All posts filed under: Desserts

SPIGA: New Free Flow Champagne Italian Brunch

Published by

‘Brunch‘ has two very different meanings. The first comes with wooden tables, latte art and eggs. The other comes with champagne and… an abundance of all things edible. Unsurprisingly, the second is the version of brunch this new Italian restaurant in Central – SPIGA – is going for. Weekend Brunch Deal at SPIGA – HK$388 per person Weekend brunch at SPIGA is reasonably priced at HK$388 per person, which includes their antipasti buffet, a choice of main course and dessert buffet. You can add on HK$260 for free-flow Veuve Clicquot champagne, mimosas, red/white wine, Peroni and Bloody Mary; or add on HK$140 for free-flow prosecco in place of the champagne. More importantly, I loved the ambience here. On a Sunday afternoon it was extremely lively, with some casual live music which wasn’t too loud either. They have large ceiling-to-floor windows which let in a comfortable amount of daylight, cultivating the perfect laid back brunch vibes. Antipasti Buffet The antipasti buffet counter was not huge, but most options on the table were very tempting, and turned out to be delicious too. Given that I obviously prefer quality …

Cafe Gray Deluxe: Best Afternoon Tea in Hong Kong

Published by

Cafe Gray Deluxe’s afternoon tea set had already made an impression on me the first time I tried it back in April, for their Diane von Furstenberg collaboration. The unforgettable scone maintained its place in my heart over the months. Then, after my mother had a few disappointing experiences at different hotels, and started complaining that none of the afternoon tea sets in Hong Kong are good anymore, I knew exactly where to take her.   Beautiful sea view Perhaps I’m a bit obsessed with Cafe Gray Deluxe because I’ve actually also been here for dinner. But with a sea view like this, it’s hard not to come back when you feel like treating yourself. Admittedly, the view is probably a notch less spectacular than the 103rd floor of ICC (i.e. Ritz Carlton), but still, the environment was top-of-the-list enough. What probably makes the general dining experience here so enjoyable as well is the flawless service. Actually, it was my mom who brought it up and then we spent a good 20 minutes discussing how important service training …

Mercato: New Italian Restaurant in Lan Kwai Fong

Published by

I have a bit of a connection with California Tower. I religiously go there to workout, while frequently visiting their wide array of restaurants, just because the location is so convenient.  But most of their restaurants are admittedly not really off-the-charts amazing. There are a handful of good ones. For example, I featured ciao chow as one of the 5 Italian Restaurants in Hong Kong that Do Stand Out. With their prime location on the ground floor, you wouldn’t have expected they make such delicious pizzas. Ore-no Kappou is another restaurant I enjoyed in the building too. Mercato on the 8th floor of California Tower Now comes another Italian restaurant, Mercato. The food is unlike the typical Italian pizza and pasta choices (as is ciao chow’s), so there’s definitely a place for it in the building. It has a great ambience, but thankfully not overly fancy either. It’s definitely a spot I’ve name dropped exactly eight times in the week after, when different friends or colleagues ask “what’s new? What restaurants do you recommend? In light of its perfect location, I naturally came here one day …

Giando: Authentic Italian with the Best Ingredients

Published by

When an Italian chef is the sole owner of a restaurant, you know things can go really really right. To add to this wonderful microeconomic backdrop, Chef Gianni Caprioli makes it a personal mission to ensure only excellent quality ingredients are used. In fact, I was told 95% of their ingredients are imported directly from Italy – including their eggs. Chefs of top Italian restaurants have been spotted eating here a number of times. I first came here on a Saturday and returned the next Sunday again. With this in mind, it’s not a question of whether you should dine here, but a question of what to order when you come here. Had I come here earlier, it definitely would be among the 5 Italian Restaurants in Hong Kong that Do Stand Out, for being the most authentic and featuring the best quality ingredients. Weekend Brunch at HK$338 for 3-Courses I love my ‘epic brunches‘ and this place would definitely rank high if I ever came up with such a list. The 3-course set runs from 12-3pm …

DvF Afternoon Tea at Cafe Gray Deluxe: A Collaboration Not to Be Missed

Published by

Cafe Gray Deluxe has always been high on my list of favourite restaurants. The food is as delicious as its view over Hong Kong harbour is beautiful – and that combination is rare. Heading into the restaurant with high expectations, their latest Diane von Furstenberg (DvF) “Fortuna” Afternoon Tea set still managed to impress me all over again. Cafe Gray often does collaboration with the most famous luxury brands – they did it with Elie Saab and Diptyque last year. Now I’m feeling extremely gutted for not trying it back then. The latest tea set collaboration is designed in line with DvF’s spring collection and the colours are so inviting and cheerful. It’s an afternoon tea that will promise perfect ambience and all things aesthetic. But more importantly, the set features a good variety of sweets and savouries. The food is among my favourite of tea sets I’ve tried in Hong Kong! Perfect scones and clotted cream Scones and clotted cream are the top most important components of any afternoon tea set (to me) and the …

Recipe: Sugar-free Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published by

I often encounter phases in my life where one cookie ingested leads to a continuous daily craving for more, usually at 4pm in the office. But anyone who’s actually watched cookies being made, will know how bad it is to give in to that craving everyday. There is so much sugar involved. Sugar-free Natvia So when I found out that Natvia‘s 100% natural sweetener, made of Stevia, had a “baking” version, I was excited to see if making delicious “guilt free” cookies was at all possible. I’m aware of the other healthy sugar replacements such as coconut palm sugar. But it definitely seems to be marketed as way more “healthy” than it actually is. According to this article, coconut sugar is still 78% sugar, so it seems to me we really shouldn’t be using it as liberally as its marketing suggests… I’ve still got a pack at home I haven’t opened for precisely this reason. On the other hand, Natvia is not only derived from 100% natural sources, it’s also totally sugar free and almost …

Do Mug Cakes Actually Taste Good?

Published by

If you follow any food blogs, accounts or websites, you must have seen all the viral posts on “mug cakes”. It’s an easy sell for modern busy/lazy people, because it’s a quick cake recipe that’s supposed to take no longer than 5 minutes, including microwave time. So I’ve always been curious as to whether mug cakes actually taste good. Even though many of them sound horrible – come on, you can’t expect real cake with just 3 ingredients, some actually look amazing. So I browsed a while for relatively complex mug cake recipes. Plus I was hoping that adding in some characteristics of actual good cake could give me a better shot of churning out a decent tasting cake. That’s why you’ll see the ingredients list I used is so long. Recipe for Chocolate Mug Cake Ingredients: 1/8 cup flour 1/8 cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/8 cocoa powder pinch of salt 1/8 milk vanilla essence 1 egg 1/8 oil Method: Mix the dry ingredients then mix in the wet ingredients. Pop it in the microwave on “high” for 1.5 …