AVA (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

AVA (formerly known as AMA) is a popular artisanal chocolatier just a few steps from Ttukseom station, celebrated for its handmade chocolate with pistachio and peanut spreads.

With the viral Korean chewy cookies taking the world by storm a couple of years ago, it’s no surprise that they were among the first to incorporate them into their menu. Since one of my missions on this trip was to unearth some of the best Korean chewy cookies in Seoul, it made perfect sense to swing by and see what they had to offer. 

I still get a little confused by the name, though — the signage outside says AVA, while the menu and packing still use the former name, AMA. 🤦🏻‍♂️

I was mainly looking for their Dubai chocolate chewy cookies but as it turned out, they also have it in almond and macadamia flavors.

Dubai chewy cookie (₩7,000) — The texture was wonderfully mochi-like on the outside. 

I liked that it wasn’t overly sweet, although both the chocolate and pistachio flavors were less pronounced than I have expected. For a chocolatier, I was hoping for a bit more intensity in the outer cookie layer but nevertheless it was still pretty tasty. 

They don’t have a dine-in area, so I ended up sitting in a nearby park to enjoy it. Not surprisingly, I made a complete mess with the chocolate powder. 😆

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 656-1112 Seongsu-dong 1(il)-ga, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Ttukseom

Tel: +82 02-2088-4794

Opening Hours: 2:00pm - 8:00pm daily

Cafe Nudake Haus Dosan (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

After starting my journey in Dosan Park with a vanilla Basque cheesecake at CHIZN (치즈앤), I wasn’t ready to leave the neighborhood’s sweets scene yet. Next up, I'm exploring the sweet treats at Cafe Nudake Haus Dosan.

Tucked in the basement of Gentle Monster’s flagship eyewear store, Cafe Nudake Haus Dosan delivers one of the most distinctive and conceptual café experiences in all of Gangnam. Here, desserts are treated less like baked goods and more like avant-garde art pieces blending high-end fashion, surrealist visuals, and experimental gastronomy.

     

A visit feels more like a tour of a modern art gallery than a typical café stop. This was my second time at their Dosan branch, so I already knew exactly what was coming — striking color combinations, unexpected textures, and sculptural forms, with samples of their creations lined up along the wooden benches.

Having already tried the signature items like the Tart Moon, I decided to go with something lighter and more refreshing this time, especially after the rich Basque cheesecake I enjoyed not long ago.

Tomato 🍅 (₩12,000) — A clear jelly filled with a vibrant red strawberry-and-tomato compote hidden inside a chocolate core.

The jelly itself carries a tropical edge highlighted by notes of coriander, lime, and soy. There was also an earthy, vegetal undertone rounding things out, that resembles the flavor of a real tomato. 

While I liked the innovative side of this dessert, it felt more like a palate cleanser from a multi-course meal. Refreshing, yes but satisfying? Well, it depends…

Food Rating: 5.9/10

Price: ₩₩₩₩

Address: 649-8 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Apgujeong / Apgujeong Rodeo

Tel: +82 070-4128-2125

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 9:00pm daily

Low Roof 로우루프 (Seoul, SOUTH KOREA) ★★★☆☆

Located directly across the street from the O’Sulloc Tea House, Low Roof (로우루프) is a café, bakery, and pastry shop all under one roof. The space spans three spacious floors, each with a slightly different theme.

The ground-floor bar area is a convenient spot for a quick sip of their signature beverages. The bakery section looked interesting, blending modern baking techniques with classic Korean flavors. Unfortunately, their standout chestnut cream croissant was nowhere to be found. Instead, the oversized Dirty Chocolate Au Pain immediately caught my eye. (No Dubai chocolate version, though.)

I decided to climb the stairs to check out the other floors.

Second floor: Some fabric seating and a shared table in the middle — it felt a bit like a kids’ playroom.

Third floor: More like a meeting space in a commercial building.

I didn’t get to see their traditional hanok backyard, which has made the place so famous, since it was already closed for the day.

After walking up the hill to Bukchon Hanok Village, I certainly wouldn’t mind a frosty drink. Perhaps with a slice of cake. 😜😜

Green tea latte (₩6,500) — The green tea flavor was very light; instead, it was extremely milky.

Sikhye rice mousse cake (₩9,200) — One of the café’s most unique desserts. A nice effort to blend Korean heritage with modern French pastry technique. 

The pastry was designed to mimic the elements of sikhye (traditional Korean sweet rice punch). A soft rice dacquoise base paired with a rice coulis, was topped nicely with a smooth cream made of rice and jocheong (traditional Korean brown rice syrup). Hidden inside was an unexpected core of sikhye jelly and persimmon cream. There was also rice in the syrup to give the dessert some extra texture.

All in all, not bad. But if I had to be picky, a bit of sharp acidity or a firm, crunchy base wouldn’t hurt.

