Super Lucky Cha Chaan Teng at OCT 大喜翻吃喝公司 歡樂海岸店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★☆☆☆

We are doing a quick day trip to Shenzhen with three other families just a day after coming back from France. Jet lag? What jet lag. This is a bit crazy but such is life for most Hongkongers as we all try to work and play hard at the same time.

The plan is to spend the entire day at OCT Harbour (歡樂海岸), which is almost directly connected to Shenzhen Bay Park subway station (深圳灣公園站). Almost.

We were a bit early so not surprisingly, the park was nearly empty.

I didn’t have much to eat all morning so I tried to get others to agree with me that we should grab a quick bite first and luckily, they were all on board! This brought us to Super Lucky Cha Chaan Teng (大喜翻吃喝公司) near the very edge of the park (entrance side).

The teddy bear milk tea is everywhere in SZ these days.

I had a toasted sandwich with luncheon meat and scrambled eggs. This was quite decent and really in par with what I normally got in Hong Kong.

Little nugget had the wonton noodle soup.

Less successful was the barbecued pork belly served on rice.

We will have dinner at 6 so in all likelihood, we won’t have time for another meal as the kids are all raring to go and play at a couple of the playhouses here. Time to get the towel, water bottle and extra clothes ready….

Food Rating: 4.1/10

Price: ¥¥

Address: B2 1-1, 8 Baishi Road East, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China

深圳南山区白石路东8号欢乐海岸曲水湾 2 负 1-1 号铺

Closest Metro Station: Shenzhen Bay Park (深圳灣公園)

Tel: +86 13613046895

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

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/c8/0PBi

Choubo Kissaten World Trade Center 喫茶ちょうぼ 世貿中心 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

After a long flight back from Paris, I would normally just spend the rest of the day unwinding and chilling out at home but with Guan Gong (關公) in town and leaving tomorrow, I decided to venture out to Causeway Bay to see my long-time friend who hasn't been back to Hong Kong in four years.



I am picking our meeting spot this afternoon and Choubo Kissaten (喫茶ちょうぼ) at World Trade Center (世貿中心) immediately came to mind since it was pretty close to where my friend was staying.

I haven't had much success with yōshoku dining  (洋食) these days. Hopefully, Choubo Kissaten will provide a more pleasant and enjoyable experience.

My purple sweet potato milk was a little bland today but after all those French pastries I had in the past two weeks, a lower sugar content wasn't a bad idea.

I just realized that I haven't eaten all day, so I treated myself to a small carbonara with assorted mushrooms. This was a little too cheesy for me but I like the fact that the spaghetti was nicely coated in the creamy sauce.

It was nice to see my good friend from high school and university again. These days, we have been talking about parenthood and work and in a few years, we might just find ourselves discussing about our retirement plans. Time really flies!

Food Rating: 4.7/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 8, 4/F, World Trade Center, 280 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Causeway Bay

Tel: +852 2608-1833

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

PIA at Ibis Paris CDG Airport (Tremblay-en-France, FRANCE) ★★☆☆☆

I need to let this sink in a little bit, the idea of leaving France and back home. Anyways, here we are back in Paris for the last night of the trip. Funny that this airport hotel was the first reservation I made and the rest of the things just fell into the right places.



Given the substantial size of this hotel, it appears that it needed more than just two restaurants.

PIA is a canteen-style restaurant serving simple Italian food like pizza and pasta. We had to wait for more than 30 minutes for our table but there wasn't many places open at this late hour.

Spaghetti carbonara was a little bland albeit cheesy enough. Not that anyone was paying attention this late. Everyone including yours truly was trying to get this over with.

The Parma pizza featured a tomato sauce base topped with mozzarella, Parma ham, tomatoes, Parmesan and rocket.

I was pleasantly surprised how fast this arrived on the table with the rest of our order.

We had way too many French desserts on this trip so perhaps an Italian tiramisu for a change of pace.

