Daap (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I am going back to Sheung Wan this afternoon to scratch an itch which has been bothering me for more than a year. Daap, helmed by chef Luke Chan, has been wowing guests with his fusion dishes for a few years now. I had the pleasure of visiting this hidden gem in Sheung wan twice in 2024 but never quite found the time for a return trip in 2025. Today, all the stars are finally aligned.

As usual, I found a quiet corner at the counter table where I can enjoy watching the chef at work.

Roasted chestnut soup — The soup was, once again, silky smooth with a wonderful, delicate chestnut flavor. Its thickness reminded me of a traditional Chinese chestnut sweet soup, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The only part of the soup that didn't quite hit the mark was the pan-fried morel mushrooms, which were slightly on the hard side today.

150-days grain fed M4+ oyster blade steak — My first time having anything other than the chef’s great pasta dish. The steak from Australia was really tender, and meltingly juicy.

I liked the buttery black bean beurre blanc but I thought the black bean could have been a little more pronounced to make it stand out more.

So happy to finally scratch this itch at last. I am taking the afternoon off from work so I have all the time in the world to explore the old streets in SoHo. I heard there have been many exciting changes lately.

Food Rating: 6.4/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, Wai Hing Commercial Building, 20 Wing Kut Street, Central, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Sheung Wan

Tel: +852 9680-7456

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

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 10:00pm (Tue - Fri), 10:30am - 4:00pm, 6:00pm - 10:00pm (Sat - Sun)

Eonsona Massage Spa PAFC Mall 玖玖 · 予頌 平安金融中心店 (Shenzhen, CHINA)

My better half has been really addicted to this massage place called 玖玖 these days. They have numerous locations across Shenzhen, with most specializing in body and foot massage. Personally, I'm not a big fan of foot massages, so I never really tag along with her on her spa treatments.

But today was a different story. I was in Shenzhen alone and I spotted this new concept operated by the same group at PAFC Mall (平安金融中心). It was branded as Eonsona Massage Spa (玖玖 · 予頌), dedicated to high-end spa treatment. With time to spare this afternoon, I decided to give it a shot.

The place had just opened about a month ago, and since it was around 5pm on a Wednesday afternoon, there wasn’t a full lineup of customers.

Of course, I requested a quiet room away from the reception and rest area.

It has been a tough month at work thus far, so I thought I fully deserved a break — a mental break of 60 minutes without thinking about work or anything else. Just lights out!

The massage was really nice. I particularly enjoyed the oil treatment, which was not too greasy at all. While walking down the corridor back to the reception area, I had a chance to check out the bigger rooms. This one was for three people.

And this room was for four, complete with a big screen TV. Little nugget would love that.

Like all the spa treatments in Shenzhen, you get to enjoy a cup of warm tea and a little dessert afterward.

Eonsona Massage Spa is conveniently located inside PAFC, just a comfortable 8-minute walk to Futian Station (all indoor!). I think I'll definitely come back again soon.

Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Level M PA Mall, 5033 Yitian Road, Futian, Shenzhen, China

深圳市福田区益田路5033号PA MALL平安金融中心M层

Closest Metro Station: Shopping Park (購物公園)

Tel: +86 18566925929

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 12:00am daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/b1/WRJM

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

I’m back in Shenzhen for some solo game time this afternoon. On a Wednesday, I wasn't expecting a crowd.

First things first, it’s been a while since I last visited Tao Tao Ju (陶陶居), my go-to dim sum place in Shenzhen. So, I quickly ventured over to One Avenue (卓悦中心). Not surprisingly, there was no one waiting in line.

Tao Tao Ju jumbo prawn dumpling (陶陶居大蝦餃) (¥36) — Why would I start my meal with anything other than TTJ’s signature har gow? As usual, they were incredibly satisfying, although tackling all three by myself was no easy feat. In retrospect, I realize I enjoy a little friendly “fighting” with little nugget over his har gow! 😂😂

Mixed noodles with shrimp roes and scallion oil (蝦籽蔥油撈麵) (¥33) — One of my goals this afternoon was to try a couple of items on the menu that I had never sampled before.

The mixed noodles were decent, but I thought they could have been a little more generous with the shrimp roes.

Abalone-shaped brown sugar rice cake (金鮑賀歲年糕) (¥13) — They have a few dishes designed specifically for Chinese New Year 🧧, and this one topped my list since I'm a sucker for Chinese brown sugar rice cake (年糕).

Look how beautiful this was! I could hardly believe it wasn’t a real abalone! Sticky and chewy (in a good way), and perfectly balanced.

To make it resemble a braised abalone dish, they’ve drizzled a thick, gluey brown sugar sauce that mimicked a traditional abalone sauce. It got me completely fooled! 

That was all the time I had for my quick lunch. Now, it’s off to the arcade centre to enjoy my uninterrupted gaming session.

Food Rating: 6.7/10

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