We've finally broken loose from the many months of torturous heat and humidity. And as our wardrobe shifts, so does our palate, craving for foods that are a little more wholesome and fuzzy. My autumn frenzy involves things that are sweet and sometimes wildly innovative - Hong Kong confections. 

And, oh boy, do we have variety. 

Follow me as I take you on a Hong Kong Island dessert hop. Finding the best and most notable sweets to hit just the spot.

Hop 1

My sudden re-interest in sweets is credited to a night in search of something more fulfilling after an unsatisfying dinner. We made our way to Tin Hau, a district rich with late-night dessert houses and local eats. After checking out a few spots on the block, we stepped in line with the other dessert goers at Auntie Sweet. The restaurant is fairly large and was completely full. A table of obvious tourists seated on stools and folding tables on the sidewalk were experimenting with all the goods and excitement of HK's sweet side, from smelly durian, tofu pudding to a plate of sticky glutinous rice balls drizzled in caramelised syrup and topped with a confetti of crushed peanuts and sesame - adventurous they were. Luckily, we were seated on the sidewalk as well, with weather like recent days, I take every opportunity I can to grace it. The restaurant's signature is the critically acclaimed Durian Beancurd Jelly (it's tofu pudding with durian). It is a must. You can easily get lost in the menu, as there are tons of appealing desserts to choose from. As the plate was laid upon us, the smell of the durian confirmed it was high quality. A non-smelly durian represents one of poor quality. 

A dollop of durian nestled on top of silky thick cream pudding. I stabbed into the durian to get a scoop of both fruit and pudding, and unlike your usual tofu pudding, this version was in the midst of cream and pudding, not entirely gelatinised and not entirely tofu. The pudding was unexplainably silky and creamy, half-wet, half-pudding. It was a very cold concoction, the way I like my durians. Wow, it was a magnificent duo, the textures and flavours of the dessert are still lingering in my mind.

The glutinous sesame balls in sweet ginger soup however was a huge disappointment. It was as bad as glutinous balls can be, and not worth going into detail. 

Hop 2

For some real awesome glutinous sesame balls, Fook Yuen's Glutinous Balls is a best-kept secret hidden in an alleyway in North Point. Like most clever business owners, they make use of the outside walkway for more patron seating. Like your usual tong sui (Chinese sweet soup dessert) dessert place (and don't be fooled by some places that use the powdered stuff), the menu listed almost every routine sweet soup known to the Chinese culture. Sweet soups made with churned nuts and seeds; dates, snow fungus, lotus seeds, pears and papaya; bean porridge; beancurd with gingko; and much much more. 

A good pairing with the sweet soup would be with a few glutinous morsels filled with ground sesame paste (or filled with ground peanuts, if you wish). Our yin yang of ground almond and black sesame sweet soup together with the addition of a few morsels of sweetness laid upon us at first sight, was a different story from Auntie Sweet's. These tong yuens (glutinous rice balls) were bigger, softer, more fluid and partially transparent. I pierced into the ball and took a nibble. The black sesame flowed out like black lava and the aromatic flavours of roasted sesame and the oil of the seed were distinguished. The sesame 'gravy' was a beautiful shiny black colour. Fook Yuen's tong yuens were the best glutinous rice balls I've had to date.

Hop 3

A dessert-junky friend, DM, suggested we check out this "in" dessert house in Causeway Bay. Cong Sau is hidden inside a hotel entrance on Sharp St. East. He claims it as the perfect after dinner hangout. When DM talks about desserts his eyes open wide and his voice elevates. He claims this place does cold desserts really well, better than the hot stuff. Having tried almost all the signatures, he recommends the Double Boiled Steamed Milk with Mango, and the Durian with Crystal Pearls in addition to the Longan Coconut Icy. 

Parked outside this dessert hub into the wee hours are pricey cars and the tiny shop is plastered with celebrity photographs and newspaper clippings. Now, this is what I call an establishment based on WOM (word of mouth). 

My steamed egg white custard with almond cream soup was a rejuvenating and light choice, perfect for those beauty moguls. The bottom layer was steamed egg white custard topped with a layer of the almond cream, mildly sweet and light overall. My husband on the other hand, opted for the Longan Coconut Icy. The shaved iced tasted as if they blended the fruit into the ice, taking on the flavours and mild sweetness of the longan - refreshing and clever. Lastly, they topped the powdered 'snow' with fresh coconut. We enjoyed this sweet fix very much. It was healthy and hit the spot. 

Hop 4

Xiao Tian Gu in Tai Hang, and now a branch in Kennedy Town makes a really good Lychee Panna Cotta. This celebrity-owned establishment hangs photos of HK's most recognised faces on its walls. Their claim to fame is just that, and their panna cotta deserves a following. The Panna Cotta is a creation made with Hokkaido 3.6 Milk, a brand of milk from Hokkaido, Japan. Hokkaido is known for its high quality and rich dairy products. The amazingly smooth, delicate, and immensely creamy (I don't believe there's no cream in there) milk custard tastes light, milky, and naturally flavoured with lychee pieces. I'd say, go there for the lychee custard and nothing else.

Hop 5

One of HK's oldest and most traditional tong sui shops is Yuen Kee in Sai Wan. Old school laminated booths, cake window, and long time workers inhabit this long running Chinese dessert shop. They're famous for their tong suis, especially the "song kei sung lian tze dan cha" 桑寄生蓮子蛋茶 translates to the name of the herb (song kei sung) and with the addition of lotus seeds (lian tze) and egg (dan) is served in a herbal concoction. You won't find a "sang kei sung cha" better than this, at least not that I know of. The remedy's benefits are printed and posted in between the plane of glass and the table. It claims it's practically good for anything imaginable in the human body. 

The lotus seeds are boiled to the point that they almost melt in your mouth. The hardboiled egg is well tinted and the yolk creamy. The egg pound cake is also one of their popular items and a rare find nowadays. This old school snack is as original as the recipe itself. Although a bit too dry for me, I see the nostalgic demand on its part. 

Hop 6

Honeymoon Desserts originated in Sai Kung and was one of the first dessert connoisseurs to bring new style modern desserts to the Chinese dessert market. Now with shops all over the HK and Kowloon areas, Honeymoon is always a safe choice. The mango/durian pancakes are yummy. Thin crepes packaged with durian or mango and whipped cream. The glutinous mango balls are always a favourite of mine, chilled sticky glutinous balls stuffed with mango and rolled in shredded coconut. The mango, pomelo and tapioca sweet soup is always a crowd pleaser. My absolute favourite here is the Durian and Black Glutinous Rice with Ice Flakes in Vanilla Sauce. The favourites list is endless, at Honeymoon, there's always something for everyone here.

Life's full of sweet choices.

Addresses:

Auntie Sweet 甜姨姨私房甜品,  G/F, 13 Tsing Fung Street, Tin Hau

Cong Sao 聰嫂星級甜品, Shop G1, Sharp St. East, 33 Holiday Inn Express, Causeway Bay

Fook Yuen福元湯圓, Shop I-1, G/F, Lei Do Building, 7 Fuk Yuen Street, North Point

Honeymoon Dessert, Various locations - check our database for details

Xiao Tian Gu 小甜谷, G/F, 10-11B School Street, Tai Han

Yuen Kee Dessert 源記甜品專家, 32 Centre St, Sai Wan