Fatina & Chefo, EAT & PLAY by Chocolate Rain | Hong Kong
Rating: ❤❤❤1/2
Since my last visit to PMQ a few weeks back, I went back to have afternoon tea at Fatina & Chefo, EAT & PLAY by Chocolate Rain created by local designer Prudence Mak over the weekend. The brand Chocolate Rain offers handcrafted pieces of accessories and decorations inspired by a cute doll named Fatina who lives in a fantasy world called Mushroom Land with her good friend Chefo. Daily special desserts, savories and snacks are served while customers can enjoy eating and playing with Fatina and Chefo.
I made reservations beforehand which is a must-have on the weekends as the place was packed with a lot of food traffic passing through as the shop was really a cafe and store combined. As I walked in, I saw tables placed on both sides of the main walkway in the first half of the shop which made up the cafe portion. The decor was really charming and Disneyland-like with umbrellas hanging from the ceiling and life-size dolls surrounding you while you eat. You really do get a sense of being transported into the fantasy land of Mushroom Land while dining in this cafe.
Even the tables and utensils were immensely cute with colorful patchwork place mats and water glasses with drawings of Fatina and her friends on it. This whole setup reminds me of tea time in kindergarten. The afternoon tea menu had 3 dessert offerings on the day that I went - the Fatina Chefo Jar, Strawberry Bubble Bath and a special panda theme dessert created for the 1600 pandas currently on display at PMQ. Desserts cost $68 a la carte and $99 with a drink.
Ice Honey Pear Tea (3.5/5) - you have a choice of bubbly, wine, coffee and tea for drinks and I went for the Ice Honey Pear Tea as it was so hot outside. The drink was refreshing to drink as it was not too sweet but I couldn't taste any pear flavor in it.
Fatina Chefo Jar (4.5/5) - the Fatina Chefo Jar is their signature dessert which arrived in a adorable jar with Fatina's head as a cover! It's a molecular creme brulee dessert with vanilla foam and molecular ice cream sprinkled with caramel and toffee crunches on top. To eat, I removed Fatina's head and dug right down to the bottom to get a bit of everything. The whole dessert was light and fluffy to eat as the vanilla foam was airy while the caramel ice cream was rich and smooth. I also loved the contrasting textures and temperatures of the ingredients which all came together perfectly.
Pandina Sweet with Yogurt Sorbet and Bamboo Sponge (2/5) - my friend got the special panda dessert which ended up being quite a disappointment. First off, the portion was so tiny - it wasn't really worth it for $68 as you can probably finish it in 3 scoops. Second, the flavors were not spectacular at all. There were 4 blobs of yogurt and coconut sorbet surrounded by cream with a drawing of a panda on the plate. The sorbet was alright but the cream was just cream and didn't go well with the other ingredients. I thought the brown round pieces for the eyes and nose would be chocolate but it was just sponge cake which had no flavor. The entire dessert just didn't gel together and I would not recommend getting this.
Verdict - to be honest, I don't think people come to these kind of themed cafes for food but rather for the experience, and good food is just a welcomed bonus on the side. On that point, I think that this cafe do strive to deliver creative and innovative food and the Fatina Chefo Jar is a great example of that. The decor is probably the most appealing aspect of this cafe and ideal for a kid's birthday party for example. Fatina & Chefo, EAT & PLAY is also perfect for those who want to escape from reality into Mushroom Land for a few hours!
Fatina & Chefo, EAT & PLAY
Unit 109-113, Staunton, PMQ
35 Aberdeen Street, Central
2559 0017
Comments
Post a Comment