Bubble waffles: The iconic Hong Kong snack making waves globally

When I first set out to write about the origins of Hong Kong’s bubble waffles – or ‘egg waffles’ – I naively assumed it would be a simple task.

Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

At first glance, these humble street snacks, crispy on the outside with soft, fluffy 'bubbles' inside, might seem ordinary. But their unique texture—somewhere between a cookie and a sponge cake—makes them unforgettable. In Cantonese, they’re known as 'gai daan jai.'

I began my journey at Shanghai Street in Kowloon, a bustling area full of kitchenware shops and a popular spot for purchasing bubble waffle irons.

'We all get our waffle irons from China now,' one shopkeeper told me. 'Choy Tung Shing might be your best bet.'

That seemed like a solid suggestion. Choy Tung Shing is one of Hong Kong’s oldest surviving blacksmiths, renowned for crafting the handmade ovens used in Cantonese-style roasted pork and goose.

But even there, I hit a wall with my request.

'I’ve searched everywhere, but I couldn’t find anything about Hong Kong bubble waffle irons in my father’s old sketches or notes,' explained Leung Wing Cheung, the third-generation owner of the century-old kitchenware shop and factory.

'Are you sure you want to write about bubble waffles? Why not char siu (barbecue roasted pork) or something with more history?' he asked.

What makes Hong Kong egg waffles so unique?

I used to share similar views, until 2016, when I left my full-time job and moved to London. There, one bitter winter, I set up a stall in the street market selling Hong Kong bubble waffles under a tiny tarp that did little to shield me from the constant downpour.

It all stemmed from a disappointing gai daan jai experience the year before, when I tried a so-called 'reinvented' egg waffle at another street food market in London.

The 'new' version of the bubble waffle was shaped into a cone, filled with vibrant ice cream and toppings. I took a bite and immediately felt deceived. It was just a soft pancake pretending to be a bubble waffle.

That experience sparked my decision to bring my own take on gai daan jai to London.

Back in Hong Kong, I trained under a retired street vendor who taught me the art of waffle-making. Nine months later, I was ready to launch my business in London.

The first customer arrived.

'Hong Kong bubble waffle?' asked the curious Korean traveler.

'Yes, like bubble wrap,' I replied with a nod.

My waffle iron struggled to heat up in the cold London winter. The waffle stuck to the iron and wouldn’t come off in one piece. It took me 30 minutes and a lot of apologetic smiles to finally serve my first customer.

The patient customer took a bite and was pleased.

I was overjoyed.

At the time, I thought it was a personal achievement, but eventually, I realized I had become part of the global rise of our humble city’s iconic waffle.

In recent years, bubble waffle shops have been springing up across Europe, attracting crowds and racking up Instagram likes.

They’ve made their way to the United States as well. In 2018, a bubble waffle shop was even invited to set up shop at the Super Bowl.

Unlike many classic Cantonese dishes such as char siu or dim sum, which have changed little over time, Hong Kong egg waffles have evolved and are now winning fans far beyond the streets of Chinatowns worldwide.

What sparked the creation of the first bubble waffle?

A few years after my time as a bubble waffle vendor, I returned to Hong Kong, eager to dig deeper into the history and stories behind the beloved snack we’ve all grown so familiar with.

I was amazed at how the simple waffle has subtly woven itself into the fabric of our city's history and culture since it first appeared in the 1950s.

'In the past decade, there’s been a growing interest in understanding our local identity here in Hong Kong,' says Siu Yan Ho, a lecturer in food literature and cultural studies at Lingnan University.

'People are increasingly discussing food not just from a review perspective, but in terms of its relationship with the community. The study of food history is closely tied to the history of a city. Egg waffles, in particular, capture the essence of Hong Kong life in the 1950s and reflect the city’s evolution over time.'

Yet, I still couldn’t find any solid records or documentation about the origins of the egg waffle.

'One reason for this is that it’s such a common food, one that doesn’t carry any specific messages or social status,' says Siu.

The most plausible origin story, according to Siu’s research, suggests that the waffle was born out of necessity during difficult times.

'Hong Kong bubble waffles were created after the war, when the economy was struggling,' he explains.

'In tough times, businesses had to be resourceful and make do with limited supplies. It’s likely that a grocery shop owner came up with the idea to use up leftover eggs. With flour and sugar—ingredients readily available—egg waffles were born.'

And what about the shape? Siu has a theory for that as well.

'Its distinctive shape was designed to make it appear more nutritious,' he says. 'At that time in Hong Kong, being both economical and nutritious were key priorities.'

The original waffle iron wasn’t designed to resemble bubble wrap, but rather to mimic clusters of mini eggs. Back then, bubble waffles were broken into 30 individual pieces, each bubble sold separately, rather than the single large waffle we see today.

'People couldn’t afford to buy a whole egg waffle,' says Leung, the waffle iron maker, who was born in the 1950s.

'In the ’70s, there were more street vendors, and the demand for bubble waffle irons grew. Vendors often bought multiple irons at a time since they were frequently confiscated,' he adds.

Street vendors and the economy

It’s said that the rise and fall of Hong Kong’s street vendors is a direct reflection of the city’s economic health.

In the 1960s and ’70s, Hong Kong faced another economic downturn, coinciding with a large wave of immigrants from mainland China. Many unemployed individuals turned to street vending as a way to make a living.

Among them is Lee Sui Yuen, who just happens to be my teacher in the art of bubble waffles.

Lee arrived in Hong Kong from mainland China in the 1970s and soon turned to selling bubble waffles.

'The competition was tough, but my gai daan jai were so delicious, even I enjoyed eating them,' he recalls.

