I'm not sure exactly where Ikebukuro Chinatown is, but I heard there is a Hong Kong sweets shop there that I had bookmarked. Despite some reviews mentioning language barriers, I had no problem communicating there! The shop is located in the basement of a mixed-use building, with Hong Kong photos on the exterior making it easy to spot. There are cardboard boxes stacked outside with "Coconut" written on them, indicating it's a Hong Kong sweets specialty store. Upon entering, I found only a long counter for seating, so it seems they mainly offer takeout. I ordered a takeout and was able to use Japanese without any issues, and even paid with PayPay. I tried the Egg Tart priced at 270 yen, which was slightly warm. The pastry was crispy with a subtle buttery taste, while the filling was pleasantly light and slightly jiggly. I've had Egg Tarts in Hong Kong and Yokohama Chinatown before, and I would say this one is on the lighter side. It was delicious and refreshing. I saw many other unfamiliar items on the menu, so I might challenge myself to try them next time.

Ikebukuro Chinatown - a popular Hong Kong sweets shop in Ikebukuro Chinatown. Currently, the reviews on Tabelog are not great, but surprisingly, they always have a lot of customers. Being located underground, the shop is not very noticeable, but there is always a line. Personally, I have a fondness for this shop for two reasons. Firstly, I have been drinking at this location for many years. A chicken shop called "Hagiya" that served fresh Miyazaki Jidori chicken imported by air from Miyazaki prefecture used to operate here for a long time. There were other places that served Miyazaki Jidori chicken, but this one was the best. I even used this place for a foodie reviewer's meetup. I have spent quite a bit of time here. Secondly, since this shop opened, it has become popular among local men as a place where beautiful Hong Kong women gather (laughs). Both the staff and customers are beautiful. Although I have not reviewed it, I remember being invited by someone to visit about a year and a half ago for the first time. I drank "Coconut Juice" and ate an "Egg Tart" at the counter inside the shop. The Egg Tart was delicious, but I was particularly impressed by the rich and delicious Coconut Juice. I think it was a different item from the "Coconut Water" on the current menu. I remember there were more tapioca-based drinks available at the time. The photos posted this time are of "Yangji Gunlu" (500 yen) and "Sweet Potato Toast" (540 yen). Yangji Gunlu is like mango juice with tapioca and fruits, quite delicious. And the surprisingly popular Sweet Potato Toast, I heard rumors about it, so I tried it for the first time and indeed found it delicious. The sweet potato paste-like substance had just the right amount of sweetness, and I thought the sweetness and umami of the toasted bread also added to the deliciousness. Thank you for the meal. I am a complete amateur in this area, so please take that into consideration. This is just a casual impression. * The draft from March 2021 was still saved, but I updated it this time. (By Kyoka Shuka, 2022.10.1) (10 reviews/3.01)

Small but with a foreign feel, this Hong Kong dessert specialty shop is almost like being overseas! Their specialty is a coconut milk pudding that comes with a whole coconut. It's mostly for takeout, and the shop was about 80% full on a holiday before 5 PM. There are only high chairs at the counter, so it may be difficult for children to eat in. [Items purchased] Coconut milk pudding ¥900 Taro toast ¥600 Sweet potato toast ¥540 The sweet potato toast felt like it was lacking a bit of punch, but the taro toast and coconut pudding were really delicious. The coconut pudding, priced at ¥900, may seem expensive but it comes with a whole coconut so it's quite impressive. It was like a jiggly drink. The taro toast had a nice texture with a slightly chunky taro paste and a chewy bread. The sweetness was just right and really to my liking. Both toasts come with 2 slices at this price, so the cost performance is great. The only downside is that communication may be difficult as Japanese may not be well understood. When I tried to say "for takeout," it didn't get through, so I had to say "takeout" instead. If you have any difficult requests, it might be better to have a translation app ready. But overall, ordering normally shouldn't be a problem. I would definitely like to visit again when I'm in Ikebukuro. Thank you for the meal!

[First Visit] Just a 4-minute walk from the north exit of Ikebukuro Station, you'll find Hong Kong Seiki located next to Ikebukuro Okubo Hospital in a building just before the Family Mart. This place is gaining popularity among women as a spot to enjoy authentic Hong Kong desserts. Upon entering the store, you'll find a counter with 7 high chairs. I visited on a weekday evening and there was only one customer before me. However, during my visit, four more women entered the store. I ordered the Taro Toast for 600 yen, Coconut Milk Pudding for 900 yen, and Hong Kong Lemon Tea for 400 yen, bringing the total to 1900 yen before tax and 2090 yen after tax. The Taro Toast had a chewy texture with taro paste in between, which was slightly sweet and incredibly delicious. The Coconut Milk Pudding, priced at 900 yen, seemed a bit expensive at first, but the pudding was filled with a generous amount of coconut flesh, making it rich and satisfying. It was worth the price and I could see why it's the most popular item on the menu. After finishing the pudding, I discovered white coconut flesh inside the container walls, which I could scoop out and enjoy. Despite the initial language barrier with only a male staff member who spoke limited Japanese, a female staff member who understood Japanese arrived later, reassuring me about eating the coconut flesh. With a variety of other Hong Kong sweets available, I'm definitely planning to revisit to try more. It was a delicious meal. There is also a sister store in Okubo, which is within walking distance from Shin-Okubo. Okubo Store (Chuo-Sobu Line Okubo Station) Shinjuku-ku, Kita-Shinjuku 3-1-21 Otsuka Building 2nd Floor. September 16, 2022.

