Located all over Hong Kong

Toronto should have more of these!  Why aren’t these more in the food industry?  Is it because of big-name chains like Tim Hortons and Menchies that crowd out all the small-size snack shops?  Or maybe because Torontonians care more for sugary sweets than fresh fruits (lack of access to these).  Either way, I am referring to the ubiquitous dessert shop called Hui Lau Shan in Hong Kong.

This branch located in Sha Tin

You see these dessert shops everywhere!  Close to a MTR Station, in a shopping mall, next to a restaurant, etc.  I love these places since you get a relatively big selection of dessert that are relatively good for you (not all just cakes).  Their specialty is fruit creations, specifically using mango as the star of the show.

Black Glutinous Rice in Coconut Juice with Extra Mango. HKD $53

Right after we had our ramen dinner from Ajisen Ramen, we ordered a Black Glutinous Rice in Coconut Juice with Extra Mango.  I wanted something fruity after the spicy broth and something sweet. This was delicious and everything that I expected this dessert to be.  Cold, sweet mango, sweet, rich in chewy black glutinous rice, and delicious.  It was served in plastic dish that was super wide at the top but its sideways view is a little dish. What attracted me also was the napkin of the franchise.  Just look at those little cartoon mango creatures staring back at you!  Hehe.  So cute 🙂  I love that side of HK. ❤

View from the top 😉

AHHHH so cute!!!

We visited Hui Lau Shan one more time on our visit to HK.  This time, we were feeling a little thirsty while shopping so we stopped for some mango dessert and Chinese Herbal Jelly or ‘turtle shell jelly’ called gui ling gao.

Mango Delightful Trio. HKD $30

This time’s mango dessert was pretty much the same as the first time’s except that there was no coconut.  What was interesting is that the mango in this dish was soooo much sweeter and more ripe than the first time we had it.  It made the dessert so much better and yummy. 🙂 The Chinese Herbal Jelly is made with herbs and is a great thing to eat when your body has too much ‘heat’ from eating too much fried and heaty foods.  You can choose between a hot and cold version.  We opted for the hot one.

Chinese Herbal Jelly. HKD $36

It arrived very quickly and with a bottle of syrup on the side for you to add as you want.  The herbal jelly was smooth and rich and jelly-like.  It tasted quite herb-y and ‘golden’; more than most other herbal jellies that I’ve had.  Yum!  Tasted so good. 🙂 Hui Lau Shan is a return-again-and-again-and-again restaurant! 🙂 #healthydesserts