Five Guys Neuhauser (Munich, GERMANY) ★★★☆☆

My son has been hounding me to take him to Five Guys for a frosty shake ever since we spotted its outpost in Old Town yesterday afternoon — and he simply won’t let it go.

This location sits right on pedestrian Neuhauser Straße and spans over three stories. Apparently, the locals are crazy about their smoky burgers, fries, and shakes. So before the popular American burger joint officially opened at 10:30am, there was already a modest line waiting outside. 

Milkshake (€7.65) — Unlike Five Guys in Hong Kong, you don’t choose the flavor of the ice cream for your shake. It defaults to vanilla, but you can customize it with up to 10 add-ins — think Oreo cookies, bacon, pistachios, peanut butter, strawberries, and more. They enhance the vanilla flavor, but mainly serve as accents rather than taking center stage.

To be honest, I was kind of glad little guy brought us there, because by the time we arrived, I was super thirsty. 

I guess the 12-hour flight had quietly drained us.

Price: €€€

Address: Neuhauser Straße 1, 80331 München-Altstadt-Lehel, Germany

Closest Metro Station: Karlsplatz / Marienplatz

Tel: +49 89 2354-8362

Website: https://fiveguys.de/

Opening Hours: 10:30am - 11:30pm (Sun - Thu), 10:30am - 12:00am (Fri - Sat)

UZU Rhythm Cafeteria & Souvenir (Naruto, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

Very much like G.ELM, running into UZU Rhythm was pure coincidence. After visiting the Tokushima Prefectural Uzu-no-Michi Walkway, an enclosed pedestrian promenade built inside the lower structure of the massive Ōnaruto Bridge get a closer look at the Naruto whirlpools (鳴門漩渦), I wanted to check out some souvenirs from one of the nearby souvenir shops.

Lo and behold, an incredibly smoky aroma suddenly drifted my way. The place was called UZU Rhythm Cafeteria & Souvenir, a souvenir shop that also doubles as a burger joint with a proper sit-down area.

In fact, the café area actually boasts a partial view of Onaruto Bridge and and you can even catch the same walkway we just experienced earlier.

UZU-ship cream soda (700 yen) — Little nugget finally caught up with me while the rest of the crew was still making their way over.

Of course, he couldn’t resist having a refreshing icy soda topped with a soft serve!

Premium burger (1,500 yen) — The premium burger was a double-decker featuring two smoky beef patties made with A5 Awa beef (阿波牛).

The beef was tender, juicy, and smoky — without being overly fatty, even with A5 beef. And to make it even more delicious, it was piled high with an amazing amount of juicy caramelized onions. These are the same “patented” local onions that helped put Awaji Island (淡路島) on the map. Not surprisingly, I had to fight little one for my half of the burger. 🍔 

While the team was enjoying their burgers, I went outside to check out the view, and it was nothing short of jaw-dropping. 

As mentioned by many tourist reviews, this could be the best spot for selfies with the bridge and even the whirlpools in the background. 

Needless to say, I took quite a few myself despite the scorching heat.

We almost considered skipping this tourist highlight but we were glad we didn't. But hey, we still had lost time to make up, with Kobe up next as we have some shopping to do at the Mitsui Outlet Park Marine Pia.

Food Rating: 6.6/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 65-3 Fukuike Narutocho Tosadomariura, Naruto, Tokushima, 772-0053, Japan

Tel: +81 (0)88-687-0021

Website: https://uzurhythm.jp/

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 4:00pm daily

No Milkshake No Life Morning Queue (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Little nugget has been longing for a chance to return to his favorite burger joint — No Milkshake No Life (NMNL), for a while. When his written examination finally wrapped up this week, I thought it was definitely time for a little celebration.

Interestingly, No Milkshake No Life has started offering a booking service now, though it was only available through WhatsApp (or call).

As usual, we kicked things off with a couple of frosty milkshakes. I ordered an Oreo shake to whet my appetite. 

As for little nugget, the brand new taro shake.

NMNL Signature Pancake Burger ($112) — Buttermilk pancakes with bacon, fried eggs, and portobello mushroom in the middle, finished with NMNL’s secret recipe savory honey syrup.

It was just as satisfying as little one remembered.

