Australia Dairy Company 澳洲牛奶公司 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

After a whirlwind July and August (at least the first half of August), things are finally settling down a bit at work. I still have an unbelievable number of meetings to attend every month, but at least there are fewer high-pressure situations than during our peak months. After an early-morning training session, I decided to stop by Australia Dairy Company (澳洲牛奶公司) for a quick lunch. I thought I haven't eaten there in years.

To my pleasant surprise, there were only two people in line at the famous Jordan cha chaan teng. Today must be my lucky day.

Fried egg, ham and buttered toast — Simple, but always satisfying. It arrived at my table less than a minute after I ordered. How cool is that?

Macaroni with barbecued pork — I wasn’t particularly hungry this afternoon, so something simple like this did the trick.

Iced milk tea — And, of course, one of my favorite milk teas in town to wash it all down. This is usually the first item to arrive, but I guess the drinks counter was especially busy during the lunch rush.

That was a quick 15-minute lunch. Time to head back to the office and finish up some work, cuz I’m flying out solo to Seoul tomorrow. Yeah finally, some me time in one of my favorite cities in the world. Looking forward to it!

Food Rating: 6/10
Price: $$$
Address: G/F, 47-49 Parkes Street, Jordan, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Jordan
Tel: +852 2730-1356
Opening Hours: 7:30am - 10:00pm (Fri - Wed)

Lin Man Kee 連文記冰室 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

I'm back at Lin Man Kee (連文記冰室), my neighborhood cha chaa teng for the first time since I moved into the area more than a decade ago. This morning, I have brought mom along as my breakfast partner. She's a newbie to the neighhorhood.

My colleagues at work have been raving about the rice noodles in rich fish maw broth for a while but it's not on the breakfast menu so I had to look at other options.

Iced milk tea — The tea flavor was a little light, but the generous amount of milk made it silky smooth enough for a pleasant mouthfeel.

Instant noodle with chicken steak — This was much better than last time. The broth was still a little light for my liking, but the noodles, pan-fried chicken steak, and egg were all reasonably good.

If they could improve the milk tea, I might find myself coming here more often.

Food Rating: 4.8/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop A, 1/F, Cheung Lung Industrial Building, 10 Cheung Yee Street, Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Lai Chi Kok

Tel: +852 3188-0027

Opening Hours: 7:00am - 8:30pm (Mon - Sat)

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 

Mugen Ramen Tsim Sha Tsui 無限ラーメン 尖沙咀店 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I was seeing my hairstylist on the National Day holiday to get my hair done this morning. Things got off to an early start, and I was finished by around 2pm just before most restaurants closed for lunch.

I decided to take a short walk to Hook Fook Street to check out the dining options and found exactly what I was looking for — Mugen Ramen (無限ラーメン). Just a simple, satisfying bowl of ramen.

Mugen Ramen is an incredibly popular ramen brand from Osaka, famous for its unique, ultra-creamy beef-bone paitan broth (牛骨白湯). Much like my favorite chicken paitan ramen, Mugen’s rich, collagen-packed beef broth is whipped until the surface becomes smooth, airy, and velvety white, almost like cappuccino foam.

Rich beef broth ramen (牛骨白湯) ($98) — This came with spring onions, green onions, bamboo shoots, aburi belly and thin sliced wagyu sirloin.

The broth was the obvious star here. It was absolutely packed with collagen making it thick and creamy without feeling overly oily. 

The rich, velvety beef broth coated the noodles perfectly.

Aburi pork belly (火炙叉燒) — Succulent and full of flavors.

Thinly sliced wagyu sirloin — It wasn’t as well-marbled or as generously portioned as it looked in the photo. Nevertheless, the beef was pretty soft and tender.

Marinated soft-boiled egg — This was extra but it was well worth the price tag. Just beautifully done.

Now I’m really regretting all those times I walked past their Shinsaibashi store on Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street without stopping in.

Food Rating: 6.9/10

Price: $$$

Address: G/F, 2 Hau Fook Street, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui

Tel: +852 5528-3469

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

GYU + bar by Miyoshi (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I first noticed GYU + bar by Miyoshi during its soft opening at Hysan Place a few months ago. Now that the Kyoto-based wood-fire-grilled wagyu specialist has officially opened doors in September, I thought it was time to pay it a long-overdue visit.

With its open kitchen and charcoal grills right at the heart of the action, I asked for a seat at the bar so I could get a closer look behind the scenes. 

