Tokachi Milky K11 Musea (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Initially, I didn’t have any New Year’s Eve celebration planned but with my sister leaving in a few weeks, I had a last-minute change of heart. So, I booked a random restaurant at K11 Musea, and we ended up enjoying a lovely family gathering there. That marked the perfect close to a wonderful 2025 and set us up for a remarkable 2026.

Afterwards, we took a stroll and enjoyed some fresh air outside on the promenade.

Back inside the shopping mall, little nugget spotted Tokachi Milky, a soft serve shop from Hokkaido that he had previously discovered in SoHo and decided he wanted one last sweet treat before the year came to an end!

Tokachi Soft Serve ($42) – Old dad just wanted to keep it simple. The soft serve was rich and milky, exactly what you'd expect from Hokkaido. We wouldn’t settle for anything less.

Strawberry dip ($50) – Not long ago over dinner, I gently suggested to little nugget that he consider getting fit and shedding a few pounds in the new year. Obviously, he wasn’t listening.

The soft serve was dipped in a rich, strawberry sauce, and from what I’ve heard from this kid, it was very nice and sweet. Just look at his smile.....

I guess getting fit could wait another day. Now that’s a wrap for 2025. 2026 here we come!!! 

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 008 & 008A, G/F, K11 Musea, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: East Tsim Sha Tsui

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 9:00pm (Sun - Thu), 11:00am - 10:00pm (Fri - Sat)

Nino Matcha Uniwalk 九十葉 • 抹茶專門店 壹方城店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

My buddy St Paul and I decided to get the ladies a drink while they did some shopping at Uniwalk (壹方城). We were fortunate to be in such a luxurious shopping mall, as there was no shortage of cafés available — including Nino Matcha, a matcha specialty shop (九十葉 • 抹茶專門店).

Originally from Shanghai, Nino Matcha is best known for its matcha ice cream in varying degrees of richness, which has taken the Mainland Chinese market by storm.

But St Paul and I were here solely for their matcha beverages and our ladies love that!

I got Jelloman a matcha latte (right), and she later reported that it was as good as those from Kyoto! Perhaps I should’ve gotten myself a cup too!

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop 032, B1F Shenzhen Qianhai Uniwalk, Bao An District, Shenzhen, China 

深圳市宝安区新安街道新安湖社区新湖路99号深圳前海壹方城B1层032号商铺

Closest Metro Station: Bao'an Center (宝安中心)

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

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/e1/76kk

Tao Tao Ju Premium Shenzhen Bay MixC 陶陶居 · 臻品 深圳灣萬象城二期店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I promised St Paul that I'd accompany him and Mrs. St Paul to Futian on his first trip there in over a decade. A few months ago, we agreed on the specific date and it’s going to be the very first day after his BIG day. I guess with all the pressure off, why not?

Over the past couple of months, I’ve planned out the details of this trip, and guess where I brought the newlyweds for lunch in Shenzhen — my favorite dim sum spot, Tao Tao Ju (陶陶居).

Signature Hong Kong style milk tea (招牌港式奶茶) (¥22) – This is my third visit to Tao Tao Ju Premium (陶陶居 · 臻品) at Shenzhen Bay MixC (深圳灣萬象城), and once again, I’m starting things off with some caffeine. Look at this cute little bottle of milk tea!

Tao Tao Ju jumbo prawn dumpling (陶陶居大蝦餃) (¥36) – Of course, no meal at TTJ is complete without their signature jumbo prawn dumplings, each made with three whole prawns.

Stir-fried rice rolls with beef briskets (牛腩啫珍珠腸) (¥36) – This dish has been a staple for us during our visits to TTJ in 2025. The rice rolls again soak up the flavorful sauce beautifully and match perfectly with the juicy beef brisket.

Jumbo-sized Guangzhou-style youtiao (安心廣式大油條) (¥16) – Jelloman’s favorite, and she insisted the newlyweds try it for themselves.

Steamed red rice rolls with crispy prawn (錦綉海鮮紅米腸粉) (¥36) – A dish that’s everywhere in dim sum restaurants across Shenzhen so why not let our overseas guests give it a go?

Sizzling stir-fried lettuce in clay pot (啫啫生菜煲) (¥52) – Some greens to help offset the richness and oiliness of a few of these dishes.

After the meal, we took a nice stroll around the mall. There was still a small Christmas market, which little nugget sat down to admire.

Like many of my overseas visitors, St Paul and Mrs. St Paul were impressed with the development north of the border. we're bringing them to a relaxing spa. I think they could really use one after all the hard work that went into preparing for their wedding!

Food Rating: 6.7/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop B190, Zone B, Level B1 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B1层B区B190号铺

Closest Metro Station: Houhai (后海)

Tel: +86 (755) 8382-8865

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

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/f3/WcIk

Racecourse Banquet Hall (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

We rushed back to Hong Kong from Fukuoka for a very important reason — tonight, my best buddy St Paul tied the knot with an amazing woman, and there was no way I was going to miss this moment for the world.