It was time to get a good night's sleep to prepare ourselves for our long flight home tomorrow. I hope I still remember where I live.....😆😆😆

Food Rating: 3.9/10

Price: €€€

Address: 3 Rue de Bruxelles Roissypôle, 93290 Tremblay-en-France, France

Tel: +33 (0)1 4919-1964

Website: www.accorhotels.com/fr/hotel-1404-ibis-paris-cdg-airport/index.shtml

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 2:00pm (Mon - Fri), 7:00pm - 11:00pm (Mon - Sun)

Joe & The Juice at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (Nice, FRANCE) ★★★☆☆

The drop-off of our rental car took much less time than anticipated leaving us with ample time before our flight to Paris is ready to take off.

I didn't eat a lot during lunch so I was feeling a little hungry but unfortunately, there wasn't much available at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport when it came to food options. Joe & The Juice, being one of those few options, quickly caught my eyes.  A health juice chain that originated in Denmark, the fast food joint is best known for its fresh juices, smoothies and healthy food options.

Joe's Club – Their version of clubhouse sandwich was made with this crispy flatbread.

Between the flatbread, there were diced chicken, avocado, tomato and a vegan pesto sauce. Pretty tasty (largely because of the bread).

Avo Shake – These guys were famous for their fresh juices and milkshakes so of course, not ordering one would be uncivilized. This one was made with avocado, banana and vanilla milk. Apparently, it was heavily flavored with banana and vanilla but there was no sign of avocado.

Like I said, the drop-off was very efficient and I wasn't charged with not filling up my tank completely. Yeah, I did a good job this time.

This is a very small aircraft. Little nugget was wondering why we didn't have a tunnel directly connecting to the aircraft.

We are going to miss the South of France. 

Price: €€€

Address: Terminal 1, Rue Costes et Bellonte, 06206 Nice, France

Tel: +33 (0)1 5920-0488

Website: www.joejuice.com

Opening Hours: 5:00am - 9:00pm (Tue - Thu, Sat), 5:00am - 10:00pm (Fri, Sun - Mon) 

Rosana (Cannes, FRANCE) ★★★☆☆

We didn't have a lot of time to spend in Cannes. Only a few hours last night and despite we woke up early this morning, it was already lunch hour when I began checking my watch. 



This was when we stumbled upon Rosana, a Californian-style restaurant in the heart of the city's touristy district. We had a choice to simply eat at the airport but an American-style all day menu was too good to pass after a run of French food the past two weeks.



Judging by the décor, this place likely turns into a bar at night.

None of us expressed the feeling that they were hungry so just a few small dishes to share among us.

Calamari (€?) – Always a crowd pleaser. The thin batter was a pretty nice touch and so was the hint of lemon.

Fish and chips (€21) – For a main dish, small pieces of breaded cod fish fillets certainly looked a bit small in portion but thankfully, we had the French fries to go with them.

French fries – These were kind of like the shoestring fries we used to have in Vancouver. 

Spicy rigatoni alla vodka and straciatella (€20) – I love rigatoni tossed with creamy tomato sauce and vodka! This also came with chilli, parmesan and fresh basil.

Clubhouse sandwich (€?) – Jelloman had a lot of salad on this trip but today, she opted for a small clubhouse with lettuce, tomato and bacon.

Time is almost up, ladies and gentlemen. It's been a fun couple of weeks exploring the South of France but time to get behind the wheels and drive down to Nice for our flight back to Paris.

Food Rating: 5.8/10

Price: €€€

Address: 13 Rue des Belges, 06400 Cannes, France

Tel: +33 (0)4 9338-8860

Website: www.rosanacannes.com

Opening Hours: 9:00am - 12:00am (Mon - Sat)

Nivà Gelateria Tradizionale (Cannes, FRANCE) ★★★★☆

During this trip, we have revisited some of the restaurants and cafés we enjoyed back in 2016 and the latest to join the party is Nivà Gelateria Tradizionale, an Italian artisanal gelateria with branches in Turin and Lisbon.



They have a nice selection of freshly made gelatos especially their fruity flavors (think peach, strawberry, mango, banana, red fruits...).

But I like their nutty flavors even more!

This is by far the hottest day we have endured on this journey in the South of France. The weather reports confirmed that it was 37 degrees around noon today. Not surprisingly, my gelato was already melting the moment I stepped outside the gelato shop.