'In the final years before I retired, I only opened occasionally. Word would spread fast, and people would drive from all over just to buy my gai daan jai,' he recalls.

He made his bubble waffles the old-fashioned way—cooked over a charcoal fire rather than on an electric pan, which is what most vendors use today.

However, it was a tough way to make a living, especially with the legal hurdles of selling on the street. To improve cleanliness and order, the government stopped issuing new hawker licenses in the 1970s, making new vendors illegal. By the 1990s, old licenses were being phased out more aggressively.

'Being a street vendor took a toll on my health. I was constantly afraid of getting caught by the hawker control team,' he says, showing me the scar where a pacemaker was implanted in his chest.

Now retired, Lee’s eyes light up when he talks about bubble waffles. He can still list all the ingredients and the steps of making them without missing a beat.

'To make a great waffle, you need quality ingredients, proper technique, and good weather,' he says. 'Egg waffles made in Hong Kong during the winter are especially crispy and tasty because of the low humidity.'

'But if you don’t preheat the iron properly in winter, the waffle will stick to the pan and be hard to remove. That’s why you always need to check the heat by placing your palm over the stove,' he adds.

I tell him that I wish we’d covered that particular lesson during our earlier egg waffle training.

'You can’t just learn it from theory—you have to experience it to really understand,' he says with a knowing smile, nodding. 'Now, you see what I mean.'

I show him pictures of the new variations of bubble waffles, topped with extra fillings and toppings, which inspired me to write this story.

'It’s a brilliant idea. If you don’t adapt to the times and stay flexible, you’re out. The same principle applies to everything in life,' says Lee.

From Hong Kong to Ukraine

Indeed, bubble waffles have undergone significant transformations over the past two decades.

'Food follows the path of a culture’s diaspora, helping it go global,' says Sidney Cheung, professor and program director of cultural management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

'In earlier waves of migration, dim sum and char siu became the international symbols of Hong Kong cuisine. Now, it’s cha chaan teng (the Cantonese equivalent of a greasy spoon) and bubble waffles,' he adds.

Ironically, the person who played the biggest role in popularizing the new wave of bubble waffle desserts isn’t a Hong Kong native, but a Ukrainian entrepreneur: Oleg Sabsai.

'I’m the true founder of the Bubble Waffle Network,' Sabsai proudly declares.

After launching a bubble tea business in 2009, Sabsai says he began looking for the next business idea that 'could be independent of imports, made with natural ingredients, cooked in an open kitchen, and be highly appealing to customers.'

He discovered Hong Kong egg waffles and opened the first Bubble Waffle Network store in Ukraine. (This was not to be confused with the imitation bubble waffle I tried in London).

'You might be surprised, but I never actually tasted these waffles – I found a YouTube video of a street vendor cooking gai daan jai over charcoal. Back in 2013, there wasn’t much content available online,' says Sabsai.

'At the end of our first day at the busiest location, we had no sales, and our spirits were crushed,' he recalls.

'Customers didn’t respond to our product, which was based on the Hong Kong business model. But there was no turning back. Our first franchisees in Russia and Kazakhstan had already placed orders for furniture and equipment. Then, the breakthrough came: I transformed the bubble waffle into a cone, filled the bubbles with toppings, and added ice cream or whipped cream into the cone.'

That was the game-changing idea, he reflects.

'The photos of our new product caused a massive stir in the bubble waffle world. Suddenly, this fresh take became one of the most irresistible foods globally,' says Sabsai.

However, with growing demand, Sabsai encountered issues as franchisees began to complain about the imported equipment.

'These Chinese waffle makers couldn’t handle the high volume of customers, so we lost the franchise network,' Sabsai explains.

In response to the challenges, the Ukrainian entrepreneur has spent the past three years creating his own Teflon-free, durable electric waffle irons.

'It’s been my dream to visit Hong Kong and finally try the egg waffles made by the authentic street vendors,' he shares.

'I’m sure there’s a reason why it’s so loved by the people. I’m truly grateful to those who created this iconic food back in the ’50s,' he says.

Sabsai’s revamped version of bubble waffles seems to have gained traction, with many imitators now emerging globally.

The tale of my unsuccessful attempt at launching a Hong Kong-style egg waffle business.

My version of bubble waffles was quite basic. I offered three flavor options for the waffles – plain, chocolate, and matcha – and topped them with whipped cream, fresh fruit, and chocolate.

Though I didn’t make any profit, selling these waffles unexpectedly allowed me to form connections with people worldwide, which made me appreciate my city even more.

I’ll always be grateful – along with my frozen toes – to the Turkish couple at Brick Lane Market in London who invited me to sit by their heater on cold days and genuinely appreciated my bubble waffles.

There was this one kid, the son of fellow vendors, who would sneak up to my booth and signal for me to slip him a chocolate waffle.

I’ll never forget the skeptical Hong Kongers living in London who would question me, asking, “Is this the real thing?” – only to return later as loyal customers, eager for a taste of home.

Some customers would ask me about Hong Kong, or share their fond memories of visiting my city.

Before I left London to return to Hong Kong in 2017, I was invited to a local Chinese community center by a local association.

“Today, we’re buying gai daan jai from Maggie so she can have enough to fly back to Hong Kong,” a volunteer announced with a half-joking smile to the other members.

The Hong Kong aunties and uncles, who had been living in the UK for decades, would eagerly stop by my booth during their table tennis breaks, asking me what was happening back home in Hong Kong these days.

Professor Cheung, I believe, captures both my personal journey and the global rise of gai daan jai perfectly.

“While the new versions of bubble waffles may have strayed from their original form, they’ve held onto their essence and symbolism, which is the unmistakable flavor of Hong Kong,” he says.