Whereas Bellaire Boulevard’s Dun Huang Plaza has lengthy been residence to a few of Asiatown’s most fashionable eating places, tea homes, and ice cream spots—from Tiger Den to Ninja Matcha to Aqua S—a brand new mango-centric dessert store within the plaza is producing an unprecedented stage of buzz. Since opening its doorways in early June, Texas’s first outpost of celebrated Hong Kong dessert store Hui Lau Shan has maintained steadier traces on weekday mornings than Tiger Den can muster on a Friday night, which, as longtime line lurkers of the notoriously long-lined ramen sizzling spot, we will say is not any small feat.

Based in Hong Kong within the Nineteen Sixties as an natural tea store, Hui Lau Shan has since advanced into a series with greater than 300 areas worldwide specializing in snacks and desserts, significantly ones that includes mangoes—assume mango mochi, mango drinks, mango puddings, and mango pastries—which have turn out to be the hallmark of the model. In keeping with John Yang, co-owner of the brand new Houston location, the store has been going by an astonishing 500 instances of the tropical fruit per week, way over the 100 instances he was anticipating forward of the store’s opening.

Since we’re devoted mango aficionados, we made a go to to Hui Lau Shan to see if it lives as much as the hype. After spending half-hour filling our stomachs with sufficient mangoes to maintain a refresquería in enterprise for a complete 12 months, we will most undoubtedly say that Hui Lau Shan is definitely worth the drive—and the road. Sadly, our eyes had been larger than our stomachs, and we are actually experiencing one thing we by no means thought we might: mango fatigue. We hope it’s fleeting, since we’re already planning a return go to.

Right here’s every little thing you’ll want to know forward of your go to to Hui Lau Shan.





What to order


One of the common drinks at Hui Lau Shan is the pomelo and mango with sago, a tasty chilled drink that includes pureed mango, contemporary mango, coconut milk, pomelo (a citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia), and tapioca-like sago pearls. We extremely suggest it.

Additionally of be aware are the store’s extra-gooey mango mochi, which characteristic a thick slice of contemporary mango on the within and are sprinkled with finely shredded coconut. Like all of Hui Lau Shan’s merchandise, the mango mochi is made contemporary day by day.

The store’s mango pancake can be price making an attempt. The cube-shaped pancakes comprise a thick slice of mango surrounded by a fluffy cloud of cream cheese filling, all wrapped inside a skinny and nearly crepe-like “pancake” pores and skin crafted from flour and pure mango flavors.

Don’t go away with out making an attempt the uber-popular mango chewy ball, that includes pureed mango, a scoop of mango ice cream, and a few very massive and chewy tapioca balls. It’s a textural delight.


Extra on these mangoes


Hui Lau Shan sources its mangoes from totally different international locations and continents all year long because it chases rising seasons, with the bulk coming from Mexico, plus varied international locations in South America. Since mangoes get delivered to the store in a wide range of ripeness phases, there’s numerous sorting happening behind the scenes. Co-owner Yang says solely the sweetest mangoes get minimize and made into desserts, which means you’ll by no means have to fret about biting right into a bitter mango at Hui Lau Shan.


What if I don’t like mangoes?


There are different choices on Hui Lau Shan’s menu which may strike your fancy, together with desserts containing contemporary coconut, strawberry, ardour fruit, watermelon, and durian. We cherished the funky-flavored durian black glutinous rice, and we’re curious to return for the watermelon juice drink with aloe jelly in addition to the crimson bean soup with mochi. 


When is the most effective time to cease by?


Hui Lau Shan seems to at all times be busy, however after we stopped by at 12:30 p.m. on a Sunday, simply half-hour after it opened, there wasn’t a lot of a line. We suggest going earlier within the day to be sure you have a full menu to select from. We’ve heard the mango mochi runs out quick.


Will there be extra Hui Lau Shan retailers in Houston’s future?


Yang says he and the opposite co-owners of the store are already on the lookout for further areas within the Houston space, significantly in Katy Asian City.