Really happy to share that little nugget thoroughly enjoyed his super-creamy coconut and vanilla gelato (6 Euros). I treated myself to two scoops as well. Personally, I found the ricotta with fig flavor a tad better than the nougat, although both were exceptionally impressive. Probably the best gelato we had on this trip. 

It's been 8 years since our last visit. I hope we don't need another 8 years before we set foot on Cannes again. 

Food Rating: 7.5/10

Price: €€€

Address: 75 Rue Félix Faure, 06400 Cannes, France

Tel: +33 (0)9 5113-8734

Website: www.nivagelato.com/gelaterie/

Opening Hours:  9:30am - 12:30am (Sun - Thu), 9:30am - 1:00am (Fri - Sat)

Hyde Beach Mondrian Hotel (Cannes, FRANCE) ★★★☆☆

Tonight, I saw a bit of sadness in everybody's eyes. Our 2-week journey was about to come to a close and we have finally arrived at Cannes, our last destination tonight.



After exploring a number of locations in the city including a walk up and down Cannes' iconic red carpet, we reached Croisette Beach, a private beach situated along the renowned Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes.

We ended up spending our last official dinner here at Hyde Beach, a restaurant and bar directly facing the beach.

While it would be nice to be seated near the beach.....

........we elected to sit at a quiet corner to reflect on our trip.

Caesar salad – Did my memory serve me correctly or did Jelloman really order so many Caesar salad on this journey? As usual, the romaine lettuce was topped with free-range chicken fillets, organic soft-boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, parmesan shavings and croutons.

Prawns – I had these prawns grilled with black garlic and chili pepper. Very flavorful and came with nice charred marks. I didn't have much mashed potatoes on this trip so I gladly ordered one to go with my prawns.

Octopus alla Luciana, Zibibbo grape Elixir – Little one had the iconic Neapolitan dish made with tender octopus as a simple stew, complemented nicely with gently cooked Zibibbo grapes and a side dish of tomato-sauce spaghetti. 

None of us was really paying much attention to the meal tonight as we were all busy going through the photos on our iPhone. All these memories from the past two weeks and lots to cherish about.

Not sure if this guy can still remember that he has walked on this popular beach in Cannes in a few years' time.

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: €€€€

Address: 45 Boulevard de la Croisette, 06400 Cannes, France

Tel: +33 (0)4 9338-1957

Website: https://mondrianhotels.com/cannes/dining/hyde-beach/

Opening Hours: 9:30am - 12:00am daily (summer months only)

La Villa Madie (Cassis, FRANCE) ★★★★★

La Villa Madie is our second three Michelin starred experience of this trip, immediately following yesterday's impressive lunch at L'Oustau de Baumanière. Located in the coastal town of Cassis, this fine-dining restaurant boasts stunning cliffs and beaches right in its backyard. 

Prior to 2022, La Villa Madie was considered a hidden gem in southern Provence. The restaurant, which had held two stars since 2017, made a surprising leap to the prestigious three-star status in 2022.

Owner-chef Dimitri Droisneau, originally from Normandy, possesses an exceptional resume that includes experience in some of France's finest kitchens such as La Tour d'Argent, Lucas Carton and Ambroisie.

At La Villa Madie, they have a menu with an oceanic theme to match the breathtaking seaside view. Needless to say, we are in for a very special treat.

Before the trip, I was given the option to sit indoor or outdoor and without much hesitation, I have requested an outdoor seat with a view to the beach. That sounded like a pretty good decision now.

Although we certainly won't mind going all out for the tables under the sun!

We were first started off with a refreshing welcome drink made with garden herbs and flowers.

It was immediately followed by an amazing array of amuse bouche.

Shrimp tartare sprinkled with coffee powder was served on a spoon.

Refreshing summer soup made with watermelon and cucumber finished off with a touch of olive oil, accompanied by a spoonful of summer salad.

Pita bread with olive and capers delivering a vibrant burst of sharp acidity.

Last but not least, a small Provençal-style ratatouille covered nicely by a layer of refreshing onion foam. This was served up with a tiny seaweed sandwich with some sort of smoked vegetable purée in the middle. If this is for the purpose of stimulating our palate and getting our taste buds prepared for the meal ahead, they have achieved exactly that!

