Tao Tao Ju One Avenue 陶陶居 卓悦中心店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Team A is off to Seoul this weekend to spend time with Team Aussie on a quick getaway. Suddenly in charge of Team B, I decided to make some headway locally by bringing the team to Shenzhen.

It’s been more than a month since some of us last visited SZ, so I could really see the enthusiasm when everyone crossed the border.

I thought there was no better way to get us reintroduced to the local dining scene than a visit to Tao Tao Ju (陶陶居) at One Avenue (卓悦中心) as it’s been our go-to dim sum spot in Futian for years.

Signature Hong Kong style milk tea (招牌港式奶茶) (¥22) — Buying through Dianping (大眾點評) would have saved me $¥11 but I was way too thirsty to waste another second. The tea was again very strong today which should keep me awake the rest of the afternoon.

Sizzling lettuce in clay pot (啫啫生菜煲) (¥52) — I didn’t expect this to be the first dish to arrive. The pot obviously arrived piping hot but the lettuce remained a little undercooked. If they had left the lid on, the lettuce could have been more properly cooked.

Steamed red rice rolls with crispy prawn (錦綉海鮮紅米腸粉) (¥36) — Little nugget’s favorite. Not surprisingly, he finished the entire dish all by himself.

Crispy dumpling with Braised eggplant and shredded pork (魚香茄子山竹果) (¥30) — A new item on the dim sum menu here.

This were technically “salty water dumplings” (鹹水角) with fillings of braised eggplant and shredded pork (魚香茄子). Not bad but I expected a little more.

Tao Tao Ju jumbo prawn dumpling (陶陶居大蝦餃) (¥36) — Delicate as always. I missed this one the most among all the dim sum we ordered.

Pan-fried turnip cake (香煎蘿蔔糕) (¥29) – A little more charred than usual which wasn’t a bad idea.

Cod fish roll with mango and perilla leaf (香芒紫蘇脆魚卷) (¥35) — Another new creation that wasn’t here when I visited last week (I didn't think). The cod fish and fresh mango were wrapped with perilla leaf, then deep-fried in a thin golden batter. I liked the concept, especially with the perilla leaf, but the execution could be better. I also wouldn’t mind a bit stronger flavor from the perilla leaf.

Guangzhou-style steamed rice rolls with fatty char siu and scrambled eggs (廣式叉燒滑蛋腸) (¥33) — A relatively new dim sum that I thought the gang would love but the barbecued pork was way too fat and rubbery today.

Some of us were relieved to finally settle on a meal at our favorite Shenzhen dim sum spot. I felt more or less the same way, even though I was here a week ago (albeit only enjoyed two dim sum). The crowd management (or lack of it) today did pull some enjoyment away from the overall experience but that said, with an ever-changing dim sum menu, it was easy to see why we keep coming back.

 

Food Rating: 6.6/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address:  Shop L233, East Zone, Level 2 One Avenue, Fuhua Road, Futian, Guangzhou, China

深圳市福田区福华路卓悦中心商场东区L233号铺

Closest Metro Station: Gangxia (岗厦)

Tel: +86 (755) 8299-8870

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 9:30pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/39/WOi

Manteigaria (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I’m back at Manteigaria for the first time since they debuted in Hong Kong back in June. The artisan bakery from Portugal, who has gained a loyal fanbase over the years, opened its first store in Hong Kong near The Central Market (中環街市), and I was on hand during its first week of operation to get my first taste of their signature pastel de nata. 

I brought some home for my team, and they just love the texture of the vanilla-infused egg custard and the crisp but slightly chewy shell. So, I wrote it down as a note to myself — a return visit is a must.

And return I did in August — but not to their Hong Kong outpost. Instead, I went to their branch in the heart of Paris, just steps from our apartment hotel during our stay in Paris. The textures and flavors were exactly how I remembered them from June.

Here in Hong Kong, it looks like the price has gone up a little since my first visit (now $15 each), but the flavors remain top-notch.

While Hongkongers might find it a little too sweet for their liking, I love the hint of vanilla and cinnamon. It makes it unique from the local egg tarts.

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop B G/F, Man Hing Commercial Building, 79-83 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Central

Tel: +852 6336-5059

Website: https://www.instagram.com/manteigaria.hk/?hl=en

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 8:00pm daily

Bistrot's Suzette (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

After spending two weeks in Europe (mostly France), I thought I wouldn’t be having another French or modern European meal anytime soon.

Located in the recently opened Cullinan Sky Mall in Kai Tak, Bistrot’s Suzette is a French bistro in collaboration with consultant chef Tiff Lo (former owner-chef at the acclaimed French bistro Jean May in Wanchai) offering honest, hearty French comfort food in a casual, relaxed setting.

I chose a seat a few steps from the bar to watch the kitchen staff at work behind the scenes.

Egg mimosa with smoked salmon (法式魔鬼蛋配煙三文魚) — Their set lunch is usually a two or three course affair. I decided to drop a few bucks more for an egg mimosa to start off the meal.

The egg was topped neatly with smoked salmon, mayonnaise, dill and capers.

Roasted chicken supreme with creamy mushroom sauce (法式燒雞胸配蘑菇忌廉汁) — The portion was a little small for a main dish.

It looked like a chicken leg (from a spring chicken) rather than the chicken breast listed on the menu.

But I thought the mushroom sauce was well executed, with a good depth of flavor. Not bad.

We had way too many desserts during our time in Europe so I decided to skip a sweet ending this afternoon. Instead, it was time to head back to work.

Food Rating: 6.1/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop G02, G/F, Cullinan Sky Mall, 10 Concorde Road, Kai Tak, Kowloon City, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Kai Tak

Tel: +852 3188-8896

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 10:00pm daily