Ban Maa Tong Soei 彬媽糖水 深圳灣睿印 RAIL IN店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Every time we visit Shenzhen, we try to add something new to our itinerary to keep our journey exciting and this afternoon was no exception. After our stop at MixC (萬象天地) in Nanshan, we decided to embark on a little adventure to 深圳灣睿印 RAIL IN, a relatively new shopping mall that opened in late 2023.

Unfortunately, our exploration almost ended before it even got started. The mall turned out to be a little underwhelming, largely due to its small footprint. And like many other malls in Shenzhen, it suffers from the same issue — it was dominated by familiar chain stores, resulting in a repetitive shopping experience that lacks distinct character.

Eventually, we found ourselves seated at Ban Maa Tong Soei (彬媽糖水), a Cantonese dessert shop I already knew from MixC, where they also have a branch. Their menu is always short and sweet, focusing on a handful of seasonal dessert soups. But what they lack in variety, they more than make up for in quality and quantity (huge portion!).

I really like the décor here — lots of wood elements that create a cozy, inviting atmosphere.

Fig, bamboo piths (時令竹笙無花果) (¥28) – Ban Maa is known for their hearty Cantonese dessert soups, so of course, I had to try one of their nourishing seasonal offerings. 

This was primarily a marriage between figs (無花果) and bamboo piths (竹笙), an unusual pairing for me but it worked beautifully. The flavors were well-balanced and the textures complemented each other nicely.

Ban Maa's grand slam (彬媽大滿貫) (¥28) – Jelloman went for what I like to call "Ban Maa's Grand Slam" (yes, I made up the English name again!). It had a bit of everything, peach gum (桃膠), lotus seeds (蓮子), red beans (紅豆), taro balls (芋圓), and grass jelly (仙草). It’s a nice mix that many ladies would enjoy thanks to the variety of textures and the nourishing properties of some of these ingredients.

Classic egg and bean curd sweet soup (經典腐竹薏米蛋) (¥25) – And last but not least, little nugget's having the classic egg and bean curd sweet soup made with soy milk.

He always enjoys the creamy, milky texture of this.

The portion was huge so he's not going to finish this one on his own.

深圳灣睿印 RAIL IN has the advantage of being well connected, with access to two metro stations: Hongshuwan (紅樹灣站) and Hongshuwan South (紅樹灣南站). That puts it conveniently on Lines 2, 9, and 11, making it easy to get around the city. However, the mall itself doesn’t have much to offer at the moment. It left us wondering why a new Shangri-La Hotel was built here in the first place.

Part of the reason for our visit was to scout the area for a potential overnight stay in about two weeks. The Shangri-La Hotel Nanshan, located right above the mall, initially seemed like an attractive option but now that we’ve seen it up close, we’ll probably look elsewhere.

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address:  Shop L228, Level 2, Baishi No.4 Road and Shenwan No.2 Road, Nanshan, Guangzhou, China

深圳市南山区白石四道与深湾二路2层L228号铺

Closest Metro Station: Hongshuwan (紅樹灣站) / Hongshuwan South (紅樹灣南站)

Tel: +86 16620080333

Opening Hours: 8:30am - 10:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/a5/kj4k

My First Trip to Kai Tak Stadium

A couple of days ago, we got a ping from a very good friend of ours telling us that she had four tickets for us the Liverpool vs. AC Milan game. Although we’re not soccer fans (notice I said soccer not football), we’ve long been curious about the new Kai Tak Sports Park (啟德體育園) and have heard great things about it. Without hesitation, we gladly accepted the invitation and have been looking forward to the game ever since.

We first arrived in Kowloon City for a quick bite as planned. Wary of the restaurants at Kai Tak Sports Park having a very busy night, we ended up grabbing a light supper at Luen Fat (聯發茶餐廳) in Kowloon City early.

Some of us enjoyed the restaurant’s popular barbecued pork rice. What I didn’t realize was that, they had this charcoal grilled char siu on top of their "regular" char siu and it cost me an arm and a leg.

After supper, we took a leisurely stroll to the stadium. A sea of red, filled with Liverpool fans, was walking in front of us, but overall, the walk was pleasant and smooth.

It didn’t take long before we reached the stadium and WOW 🤩! Finally, Hong Kong boasts a world-class venue to host sports events, concerts and more!