He was obviously taking his time to cherish this moment!

Grilled Chicken and Egg Burger ($72) — I hadn’t tried their chicken burger before, but it was surprisingly delicious. The chicken steak paired really well with the generous amount of caramelized onion.

That was another great outing at NMNLML. I’m really glad we made the trip over for this one.

Food Rating: 6.6/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop G01, G/F, Mei Kwai House, 13 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Shek Kip Mei

Tel: +852 9816-3818

Website: www.nomilkshakenolife.com

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 7:00pm (Tue - Sun)

Sick! Burger Central (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I don’t usually find myself in Central on a weekend especially not for food but tonight, I am a man on a mission. A burger mission.

It led me down to BaseHall 01, the buzzy gourmet food hall tucked away in the basement of Jardine House. Despite it being a weekend (when Central can feel deserted at times), the place was surprisingly packed.

The reason we were here? Sick! Burger – the brainchild of Chef Chun-wan Lai, who recently clinched the title of champion on reality cooking show "Red Hot Chef". With a fine dining pedigree and something to prove on the fast-casual scene, Chef Lai isn’t just flipping patties. He’s flipping expectations.

Taro and vita-milk shake ($60) – This was an interesting one. A playful blend of taro mochi, taro powder, fresh cream and, supposedly, Vita-milk. I loved the idea but the execution felt a little shy on flavor. The taro stood out fine and the iconic taste of Vita-milk barely registered. A fun concept, but not quite the creamy, nostalgic hit I was hoping for.

Sweet potato fries ($58) – A little on the hard side and borderline dry. The natural sweetness of the sweet potato also didn’t really shine through.

Signature Sick! Burger ($155) – This guy has been here three times already and couldn't stop raving about this burger ever since. He has even gone as far as declaring it the best burger he’s ever had. Bold claim. I had to see for myself.

With Chef Lai's fine dining background, I was a little curious on how he does flipping burgers. 

The burger arrived looking every bit as good as advertised: a juicy Angus beef patty, perfectly seared, nestled between a pillowy brioche bun. It was topped with a sunny side up egg, crispy bacon, fresh tomato slices, caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese (almost fully melted). But what really elevates it? A delicate drizzle of ponzu sauce that cuts through the richness and pulls everything together beautifully.

While I am not sure it was the best burger I've ever had, it was definitely one of the better ones 

in town right now. And I know this too.....it was well worth the trip to BaseHall on a Saturday.

Food Rating: 6.6/10

Price: $$$

Address: BaseHall01, LG/F, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Central / Hong Kong

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 8:30pm (Mon - Sat)

No Milkshake No Life Morning Queue (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

With the new school year just getting underway, little nugget has been working hard to get back into shape for better academic results. Understandably, we haven’t had much time, or appetite, for food adventures lately, as we've mostly stayed home and studied through the weekends. To my surprise, the little boy finally spoke up today and asked if we could go somewhere nice for dinner. His choice? No Milkshake No Life – Morning Queue.

Needless to say, I was all too happy to oblige. I’ve always been a fan of No Milkshake No Life’s over-the-top milkshakes and those indulgent pancake burgers.

Oreo milkshake ($59) – It was a pretty hot day out there today so we all got ourselves a frosty drink to start off the meal. To no one's surprise, little one and his old man got off to a fast start with an Oreo shake.

Wagyu cheese and egg burger with cajun fries ($138) – This burger came stacked with a juicy wagyu beef patty (Australian, I assume?), caramelized onions, fried egg, melted cheese, and a house-made secret sauce.

It's been a while since we last visited NMNL so maybe it was nostalgia, but this really hit the spot (except for the fries which were a little too heavy-handed with seasoning).

Signature pancake burger ($112) – My teammates each went for the pancake burger, one of the most popular and unique items on the menu.

Two fluffy buttermilk pancakes sandwiched with crispy bacon, fried eggs, and juicy portobello mushrooms in between. As usual, it was finished off with their savory-sweet syrup.

Safe to say, this guy was thrilled to be reunited with his favorite burger again.

Nagoya wings ($52) – These single-bone chicken wings were coated in a slightly-thick and crunchy batter and drizzled with a teriyaki-style sauce that was savory, sweet and spicy at the same time.

