Cheung Hong Yuen Kai Tak Sports Park 祥香園餐廳 啟德店 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

We’re back at Kai Tak Sports Park for another round of pickleball this morning. Somehow, we can always find an empty court here, while finding one anywhere else in the city center on a weekend is virtually impossible.

I have to admit, it was pretty good exercise playing semi-outdoor pickleball here under the roof. 

Afterward, we headed to Cheung Hong Yuen (祥香園餐廳) for a quick breakfast. Of course, it was the time that the kids woke up, realizing their parents weren’t around, and our phones started ringing off the hook almost simultaneously.

We knew exactly what to order, since Cheung Hong Yuen also has a branch not far from our home.

Pineapple buns with butter (菠蘿油) — Since they are famous for their local-style bakery goods, I had to take a flyer on this house specialty.

These buns are freshly baked in limited batches. Unlike some cha chaan tengs, which reheat pre-made buns throughout the day, Cheung Hong Yuen usually serves them piping hot straight from the oven, with a thick slab of cold butter for that classic hot-and-cold contrast. Not bad.

Hong Kong-style Milk Tea (凍奶茶) — Brewed the traditional bing sutt way, it’s perfect with the baked goods. The tea was pretty strong again today.

Milk oatmeal (鮮奶麥皮) — I don’t usually order this when I’m eating out, but sticking with this morning’s healthy theme, I decided to break the habit.

It was nice to work up a full-body sweat after this morning’s workout. Deeply satisfying and physically rewarding. Now, I just need a quick shower to cool down a little.

Food Rating: 5.2/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 1, G/F, Kai Yan Court, 6 Muk Lai Street, Kowloon City, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Kai Tak

Tel: +852 5975-4011

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

The Mandarin Cake Shop (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I am taking the afternoon off today, and rather than heading home early, I decided to take a leisurely walk around Sheung Wan and Central. There was one stop I have been looking forward to all month — the newly renovated The Mandarin Cake Shop.

For the past year or so, The Mandarin Oriental group has been heavily promoting its massive US$100 million, four-phase transformation. It’s hard to miss the campaign, with advertisements everywhere including on the face of the trams.

The group’s properties are nearing the completion of their top-to-bottom redesign, and the Mandarin Cake Shop has officially reopened after a spectacular facelift. I have seen glimpses of the new space on social media earlier in the week, so I was eager to try some of its new creations. Finally, the time had come.

The shop felt much more modern chic than before. 

And there was a slightly larger seating area for those looking to enjoy afternoon tea.

I headed straight to the display counter to check out the new offerings, including mango sticky rice, Café Macchiato, and Paris-Brest Hazelnut Cake.

Even the takeaway box has a new design.

1963 Mandarin Cheesecake ($72) — A long-standing fan favorite dating back to 1963, the Mandarin Cake Shop’s signature cheesecake has received a subtle makeover.

It still has the same buttery-soft texture it’s been known for since day one.



Osmanthus Pear and Caramel ($92) — A lovely marriage between seasonal pear compote, delicately floral osmanthus mousse, soft almond sponge, and a center of miso caramel ganache.

I liked how the miso caramel ganache added subtle savory depth, balancing the floral, fruity, and caramelized notes of the dessert but I wished the osmanthus and pear flavors could have come through more distinctly. After all, they should be the stars of the dessert.

I've had a ton of desserts in Seoul last week so I was thinking about taking a break from my consumption of sweet treats but these were really too beautiful to pass up. I guess the break could wait a little.

Food Rating: 6.8/10
Price: $$$$
Address: M/F, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 2825-4008
Website: https://hongkong.mandarinorientalshop.com/collections/cakes-and-confectionery
Opening Hours: 8:00am - 8:00pm (Mon - Sat), 8:00am - 7:00pm (Sun)

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

I was running errands in Sheung Wan this afternoon, and as always, they dragged on until late afternoon. By the time I was done, it was far too late for lunch.

It’s been a while since I last visited Jervois Cafe  (蘇杭冰室) so I decided to head over there to get my deep-fried chicken leg (生炸雞脾) fix.

Iced milk tea (凍奶茶) — Creamy, with just the right amount of milk to balance the richness of the tea.

Barbecued pork and scrambled eggs over rice (滑蛋叉燒飯) — It suddenly occurred to me that I’ve never tried the cafe’s signature dish, which is even more popular than the deep-fried chicken leg.

I thought it was quite decent. The runny scrambled eggs worked well with the sweet soy sauce, as expected, but the barbecued pork was a little fattier than I would have liked. Not bad, though it could have been better.

I have the afternoon off today so I could take a leisurely walk around central a little.

Food Rating: 5/10

Price: $$$

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

Closest Metro Station: Sheung Wan

Tel: +852 2352-7778

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

Goose King Roasted Restaurant 唯一燒鵝 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Another morning meeting had dragged on far longer than anyone wanted, and by the time we finally walked out of the conference room, it was already 1:45 pm. Everyone agreed it was time for a proper lunch before heading back to the office to get some real work done.

Unfortunately, the Hung Hom area around where we just had our meeting isn’t exactly a foodie’s paradise. After checking out a few spots with little success, we settled on Goose King Roasted Restaurant (唯一燒鵝). I have honestly not eaten here before, but one of the guys who used to work in the area insisted their barbecued goose was excellent so we took his recommendation.

Iced milk tea (凍奶茶) — The balance was a little off. The tea came through strong, but it lacked that fragrant depth you hope for.

Steamed rice with barbecued goose and pork (叉燒燒鵝雙拼飯) — The barbecued goose certainly lived up to the hype. It was leaner than ones from some of the more famous spots, yet the smokiness was unmistakable and deeply satisfying.

The barbecued pork, on the other hand, was a mild letdown. While texture was fine, it was simply too salty for my palate.

The guys asked me to settle the bill that afternoon, and why not? It had been a long, hardworking morning so we all deserved a little reward.

Food Rating: 5.6/10

Price: $$$

Address: Shop 4, LG/F, Ka Wai Plaza, 46-48 Ma Tau Wai Road, Hung Hom, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Hung Hom

Tel: +852 9234-6933

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

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)