Jervois Cafe Sheung Wan 蘇杭冰室 上環店 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

I am back to Jervois Cafe (蘇杭冰室) for my favorite deep-fried chicken leg (生炸雞脾) this afternoon.

Iced milk tea (凍奶茶) — As usual, I started with a glass of iced milk tea. The tea was again very smooth and velvety, with deep tea flavors.

Deep-fried chicken thigh and scrambled egg over rice (生炸雞髀炒蛋 配飯) — This beloved street-food staple features a thick-breaded piece of chicken thigh and drumstick, served alongside a serving of runny scrambled eggs. It’s finished off nicely with a homemade sweet soy. Pretty solid!

It's always nice to be back in Sheung Wan for this. Now time to go back to work.

Food Rating: 5.4/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, 3 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Sheung Wan

Tel: +852 2352-7778

Working Hours: 7:30am - 9:00pm daily

Right Tea-rific 威水茶檔 by Flower Drum 鋒膳 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Right Tea-rific (威水茶檔) is a modern cha chaan teng in Wan Chai, brought to us by the team behind Flower Drum (鋒膳). I’ve been intrigued by the photos of their egg tarts and pineapple bun with butter (菠蘿油) doing the rounds on social media over the past few months. With an early meeting in Wan Chai this morning, it gave the perfect excuse to drop by for a quick breakfast.

Despite the limited space, I managed to get a seat without having to share a table with a stranger.

A closer look at the menu made it clear their breakfast offering isn’t quite the usual Wan Chai tea restaurant fare. You won’t find classic satay beef noodles or that familiar instant-noodle combo with egg and luncheon meat. Instead, the lineup leans more towards polished, “classy” sandwiches and homemade bakery goods.

Iced milk tea (凍奶茶) — The tea was pretty strong and it would likely be better off with a little more condensed milk for a smoother, rounder profile. But despite being slightly off balance, I thought I thoroughly enjoyed that tea base (茶底).

Pineapple bun with butter (菠蘿油) — Not exactly how I drew it up. I was looking for a bowl of instant noodles but when that wasn't unavailable, I improvised.

This was quite decent. If the bun was served hotter so the butter could melt a bit more — I think it would taste even better.

Flower Drum is known for its barbecued meats, so I was honestly surprised their menu doesn’t feature a few of its signature items like char siu. Adding those would likely make the fans very happy.

P.S.  There’s no breakfast set served here, ladies and gentlemen. It’s à la carte only.

Food Rating: 5.8/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop D, G/F, Harvard Commercial Building, 105-111 Thomson Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Wan Chai

Tel: +852 6805-1818

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

OUR Bakery MixC World 萬象天地店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Dubai chocolate — the viral, luxurious chocolate bar known for its creamy pistachio–tahini filling and crispy toasted kataifi ("knafeh") — has absolutely taken the world by storm since it first blew up in late 2023.

Since then, the concept has expanded far beyond the original bar. In Hong Kong alone, I’ve seen Dubai chocolate brioche, toast, cakes, and more all carrying the same signature flavor combo. In Korea, it’s the viral Korean Dubai chocolate chewy cookie (or dujjonkku) that’s currently making waves in Seoul.

This Korean version takes direct inspiration from the original Dubai chocolate bar: chocolate + pistachio + shredded kataifi. But here’s the twist — this cookie comes with a thin chocolate marshmallow shell, giving it an almost rice-cake–like chew rather than a traditional cookie bite.

I had the chance to finally experience it personally while we were at MixC World (萬象天地) in Shenzhen this afternoon.

OUR Bakery is one of the few Korean bakery spots in Shenzhen and Hong Kong offering this popular cookie. They make them fresh in-house in an onsite kitchen — small batches, one tray at a time.

Little nugget decided to grab a soft serve here while we waited for our chewy Dubai chocolate cookie.

It took a while but eventually a fresh tray of Dubai chocolate cookies came out. As expected, it didn’t last long (sold out in minutes) but we didn’t waste a second grabbing a few on the go.

Dubai chocolate cookie (¥23) — This really tasted more like a mochi than a cookie. It delivers the flavor explosion of the original Dubai chocolate in every single chew.

