Dessert isn't my favorite part of the meal (I get my calorie kicks from salty savory stuff) but this last trip to Hong Kong, my foodie friend Beba promised she would bring me to her favorite after dinner place.
Did I like Chinese, more specifically, Taiwanese desserts? As with anything new, I just opened my mouth and said "aaahh".
We did a brisk walk through the cool Hong Kong night, from Fortress Hill to the Tin Hau area. A lot of trendy cafes and bars have sprouted here making it a lively and wide awake place, specially at night. My friend walked me through the various cafes before we got to our final destination -- #4 Shepherd Street.
At 10 pm the place was packed with young people -- who had all spilled out from the tiny dining room, on to the sidewalk and even into the street.
Our table was right along the roadside. I felt the brush of cars as they drove by. If I got sideswiped, and had to go to hospital, I would have done so in pursuit of a noble cause -- dessert!
This specialty sweet shop has a thick clear book of the many temptations on offer. My friend ordered her usual -- Bao Bing or shaved ice.
She ordered it with azuki beans and nata de coco. So that I could taste it, she very generously shared her bowl with me. The shaved ice was so fine, it just melted in my mouth. I had never had shaved ice that was this good! Good bye, snow cones and scramble!
I dearly love sesame and couldn't make up my mind whether I would have the black or the white sesame "soup". Why not have both, Beba asked. And yes, why not? So we had a cup of each.
This hot dessert is another Taiwanese and Chinese staple. Some places serve it with mochi or rice balls but our cups came with just the "soup" -- perfectly ground sesame, not too thick nor too runny. Just right!
As we enjoyed our desserts, I looked across the way and saw another brightly lit coffee shop. . . perhaps it can be a new discovery next time I find myself in Hong Kong!
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