Interestingly, my neighbors who were initially seated right next to me, found it too hot near the grill and asked to move elsewhere.

Wagyu tartare, egg yolk, smoked mayo, burdock — The three-course set started off with a small serving of wagyu tartare topped with egg yolk gel, smoked mayo and crispy burdock. I was instructed to mix everything together so that each bite would include a bit of every ingredient.

This wasn’t bad at all. The crispy burdock noodles paired reasonably well with the raw wagyu, but a little more smoked mayo (or perhaps some sort of jelly?) to bring it all together would have made it even more delicious.

A5 Wagyu rump, mashed potato, baby spinach — This was the sole reason I came here, baby! As always, the aroma of charred beef smelt so good.

My server didn’t even ask how I wanted my A5 wagyu rump cooked, so I trusted that they knew exactly what they were doing. And they sure did.

The four slices of well-marbled wagyu were charcoal-grilled to perfection (around medium) giving them a lovely smoky finish. The juicy, meltingly tender beef was served on a bed of baby spinach, alongside a thick slab of silky-smooth mashed potatoes, with a spiced sauce au poivre providing the finishing touch. For me, the succulent chargrilled wagyu alone was well worth the price tag.

Pain perdu — Dessert was brioche French toast served with a little black sugar and strawberry sorbet. A lovely sweet ending to lunch.

I’ve got some catching up to do at work this afternoon, so it’s time to head back to the office and suck it up.

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: $$$$

Address: Shop 401-404, 4/F, Lee Garden One, 33 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Causeway Bay

Tel: +852 2116-0593

Website: https://www.gyubar.com.hk/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:30pm, 5:00pm - 11:00pm (Sun - Thu), 11:30am - 3:30pm, 5:00pm - 11:30pm (Fri - Sat)

Finesse Patisserie (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

We are having a pre-festival feast at mom's new place ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival tonight. Since I was in Admiralty this afternoon, I thought I knew exactly what to get everyone for dessert tonight.

A few months ago, I bought desserts from Finesse Patisserie and they had drawn raving reviews from my team especially the white fromage tart which had a few of us all fighting over it. So, I am getting some sweet treats there this afternoon so mom can be involved in the fighting as well.

Tarte au fromage blanc (焗白芝士撻) ($72) — The simple-looking cheese tart has a thick, crunchy tart shell baked to perfectly crisp, golden finish.

What sets this cheese tart apart from the competition is the combination of two distinct layers inside. On the bottom is a light, airy, smooth cream cheese, topped nicely with an aromatic vanilla chantilly cream almost equally light. Those two layers, along with the lovely crunch from the shell, come together for a deeply satisfying dessert with different textures and levels of sweetness.

Pandan Coco (斑蘭 · 椰子) ($75) — My team members are all fans of pandan, so this is a no-brainer. 

This dessert features coconut whipped ganache, shredded coconut, pineapple compote, and kaya confiture on top of a crispy pandan tart shell. The standout part for me is the kaya jam as it ties everything together beautifully.

It was our first officially gathering at Mom’s new place. Hearing how comfortable she felt here really put a smile on my face. After all, I was the one who’s been urging her to move closer to me so this plan has to work out, for better or worse.

Food Rating: 7.4/10

Price: $$$$

Address: Shop B2, G/F, 9-11, St Francis Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Wanchai

Website: https://finesse-patisserie.com/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 7:00pm (Wed - Sat), 12:00pm - 6:00pm (Sun)

Tiffany Restaurant 名寶石餐廳 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

It wasn’t an easy decision, but we finally said goodbye to our family apartment after  it has served us for 40+ years. I was there for more than half of it. Now that it’s gone, I can only hope mom finds comfort in being a little closer to me and little nugget. I hope she settled into our peaceful, cozy neighborhood.

And interestingly enough, we’re back in mom’s old area this afternoon for little nugget’s lessons. For nostalgia’s sake, I decided to go back to Tiffany Restaurant (名寶石餐廳) for our late lunch. It felt like the perfect little detour — a trip down memory lane.

As far as I could remember, Tiffany Restaurant used to be called “Ruby Restaurant” (紅寶石餐廳). Back then, the group had a few branches across Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Dad used to love visiting the one near our home. He wasn’t the kind of man who splurged on fancy meals often, so we mostly came on special occasions.

I had a strange feeling the moment we walked in this afternoon. Everything looked the same — the decor, the menu, even the familiar faces from the service team. But deep down, I could feel something different inside me. This no longer felt like our “hood”.

