The interior design of the restaurant is very authentic imo with all the classic old school chairs and tables and menus underneath the glass table, as well as the Organe bottles of syrup and metal containers for utensils. It's very well-executed.

The speed of service was exactly what I expected in a HK cha chan tang - drinks and some of the food came pretty much a minute after we sat down! We went with the HK French toast ofc, the Swiss chicken wings lou ding (dry noodles mixed in sweet soy sauce), pork chop rice with scallion sauce and one hot milk tea and one house iced lemon tea. Gotta say after having hearing mixed reviews from my friends I wasn't expecting too much but it was actually a good experience for us. The French toast was crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, although I would have appreciated much more peanut butter as the ratio to the bread was slightly off the balance. Adding the syrup on top was such a good idea as it made it less dry to eat. Pork chop was lightly battered and had that crunchy texture which was nicely done, good level of marinate and not too salty either. Scallion sauce was savoury and moreish, went so well the rice. Swiss wings were marinated perfectly also. We should have gone for the black pepper sauce instead but were nonetheless happy with the quality. Fried eggs on top of carbs were great. I was quite disappointed in the milk tea, couldn't taste the tea or the evaporated milk at all, the balance was somewhat off and just not quite there.

I suppose for what it's worth in terms of London standards this was probably the closest thing to an authentic Cantonese fast-food style restaurant you can get. Obviously it's overpriced but if you want a fix once in a while this is not bad at all.

Overall, we enjoyed our food and time there and it was very busy throughout. Would be happy to come back and try the satay beef bun, it looked really...

HOKO Cafe, a charming Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng, has put considerable effort into building an authentic and unique brand experience - right down to creating their own typeface. This attention to detail translates into a dining experience that's equal parts intimate and efficient.

Being a self-service cafe, you'll find yourself ordering and then being guided to your seat. The restaurant itself is on the smaller side, so during peak times, be prepared to possibly share your table with others. This close-knit dining setting adds a touch of bustling Hong Kong charm right here in our city.

I opted for their French Toast (without peanut butter) and the renowned Hong Kong Milk Tea. The French toast, while enjoyable, could have benefited from a bit more of the traditional eggy flavour. However, the milk tea was a standout, embodying the rich, smooth and satisfying characteristics that make it a Hong Kong staple.

At £12 for my meal, I felt the pricing was reasonable though a combo offer, bringing the signature set down to around £10, would be an attractive improvement reflecting true Cha Chaan Teng style.

Despite this minor pricing feedback, I'd happily return to HOKO Cafe. The next time I find myself yearning for the unique flavours of a Hong Kong-style tea set, I know exactly where...

Absolute rip off!!! Actually very upset that we felt robbed. i couldnt bring myself to justify what we paid for a brunch meal for 4 people - £97 for 4 pork rice with egg, a french toast, fried tentacles, tiny chicken wings, 4 cold drinks and 2 miniature soups. The portions were like childrens portions served on picnic plastic plates and cups. It felt like we were in a Wendy House lol. How do they justify charging a fortune on tasteless food that you can make ten times better at home? Bread, egg, chicken wings do not cost a lot. I would say never again!!! Steer clear of this place, it seems they have no clue of how much they should charge for the food they serve, its merely canteen food all prepared in advance, stored in pots and served on order. We tried out the place due to the specialite Hong Kong milk tea they were big on but guess what, it was unavailable to order, thats why we resorted to cold drinks. Limited menu, Bland food Stingy portions, Noisy atmosphere, Sky high prices Tell me one good thing about this place? I cant think of any, it just doesnt make sense. Hope they take feedback into account and make improvements.

A cafe should never charge these prices, its brunch and snacks in an extremely casual setting. Its...