The banquet was held at the Racecourse Banquet Hall near Happy Valley. I have to admit, I’d never had the pleasure of attending a banquet there before — and it was also little nugget’s very first wedding banquet. A first for both of us!

Of course, we had to step out and soak in the atmosphere from the balcony overlooking the racecourse track. As expected, it was dark and quiet without any races on, but the view still somehow took our breath away.

Here are a few of the dishes I managed to snap photos of (and remember):

Suckling pig – Always a crowd pleaser. Surprisingly, the staff didn’t come out with the dish singing “仲有最靚嘅豬腩肉….”.

Double-boiled soup with sea whelk, longan and date – It wasn’t too chilly tonight, but there’s always room for a comforting, heartwarming soup.

Sea scallop with vegetables and pepper – Interestingly, they serve the prawn in a croquette.

Braised sea cucumber – My second favorite of the night after the suckling pig. The sea cucumber was super tender.

Roast chicken – Not bad.

Fried rice with Sakura shrimps – There were almost more sakura shrimp than rice (kidding… kind of). If I hadn’t been so full by then, I could’ve easily taken down two bowls. That said, I thought the chef was a little heavy-handed with salt here.

All in all, it was a truly memorable evening for all of us. St Paul came back just to celebrate with close friends and family, and it clearly meant a lot to him that we were there to witness this special moment.

Personally, it was especially meaningful as I finally got to see him walk down the aisle after missing his other wedding (when dad was hospitalized). Little nugget got his first taste of what a wedding banquet is like. No kissing on stage fortunately, that would have made little nugget (and likely, some elderly guests) uncomfortable.

I wish St Paul all the best. Being a husband isn’t easy but hey, it’s a title we wear with pride.

The Matcha Tokyo at Fukuoka Airport (Fukuoka, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

I swear Fukuoka Airport wasn’t this nice when we visited two years ago but whatever happened in the meantime, we’re loving the transformation!

The Hakata Food Hall had a few spots I really wanted to sit down and explore, but with only minutes left in the city, we had to keep it moving. Hopefully next time, we’ll get to enjoy it properly.

With the little time we had left, I managed to grab a quick drink. While everyone else headed to the restroom, I stumbled upon The Matcha Tokyo, conveniently located near our boarding gate. It was as if the universe knew I desperately needed something to sip on.

So, I eventually joined the line and, within seconds, ordered my iced matcha latte. But just before it was ready to be served up, the boarding announcement came on. As someone who’s not exactly skilled in multitasking (一心二用), I made a snap decision: I left the counter and got in line for boarding, thinking I could return for the drink once my group came back from their restroom break.

What happened next totally caught me off guard. Only a minute later, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and there she was: the lovely staff member from The Matcha Tokyo, walking all the way over to hand-deliver my drink right at the gate. So thoughtful! Moments like that when someone goes the extra mile to brighten a customer’s day — are rare. It truly put a smile on my face, and I won’t forget it anytime soon.

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 739 International Passenger Terminal, 3F Fukuoka Airport, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan

Tel: +81 (0)80-6935-1746

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 8:30pm daily

Le Petit Palais Boulangerie-Patisserie (Fukuoka, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

I wanted mom to have one last Mont Blanc on this trip so as soon as I woke up this morning, I raced over to Le Petit Palais Boulangerie-Pâtisserie, just in time for its 10 am opening.

Nestled in the lobby lounge of Nishitetsu Grand Hotel, Le Petit Palais has a nice (but small) selection of sweet treats including fresh strawberry cake, fruit cake, cheesecake, and of course, Mont Blanc. 

They also whip up some delicious baked goods like croissants and danishes.

Mont Blanc (600 yen) — The chestnut vermicelli came with little chunks of chestnut which was a pretty nice touch. Overall, it wasn't bad but the chestnut purée was just a tad too sweet for my liking. Thankfully, the raspberry mousse between the purée and sponge brought enough acidity to balance things out.

And there you have it — the sixth and final Mont Blanc cake we enjoyed during my time in Kyushu!

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: Nishitetsu Grand Hotel, 2-6-60 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-8587, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Tenjin

Tel: +81 (0)92-781-0406

Website: https://nnr-h.com/grandhotel/takeout_shop/

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 7:00am daily

Daimyo Soft Cream Daimyo 大名ソフトクリーム 大名店 (Fukuoka, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

At 9pm, with our last night in Fukuoka, most of us (except for mom) simply refused to return to the hotel and sleep early. However, Fukuoka is hardly a city that never sleeps, and with the majority of the shops and restaurants preparing to close for the day (if they weren't already closed), was there anything worthwhile to prolong our night?

I, for one, had one more itch to scratch before this trip ended, so I decided to venture over to Daimyo (大名).

Daimyo Soft Cream (大名ソフトクリーム) is a Japanese soft serve shop I visited when they had a branch at Hakata Station many years ago. Their creamy and silky smooth soft serve made quite an impression on me, and I really wanted a taste of it to close out this journey.