The tea tasted just as strong as it did twenty years ago. It was that particular kind of boldness you don’t normally get from a Hong Kong-style soy sauce western restaurant.

I ordered the deep-fried grouper fillet like I always do. Even though Tiffany Restaurant is a Hong Kong-style soy sauce western restaurant, they always seemed to use high-quality ingredients. Maybe that’s why the old patrons keep coming back. 

The thick slice of grouper fillet was again pretty delicious again — crispy on the outside, tender and satisfying within. Newer generations of soy sauce western restaurants probably wouldn’t bother with produce like this, at these kinds of prices.

And just as we were settling in, this guy arrived in time for dessert.

I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to visit again. But I truly hope they’ll keep thriving so we can return from time to time, and let a little nostalgia find us once more.

Food Rating: 5.7/10
Price: $$$
Address: 148 Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Prince Edward
Tel: +852 2381-1516

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 11:30pm 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

Sbakery by Mama Soo (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Little nugget is a big fan of authentic, rich, and decadent New York–style cheesecake. He much prefers its dense, firm, velvety texture over the lighter, airier, soufflé-like style you often find in Basque or Japanese cheesecake. So after I was out running errands in Sheung Wan—and knowing it's been months since he last indulged in one, I decided to tackle the hilly streets to pick up one of the city’s best for him.

Sbakery by Mama Soo is one of Hong Kong’s most beloved spots for New York–style cheesecake. It started as a wildly popular online bakery, and it’s still praised for its traditional, no-frills recipes, carefully balanced to deliver thick, creamy cheese alongside a tangy sour-cream layer and a crisp, crunchy biscuit base. You really can’t go wrong with their Original New York Cheesecake or Blueberry Cheesecake, but there are also fun alternatives worth trying, like Tiramisu Cheesecake and Lemon Meringue Cheesecake, for a different flavor or texture profile.

Blueberry New York cheesecake — What stood out the most was the cream cheese body — dense, thick, and remarkably velvety. It's the kind of quality you’d expect from a picture-perfect New York cheesecake. The Graham cracker base was another highlight — a buttery, tightly packed cookie-crumb crust that adds satisfying crunch and helps balance the richness of the layers above. Absolutely beautiful.

All in all, it was one of the more satisfying New York cheesecakes we’ve had in a while. Adding it to my top 10 list of cheesecakes in Hong Kong is an easy decision.

Food Rating: 7.1/10

Price: $$$$

Address: G/F, 22-24A Tai Ping Shan Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Sheung Wan

Tel: +852 5666-5796

Website: http://www.sbakerybymamasoo.com/

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 6:30pm (Wed - Sun)

Jus (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I had a leisurely walk around Central and Sheung Wan and almost missed lunch completely. By the time I finally stopped to take stock, it was already around 4 pm, and I found myself pretty fairly close to PMQ. That’s when a certain noodle bar suddenly came to mind.

Brought to us by the folks behind Big JJ Seafood Hotpot (珍姐海鮮火鍋飯店), Jus is a sleek, minimalist noodle bar on the corner of Staunton Street and Aberdeen Street, especially known for its dan dan noodles and noodles mixed with beef fat and sweet soy sauce (牛油拌麵).

Noodles mixed with beef fat and soy sauce (牛油拌麵) ($168) — The dish name literally translates to “butter beef noodles,” but what you get here is beef fat — not butter.

The set came with a small bowl of cold bean sprouts.

And a small bowl of beef consommé, which I saved for after I finished the noodles for a final sip.

The housemade noodles were known for their elastic texture, and it showed. I liked the buttery noodles although the sweetness from the soy sauce wasn’t quite as pronounced as I expected based on the color alone.

The beef char siu (牛叉燒) was an interesting touch. The slices were meltingly tender, and for a moment I actually thought it might be pork. But to me, it had a deeper and richer flavor than typical pork char siu.

For me, though, the real star was the thin-sliced beef tongue (牛舌). It was exceptionally tender, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth soft delivering a gentle, satisfying bite. I do wonder if it would taste even better with a thicker cut.

Lastly, the beef tendon (牛筋凍). The jelly was likely made with beef consommé but the flavors were very light, with the tendon tucked inside. This was OK.

After the meal, I spent some time walking around Soho. This part of Soho is one of my favorite corners of the city. There are so many picture-worthy spots.

Food Rating: 6.4/10

Price: $$$$

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

Closest Metro Station: Central

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 9:00pm (Wed - Sun)