The outer “crust” flavored with cocoa powder, is slightly chewy, almost like a glutinous rice wrapper. Inside is the same famous filling: creamy pistachio–tahini blended with crispy toasted kataifi.

I thought the texture was a little funny at times (cuz I was expecting a cookie not a mochi) but I did enjoy the soft, sticky mixture of melted marshmallow, cocoa powder, and butter combining well with the rich fillings of crunchy toasted kataifi (shredded pastry), creamy pistachio paste, and tahini.

According to my little personal assistant (AI), a Korean Dubai chocolate cookie goes for around $40 to $70 these days, so these ones at OUR Bakery selling at ¥23, these ones at OUR Bakery are definitely a huge bargain.

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop NL167, MixC World, Shennan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China

深圳市南山区深南大道华润万象天地NL167号铺

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

Tel: +86 (0755) 8696-5772

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 12:00am daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/e5/TauM

 

Tao Tao Ju One Avenue 陶陶居 卓悦中心店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Little nugget has finally survived his exam period, so as a small celebration, we decided to bring him north of the border for an afternoon of unlimited game time.

As usual, we snuck in some dim sum lunch in between to rest our sore hands. Venue? Our favorite dim sum spot in Shenzhen — Tao Tao Ju (陶陶居).

Signature Hong Kong-style milk tea (招牌港式奶茶) (¥10) — Recently, I found that Tao Tao Ju is offering their Hong Kong-style milk tea on Dianping (大眾點評) at a discounted ¥10. Just claim your bottle there, and ask your server to scan the QR code. Save a few bucks for the rest of the meal.

Pan-fried turnip cake (香煎蘿蔔糕) (¥26) — Very nice texture as always. I wouldn’t mind a bit more preserved meat, though.

Sizzling stir-fried lettuce in clay pot (啫啫生菜煲) (¥49) — Yeah, some greens for a more balanced meal.

Barbecued pork "snowballs" (叉燒雪花球) (¥30) — The chewy glutinous rice balls were again attracting some serious attention (at least from little nugget). And no, I wasn’t letting fat boy take my piece.

Stir-fried Yunnan rice with preserved meat (招牌臘味炒雲南熊貓米) (¥58) — A new creation again. If you take away the “panda rice” gimmick, it’s basically fried rice with preserved meat. This one was just so-so. Definitely a dish we could skip next time.

Stir-fried rice rolls with beef briskets (牛腩啫珍珠腸) (¥36) — For some strange reason, this came in a much smaller bowl today, and the portion shrank accordingly. We were all joking that they probably ran out of the “normal” bowl, and that the cleaning lady was working overtime to get these ones cleaned in time.

Tao Tao Ju jumbo prawn dumpling (陶陶居大蝦餃) (¥36) — As always, very, very tasty. I even had the honor of having little nugget’s piece as he was already full. Yeah, it’s a shame this arrived as the last dish.

This guy finally got his unlimited game time today. Let's hope his exam results came back worth of his reward.

 

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address:  Shop L233, East Zone, Level 2 One Avenue, Fuhua Road, Futian, Guangzhou, China

深圳市福田区福华路卓悦中心商场东区L233号铺

Closest Metro Station: Gangxia (岗厦)

Tel: +86 (755) 8299-8870

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

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/39/WOi

Myth Jokbal Causeway Bay (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Myth Jokbal (豬腳小姐) is our go-to spot in Myeongdong (明洞) whenever we’re craving bossam and jokbal, the two most reliable Korean pork comfort foods in Seoul. Most of the time when we arrived in the Korean capital, we would immediately head there after checking into our hotel.

This time, we were spending the afternoon in Causeway Bay. I didn’t realize they had an outpost in Hong Kong, so I was genuinely surprised when I stumbled across a branch on Tang Lung Street (登龍街). Could it possibly fill the role of our dinner venue tonight? 🤔🤔🤔

Bossam and Jokbal ($438) — This came as a 3–4 person portion, accompanied by small plates of Korean condiments. They really know how to make an entrance. The giant silver platter was stacked with both bossam and jokbal, and it looked absolutely impressive the moment it hit the table.

