Hong Kong Sheng Kee Dessert

By Fion Chua

Hello everyone! There's a new post in store for all of you today and guess what it's about- dessert! I believe most of us have a sweet tooth each, and I am definitely no different.

Just last week, I decided to visit Hong Kong Sheng Kee Dessert to satisfy my craving for a dessert to end the night. It was my first visit and I walked to the counter with an open mind, making sure that I didn't let any preconceived notions cloud my judgement of what it had to offer.

Read on to find out more about my experience at Hong Kong Sheng Kee Dessert!

Background

A wide array of authentic desserts such as those commonly found in Hong Kong are served here, and, according to the company's official website, are "prepared with quality ingredients to tantalize your taste buds". However, this is not just a place for dessert lovers to frequent as there are savoury items available too, such as wanton noodles and carrot cake- all prepared 'the Hong Kong way'.

Part of the shop's exterior (outlet in basement of Causeway Point)

My Choice

It was tough for me to just settle on a single order, but I managed it in the end and bought a bowl of 'Osmanthus Aloe Vera'.

My order of Osmanthus Aloe Vera

Presentation

When my order was served, it left a strong first impression on me with how good it looked. I would be lying if I had said that it did not take my breath away, at least... just a little bit. Haha! The star of the show was tiny dried Osmanthus flowers, sprinkled over the top (for both taste and garnish maybe?) and made the entire dessert look very delicate and appealing. Everything was topped off with a small stalk of mint leaves.

Look at the tiny dried Osmanthus flowers- pretty, aren't they? :)

Taste & Texture

My first mouthful of the dessert actually threw me off guard because of the bitterness of the pomelo. The bitterness gradually transitioned to a bittersweet flavour, though, after being mixed around with the sweet aloe vera cubes. The few Goji berries which were added were not exactly flavourful. As for the Osmanthus flowers, they had their typical fragrance and provided a slight 'flowery' taste but I would say that was about it.

I thought the texture was very interesting, since every spoonful of the dessert meant something different every time. The cubes of aloe vera were crunchy and juicy, contrasting well with the fleshy pulp of the pomelo and the juicy Goji berries, both of which burst in the mouth pleasantly when my teeth bit into them. However, as the Osmanthus flowers were simply too small, they did not provide much texture to the overall dish. As for the crushed ice, I would say that it served as a blank canvas for all of these flavours to stand out on their own while coming together in a refreshing fusion.

Price

According to the menu, a bowl of Osmanthus Aloe Vera costs $4.30 but, apparently, this price was not inclusive of GST and I only realised that when I was making my payment to the cashier. The total bill amounted to $4.65 and while the additional 35 cents were not a lot, it was definitely not a very nice surprise since I wasn't aware of it. Personally, I felt that this dessert was good and definitely worth a try- but not worth paying $4.65 for. At best, it would probably have been a better deal if the maximum price was between $3.50 and $4 (...inclusive of GST).

Rating

Causeway Point

1 Woodlands Square, #B1-24

Opening Hours:

Sun to Thurs; 11am - 10.30pm

Fri to Sat; 10am - 11pm

(The store above was the one I visited. To find out other outlets' locations and opening hours, visit this page on Sheng Kee's official website!)