If sugar was a wedge on the food pyramid, I’d be the healthiest girl in Hong Kong! Because of my sweets addiction, I have decided to compile a few lists of my favorite sugary food and drink here in yummy HK and share it with you, so you don’t have to do the brutal job of eating and drinking your way through every dessert shop, gelateria, and café in this city.
The four meals you should eat each day include: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert! Just because the latter requires an extra 30 minutes on the treadmill, that doesn’t mean it should be skipped. Here’s why: the top 5 best desserts in Hong Kong (in my sweet opinion, of course).
Holly Brown 22 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2869 9008 (also K11, Tsim Sha Tsui and Elements, Kowloon)
1 small gelato with all the mixings in a waffle bowl $48
Gelato: the sweet and creamy Italian version of ice cream. Holly Brown gelato: take the plain Italian version and add your favorite toppings. With over 20 concoctions and a made-to-order option, you’re sure to find your gelato soul mate. My favorite is called Chocothon, which is chocolate gelato with peanut butter, almonds, and Oreo mixed in. The Holly Brown staff takes the gelato and mixes in the ingredients on a marble slab while you watch, so you know it’s fresh. It’s then placed in a waffle bowl (like a waffle cone, but easier to eat) and violà, you have the perfect way to end a meal.
Cake-A-Licious 11 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong, 2815 2218
1 regular cupcake $20, 1 special cupcake $25
My favorite cupcake in Hong Kong is the peanut butter chocolate at Cake-A-Licious. Thankfully it’s only available on Wednesdays or I’d have one every day…but then again, I quite adore the M&M cupcake that’s made on Fridays too! Cake-A-Licious is addictively sweet with a moist cake and sugary frosting. If you can’t make it here on Wednesdays or Fridays for my ideal flavors, there are 2 specials each day and the yummy regular chocolate and vanilla flavors are available every day. (I have to give a shout out to Sift cupcakes as well for my Sassy girls. The salty caramel and the peanut butter chocolate chip, make it up there with Cake-A-Licious.)
Heirloom 226 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, 2547 8008
Slices of cake $45, Whole cakes $500
When a restaurant has its own baker, you know you’re in for a sweet deal! Heirloom’s bakery chef, Ashton, makes different cakes each day to sell by the slice and since they go quickly, be ready to eat early to see what flavours she’s come up with. From red velvet and German chocolate to tres leches, this girl can make it all! She even does made-to-order whole cakes. Call one day in advance with your custom order (if you have the idea, she’ll try it!) and you’ll be sure to get a creatively homemade dessert. We ordered a raspberry, white chocolate cake and it was fresh and moist; the frosting was sweet, creamy and adorned with raspberries and a Happy Birthday message. The cake was so good, we asked her to add it to the menu so we could get it any time we wanted!
Homei Shop B, G/F, 22-24A Tai Ping San Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, 2857 9991
Hazelnut Cheesecake $28
Only one cheesecake can make me like cream cheese and this is it! Rich and moist, this cake is divine. It isn’t offered every day or on a set schedule, only when the owner feels the
urge to make this delight (I even stopped by this week and asked her to make one soon so I could have a slice and she happily obliged a few days later). With swirls of hazelnut in the crust and a creamy filling, this is just the right complement to any cup of joe.
Barista Jam Shop D, G/F, 122-126 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, 2854 2211
Java Java 188A Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, 2549 7739
Apple Tart $27 at Barista Jam with a drink purchase, $32 at Java Java
Both cafés offer the same sweet treat: an apple tart that’s like a miniature version of Mom’s apple pie with raisins and a dash of gold paper decoration. The crust is flaky with a hint of sweetness and the filling is a mix of raisins and apples baked on top. If you prefer to get a few nutrients with your dessert and maybe, just maybe skip yoga class, this dessert fits the bill.
Stay tuned for the next part of A.C’s Sweet Opinion series – next stop, best breakfasts in Hong Kong!
Being a Sheung Wan lover, I don’t object to so many great spots in SW, but this post sadly neglects so much else beyond what looks to be a one-mile radius… please be sure to head to Sai Kung Bakery for starters…there’s a pineapple bun that cannot be ignored in addition to egg tarts that are constantly being churned out due to insane demand.