Tova by Paulo Airaudo (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

My quest for some of the best basque cheesecakes in Southern China has taken me north of the border this afternoon. After a healthy stint of game time at Coastal City Shopping Mall (海岸城購物中心), I took a leisurely walk over to Shenzhen Bay MixC (深圳灣萬象城) for a sweet treat I have been looking forward to for a while.

My destination was Tova, an upscale Spanish restaurant and dining concept by celebrated Chef Paulo Airaudo who’s also behind two Michelin starred Restaurant NOI in Hong Kong.

It was around 5pm so the main dining room was still in prep mode.

It was a little warm this afternoon but I was more than happy to sit outside at the bar area.

Basque cheesecake (¥58) — Nice, wobbly custardy texture similar to the one I had at EN Coffee last week.

I love that melt-in-the-mouth sensation, the kind that makes every bite pure joy. Compared with most Basque cheesecakes I’ve tried here, where the flavors can be a little subtle, this one tasted rich and satisfying without being overly cheesy. Definitely the best I’ve had in Shenzhen so far.

And there's that hugely underrated strawberry sauce to go with the cheesecake.

I still have another couple of hours to kill before my train ride. Fortunately, I am at one of the most spacious shopping complex in Shenzhen where there’s no shortage of interesting shops to explore.

Food Rating: 7.1/10 (Based on the basque cheesecake)

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop CB134, Zone CShenzhen Bay MixC, 3213 Keyuan South Road, Nanshan, Guangzhou, China

深圳市南山区粤海街道海珠社区科苑南路3213号深圳湾万象城C区CB134号铺

Closest Metro Station: Houhai (后海)

Tel: +86 19925390859

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 9:30pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/ce/7KgM

Chun Tian Tea Company Shenzhen Bay MixC 椿田熟成茶行 深圳灣萬象城 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Shenzhen Bay MixC (深圳灣萬象城) has long been a hotspot for Hongkongers, especially since the opening of its Phase Two (二期) last December. Now, the luxury shopping mall is set to make another splash with the soft opening of Pink Street (粉紅大街) — an entire avenue of trendy cafés, restaurants and boutiques under the same roof.

I was on a mission to track down a tea brand that’s been blowing up on social media..

Founded in Shanghai back in 1924, Chun Tian Tea Company (椿田熟成茶行) is a premium milk tea brand known for its “Oriental Aesthetics” and its signature “Aging (Mature) process”. While the storied tea company started off in Shanghai, it has become a major viral sensation in Shenzhen since 2025.

The star of the menu is their "Black Warrior" series including their standout "Black Warrior Matured Pu'er with Sweet Potato Pearls" (黑武士熟成普洱薯丸) and a new tiramisu-flavored creation.

Golden Brick Silk Stocking Milk Tea (金磚絲襪奶茶) (¥22) — But for milk tea, I am a total purist.

This one features a silk stocking milk tea base (絲襪奶茶) with a floating ice made with the same milk tea. To me, the flavor was vivid, brisk, and intensely aromatic—almost reminiscent of Ceylon tea. It was refreshing yet complex, and it completely lived up to the hype.

It was nice to finally cross this social media sensation off my list. Even better that it was a weekday and there wasn't a lineup at all.

Food Rating: 6.3/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop B1-51, Pink Street, Shenzhen Bay MixC, 3213 Keyuan South Road, Nanshan, Guangzhou, China

深圳市南山区粤海街道海珠社区科苑南路3213号深圳湾万象城粉紅大街B1-51号铺

Closest Metro Station: Houhai (后海)

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/20/GGuM

Taste Four Taste 嚐 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I am spending some well-deserved me time in Houhai (后海), Shenzhen this afternoon. With plenty of time left before my train departs, I decided to sit down for a proper lunch at Elements Shopping Mall. 

Taste Four Taste (嚐) has officially replaced Tasty Congee & Noodle (正斗粥麵專家) as my go-to spot for noodles and congee in recent months. In fact, I’ve been coming back for one particular dish so much so that I just can’t help myself.

Stir-fried noodles with barbecued pork (乾炒叉燒麵) ($132) — They have a different version of this with flat noodles but there was no question in my mind about which one tasted better.

This came with incredible "wok hei" (鑊氣) resulting in the springy and slightly chewy texture. I also like the fact that it's not over-seasoned with soy and salt, and that the noodles didn’t end up greasy the way they often do at other places we’ve seen in Hong Kong.

I used up all 15 minutes I've got for this meal to fully enjoy my stir-fried noodles. Now, it's time to run to the rapid train station!

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 1005-1006, 1/F, Fire Zone, ELEMENTS, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Kowloon

Tel: +852 2433-7711

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