In case you don’t know, bossam is boiled, lean pork belly normally served with wraps, while Jokbal is braised pig's trotters cooked in a sweet soy-sauce mix, offering a chewier texture. Both are easily some of my favorite Korean dishes.

The pork belly here was fattier than what I’ve had in Seoul, but in a good way—it translated into a richer mouthfeel and a more satisfying bite.

As for the braised pig trotters, they were nicely chewy and held up beautifully against the sweet soy sauce. The balance was spot-on. Yum.

I’d say Myth is one of the most authentic Korean dining experiences you can find in Hong Kong, especially if you’re specifically here for bossam and jokbal.

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop C, G/F, Soundwill Plaza II - Midtown, 1-29 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Causeway Bay

Tel: +852 6717-1238

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 5:00pm - 11:00pm daily

Chee Kei Lucky Star 池記幸運星 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

People have been talking for years about the decline of the local F&B industry, and how even century-old institutions haven’t been able to survive. Thankfully, there are still plenty of good cafés and restaurants that stay alive and kicking, and Chee Kei Lucky Star (池記幸運星) is one of those reliable ones we can always count on.

On our recent visits, though, the quality (of a few signature dishes) had noticeably slipped. Still, I thought it was the best option for our afternoon tea in Causeway Bay this afternoon.

Iced milk tea (凍奶茶) — The iced milk tea was still reliably good. The tea flavor came through nicely, and there was definitely enough milk for a lovely balance.

Wonton noodles (雲吞麵) — I’ve always been a fan of their pineapple bun with butter and noodle soup with brisket, but this afternoon, I decided to go with something simpler — a bowl of wonton noodles.

This was pretty good: the noodles had a nice bite, and the wontons were packed with wonderful flavor. I also loved the generous dusting of savory, dried shrimp roe adding an umami-rich boost to the whole dish.

But it really was the tale of two cities. Jelloman and little one both felt that the beef brisket wasn’t quite up to what it used to be, and that the bread didn’t feel as fresh as before.

So… does this mean another cafe will soon land on our black list?

Food Rating: 5.6/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, 1-3 Pak Sha Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Causeway Bay

Tel: +852 2886-1683

Opening Hours: 7:30am - 11:00pm daily

EN Coffee Causeway Bay (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

It was a great lunch at Roganic. I have always enjoyed my dining experiences there and I think I am already missing this place!

After lunch, I spent some time strolling around the busy streets of Causeway Bay. It’s been a tough few weeks dealing with family matters and trying to resolve conflicts between different family members (including me). I’ve never been a good negotiator, and being the youngest in the family definitely doesn’t help.

While I was enjoying my quiet me time, I decided to add two coffee shops in the area to my agenda. Both are well known for their hand-drip coffee, but I was more interested in their dessert menus this afternoon.

EN Coffee (often stylized as E N) was the second café on my lineup. The moment I stepped onto their mezzanine level, I knew it was special — the place was absolutely buzzing with people of all ages. Their coffee menu includes some high-quality, artisanal specialty coffee options, and they also have enough small bites like sandwiches and a duck wrap to make the visit extra satisfying.

Basque cheesecake — I went straight to dessert with their signature basque cheesecake. It’s known for its soft, runny, almost foamy texture, so it was an easy choice for me.

I really love the fluffy, wobbly texture, but personally I'd like it to be a little more cheesy. 

The temperature was also a little off for me. It was slightly too frosty for me. I like it served closer to room temperature (if that’s possible). This reminded me a lot of the cheesecake from Mr. Cheesecake. Like a dense defrosting custard.

And that’s another basque cheesecake crossed off the list this week. I just hope I can keep up this pace — one basque cheesecake a week!

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop G06, Leighton Centre, 77 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Causeway Bay

Tel: +852 6628-3034

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

Cannubi Enoteca Cucina K11 Musea (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★☆☆☆

I’m back at K11 Musea for a quick lunch again this afternoon after a short meeting nearby. After my recent visit to BluHouse not too long ago, I was planning to steer clear of another Italian meal but the moment I stumbled upon Cannubi Enoteca Cucina, I realized I haven’t been back for ages.