The atmosphere was absolutely electrifying, and to our delight, we could enjoy the game in the comfort of air conditioning (the roof was closed tonight)!

This guy's first-ever live match. Happy times!

The two teams exchanged pleasantries before the game.

Game on!

Our first impression of the Kai Tak Sports Park and Stadium was incredibly impressive. I hope we can return sometime to experience a different kind of event—perhaps a concert or something similar.

On Lee Noodle Shop 安利魚蛋粉麵 BaseHall Jardine House (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

I had another appointment to catch following mom’s follow-up visit with the specialist. This time, it was little nugget’s turn for a dental evaluation on his treatment.

As soon as I arrived at the dental clinic, I was immediately hit with a bill of $40,000 for his treatment. Yeah, that’s why I’m going to work.

When the dust finally settled, we all went down to BaseHall at Jardine House for a late afternoon tea session.

Apparently, BaseHall has undergone a facelift since my last visit. The space was noticeably larger with plenty more dining options available.

As we were longing for some French toast this afternoon, we decided to grab our afternoon tea at On Lee Noodle Shop (安利魚蛋粉麵), with a cup of iced milk tea leading things off. I thought the tea was a little light for me.

The French toast was pretty decent. The fact that it came with both honey and condensed milk gave us two distinctively different flavors. 

Of course throughout the meal, I was busy thinking about how to earn that $40,000 back!

Food Rating: 4.8/10

Price: $$$

Address: Kiosk 8, BaseHall, LG/F, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Central

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 7:30pm (Mon - Sat)

Tai Ping Koon Restaurant Central 太平館餐廳 中環店 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Mom’s knee problem continues so right before our Japan trip, I decided to bring her to see the same specialist we saw two weeks ago. The plan was to get an injection in her knee hoping to reduce the fiction between her bones.

I was supposed to leave the office on time so I could finally try Medora—the sister restaurant of VEA and Wing. But as usual, something cropped up at work, and I ended up arriving in Central late. So instead of a proper meal at Medora, I only had enough time for a quick bite at Tai Ping Koon Restaurant (太平館餐廳).

Iced milk tea (凍奶茶) – This place is better known as a classic Hong Kong-style soy sauce restaurant (豉油餐廳), so their milk tea tends to fly under the radar. But honestly, it deserves more recognition. The tea was strong enough to stand up to the richness of the condensed milk. Well-balanced and satisfying. Not bad at all.

Stir-fried flat noodles with sliced beef in premium soy sauce (瑞士汁牛河) – I’ve had the pleasure of dining at all the branches of Tai Ping Koon and while that doesn't make me an expert here, I can confidently say this wasn’t the same fried beef flat noodles with premium soy sauce I remembered from the past. This was my first time at their Central location, so I double-checked with a server just in case they had mixed up my order with the sauce-less version (乾炒牛河). Unfortunately, I was told it was indeed the right dish. A bit of a letdown, to be honest.

I guess they've just run out of their "Swiss sauce (瑞士汁牛河)"? 😪😪 Anyways, my 30 minutes are almost up. Time to get back into the rain again and find where mom’s hiding. 

Food Rating: 4.9/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, 60 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Central

Tel: +852 2899-2780

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

Hadongkwan 河東館 明洞本店 (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★☆☆☆

Hadongkwan (하동관) is an 80-year-old family-run institution in Myeongdong, renowned for its gomtang (곰탕) or traditional Korean beef soup since 1938. It has been recognized as a Michelin-selected restaurant since 2018.

Describing Hadongkwan as a one-trick pony wouldn’t be too far off.

Its food menu features just one standout item – the rustic beef bone soup, served in traditional brass bowls. 

The rice is already submerged in the clear broth adding to the dish's comforting nature.

While there’s only one version of the beef bone soup on the menu, they do have a version without beef offal for kids.

After a streak of heavily seasoned barbecued meat and fried chicken, I have to admit that I found Hadongkwan’s beef bone soup a little bland for my palate. And I thought the slices of beef were a little too rubbery for my liking.

The restaurant serves lunch only and closes daily at 4pm.

Food Rating: 3.8/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 10-4 Myeongdong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Myeongdong

Tel: +82 2-776-5656

Website: http://www.hadongkwan.co.kr

Opening Hours: 7:00am - 4:00pm daily

The Spot Fabulous (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★★☆

The Spot Fabulous was a place I have been wanting to check out for a while. Conveniently located right next to the currency exchange shop we used to get our Korean Won and directly across from the Chinese Embassy, this cozy dessert café offered the perfect sweet escape in the heart of Myeongdong (明洞).

