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Ready for a serious fruit infusion on the Eastside? The Hong Kong-based Hui Lau Shan — a popular mango-focused dessert chain with more than 260 shops throughout Asia — has quietly opened its first permanent US outpost in Redmond (there’s also a location in Vancouver). Even though things were kept on the down low while the restaurant works out the kinks, lines are already out the door to sample its inviting array of fruit-filled desserts, including mango sago bowls, mango pancakes, durian glutinous rice, and red dragon fruit slushies.
The shop on Northeast 24th Street looks bright and inviting, with plenty of seating and cartoon murals on the walls depicting the chain’s timeline, from its Chinese roots up until its Seattle area expansion. Hui Lau Shan was founded in Hong Kong in the 1960s, beginning as an herbal tea specialist, before branching out over the decades to focus on desserts.
It picked a prime spot for expansion, since the Eastside seems to be going crazy for mango. This opening comes not long after reports surfaced about Mango Mango Dessert planning a Bellevue outpost, though it seems like Hui Lau Shan has already gotten a head start. Look for an official grand opening to come soon. Says a Hui Lau Shan rep, “We want to increase the productivity before we open regularly.”
