How a Hong Kong artisan ice cream maker is winning over the city’s indie food scene

In a dessert landscape dominated by gelato chains, hotel pastry teams and investor-backed dessert bars, Ernest Fung has some hefty competition.

Yet Fun Kee Scoops, Fung’s artisan, small-batch ice cream brand, has become a darling of Hong Kong’s independent food scene. The operation specialises in handcrafted premium French-custard-style ice cream – a rich, egg-yolk-laden style that prioritises full-fat dairy and real sugar – and also offers baked goods such as cookies and granola.

Fung does not have a traditional culinary background. He built his brand from the ground up through community pop-ups and high-profile event collaborations, including at Art Basel Hong Kong. He also has a social media presence on Instagram and a Substack newsletter where he candidly chronicles his journey of building a food business from scratch.

The title of “founder” barely scratches the surface of Fung’s role – he sources every ingredient, packs each tub by hand and writes new recipes with pen and paper. To preserve the velvety texture that he refuses to compromise on, he even mixes fresh ice cream while huddled inside his walk-in freezer, puffer jacket zipped to the chin, because he insists that even a few degrees of warmth can ruin the batch.

What began as a pandemic-era obsession in a home kitchen has grown into a small-batch operation that now moves hundreds of tubs a month through fleeting weekly online ordering windows, currently open only to friends and family.