Cha of Yulian MixC World 裕蓮茶樓 萬象天地店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

After enjoying a few rounds of Chun Tian Tea Company (椿田熟成茶行)’s Golden Brick Silk Stocking Milk Tea (金磚絲襪奶茶) back in April, I started to feel a little bored. The Ceylon tea flavor was definitely pronounced, but it has a pretty similar fragrance to the ones you can find locally in Hong Kong. To satisfy my ever-changing palate, I wanted something different — something more unique.

And I found it this afternoon when we stumbled upon MixC World (萬象天地), the upscale shopping complex in Nanshan district that we haven’t visited in months. The place? Cha of Yulian (裕蓮茶樓) — a tea house we usually stopped by for egg tarts, but never really took the time to explore their popular milk teas, which are especially known for their aromatic tea base.

Cha of Yulian is highly celebrated for its signature He Ding Black Tea (鶴頂紅茶). It is renowned for its rich flavor profile that starts with a sweet, candied-fruit-like aroma, that transitions into a subtle woody note, and finishes with light floral and fruity undertones.

Amber Milk Tea with Tea Ice (特濃茶鑽琥珀奶) — This uses the He Ding Black Tea as a heavy-tea base, topped with a special tea-infused ice block. Even as the ice melts, the milk tea stays incredibly rich and bold. It doesn’t end up getting watered down.

I just love how deep and robust the tea flavors are, especially with those delicate floral and fruity undertones.

 

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop B107, Level B1, MixC World, Shennan Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China

深圳市南山区深南大道华润万象天地B1层 B107号铺

Closest Metro Station: Hi-Tech Park (高新园)

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

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/fd/P1ri

Doughman Bakery & Coffee LCK (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Dubai chocolate — the viral, high-end confection loved for its velvety pistachio–tahini center and crunchy, toasted kataifi — has swept the internet and the world by storm since it first surged in popularity in late 2023.

It hasn’t stayed limited to the original bar, either. Across Asia, there have been countless “Dubai chocolate” variations, each one featuring that signature pistachio–tahini pairing in a fresh, unique format.

I bet it’s been around for a while, but I only finally noticed this chocolate pistachio crispies croissant at my neighborhood bakery tonight — Doughman Bakery & Coffee. Of course, I wasted no time bringing one home as a late-night snack.

I have to admit, this was a little heavy as a late-night snack. And the fact that the centre of the croissant was completely filled rich pistachio ganache and toasted kataifi made it even indulgent!

That said, for someone who absolutely loves chocolate and pistachio, this was a perfect take on Dubai chocolate. It has truly transformed an ordinary croissant into something far more luxurious.

Food Rating: 6.8/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F 10 Cheung Yi Street, Cheung Lung Industrial Building, Cheung Sha Wan, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Lai Chi Kok

Tel: +852 3741-0111

Opening Hours: 7:30am - 8:00pm (Mon - Fri), 8:30am - 8:30pm (Sat), 9:00am - 8:30pm (Sat)

Nomi Ramen 野見拉麵 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

There will be some major changes in my mom’s life in the next little while. After making it official tonight, I left her place pondering what my own life might look like walking the road along with her.

I still haven’t had dinner, so I decided to walk a little further than I usually do for a bite. That took me to the edge of Sham Shui Po, where I had one ramen spot pinned on my map — Nomi Ramen (野見拉麵).

Around 8:30pm-ish, I wasn’t expecting a crowd but the local-grown ramen place under scaffolding was still buzzing. That's a surprise considering some ramen shops are already closing by this hour.

I ended up standing in line for about 15 minutes before I found a seat at the counter.

Chicken paitan noodle (雞白湯拉麵) ($98) — This looked very similar to the one at Ginza Kagari (銀座篝拉麵), which was a pretty good sign.

The chicken broth arrived lukewarm, but it had clearly been whipped right before serving—creating a smooth, velvety layer of fine bubbles, almost cappuccino-style.

As a fan of awa-kei (bubble-style/foam-style, 泡系) ramen, I love how the broth has been whipped before serving, creating a top layer of fine bubbles for the noodles to cling onto.

The broth itself was creamy and collagen-rich, yet unlike many chicken paitan bowls, it was light rather than deeply savory.

The corn was crunchy and wonderfully fresh.

The marinated soft-boiled egg was executed perfectly.

The pork chashu was made with kurobuta pork so not surprisingly, it was exquisitely tender with a luxurious, soft mouthfeel.

The chicken chashu cut into this small circular shape, was super-tender as well.

Overall, this was one of the better chicken paitan ramens I’ve had from a local-grown ramen shop. They’ve got all the makings of a very strong tori paitan (雞白湯) specialist. The only improvement I could think of, was perhaps the umami-rich flavors of chicken that was somewhat missing (or a bit light).

Food Rating: 6.1/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, 6 Cedar Street, Prince Edward, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Prince Edward

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 4:00pm, 6:00pm - 10:30pm (Mon - Sat)