Cookie connoisseur Wil Fang is the founder of Cookie DPT and the man behind some of Hong Kong’s most Instagrammable baked goods
If you’re a dessert-lover like us, you're bound to have seen Cookie DPT founder Wil Fang’s creations all over Instagram—his signature desserts are irresistible: thick, rich, gooey and available in a variety of flavours, including milk tea, salted caramel apple pie, banoffee, peanut butter and jelly, and Nutella-filled banana. Fang moved from New York to Hong Kong in 2009, with the intention of staying in Asia for just a few months—fast forward ten years, and he's firmly planted roots in this city he is proud to call home.
Cookies weren’t always Fang’s first priority. After building a career in fashion working for Ralph Lauren, Fang opened a multi-brand concept store in Taipei called DPT. Nostalgic for the American baked goods he grew up with, Fang converted a quiet corner of the store into a coffee shop and named it Coffee Department. There, he sold fresh brews and classic chocolate chip cookies he himself made from scratch—using a recipe he later passed on to his pastry chefs. Word quickly spread to Hong Kong about his drool-worthy cookies and Cookie DPT was formed in 2018. What was once an Instagram-DM business has evolved into pop-ups around the city, a kiosk in Basehall, and a counter at the Upper House.
Here, Fang talks to Tatler about his not-so-glamorous gigs as a teenager, his love for Emily Ratajkowski and what it was like meeting talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
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What does Hong Kong mean to you?
I moved to this city from New York. Hong Kong has now been my home for the last 10 years despite originally only planning to be here for five months. It’s a city with endless opportunities if you’re willing to put in the time and the work.
Describe your business ventures in one sentence.
Passion projects that I love so much I would do for free.
What are some odd jobs you did as a teenager?
I used to clear tables at my family restaurant—a chain of Chinese restaurants and Japanese steakhouses—delivering takeout orders around town, and I even worked in sales at a car dealership one summer before heading off to college.
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