Regent Hotel Cake Shop (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Jelloman’s birthday is coming up soon, so I’ve been on the lookout for a birthday cake for her as part of the celebration. This is always going to be a tough call, since we’ve already exhausted most of the cake options over the years.

The Regent Hotel Cake Shop came to mind after I stumbled upon its small but refined selection of pastries on social media. I thought it was worth trying for this occasion.

They are only offering a handful of birthday cake options including honeycomb cake, strawberry Charlotte cake, Peruvian chocolate cake, and different flavors of mille-feuille.

Honeycomb cake ($368) — One of the more popular creations here.

This wasn’t a sophisticatedly designed cake. The delicate layer of pecan sponge was hugged by some deeply aromatic longan honey mousse, supposedly to create a palate-soothing experience.

I thought the heart and soul of the cake — the organic longan honey harvested from a local farm in Hong Kong’s New Territories, would provide the highly distinct, floral sweetness to elevate the pillowy sponge. But those floral flavors never stood out as planned. Yes, there was sweetness (honey) and a lemony note (citrus coulis) to pair with the sponge, but it still wasn’t quite enough to satisfy the more discerning palates.

Texture-wise, there was also something sorely missing — something crisp or crunchy to add contrast to the soft, fluffy textures.

Food Rating: 6.1/10

Price: $$$$

Address: 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: East Tsim Sha Tsui / Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 2721-1211

Website: https://regenthkshop.com/collections/cake