Melt in July 七月柿 Express (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Located at the entrance of trendy Pink Street (粉紅大街) at Shenzhen Bay MixC (深圳灣萬象城), Melt in July Express (七月柿, literally means "July Persimmon") is a popular East-meets-West fusion restaurant with an intriguing food and dessert menu. Unfortunately, despite having it on my radar for quite some time, I’ve never gotten around to crossing it off my list.

But today, I finally had the perfect opportunity especially since I had a pickleball game scheduled at a nearby community centre.

As planned, the moment we finished our match, we headed straight to Shenzhen Bay MixC to satisfy our snack attack.

Under the same group behind Melt in July Farmhouse (七月柿 蕃茄食堂) which is known for its healthy eating, Melt in July 七月柿 Express’ food and dessert menu goes beyond just East-meets-West dishes. There are also comfort-food options that blend local flavors with a modern Korean twist. All in all, there are always more to this than meeting the eye.

Since we were all a little hungry after the game, we started with a quick savory bite.

Slow-stewed beef brisket pita burger (慢燉牛筋腩皮塔堡) (¥55) — The burger was made with pita bread, which adds a hint of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flair. 

Inside, there were succulent beef brisket, purple onion, and cabbage, all brought together with a Mediterranean-style sauce. Not bad.

Matcha tiramisu (抹茶提拉米蘇) (¥48) — The menu mentioned fermented bean curd (腐乳) as an ingredient, but it hardly registered it in the flavors. Instead, there was a sharp burst of soy-bean notes (“beany!”), paired with matcha and of course, coffee. Texture-wise, it was spot on. Soft, fluffy, and properly enjoyable.

Roasted long-jing tea Basque cheesecake (龍井焙茶巴斯克) (¥36) — This was a pretty ordinary Basque cheesecake, topped with a scoop of hojicha ice cream. Interestingly, the ice cream was decorated with long-jing tea leaves, adding a distinct tea aroma to the mix.

However, personally, I thought the flavors from the cheesecake, ice cream, and tea leaves didn’t quite come together as a complete package.

As usual, we grabbed some bread after our afternoon tea before heading off to our next event (a foot massage). It was a busy afternoon for us in Shenzhen, but everyone needed this after a pretty eventful work week. 

Food Rating: 5.8/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop B1-38, Pink Street, Shenzhen Bay MixC, 3213 Keyuan South Road, Nanshan district, Guangzhou, China

深圳市南山区深圳湾万象城B区粉红大街B1层B1-38号铺

Closest Metro Station: Houhai (后海)

Tel: +86 19128337786

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 10:30pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/57/94BM

Patt Patt 日式蛋糕 One Avenue 卓悦中心店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

With my long absence from Shenzhen’s café scene since early August, I’ve been trying to catch up on the latest news from social media. There have been several new openings of late, and many online discussions seem to point to Patt Patt Japanese-style Cakes as one of the most promising, up-and-coming tea spots thanks to its cozy atmosphere and delicious offerings.

Originally from Guangzhou, Patt Patt has a few locations in the city centre. They’ve just opened their first café in Shenzhen, choosing One Avenue (卓悦中心) as its debut location. Since we were having Japanese food at the mall this afternoon, I decided to swing by for a quick dessert right before lunch.

I have to admit, the space here is pretty nice and cozy — somewhere you could easily spend an entire lazy afternoon. But were the desserts as good as advertised?

Thai milk pudding combo (¥55) — This came with a Thai milk tea pudding and a Mont-Blanc–style cake also flavored with Thai milk tea. The dish was decorated with cookies and fresh fruits.

I thought the pudding itself was okay, but it wasn’t especially memorable. I had higher expectations for the cake, but the sponge cake with a hint of Thai milk tea didn’t really surprise me in either flavor or texture. If it weren’t for the vibe, I’m not sure it would attract much attention.

We don’t really have a plan for the rest of the afternoon after lunch. I guess we’re just happy to be back in Shenzhen and enjoying some time to chill.

Food Rating: 5/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop L201, West 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西区2楼L201号铺

Closest Metro Station: Gangxia (岗厦)

Tel: +86 18124686075

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

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/2f/639M

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