You can eat until you're stuffed every time, from neo-Cantonese cuisine to dim sum and seafood, but sweets are still a special treat! You can't talk about Hong Kong cuisine without mentioning sweets. We bring you the highs and lows of Hong Kong sweets, from hotel afternoon teas enjoyed in elegant spaces, to street sweets stalls listed in the Michelin Guide, and popular food truck sweets.

■Enjoy original afternoon teas in collaboration with global brands
With many luxury hotels in Hong Kong, such as the Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental, and InterContinental, it can be difficult to decide where to enjoy afternoon tea. This time, I enjoyed afternoon tea at Cafe GREEN on the first floor of Hotel ICON, a luxury hotel known for its sophisticated interiors, including suites designed by Hong Kong's renowned fashion designer, Vivienne Tam. This cafe offers seasonal afternoon teas with different concepts, and on my visit, I enjoyed the "Spring Blossom" course (from HK$218 per person), a collaboration with Nina Ricci. The top of the three-tiered tray contained five chocolate mousse tarts infused with Nina Ricci perfume. The lower tier featured a balanced mix of sweets and savory dishes, including finger foods made with thick smoked salmon, shrimp, and caviar, as well as gazpacho and classic scones with clotted cream. It was a feast for the eyes and left me feeling very satisfied. The Nina Ricci course has ended, but now we're offering the "Zesty Delight" course (from HK$218 per person) in collaboration with Appelles, an organic brand originating in Australia. Enjoy a summery menu featuring herbs and fresh fruit.
*The Zesty Delight course is available until August 31, 2017.



■ Recommended as a souvenir! A local confectionery shop stocks cookies and dried fruit
Next, we move into the city center and patrol for sweet treats. First, head to Chan Yi Jai, a long-established confectionery shop offering a variety of baked goods that make great souvenirs. The store is packed with Hong Kong-style sweets, including Chinese cookies made with almond powder, the famous bird's nest sweets, dried fruits like lemons and mandarin oranges, and candied walnuts.




■Kwan Kee Gong Pin, a Hong Kong-famous fresh confectionery shop that's a must-try for mochi-puni lovers
Next, we visited Kwan Kee Gong Pin, a Michelin-listed shop located in the wholesale district of Sham Shui Po. This famous shop sells Hong Kong-style rice pudding, white sugar cake, uriwara (sweet rice cake), and steamed buns. The lineup is irresistible for those who love chewy textures, and the sweetness is also subtly low. I tried the "Horse Teeth Gou" (HK$10/slice), made by adding water to arrowhead powder and solidifying it. It had a refreshing sweetness and was delicious, with crunchy arrowhead pieces inside the chewy jelly.




■ Watermelon Juice Discovered in a Food Truck at a Tourist Spot
Mobile food trucks have become a common sight at Hong Kong's tourist spots recently. Since food trucks were legalized to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, a variety of food trucks have begun patrolling the city. Food trucks decorated with pop illustrations offer authentic gourmet food such as cold sweets, piping hot dumplings, hamburgers, and soups. Creamy mango pudding and whole watermelon juice are the perfect way to beat the heat. If you find a truck selling juicy watermelon juice, be sure to give it a try!



【Store Information】
Hotel ICON GREEN
Address: Lobby, Hotel ICON, 17 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon
WEB SITE: http://www.hotel-icon.com/ja-jp/

Chan Yee Jai
Address: 176B Queen's Rd. Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Kwan Kee Store
Address: Shop 10, G/F, Pei Ho Building, 115-117 Fuk Wa Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon