Finesse Patisserie (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Hidden in the labyrinth of narrow, uphill streets in Wanchai, Finesse Patisserie first caught my attention last year and it didn't take long for me to fall deeply in love with this French patisserie. 

I was in Wanchai for a meeting this afternoon and didn't hesitate to swing by after work to see what new creations they have for the summer.

Finesse Patisserie has become a favorite among dessert lovers for good reason. It consistently delivers the kind of French patisserie experience that feels both indulgent and effortlessly refined. From the moment I step through the door, there’s a clear sense of intention — everything is made not only for its taste, but also to appear visually stunning like a piece of artwork. Each dessert here is crafted the way classic techniques show up in each bite, balancing richness with lightness so you never feel overwhelmed, only delighted.

Tarte au fromage blanc (焗白芝士撻) ($72) — This looks like a very simple French-style cheese tart, but they’ve done it to absolute perfection.

The cheese tart combines a light, airy filling of smooth cream cheese with vanilla chantilly that floats atop. The cheesecake filling rests on a thick, firm tart shell, baked to perfectly crisp, golden finish. I loved how the shell delivers a heavy crunch to balance the delicate lightness up top. A truly impressive dessert that is airy yet deeply satisfying.

Kyoto (抹茶 · 芝麻) ($78) — While I’m not usually a huge fan of matcha, I was genuinely impressed by the presentation of this exquisite dessert, which brings together Uji matcha and black sesame using refined French pastry techniques.

The composition is beautifully layered: matcha soft sponge, Kyoto matcha mousse with Japanese black sesame crémeux, a matcha chocolate coating, and pumpkin seed praline. It’s elegantly decorated with a tuile made from toasted sesame, pumpkin seeds, and puff rice, adding an extra pop of crunch. I liked the depth of matcha flavor in the mousse working wonderfully with the textures and flavors of the soft sponge and black sesame crémeux. This was another incredibly delicious dessert, even if it’s slightly less memorable to me than the Tarte au fromage blanc (just a personal preference).

So far, the few times I’ve been able to indulge in their desserts, it’s always been a memorable experience. The flavors were thoughtful and harmonious, with delicate sweetness and clearly defined flavor profiles.

Food Rating: 7.4/10

Price: $$$$

Address: Shop B2, G/F, 9-11, St Francis Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Wanchai

Website: https://finesse-patisserie.com/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 7:00pm (Wed - Sat), 12:00pm - 6:00pm (Sun)

Chouchou (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

The last time I sat down for a proper meal on a weekday was… well, I couldn’t remember exactly when. It’s been a busy few weeks in both my personal life and work schedule, so I was relieved to finally get a chance for a decent outing.

Located at J Residence in Wanchai, Chouchou is an upscale French brasserie brought to us by the team behind Babette. Since this was going to be a rare proper meal for me, I decided not to sit at the bar and instead headed for a seat in the main dining room.

The bread wasn't bad but it was the homemade tarragon butter that shone through.

Cured striped jack, calamansi, pickles — I expected a fair bit of acidity from the calamansi and pickles here and not surprisingly, it was front and center.

The cured striped jack came with some lovely crunch. It was nicely complemented by the dill cream, salmon roes, and the sharp acidity from the calamansi dressing. Pretty nice, refreshing dish.

Grilled black cod, potato, salmon roe, fennel, dill, sansho pepper — The thick, buttery fennel velouté came together well with the confit potato cubes, salmon roe, dill oil, and sansho pepper, adding another layer of texture and flavor to the cod fish.

Service and food were both reasonably good, but the selection on the lunch menu was pretty limited (unless you go à la carte). And with all the supplements (for me, both dishes required supplements), $400 felt like a heavier price tag than I expected to pay for lunch in Wanchai.

Food Rating: 6.8/10

Price: $$$$

Address: Shop 8, 1/F, J Residence, 60 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Wanchai

Tel: +852 8432-6216

Website: http://www.chouchou-hk.com/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 2:30pm (Mon - Fri), 11:30am - 4:00pm (Sat - Sun), 6:00pm - 11:00pm (Sun - Thu), 6:00pm - 12:00am (Fri - Sat)

Superb Canton Delicacy One Avenue 炳勝品味 卓悦中心店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Superb Canton Delicacy (or Bingsheng, 炳勝品味) is a Michelin-recommended Cantonese restaurant chain that originated from Guangzhou. It currently has three branches in Shenzhen and is best known for striking a near-perfect balance between traditional Cantonese flavors and modern innovation.

Some of their signature dishes include their black char siu made with secret recipe (秘製黑叉燒), jumbo pineapple bun (招牌手掌大菠蘿包), and crispy “Ice-River” eggplant (招積冰川茄).

While Superb Canton Delicacy wasn’t initially at the top of our list, an unusually long wait nearby at Tao Tao Ju forced our hand. It turned out to be the perfect Plan B for this afternoon while we were strolling at One Avenue (卓悦中心).

Signature black char siu (秘製黑叉燒) (¥108) — Praised for its ideal fat-to-lean balance, delivering a melt-in-your-mouth texture, this came coated in a rich, decadently sweet secret sauce. 

For me, though, the sauce was a tad too sweet. And if the texture truly was meant to reflect the “melt-in-your-mouth” balance, it also suggested the char siu leaned more heavily towards the fatty side. It wasn’t bad at all, but the health-conscious side of me probably won’t let me order it again next time.

Steamed chencun noodles with premium soy sauce (豉油王蒸山泉水陳村粉) (¥48) — This was essentially like having steamed rice rolls. When the flat rice flour noodles are done right, even a simple drizzle of soy sauce is enough to make them feel truly special. The flavor was heavenly in its simplicity.

Pan-fried tofu with pork in chicken stock (雞汁煎釀水鬼重) (¥48) — A hearty dish with minced pork stuffed on top of the tofu.

The textures of the tofu and pork complemented each other perfectly and I thought the chicken stock added just the right finishing touch. Supportive rather than overpowering bringing the whole dish together nicely.

Crispy spring chicken with spices (吊燒手撕脆皮文昌雞) (¥89) — Much like the tofu dish, this one had me asking for more steamed rice.

The crispy skin delivered a really satisfying bite, and I liked the fact the hint of black truffle (called 'spices' on the menu) stayed subtle instead of overwhelming everything else.

Other than the signature black char siu, all three other dishes passed our test with flying colors. Still, it’s hard to understand why a Cantonese restaurant, especially one well-regarded, doesn’t offer a single dim sum option during lunch service.

That said, the food quality is strong enough that I’d happily return for a second visit.

Food Rating: 6.7/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address:  Shop L244, Level 2 One Avenue, Fuhua Road, Futian, Guangzhou, China

深圳市福田区福华路卓悦中心商场2层L244号铺

Closest Metro Station: Gangxia (岗厦)

Tel: +86 (0755) 8273-8819

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 2:30pm, 5:00pm - 9:30pm (Mon - Fri), 11:00am - 3:00pm, 4:30pm - 9:30pm (Sat - Sun)

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/1b/UUk