Our city’s foodies are always on the hunt for great dishes to try, so it’s no surprise for an online food recommendation to quickly become a viral sensation. Recently, one post on Xiaohongshu (XHS) – a Chinese social media app that’s currently being flooded with ‘TikTok refugees’ – about the Hokkaido custard flan from Rosewood Hong Kong’s Butterfly Patisserie has sparked interest amongst many. Led by executive pastry chef Jonathan Soukdeo, the patisserie consistently churns out showstopping pastries. Although this baked dessert has been available at Butterfly Patisserie for six months, it’s become a hot commodity and must be reserved in advance on Rosewood Hong Kong’s website. Luckily, I was able to get my hands on one of these pastries to see what all the hype was about.
At first glance, the flan is around the same size as a fist and has a flaky pastry shell with distinct layers. The custard’s surface is lightly caramelised and dusted with icing sugar. After taking a hefty bite, the strong egg and vanilla flavours of the custard coated my entire palate.
The flan was pleasant at first, but the creamy filling got pretty sweet as I continued eating and wished I had a cup of tea or coffee to offset the rich, eggy flavours. With that said, I particularly enjoyed the flan’s crispy pastry shell, which added a contrast in textures.
As someone with a low threshold for sweets, I tapped out after having half of the custard flan, but I can imagine this would be an indulgent treat for anyone who can’t resist desserts. While I can’t deny that this pastry is expensive, it does offer a unique taste that’s worth trying – if you can fend off the eager competition for this coveted treat. If you ask me, I think it’s best to share this treat with someone so you won’t be overwhelmed by how sweet it is.
Once the Hokkaido custard flans are back in stock, you can pre-order them on Rosewood Hong Kong’s website and have them delivered or visit Butterfly Patisserie to collect them.
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