Richmond is about to get a new Chinese dessert shop, and it is bringing one of the original OG puddings to the city with a twist.
HE MADE 和甜記, the Cantonese dessert house we first told you about in April, grand opens on June 2, and we got an early look at the space and featured items before opening day.
The shop is taking over the previous T+ Patisserie unit, located at the corner of the London Drugs Plaza.
The backstory is wholesome.
Four friends who met in high school and university as international students, already deep in Richmond’s food scene with a bubble tea business since they graduated.
The pivot from bubble tea to tong sui traces back to one owner and his Guangzhou trips with his wife.
He was not a Cantonese dessert guy at first, but a few trips in, both fell hard for the taste and the chill vibe of the old-school shops.
That vibe is the blueprint, just with a contemporary spin on the traditional dessert house.
The first thing that lands is the space, what the owners call “a renaissance of cozy design” in Richmond, inside a transformed former bakery cafe.
The traditional side brings warm wooden tables and chairs, a real tree rooted in moss with a glowing moon lamp, and frosted screen panels.
The modern side answers with an open kitchen, stainless accents, and round globe pendants.
The team calls the look “very olden style, very cultural,” and clearly built to be photographed.
Tables for pairs and a communal table the tree grows through face an open kitchen where you watch the mochi made live.
The signature here is the Wrinkled Skin Milk Pudding 西施皺皮雙皮奶, also known as Double Skin Milk Pudding.
The team calls it “the OG of the OG of the old Cantonese dessert”.
For now, HE Made takes the claim of offering the first Wrinkled Skin Milk Pudding in Metro Vancouver.
But, don’t fret; the “wrinkles” aren’t some abnormality.
It is a two-day job, with the locally sourced milk cured, steamed, and re-steamed to build a double skin, and the secret behind the wrinkles stays in-house.
The pudding is silky, custardy and barely set under that delicate skin, the milk clean and gentle, not heavy or eggy.
The milk pudding also comes in variations topped with red bean, peach gum, or taro.
The other featured item, the egg tart, is baked fresh daily and isn’t quite the standard Hong Kong look and shell.
It is slightly stockier, made with roasted caramel on top and is closer to a certain popular Hong Kong egg tart shop (if you know, you know).
With tong sui, snacks, shaved ice, and drinks, one visit will definitely not be enough.
The team did pinpoint some specific items that aren’t available readily elsewhere in Richmond: golden cassava ginger soup, a bitter melon drink, and stewed pear soup, plus stone-mill black sesame paste from a master’s recipe.
Now, if you have been paying attention, Richmond is deep in a dessert shop boom.
But based on the preview of HE MADE, we think they earn its spot.
They are bringing familiar Cantonese classics with their own takes and obvious thought and detail.
And since it is open from 2PM – 11PM, it’s an easy after-lunch or after-dinner move.
Grand Opening Deets (June 2 – 3):
HE MADE grand opens on June 2 with hours of 2PM – 11PM on June 2 and 3, bringing 40% off six signatures all day, a free egg tart for the first 100, and a scent card for the first 200.
However, during this grand opening period, much of the menu is focused on their signatures – meaning the full menu won’t be available.
Signatures (40% OFF):
- Wrinkled Skin Milk Pudding 西施皺皮雙皮奶
- Red Bean Wrinkled Skin Milk Pudding 紅豆皺皮雙皮奶
- Traditional Freshly Ground Black Sesame Paste 古法現磨芝麻糊
- Rich Durian Milk Delight 濃香榴蓮撈奶
- Classic Mango Pomelo Sago 經典楊枝甘露
- Super CoCo Slush 老椰清補涼
Opening Weeks Promo: (June 4 – 18)
From June 4 to 18th, there will be a lucky rice draw (you gotta scoop up a prize from a pile of rice grains) for each customer:
- 10% Off Coupon
- Free Drink Coupon
- Free Topping Coupon
- Free Egg Tart Coupon
- One grand prize winner will get one Wrinkled Skin Milk Pudding 西施皺皮雙皮奶 every day for a month
HE MADE joins other recently opened Richmond food spots like Chung Chun, Unique Bakery at Union Square, and Yummy Rice Roll.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: 5951 No. 3 Road, Unit 100, Richmond BC