Hong Kong shares a rich colonial past, which has a huge influence on its cuisine. You’d find many dishes that have been adapted from Western ideas with local preferences & tastes. One of these dishes is Hong Kong Style French Toast (港式西多士). The British introduced the concept of French Toast to Hong Kong, and people adapted the recipe with local ingredients & tastes. From there, you can find it at every Cha Chaan Teng, i.e. traditional Hong Kong-style cafes, and it has become one of the most iconic dishes. Hong Kong-style French Toast is especially popular as an afternoon tea, served alongside a cup of strongly brewed Hong Kong-style Milk Tea.
Growing up in Hong Kong, I have plenty of fond memories visiting a hidden local stall near school called Sei Yik and getting their Hong Kong-style French Toast after school. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and wonderfully rich to taste, this Hong Kong French Toast recipe always goes down a treat.
What Is Hong Kong Style French Toast (西多士)
Hong Kong Style French Toast, known as 西多士 (pronounced “Sai Dor See”, meaning Western toast) in Cantonese, is a popular Cha Chaan Teng dish made by sandwiching peanut butter or kaya between thick slices of soft white bread, dipped in egg, and fried until beautifully golden. Unlike traditional French toast, which is typically pan-fried and served with maple syrup, the Hong Kong version is richer and more indulgent. It is commonly topped with butter, condensed milk, or golden syrup and is often enjoyed as an afternoon tea snack or breakfast item.
Why You’ll Love This HK Style French Toast Recipe
Call me biased, but I think Hong Kong-style French Toast has a bit more oomph. It’s rich and indulgent with the choice of filling & topping, and it’s got extra eggy flavours that are accentuated through the frying process. Western French toasts tend to have a more sophisticated touch, whereas the ones in Hong Kong are more rustic and less refined, which is their own unique charm. There are no fancy ingredients involved, and the recipe is easy to make and can be ready in less than 10 minutes. Also, you don’t need to follow measurements to a tee and can just go with your feel. There is plenty of room for your own customisation as well.
The History of Hong Kong Style French Toast
The origins of Hong Kong-style French toast can be traced back to the city’s Cha Chaan Teng culture, which emerged during the 1950s. Similar to the story of Hong Kong milk tea, the British introduced the concept of French toast to Hong Kong. However, a lot of the ingredients were expensive at the time and inaccessible to ordinary locals. In response, local cafes began creating affordable versions of Western dishes using readily available ingredients. French toast was adapted into what locals now know as Hong Kong Style French Toast. Instead of using milk and custard, thick slices of bread were filled with peanut butter, coated in egg, and fried until crisp. The addition of condensed milk and butter created a rich, satisfying treat that quickly became a Cha Chaan Teng favourite.
How to Make Hong Kong Style French Toast at Home
Ingredients for Hong Kong Style French Toast
- Thick White/Milk Bread* – at least a day old or slightly stale bread
- Peanut Butter – chunky or smooth
- Eggs
- Milk – ideally full-fat milk*
- Oil for frying – any neutral-flavoured oil such as peanut oil, vegetable oil, or sunflower seed oil
- Butter, Condensed Milk, and/or Maple or Golden Syrup – for serving
*read more in the recipe notes section below
Tips & Recipe Notes
- If you are slicing the bread yourself, cut it to around 1 inch thick. You can also just use regular ready-sliced bread, which can be stacked together to make up for the thickness.
- Bread that is at least a day old is best for making French toast. When the bread is slightly stale, it’s a little sturdier to soak up the eggs & milk and prevents the French toast from getting too soggy.
- Spread the peanut butter before trimming the bread in order to get the perfect square.
- Don’t fancy peanut butter? You can simply substitute it with any other spread you like!
- Full-fat milk is preferred when making French toast as the fat content in the milk helps to yield a creamy mouthfeel on the inside. Skimmed milk tends to stay more liquid-y, hence more likely to make the bread soggier.
- This may be quite obvious, but it’s better to use a shallow bowl to whisk the eggs & milk so that it’s easier to soak the bread before frying.
- To prevent the French toast from getting soggy, only soak the bread for about 15-20 seconds on each side.
- You can deep-fry or shallow-fry the French toast. This recipe shows the latter.
- Make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the French toast, but keep the temperature at a medium-low to prevent it from burning too quickly. You can test whether the oil is hot enough by inserting a wooden chopstick into the oil. The oil is ready when bubbles form around the chopstick.
- A pair of tongs is recommended to help you flip & hold the French toast when cooking it in hot oil!
Recipe FAQs
More Hong Kong Recipes You’ll Love
HK Macaroni Soup
Satay Beef Noodle Soup
Hong Kong Style French Toast
Equipment
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 pair of Tongs
Ingredients
- 4 slices White Bread (or 2 slices of Thick White Bread)
- Peanut Butter
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tbsp Milk
- Vegetable Oil / Peanut Oil / Sunflower Seed Oil for frying
For serving
- Butter
- Condensed Milk
- Maple/Golden Syrup
Instructions
- Using 4 regular sliced bread: Spread peanut butter onto 3 slices of bread and stack them up. Top with the final slice that doesn't have peanut butter on it.Using 2 slices of thick bread: Spread peanut butter onto both slices of bread and put them together like a sandwich.4 slices White Bread, Peanut Butter
- Trim the bread to remove the edges.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs with milk until combined.2 Eggs, 2 tbsp Milk
- Heat the pan over medium heat and fill it with a shallow layer of oil.Vegetable Oil / Peanut Oil / Sunflower Seed Oil
- Once the oil is hot enough (bubbles should form if you insert a wooden chopstick to test the temperature), lower the heat to medium-low.
- Carefully add the bread Fry the bread until golden on each side.
- Serve hot with a pat of butter on top and drizzle with condensed milk and/or syrup.Butter, Condensed Milk, Maple/Golden Syrup
Notes
- If you are slicing the bread yourself, cut them to around 1 inch thick. You can also just use regular ready-sliced bread, which can be stacked together to make up for the thickness.
- Bread that is at least a day old is best for making french toasts. When the bread is slightly stale, it’s a little sturdier to soak up the eggs & milk and prevents the french toast from getting too soggy.
- Full-fat milk is preferred when making french toast as the fat content in the milk helps to yield a creamy mouthfeel on the inside. Skimmed milk tends to stay more liquid-y, hence more likely to make the bread soggier.
- Spread the peanut butter before trimming the bread in order to get the perfect square.
- Don’t fancy peanut butter? You can simply substitute it with any other spread you like!
- To prevent the french toast from getting soggy, only soak the bread for about 15-20 seconds on each side.
- Make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the french toast but keep the temperature at a medium-low to prevent it from burning too quickly.
Save & pin this recipe