This is the casual sister restaurant of Michelin-starred Tuber by Umberto Bombana, serving casual Italian comfort food with high-quality ingredients. I remembered having a really lovely dining experience here a few years ago.

Some piping hot sourdough bread served with olive oil. I barely ate this morning, so by this point I realized I was genuinely starving.

Seared scallops, breadcrumbs, fennel salad — My server insisted there was “nothing special” about these scallops and tried to steer me towards the warm white asparagus, which the chef obviously highly recommended. But sorry, I wanted scallops this afternoon.

And they were pretty nicely done. The two pieces were seared to golden brown colors and complemented well by a simple fennel salad and crispy breadcrumbs.

Alaskan cod, clams, seafood jus — I was torn between a pasta dish and a main (and then, of course, whether to go for meat or seafood?). In the end, I opted for the Alaskan cod in a rich, flavorful seafood jus. 

The cod itself was a little small in portion but I thought it did a wonderful job soaking up the essence of the broth.

I really didn’t like the service from my server this afternoon AT ALL. It felt very old-school, like the kind of experience you might have at some upscale Chinese restaurants.

Once I got settled, he came over and started recommending the most expensive dishes with supplements (such as white asparagus and linguine with Carabinero red prawn). And when I didn’t take his advice, he was clearly not happy about it. He was showing it on his face and never did come back to check up on me again (which was fine with me).

But of course, I wasn't going to let that little incident ruin the rest of my day.

P.S.  I’m not one of those diners who flashes cash — although even the richest mogul in town might still prefer abalone mushrooms to abalone on some days, right?

Food Rating: 6.6/10

Price: $$$$

Address: Shop 113A, 1/F, K11 Musea, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: East Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 2133-4903

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

Gentle Pasta PAFC Mall 黑手制面 平安金融中心店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Gentle Pasta (黑手制面) is an American pasta bar with a Chinese-fusion twist that’s been on my to‑do list for ages. I finally found an outpost near my hangout spots in Shenzhen this week and just couldn’t wait to try out their pasta dishes.

We arrived slightly after 5pm and not surprisingly, there were still tables available both inside and outside the restaurant.

I wasted no time scrolling through their electronic food menu and it was indeed full of enticing fusion dishes from starter to mains.

A little bit of humor. 🤣🤣🤣

Caesar salad (凱蕯沙律) (¥25) — I needed some fibre and this Caesar salad was just perfect. I don’t like salads drowning in salad dressing so this was spot on.

Pumpkin cream soup (烤南瓜堅果奶油湯) — This was included as part of the pasta set. Silky and creamy, it struck a pleasant balance of sweet and savory.

Crispy tofu with crab roes (蟹黃配酥炸雲朶豆腐) (¥38) — Very Chinese in style. The fluffy crab-roe sauce was nicely complemented by a lovely acidic counterpoint from purple onion and what I thought was ginger.

Deep fried squid (酥炸魷魚) (¥33) — Nicely executed. The accompanying aioli tasted a little like fermented black beans with a bit of spicy kick.

Genovese sea king pasta (熱那亞風騷海皇意麵) (¥66) — The first main event tonight was a new creation here. The linguini was nicely tossed in a tomato based sauce with prawns, squid and clams, finished off with shaved Parmesan and chili oil. This was pretty delicious and the extra kick added a nice touch to the dish.

French red wine braised beef ribs pasta (法式紅酒燉牛肋排意麵) (¥78) — Same lovely texture from the linguine, topped with a braised rib. 

Comforting and rich.

We finally got to dine at one of the buzziest pasta bars in Guangzhou, and the food mostly lived up to the hype. Both the starters and pasta were very good, and I just love the wide selection of east-meets-west fusion. My only gripe: a restaurant celebrated for its fresh-made pasta should offer more than just linguine. Angel hair, lasagne, pappardelle — anyone?

Food Rating: 6.4/10

Price: ¥¥

Address: Shop 110, Level 1 South Tower, 5033 Yitian Road, Futian, Shenzhen, China

深圳市福田区福田街道福安社区益田路5033号平安金融中心南塔L1层110号铺

Closest Metro Station: Shopping Park (購物公園)

Tel: +86 13543918357

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 2:00pm, 5:00pm - 9:30pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/3d/bEdM