In London, chef Haydon Wong is reimagining a familiar Hong Kong street food staple through his pop-up bakery, Cantoast. Known for its deep-fried milk bread traditionally topped with butter and syrup, the classic Hong Kong-style French toast is given a contemporary turn under Wong’s direction, combining traditional elements with creative twists inspired by other Asian bakeries.

Cantoast’s signature dish deviates from the standard presentation by featuring rectangles of house-made milk bread that are deep-fried and generously topped with a variety of flavored custards, including pandan coconut, salted egg, and black sesame. Wong acknowledges that this version may be unfamiliar, particularly to diners from Hong Kong, where the Cantonese cha chaan teng—local cafés—serve the toast with simpler accompaniments. Drawing inspiration from the innovation seen in Korean cafés and Japanese bakeries, Wong aims to build on the foundations of Cantonese baking rather than replicate it.

Partnering with pastry chef Natalie Ti, who brings experience from Paris’s Mandarin Oriental Lutetia and London’s Amore, Wong has taken Cantoast beyond home kitchens and market stalls. After successful pop-ups at locations such as Victoria Park Market and Shotenagi Market, they inaugurated a bakery café in central London in April 2024. The six-month venture offers coffee alongside Korean-inspired salt breads and a rotating menu of seasonal pastries, providing a platform to showcase their evolving culinary vision.

Wong’s culinary journey started far from London in Torquay, southwest England, where he grew up immersed in his family’s Chinese takeaway business. Despite initially pursuing biological sciences at Imperial College London, Wong returned to cooking—a craft he found more instinctive—and gradually built a reputation through persistent work and social media engagement. His efforts earned him a spot on Code Hospitality’s recent 30 Under 30 list, which recognizes promising talent in the hospitality sector.

Cantoast gained widespread attention after a social media post describing the bakery’s offerings as “viral Hong Kong-style French toast” drew both enthusiasm and criticism. Some members of the Hong Kong community expressed that Wong’s version did not reflect the traditional dish. Wong admits this disconnect led him to reconsider the relationship between his culinary output and cultural heritage. He said that while the bakery’s creations diverge from the norms of Cantonese French toast, they serve as an introduction to broader Hong Kong and Asian dessert flavors for a Western audience.

“There’s still resistance, especially from purist Cantonese audiences,” Wong said, noting that unlike croissants or cinnamon rolls, French toast is widely familiar in the West. He views Cantoast as an opportunity to push culinary boundaries rather than strictly preserve tradition.

Cantoast Bakery operates at 21-23 Nutford Place, London, offering a six-month pop-up experience through late 2024, with plans to continue evolving its menu to blend heritage with contemporary pastry innovation.