The charming little café spans two floors with a take-out section on the ground level and a dine-in area upstairs.

Interestingly, we were supposed to place our order downstairs before heading up to the café but it was a small detail that I overlooked when I first got to the upper level.

So, back to the take-out counter I go. I've been here on a couple of occasions for my take-away late-night snacks so I knew this section pretty well.

I have already read a number of positive reviews about this place on Naver but to experience it in person was a totally different story. The café had a warm and inviting vibe, with soft lighting, comfy seating, and a peaceful atmosphere. Exactly what we needed for a sweet escape from the hustle and bustle of Myeongdong (or city life in general).

We have a pretty open schedule this morning so I took the opportunity to grab a drink and dessert to sit at a quiet corner to relax and chill. Life back in Hong Kong is always hectic and stressful, so this simple act of sitting still and doing nothing felt like a small luxury we could never afford.

Iced milk tea (₩7,500) – A refreshing choice. It reminded me of a royal milk tea which was mild on the tea flavor but rich and creamy thanks to the generous amount of milk. Smooth and satisfying.

Corn cheesecake (₩9,000) – The Spot Fabulous is known for its wide range of tiramisu (Fig tiramisu is a pretty good start) and cheesecakes, so I thought either one would be a good choice for my sweet breakfast this morning. 

Not surprisingly, my corn cheesecake was light and not overly cheesy. Instead, the natural sweetness of the corn really came through making it the star of the show.

Just when I was about to finish my sweet treat, I saw my team walking on the street right underneath me! I guess my Me Time was up. 😥😥 

Food Rating: 6.1/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 105 Myeongdong 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Myeongdong

Tel: +82 507-1422-1981

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 10:50pm daily

Soil Gelato 소일 젤라또 (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

Apparently, none of us was ready to end the night early on our last evening in Seoul. So, after a quick stop at Tim Hortons, little nugget decided to check out another spot just down the road — Soil Gelato (소일 젤라또).

Soil Gelato is an artisan gelateria that crafts its gelato and sorbet in small batches to preserve freshness. 

Like Felt + Cole and Gelati Gelati, hey are clearly masters at incorporating local ingredients into their creations.

Salted milk and basil tomato – I went with the basil tomato sorbet while little nugget stuck with his usual favorite, milk gelato.

The milk gelato didn’t have the same rich, creamy texture we found in Japan, but it made up for it with a deeper, more nuanced flavor. As for the basil tomato sorbet, it was a pleasant surprise. Refreshing, savory-sweet, and unexpectedly complex. It had a bit of everything: a tangy base, balanced sweetness, and a herby, slightly peppery note from the basil. A flavor that really lingered.

Honestly, I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying a frosty scoop of gelato on a warm summer night. Not this guy.

We had one more destination to cover before calling it the night, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) which little nugget paid a visit to when he was 5 months old. His first-ever trip to Seoul. I didn't think he remembered that one.

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: ₩₩

Address: 513-4 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Sinsa

Tel: +82 507-1493-0657

Website: https://www.instagram.com/soil.gelato/

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

Tim Hortons Sinsa (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

Last time I sat down at a Tim Hortons for a sip of coffee and a tasty donut, it was 2013 when I made my long overdue return to Canada. Over the past 12 years, I’ve walked past countless Tim Hortons locations in different countries including most recently in Shenzhen, but I have never felt the urge to go in (perhaps cuz Tim Hortons in Shenzhen only offers bagels but no donuts).

That changed today.

While wandering the relatively quiet streets of Sinsa, I unexpectedly stumbled upon another Tim Hortons. The moment I spotted their display of donuts, I didn’t hesitate to step inside.

Ah yeah, the unmistakable aroma of Canadian coffee! Too bad it was already 9pm so I didn’t exactly need more caffeine at this hour.

Maple dip donut (₩2,300) – Simple, unpretentious and satisfying. Exactly what I needed before bed time. 

Surprisingly, it wasn’t as sweet as I thought. 

Sinsa-dong used to be such an amazing spot for shopping and cafe hopping. Let's hope it starts to get busy again soon.

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: ₩₩

Address: 540-10 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Sinsa

Tel: +82 070-7450-1020

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