I was really happy to snap a few photos at the Bukchon Hanok Village just before sunset.

Two quick desserts in a row, and I’m starting to realize I might not need dinner after all.

Food Rating: 6.1/10

Price: ₩₩₩

Address: 175-2 Gahoe-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Closest Metro Station: Anguk

Tel: +82 2-747-0709

Website: https://www.instagram.com/cafe_lowroof/?hl=en

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

Abebe Bakery Seoul (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Abebe Bakery Seoul is one of the city’s most viral dessert sensations in recent memory, famous for its decadent, Jeju Island-inspired cream-filled donuts and artisanal buns. Originally from Jeju Island, the bakery has built a loyal following with its soft, chewy breads filled with rich, inventive pastry creams.

I first came across the bakery while researching for my upcoming trip to Seoul. What I didn’t realize was that it had recently arrived in Hong Kong, soft-opening its first shop near K11 Art Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The shop offers a colorful selection of cream donuts and cream buns, showcasing ingredients from Jeju Island. Favorites include Jeju matcha and Wimi Hallabong, a vibrant local citrus fruit. Other signature flavors include Dirty Chocolate and Pistachio.

The main difference between the cream donuts and cream buns is their texture and preparation. The donuts are lightly fried and coated in sugar, crumbs, or cocoa powder while the buns are baked, dusted with Castella cake crumbs, and almost always have a thick, ultra-chewy layer of traditional Korean rice cake (mochi) at the bottom.

Black sesame cream donut ($38) — I’m a sucker for anything with black sesame ganache, so this was a no-brainer.

The black sesame crumb coating and rich black sesame pastry cream made this a dream treat for any black sesame lover. The only slight drawback was that the donut seemed to be lightly fried only on the outside, so it tasted more like a bun than a classic donut.

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop W, G/F, Ocean View Court, 31-43 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 9:30pm daily 

Manteigaria (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I’m back at Manteigaria for the first time since they debuted in Hong Kong back in June. The artisan bakery from Portugal, who has gained a loyal fanbase over the years, opened its first store in Hong Kong near The Central Market (中環街市), and I was on hand during its first week of operation to get my first taste of their signature pastel de nata. 

I brought some home for my team, and they just love the texture of the vanilla-infused egg custard and the crisp but slightly chewy shell. So, I wrote it down as a note to myself — a return visit is a must.

And return I did in August — but not to their Hong Kong outpost. Instead, I went to their branch in the heart of Paris, just steps from our apartment hotel during our stay in Paris. The textures and flavors were exactly how I remembered them from June.

Here in Hong Kong, it looks like the price has gone up a little since my first visit (now $15 each), but the flavors remain top-notch.

While Hongkongers might find it a little too sweet for their liking, I love the hint of vanilla and cinnamon. It makes it unique from the local egg tarts.

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop B G/F, Man Hing Commercial Building, 79-83 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Central

Tel: +852 6336-5059

Website: https://www.instagram.com/manteigaria.hk/?hl=en

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

Doughman Bakery & Coffee Tsuen Wan (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Little nugget is an absolute sucker for mango pomelo sago cream (楊枝甘露) so when I saw on the social media that Doughman Bakery is launching a limited-time only mango pomelo sago danish (楊枝甘露丹麥酥), I knew I had to get one for him.

Interestingly, it is only available at their Tsuen wan outpost but not their original Lai chi Kok flagship.

With this price tag, I knew immediately that it’s going to be a pretty tough sell.

Mango pomelo sago danish (楊枝甘露丹麥酥) ($33) — I joked with little guy that this looked and tasted a bit more like a Chinese youtiao.

I was hoping it would be rich and buttery, with a delicate, flaky crust but that wasn’t entirely the case. At the same time, the mango pomelo sago cream custard was way too artificial, lacking the freshness and fruitiness I was hoping for.

Like Jelloman said, it’s much less refined than any artisanal baked goods from the shop. They tried too hard to make this work.

Food Rating: 5/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 208-212, 2/F, Tsuen Kam Centre, 300-350 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan, NT, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsuen Wan

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

Santa Nata (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

The acclaimed Santa Nata from London has opened its first Asian venture in Central this July. Known for its 300-year-old traditional monastery recipe for making Pastel de Nata (Portuguese egg tarts), the brand has added an exciting twist to the local food scene just after Lisbon-based Manteigaria was welcomed here last month.

The shop features an open kitchen, allowing customers to watch their pastry chefs work diligently behind the scenes.

Pastel de Nata ($14) — This was noticeably less sweet than the ones from Manteigaria or those we’ve tasted in Portugal. Perhaps the recipe has been finely tuned to better suit local palates?

What I enjoyed most was the flaky pastry shell and the caramelized custard centre, infused with vanilla, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Overall, the flavor is gentler on the palate, thanks to its subtler sweetness.

