Hong Kong dessert chain rides the French wave
A nostalgic Hong Kong mango sago chain is thriving in one of the most unexpected places – Paris, showing that sweet treats can transcend boundaries, cultures and languages. Hui Lau Shan – a household name for classic Chinese desserts and herbal tea, and famous for its icy mango beverages and desserts – had been a fixture on the streets of Hong Kong since the 1960s, until the last franchised store in the SAR closed in 2021. However, it is flourishing in the French capital because of a die-hard fan. Xu Xiaofeng brought the franchise to Paris after he developed a love affair with its fruity drinks when he was extremely thirsty one day during a Hong Kong work trip. But becoming the owner of the Parisian Hui Lau Shan business was not easy. Xu said it took him three tries to convince the owners to grant him permission to expand the brand in France, where Xu had been an exchange student. One of the conditions was that he needed to stay true to Hui Lau Shan’s original taste, with the owners sending inspectors to ensure that the taste of the Paris branch matched that of the original back home. “In Europe, people really love eating mangos,” a beaming Xu, wearing an apron and a red baseball cap emblazoned with the brand's logo told RTHK, as he prepared a signature drink by cutting up the fruit and putting it into a food blender. “Basically, if there are more than ten tonnes of mangoes a year, Paris would consume more than half of them, so I know there is a good market here,” he said.  “First, they love mangoes very much, and second, many strive for healthy foods, so it was the perfect combination.” Xu said his dessert shops first attracted Chinese customers living in France, but over time, he also won over the French, who he said did have one complaint – that his desserts were not sweet enough compared to local pastries and tarts.  To address this, Xu decided to start blending elements from both cultures to bring the two culinary worlds together.  “I think this is an exchange between desserts. For example, our pancakes use French cheese, cream and French Chantilly. This is a good blend. Now, French people are slowly starting to use a lot of fresh fruits to make their own desserts, which I think is a good exchange,” he added. “We are able to learn from each other. Our desserts aren’t too sweet, but theirs are. With exchange, we can meet in the middle and create something new together.”