BO-LO'GNE ~ ボローニャ ~ TST Outlet (Hong Kong)

We all know how prices for basic commodities like flour, corn, sugar and wheat are sky rocketing over the past few years, but when it comes to a simple loaf of bread, can one justify it at a price of over HKD100? Perhaps. BO-LO'GNE ボローニャ which specialized in Japanese Danish Bread proves that it is beyond valid to do so, to a certain extend in my opinion. Soon after BO-LO'GNE (please don't ask me how to pronounce it because I am clueless as a ... goldfish on this one) first opened its tiny Hong Kong shop somewhere in SoHo, Central, the words have been out and to have a loaf of Danish Bread, expect a few days of advance order. Hungry enthusiasts were willing to wait because they understand the craftsmanship and skills required to bake each loaf of Japanese Danish Bread. So what exactly is Danish Bread? Simply put, it is a loaf of bread which has 81 layers after folding again and again and again. Note that those are basically layers of dough and butter, a lot of butter, hence the mouth watering melting sensation on each and every bite.

Now that BO-LO'GNE ボローニャ has opened its second location in TST, Hong Kong, the wait may be shorter but it brings the question of capacity vs quality. Bread enthusiasts pay the price mainly for the craftsmanship and dedication of Miki Kurybara-san in making each and every loaf of Danish bread at the original outlet, can the second outlet maintain such high quality? I think the right question is whether this new outlet belongs to Kurybara-san or just another direct franchise establishment from Japan right in the middle of the hype? What I find interesting is how the original BO-LO'GNE HK website does not have the TST outlet listed within the Contact Us section, which sort of reaffirm my assumption of this TST outlet being a separate entity from the one original one under the management of Kurybara-san. Then again, this is an assumption which requires further investigation. (anyone familiar with the rumors?) ... I will visit the original one again soon to do a quick comparison, but for now, it will have to be a standalone review. I am not even going to talk about the coffee because I only had a few sip and left it the way it was because it was quite watery and lacked the coffee flavors.

Since it was my first meal of the day, I opted for the Toast Set with Scrambled Eggs. It seemed healthy yet quite simple as well. The scrambled eggs were alright, creamy without being overcooked. As for the the "legendary" Danish bread toast, I actually found it to be quite firm. Not as buttery as I expected or as I was told. I was a bit disappointed at first until I decided to order a separate order of just the toast for HKD18!

Now we are talking! Flaky, buttery with layered texture as well as the golden pastry crust made this Danish Bread toast one of the best (and sinful) I have tried in Hong Kong. With a thin layer of extra butter (or jam), you can achieve a state of natural high in the matter of moments before you roll your eyes back. It was good! I like butter and I like how the butter moist my mouth without overpowering my taste buds. Although it was good, it cannot be dismissed that the first toast that came with the set was a total failure!

I am going to visit the original one on Aberdeen Street, Soho to find of the differences and perhaps verify the truth to my assumption regarding the different management of the new outlet in TST.  

Likes: 

• Flaky, buttery and finely layered texture. Additional butter when eating made it quite amazing. 
• (Going to confirm the association of this new branch with the original one) 

Dislikes: 

• First serving of Toast (with the set) was fairly disappointing. (perhaps inconsistency due to capacity management? 
• Really sub-par coffee 

Avg Spending: Around HKD100 per person 

BO-LO'GNE ~ ボローニャ TST Outlet (Hong Kong)

Shop 1, 3/F, LCX, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, 

17 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2730 4400

Original Outlet Website: http://www.bolognehk.com/



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