Hui Lau Shan () is a chain of dessert shops based in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

. Founded in the 1960s as a

herbal tea Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

outlet, the chain evolved into a restaurant chain specializing in sweets, snacks and dessert soups called

tong sui ''Tong sui'' (; ), also known as ''tim tong'', is a collective term for any sweet, warm soup or custard served as a dessert at the end of a meal in Cantonese cuisine. ''Tong sui'' are a Cantonese specialty and many varieties are rarely foun ...

. Since the introduction of mango pomelo sago in the early 1990s, Hui Lau Shan has additionally been known for its mango-themed desserts. The chain was acquired by Royal Dynasty International Holding Company, a mainland Chinese catering chain in 2015 for 524 million RMB. Its Hong Kong business was filed for winding-up in 2020, with Hui Lau Shan citing declined customers attributed to the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests. A settlement was subsequently reached whereby the winding-up petition was withdrawn in July 2020.

History

Hui Lau Shan was founded by Hui Chi-Yuk in the 1960s. The chain's first shop opened in Yuen Long, New Territories, and started as an herbal outlet selling turtle jelly () and

herbal teas Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

(). In the 1980s, Hui Lau Shan diversified its business and began to sell desserts and snacks like

turnip cake Turnip cake is a Chinese dim sum dish. The less commonly used radish cake is a more accurate name, as Western-style turnips are not used in the dish but rather shredded radish (typically Chinese radish) and plain rice flour. It is traditionally ...

and

coconut milk Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ...

. The practice of using of fresh fruits in desserts emerge in the 1990s, when third generation of Hui Lau Shan created the " Mango Sago". Every year, Hui Lau Shan used up to a thousand tonnes of carabao mangoes in their dessert making process. Since the 1990s, the chain has expanded, with over 260 outlets in China, Malaysia, the United States and South Korea. In July 2007, the third-generation owner of Hui Lau Shan sold the Hong Kong franchise to the Malaysian firm Navis Capital Partners. Owing to disputes by the new Malaysian shareholder over an existing franchising agreement signed between Hui Lau Shan Hong Kong and Hui Lau Shan Guangzhou, the latter was forced to change its brand name to "Tang Lau Shan" (). The franchise was subsequently acquired by Royal Dynasty International Holding Company for 524 million RMB in 2015.

References

External links

Official website
{{Hong Kong restaurants Hong Kong brands Food and drink companies of Hong Kong Restaurant chains in Hong Kong