It was great to be back after more than a year. With everyone leaving full and happy, maybe we should really do this a little more often.

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop G01, G/F, Mei Kwai House, 13 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Shek Kip Mei

Tel: +852 9816-3818

Website: www.nomilkshakenolife.com

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 7:00pm (Tue - Sun)

Shake Shack MixC World 萬象天地店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

I miss the days when Hong Kong truly came alive at night. Lately, whenever we were on the streets after 9pm, most restaurants and cafés were already shuttered for the day. It's a far cry from what it used to be before the pandemic.

Shenzhen certainly tells a different story, especially MixC World (萬象天地) in Nanshan. Even at 11pm, the upscale mall was buzzing with energy. Some of the eateries remained open and packed, and the air very much filled with life. It felt like a place that simply refused to sleep.

We weren't in the mood to sit down for a bite so we ended up grabbing a few items from Shake Shack on the go instead.

Of course, a meal at Shake Shack won't be complete without a couple of these frosty shakes.

Time to get back to the hotel and unwrap our midnight snack in the comfort of our room.

Crispy shrimps (¥38) – The texture of these white shrimps was actually quite satisfying. Stringy and bouncy in a good way but the spicy kick was a little over the top for me.

Hot Chicken (¥53) – The deep-fried chicken steak had a nice crunch and decent flavor, but again, the seasoning was way too peppery and spicy easily overpowering the natural taste of the chicken. We ended up not finishing it.

What stuck with me most was the atmosphere at MixC World tonight. Even late into the night, the place was alive and vibrant. People hanging out at cafés and restaurants, with no intention of going home. It was a refreshing contrast, a glimpse of the nightlife we’ve all been missing in Hong Kong.

Food Rating: 5.2/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: NL101, MixC World, Shennan Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China

深圳市南山区深南大道华润万象天地NL101号铺

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

Tel: +86 (755) 2691-3606

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

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/fc/wQZJ

Shake Shack COCO Park (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

I wasn’t planning a trip to Shake Shack in Shenzhen anytime soon but that quickly changed when I discovered they were offering a limited-time avocado shake (牛油果香椰奶昔).

As someone who’s a total sucker for anything with avocado, I couldn’t possibly resist. And since we were already in 福田星河 COCO Park for lunch this afternoon, it made perfect sense to stop by for a frosty treat afterwards.

The avocado shake is a refreshing blend of avocado purée, coconut water, and Shake Shack’s signature vanilla frozen custard (aka “concrete”). It’s surprisingly filling, making it a great option for summer — cool, creamy and quite thirst-quenching.

I was expecting a thick, avocado-heavy shake but the addition of coconut water actually lightened the texture quite a bit. Not sure if that was intentional, but either way, it was a tasty and satisfying summer indulgence.

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop L029, B1F COCO Park, 268 Fuhua Road 3rd, Futian, Shenzhen, China

深圳市福田区福华三路268号星河COCO Park 一期B1层L029号铺

Closest Metro Station: Shopping Park (購物公園)

Tel: +86 (755)82710512

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

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/be/DQLh

Shake Shack Citygate (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Late last night, I got a memo from Jelloman notifying me that we would be going to Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car tomorrow afternoon. While I have been to Tian Tan Big Buddha (天壇大佛) a couple of times before, I have never had the pleasure of riding on the famously scenic cable car before. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to this.

Our original plan was to enjoy the vegetarian meal at Po Lin Monastery (寶蓮禪寺) on Lantau Island, but on second thought, we might just grab a light bite at Citygate when we pass through Tung Chung.

It's been a while since I last had a meal at Shake Shack so of course, I couldn't resist the temptation of washing down their tasty burgers with some of those frosty milkshakes.

As for the little nugget, he was practically melting in the sweltering heat and clearly needed that shake to cool off!

I had an interesting exchange with one of the servers here. When I asked if my burgers could be sliced in half, she politely declined, explaining that it was "against company policy". Quite frankly, I'd love to see that company policy in writing.

 

Food Rating: 6/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop G20, G/F, Citygate Outlets, 20 Tat Tung Road, Tung Chung, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tung Chung

Tel: +852 2987-1718

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