Verdict:

Known for my seriously spoiled sweet tooth, I would say the Pastel de Nata from Santa Nata and Manteigaria are equally delicious. The difference really comes down to preference: do you like it sweeter (more authentic) or slightly less sweet (more healthy)?

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, 25-27 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Central

Tel: +852 3594-5724

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 9:00pm daily

Manteigaria Opéra (Paris, FRANCE) ★★★★☆

I’m back in Paris for the first time since 2024. We’re staying in the prestigious Place Vendôme area this time around, hoping to soak up a little more of the Parisian vibe. After a speedy check-in, we headed straight up to see our suite.

Soon after that, I went down to Cédric Grolet Opéra, the renowned pastry chef’s flagship Parisian bakery, pastry boutique, and tea room to pick up some of his signature creations. There was just one problem — I was about five minutes too late.

So, as a consolation, I ran across the street to a familiar place for a quick bite.

Manteigaria, of course, is the celebrated Portuguese pastry shop specializing in authentic pastéis de nata. It has four locations across Paris, including this one, directly across from Cédric Grolet Opéra where they share a space with Delta Coffee House Experience.

The pastéis de nata are freshly made and baked on site next to this flagship Paris location of Portugal’s premier coffee brand.

I’m no stranger to Manteigaria, who opened its first shop in Hong Kong two months ago. I stopped by during its first week to enjoy some of their amazing custard tarts.

This time, I knew better than to add any cinnamon powder, since the custard was already sweet enough for me. The tart was pretty delicious again. Crisp, slightly chewy puff pastry topped with silky, velvety custard, caramelized and infused with vanilla, with just a little runniness.



I was feeling a little hungry after our relatively small lunch this afternoon, so it’s no surprise that I was tempted to get a second tart. But with dinner coming up in about an hour, I wisely held off. The best way to resist the temptation of an afternoon snack was simply to go and check out more food. Yeah, that was the idea.

On my way to Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet, I took a few moments to admire the exterior of the Palais Garnier, also known as the Opéra Garnier.

When we visited in 2024, the front of the Palais Garnier was covered in scaffolding and protective tarps for ongoing façade restoration. It still is!

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: €€€

Address: 36 Avenue de l'Opéra, 75002 Paris, France

Closest Metro Station: Opéra

Tel: +33 (0)1 8332-0052

Website: https://manteigaria.com/fr/

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

Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Dudot (Metz, FRANCE) ★★★★☆

We’re doing a bit of glamping in the southern part of Metz tonight. To get us a little more prepared, we’re grabbing some supplies from a local supermarket before our check-in.

While my team was busy figuring out what to get from a nearby Auchan, I sneaked out for our sweet treats tonight at a neighborhood boulangerie-pâtisserie.

Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Dudot is a historic artisanal bakery institution in Metz. 

Founded by the Dudot family in 1936, the bakery and cake shop has grown into a beloved local staple with three distinct locations across the Metz area.

I was still deciding what to get from the boulangerie but after seeing this signage outside, I had a pretty good idea.

Eclair Paris-Brest (€3.5) — An éclair-shaped twist on the Paris-Brest, combining the elongated shape of a classic French éclair with the rich, nutty flavors of a traditional Paris-Brest.

Instead of the classic bicycle-wheel ring, this came in a straight-lined choux pastry éclair shell. The filling was a rich, velvety hazelnut praline crème mousseline, piped beautifully inside. The top of the choux was garnished with toasted, flaked hazelnuts, a light dusting of powdered sugar, and a praline-flavored glaze.

It was truly a hazelnut lover’s dream. The richness and nuttiness of the hazelnut praline meshed wonderfully well with the choux pastry. Crisp on the outside, firm yet light overall while keeping everything balanced.

Vanilla flan (€4.2) — 25-year-old pastry chef Clara Rodriguez from Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Dudot has won the national title of “Champion of France” for their pastry flan at the very first Concours National du Meilleur Flan Pâtissier (National Contest for the Best Pastry Flan). So, this was an easy pick for me.

In a perfect world, I would have bought an entire flan (€33) to enjoy for the week, but since we’re on the road, I elected to get a slice of this heavenly dessert instead.

This was simply incredible. Just very delicate and firm texture, and the aroma of vanilla was right on the money.

I’m so blessed to have had the spare ten minutes to sneak away for these two wonderful desserts. Let’s see if I can find the time to sample more while we’re still in Metz.

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: €€

Address: 22 Rue de Pont-à-Mousson, 57000 Metz, France

Tel: +33 (0)3 8762-6152

Website: http://www.boulangerie-dudot.com/

Opening Hours: 6:00am - 7:30pm (Mon - Fri), 6:00am - 7:00pm (Sat), 6:00am - 1:00pm (Sun)