tl;dr no-frills on-point hong kong dessert; clean, almost clinical interior
There's several types of Hong Kong dessert shops (in Hong Kong): there's Honeymoon Dessert and lookalikes, which you can usually tell by their (excessive) use of mustard yellow cutlery/utensils; there's the super local shops (that are more like daipaidongs) that sell mostly hot liquid, like black sesame syrup or tofu; but there's also this more modern - what I can only describe as clinical - hybrid of the two. This falls into the latter category, though it is more modern than the ones you find back in Hong Kong, as the headlining items are shaved ice, which is not part of our repertoire (yet).
If you follow my reviews religiously, you'll know that I love all things Durian (and if you don't, then what are you doing with your life). So of course I got the main item advertised, which was this hybrid Durian+mango shaved ice, assuming that because they hadn't advertised a version with only durian shaved ice in the main display, they possibly couldn't have that version. Alas, after browsing the full menu book, I realized too late that they actually have a Durian only shaved ice, and so it baffles me why this is not front and centre!
Anyway, back to the review of the shaved ice - their shaved ice is of the folding type, and it was great. I think this combination is sort of silly because they give you mostly mango, and so you don't really taste the Durian, so for people wanting Durian it disappoints, and for those who don't want Durian, it is probably already too overpowering. Maybe it's a combination that works for others, but since I become almost like an addict when it comes to Durian, it didn't satisfy me.
Though, I was surprised that the mangos were fresh, not frozen, which is a plus.
It's a nice and cosy space - though when we entered it smelled a little weird, so many check up on the ventilation?
Suffice to say I will be back to for the fully-fledged Durian experience. read more