It's been decades since then... I couldn't forget the egg tart I had in Hong Kong a long time ago. So, when I heard that I could eat it in Ikebukuro, I went there right away. The shop is located next to a Family Mart on the basement floor, so be sure to look carefully or you might miss it. Inside, there are only counter seats. I ordered right away and got a freshly baked egg tart. It's not very big, so I could eat a lot. The crust was crispy and inside was custard. The crust didn't have a buttery taste, but the custard was not too sweet and had just the right amount of sweetness. I would like to try other sweets there as well.

I arrived at the store around 3 PM on Sunday, but it was full inside so I decided to get takeout since waiting seemed tiring. At first, I was spoken to in Thai...Thai language. I thought about studying it, but then I was asked in Japanese whether I wanted to dine in or get takeout. I chose takeout and they kindly brought me the menu. I got the Hong Kong milk cake that I saw on Instagram, and it was delicious! The portion was a bit much for one person, so it might be good to share. Next time, I want to try something that can only be eaten inside the store. I'll remember to buy Hong Kong milk cake on my way back when I go to Ikebukuro. The bag they gave me was wet where I held it, but it's understandable since they are taking measures to keep things clean. The foreign atmosphere was nice, so that was also a good thing.

I arrived at the restaurant around 2 pm on Saturday and had to wait for about 15 minutes as the place was full. When I left around 3 pm, there was still a line outside. The restaurant is located underground, so be aware that the signal may be weak. Inside, there are counter seats (around 7) and a table for 4. Many people were also getting takeout. The egg tart and taro toast were especially delicious! I would love to eat them again, but next time I will probably get takeout.

The place is clean and delicious. I went there for the taro toast but it was sold out, along with other items. It might be better to go in the morning to ensure availability. The eight treasure porridge was sweet and tasty. It's a good restaurant. I want to try the taro toast next time.

Legit Hong Kong sweets. It was almost as good as what I had in Hong Kong. I didn't expect it to be this authentic.

It was so delicious! The atmosphere was nice, and the staff were friendly~ Definitely go check it out~

Purple rice double skin milk for 500 yen, neither good nor bad.

The staff's customer service attitude was very bad. I went to eat, but the item I wanted was sold out even though it was not indicated as sold out on the menu. I thought the customer service attitude was something that would never happen in Japan. Since there was nothing I wanted to eat, I ordered something random. Also, during the meal, the staff chatted loudly with other customers. (I think the staff member was not from Hong Kong, but maybe from China?) I think it's fine to communicate with customers, but in such a small shop, it felt very noisy and bothersome. I would appreciate it if they could at least lower their voice. Because of the environment, I wanted to leave the shop quickly, so I ate the food I ordered early. There were only counter seats and no place to put things, so I don't think it's a place where you can relax. After eating that day, I continued to have indigestion, and I felt sick.

High value for money

All delicious, especially the egg tarts which I think are the best in Tokyo. I want to go there every day.

It was delicious anyway. This time, we didn't have much time, so my friend and I got coconut pudding to go. It was big, but delicious, so we ate it all at once. The manager was kind enough to give us an extra egg tart.

November 2021 revisit. Unusually, I repeated the same thing. I got hooked on a certain dessert. The location is in the real Chinatown on the northwest side of Ikebukuro. Unlike the lively arcade side, it is located in the basement of a slightly quieter building. The interior of the store consists of a small kitchen with one man and about 6 seats lined up across the counter. The menu is quite extensive, with Hong Kong sweets made from ingredients such as taro, tapioca, coconut, and beans. First, let me introduce the specialty here, the "Coconut Milk Pudding" ¥900 (excluding tax), made by scooping out a whole coconut. I had it on my first visit, and it was a sweet and gentle pudding that was fluffily and richly coconut milk-flavored! You can even eat the remaining pulp inside the shell. It was irresistibly delicious...! Truly the number one popular item. This is definitely something you want to try! And what I repeated on my second visit was the "Taro Toast" ¥540 (excluding tax). A simple dessert consisting of taro paste sandwiched between toasted bread. This was... extremely delicious...! First, the toast. A fragrant sweet scent that is crispy, fluffy, and moist. Well, this alone is amazing. Then, the taro paste. While the toast is hot and crispy, the paste is cold and thick in texture. The combination is just perfect. Moreover, the taro has a high viscosity, and even though it already has a satisfying texture, it is generously sandwiched, making it very filling! If anything, the paste tastes more like the original taro, while the toast tastes sweeter. Hot, crispy, fluffy, cold, and gooey. It feels like there is no better harmony... I usually aim for a healthy diet, avoiding wheat and sugar, but with such delicious food available, it would be a waste to go through life without trying it! It was an extremely delicious dessert that made me think that way. I shouldn't eat too much, but restraint isn't good either. Surely, I'll go back to eat it again...! Haha.