Taking a leaf out of YY’s book to write on the commute to work – anyway it’s been a super long time since I’ve updated, so I might as well.

Hong Kong, as always, is a great city to eat through. I’ve always liked Hong Kong for its efficiency and the food it has to offer. Japanese chains always seem to make Hong Kong one of their first outposts outside Japan, and I obviously made a beeline for them…

1) Bake Cheese Tart

This is everything I expected it to taste like – and more. Most people who have eaten with me would know that I don’t take cheese, but I really can’t get enough of these tarts!!! for cheese haters (like yours truly), this tart is more of a ‘sweet’ than ‘savoury’. It tastes like a Japanese cheesecake baked in a tart. And a pretty damn good cheesecake at that. So light and rich, yet not too rich that one tart is too much. I had it semi warm from the store, which is perfectly fine by me (and yes it is molten!) but I prefer it cold(er) rather than warm. The hype is real people, go get your hands on a cheese tart! Or pay someone to buy you one.

2) Omotesando Koffee

Tokyo’s favourite touristy coffee spot opens in Hong Kong! Situated in the middle of Wan Chai, this space is way bigger than the house they used to operate out of in Omotesando. Coffee’s still the same. Most people get the iced mocha (pictured) but I’m a hot coffee kinda person. Plus when you get a hot coffee you get to pick your beans. The coffee’s still good, strong enough to give a buzz. The kashi which was sold out in Omotesando previously when I went, was in stock this time!

The kashi is a very fancy (read: expensive) square shaped canele. Good though. Also the coffee really cost a bomb: hkd 45-60 if I recall correctly.

3) Oddies Foodies 

Fans of Oddies, rejoice. Our new favourite joint is now easily accessible at Gough Street in Sheung Wan! After a comforting bowl of ngau lam e meen at Kau Kee, swing by for a comforting scoop of gelato. Yes, this is the Oddies that I would not shut up about previously.  The usual suspects like night wolf and the mob are available, but what I got this time round was just a scoop of its bikini wax: lychee / black sesame paste / coconut macaroon icecream. I loved it. Lychee was bold and didn’t get lost like it usually does in the flavours. And black sesame!!! they go so well together.

I’d recommend that people try the drama cones. At hkd 88 per cone, you really do get a massive cone with crazy, incredible flavour pairings – does yogurt gelato, oatmeal raisin cookies, hojicha semifreddo, sesame crumble, and blueberry coulis sound good? I thought so too.

4) Elephant Grounds

I have been eyeing this place since I saw their icecream sandwiches on instagram about a year plus ago. Finally, finally made it here after a long day getting completely soaked in Macau (thanks, typhoon) and having to buy a cardigan in the Venetian because it was freezing  – though I think it turned out to be the best buy of the trip. Anyway, when we got back to HK it was about 8pm and we immediately dashed to Elephant Grounds as the Gough Street branch closes at 9. We made it, with 8 minutes to spare!

Roasted hojicha icecream sandwich with digestive cookies and chocolate popping candy for hkd 60. Kind of wish the hojicha was a bit more pronounced and less milky, but I gotta admit the sandwich was held together quite well. Everything complemented and the popping candy was fun to eat! My only gripe is that it melts too fast (just have to eat faster I suppose!) Available on weekends only at Gough Street & Causeway Bay.

 5) Under Vacuum

Getting here required us to walk about the entire Tsim Sha Tsui underground – it’s really close to TST East MTR station. In the middle of the park, I’d imagine it’d be really pleasant to hang around outdoors in cooler autumn nights.
I had the sous vide beef sandwich with an extra side of scrambled eggs. This sandwich is MESSY, but UV helpfully provides plastic gloves for eating! It’s been ages since I last had an epic sandwich and this was truly worth the hkd 53. Scrambled egg + mustard + beef = can’t go wrong. The beef was the star of the sandwich, as it should be. There were other interesting things on its menu, such as french toast stuffed with nutella and marshmallow, and deep fried stuffed waffles with green tea paste. 10/10 would recommend!

Addresses of everywhere:

Bake Cheese Tart: B2-16,B2, SOGO, 555, 555 Hennessy Rd, Causeway Bay
Omotesando Koffee: Shop no24-25,G/F., No.200 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Lee Tung St
Oddies Foodies: 45 Gough St, Central
Elephant Grounds: 11 Gough Street, Central/Sheung Wan.
Under Vacuum: Kiosk, Centenary Garden, 63 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East (Exit P2).