Daimyo's milk soft cream (600 yen) – This was exactly how I remembered it — thick, creamy, and flavorful. I'm glad I can finally cross it off my list.

Unlike most ice-cream shops, this branch of Daimyo Soft Cream offers a spacious dine-in area.

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 1-11-4 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-0041, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Akasaka / Tenjin-minami

Tel: +81 (0)92-791-1594

Website: http://daimyosoftcream.com/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 9:00pm daily

POCHI-ITO パスタ酒場 ポキイト (Fukuoka, JAPAN) ★★☆☆☆

We were down to our last meal of the trip and decided to return to the trendy One Fukuoka Building in search of one final adventure.

We headed straight to the B1F level, where iiTo TENJIN — a stylish food hall offering everything from gourmet salads to meats and bistro dishes is located. After checking out a few restaurants and bars, we finally set our sights on having supper at POCHI-ITO (パスタ酒場 ポキイト), a pasta and tapas bar focused on Itoshima vegetables and seasonal ingredients.

Tortilla (¥759) – The Spanish omelette was very authentic and very fluffy. Just the way I like it. Solid start!

But the wheels started falling off from here...

Pasta with pomodoro and Itoshima vegetables (¥1,199) – The seasoning was a little on the light side, which was fine as the pasta was nicely al dente. Definitely the most decent of the three pastas we ordered.

Pasta with lemon cream sauce, salmon, and green onion (¥1,529) – The sauce was a little lemony and zesty, and the dish came without the savory notes to balance it out. Didn’t finish this one.

Napolitan (¥1,309) – A bit heavy-handed with the seasoning. For me, a little salty without the usual sweetness from a Japanese-style Napolitan. And this is supposed to be the easiest pasta to make. 

Well, we didn’t want to have more Japanese food on our final night in Fukuoka and it obviously backfired!

Food Rating: 4.4/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: B1F One Fukuoka Building, 1-11 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-0001 Japan

Closest Metro Station: Tenjin

Tel: +81 (0)92-401-6060

Website: https://www.pochi-ito.com/

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

Truffle Bakery Tenjin Chikagai 天神地下街店 (Fukuoka, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

After returning our rental car, we stopped by Tenjin Chikagai (the underground shopping mall 天神地下街) to pick up tomorrow’s breakfast before heading back to our hotel. With most of the local bakeries closing in less than an hour, I quickly made my way to Truffle Bakery, hoping to catch some of my favorite baked goods while they were still available.

Not surprisingly, many of my favorites were already sold out but not the relatively new truffle salt donut, which I had the pleasure of trying back in the summer.

Truffle salt donut – The “nama donut” (生ドーナツ) has taken Japan (and the world) by storm in recent years, and this is Truffle Bakery’s own interpretation crafted using a unique “no-water-added” fresh dough method, which results in a lighter and more springy texture.

The cream filling is infused with white truffle salt and black truffle. The subtle savory notes help enhance the truffle’s delicate aroma.
Very nicely done.

Food Rating: 7.2/10 (Based on the truffle salt donut only)

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: Tenjin Chikagai 2nd Avenue No.300, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-0001 Japan

Closest Metro Station: Tenjin

Tel: +81 (0)92-406-4882

Website: https://www.tenchika.com/shop/truffebakery/

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 10:00pm daily 

The Gate Hotel Fukuoka by HULIC (Fukuoka, JAPAN)

Tonight, life comes full circle as we arrive back where it all started almost 10 days ago—right here in Fukuoka City. While I decided to kick off this trip in Hakata (博多), the final chapter will be written in trendy Tenjin (天神) district. 

Located just off the busiest streets of Fukuoka, right next to PARCO, The Gate Hotel Fukuoka by HULIC is our final stay of the journey. As we took the elevator up for check-in, a bright and airy lobby quietly awaited us.

Check-in was a breeze, and I managed to squeeze in a couple of minutes to check out the outdoor terrace from the lobby.

It offers a pleasant city view, though nothing particularly jaw-dropping.

I actually had a hard time finding hotel accommodation for tonight. For some reason, most of the hotels in the city were already sold out months in advance for this particular night (but not during Christmas!). So, honestly, this was my fifth or sixth choice.

With all the basic rooms gone, I went with a three-bed deluxe room, hoping for more space. Even with the added room, we had a tough time finding space for all our luggage and shopping bags. I guess we really bought a lot on this trip!

For a room of this size, the designer did a great job of including two basins in the bathroom. So, we didn’t have to fight over one while getting ready the next morning.

The bathroom itself was pretty standard — dark-colored tiles and a tub inside.



I passed out before the lights were even off, so I guess I was truly exhausted. It’s been a long trip, and everyone simply wanted to go home and rest ASAP.

Rating: ❤❤❤

Price: ￥￥￥￥

Address: 2-8-49 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-0001, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Tenjin

Tel: +81 (0)92-406-2605

Website: https://www.gate-hotel.jp/fukuoka/