Sweet Dynasty - Hong Kong

100 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong
852 2199 7799

Last Visited: June 2008

Food (dessert rating only): 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

Sweet Dynasty is located across from one of the three Marco Polo hotels in Hong Kong. Just ask the locals - they'll help you find the place. If you're a tourist, it's a great spot to ease your way into Hong Kong culture. Why you might ask? It's more like the Chinese restaurants you find in the United States.

Compared to its counterparts, Sweet Dynasty has more spacious seating, menus with both Chinese characters and English, and is brightly lit. It's usually bustling with the noise from other patrons, and the desserts certainly remind you that you're in Hong Kong. While I haven't tried the entrees or small plates here, they always look appetizing.

This is the place to go for some White Fungus Soup with Rock Sugar or Grass Jelly dessert. Most traditional desserts are available either hot and cold. Cold desserts are plated in a bowl that is within a larger bowl containing dry ice. I had to wait for the vapors to dissipate before taking this photo.

Chinese food is all about balance. Chinese desserts follow this theme by often being served hot as to cleanse and balance your system after eating stir-fried or spicy foods. Soup, both savory and sweet, have a legacy of being both healthy and depending on the area of China you're from, it may be served as an after dinner course. Often, they're medicinal in nature. Take Red Bean Soup for example. Paired with lotus seed, the texture of the soup has more body because of the beans and seeds. However, I can remember my grandma telling me to make sure I eat those lotus seeds - apparently they're good for the spleen, heart, and kidneys.

Classic desserts are Almond Soup, Sago in Coconut Cream with Mango, Red Bean Soup with Lotus Seeds, Black Sesame Soup, and Peanut Soup. You might find that you actually enjoy them as dessert despite the 'soup' in the title. Think of it as chilled fruit soup - sweet and refreshing to the palate. You might even try Red Beans and Ice Cream over Crushed Ice - it's pretty good.

At prices that are about $4 to $5 an order, the desserts are very reasonable. Be adventurous - you just might like some of those things you've never heard before. And another bonus, they're open late!