A further amuse bouche showed up in the form a chickpea tart with cheese and garlic and I've forgotten all about the second nibble.

Red mullet, sea urchin – This was not part of the set menu so I took it as another nibble to kick off the meal as well. Red mullet carpaccio was beautifully presented on a bed of crispy pastry with an accompanying sea urchin emulsion serving as a dip.

The tender and flaky red mullet with its typical delicate and mild flavor, but there was the sea urchin emulsion adding a rich umami note to elevate the dish.

A brioche topped with sea salt came with the carpaccio so we could use for soaking up the flavorful sauce.

Toutreau crab, crab ice-cream, garden herbs, consommé – A small tower of Toutreau crab meat elegantly crowned by a scoop of crab ice-cream (tasted more like crab roe) was finished with a nice pour of chilled consommé made with the crab shells.

The delightful dish was garnished with fresh garden herbs, adding a burst of flavor and color to the mix, and there was the finishing touch by the consommé enhancing the overall flavor profile with its rich, savory essence.

A few of these madeleine were served on the side in case we wanted to dip into the umami-rich consommé. This was very pleasing to the eye.

Seabass, oyster, lime, sancho – Beautifully cooked French seabass with a satisfying foam made with oysters by Pascal Migliore delivering a briny sea water flavor that complemented the sweetness of the fish brilliantly. The dish was further enhanced by the zesty notes of lime and the subtle spice of sansho pepper, creating an incredible balance of flavors.

Turbot, tomato, tarragon – Next up was turbot grilled with tomato which was served with a few different condiments highlighted by a powerful tomato and tarragon emulsion in the middle, and juice from the turbot which was then flavored with saffron. There was a side dish of a gorgeous vegetable tart topped with lettuce, caramelized onions, zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms and baby turnip. 

Rabbit, lobster – Our main course was a delicious fricassée of rabbit and lobster. The superbly cooked lobster was nice but it was the rabbit rolls made from different parts of the rabbit that stole the show here. I particularly loved the creamy liver bringing out the best of the gaminess from the dish.

The sauce was a wonderful symphony of flavors and fragrances starting with a rich red wine reduction and tarragon foam (again?), which was infused with the sweetness of raspberry jam and grapes, complemented by the savory notes of onion, shallot and celeriac. Easily my favorite dish of the afternoon.

A small bite of what I thought was deep-fried celeriac came as a side dish. 

Vanilla flan, praline, rum – We have two desserts on the menu this afternoon and the first to arrive was a vanilla flan made with Madagascar vanilla and praline. Small Dabs of vinegar and rum from La Maison Ferroni, 20 minutes from the restaurant further enriched the vanilla notes while creating a more balanced mix of flavors.

All around the fig – I love French figs and this was surely right up my alley with the dessert building around different textures of figs from Valence.

In the centerpiece, we have the fig tower stuffed with fresh figs topped nicely by a layer of fig jelly. A refreshing verbena sorbet added herby notes to the dessert, while a light green foam made with fig leaf tied everything together with its thick, gluey texture and minty note.

And we have more figs to come, roasted fig with its leaf. Very natural sweetness and clean flavors there.

At this point, Chef Droisneau came by to say hi and we just couldn't resist asking for a photo together!

We were truly blessed to indulge in two exquisite meals from two world-class kitchens on back-to-back days, each a masterpiece in its own right. As our journey through France draws to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on the unforgettable flavors, the warm hospitality, and the artistry that defined every plate.

Chef Droisneau’s seafood-inspired menu was a feast not only for the palate but for all the senses. As someone who doesn’t typically enjoy eating fish, I was genuinely impressed by how he transformed each course (especially the three fish courses) into something elegant but unpretentious. Each course showcased a deep respect for the sea, crafted with creativity, finesse, and a touch of magic.

This trip has been a true celebration of the senses. It was a harmonious blend of culinary mastery, cultural richness, and timeless beauty; and I know the memory of this will stay with me for a lifetime.

Food Rating: 9/10

Price: €€€€

Address: anse de Corton, 30 Av. du Revestel, 13260 Cassis, France

Tel: +33 (0)4 9618-0000

Website: http://lavillamadie.com/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 1:30pm, 7:30pm - 9:00pm (Thu - Sun)