'The next big thing' in street food... the bubble waffles bringing the taste of Macau to Manchester

Two friends who have launched their own bubble waffle dessert shop say the secret to their success will be their tried-and-tested recipe which dates back more than 60 years to the streets of Macau.

Commonly found at street food stalls across Macau and neighbouring Hong Kong, bubble waffles are different to other waffles in that they have a sweeter and eggier taste. And there’s no better place to give them a try than at The Fing Fing Cloud on Bloom Street in Manchester’s Gay Village.

Having just opened ahead of Manchester Pride, the shop is nestled next to The Goose and will be instantly recognisable from its bright blue bricked exterior. But while the shop may be new, there are years of experience behind it.

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Leo Laitang, 28, was inspired to open the shop following his family’s decades-long history of making bubble waffles back in his home city of Macau, the former Portuguese colony formed of a peninsula and islands 40 miles from Hong Kong, off China's southern coast. In fact, Leo’s family still has prominence in the buzzing city with their bakery business today.

“My granddad started his bakery business back in 1959,” Leo explains to the M.E.N. “Everything we do here is based on his original recipe but has been slightly changed to our own version.”

Leo started out selling bubble waffles to students on Oxford Road this year, before quickly outgrowing the stall and realising the potential for a shop.

On offer at the Fing Fing Cloud are sweet delights, made with the likes of Oreo, Kinder Bueno, chocolate sauce or bananas, alongside more adventurous offerings including cheese or pork. Each provides its own delicious blend of