REVIEW: Starting off new years with something a little sweet

Happy New Years! For this exciting holiday, my family and I decided to go get some dinner and dessert (mostly dessert) at a Hong Kong style restaurant called Creations.  I know, it's not all that fancy but eating what you love is already the best celebration.

THE ATMOSPHERE: You can't expect the same feeling as if you were in a higher class bubble milk tea shop.  It's pretty ordinary inside, and nothing really special.  There are long lights hanging down from the ceiling.  But overall, it's pretty dim inside.  There is also a TV playing Chinese music videos.  On the walls, there are many posters.  For the most part, it's pretty relaxing in there.  

THE FOOD: For the savory part of the meal, some things we got were udon with fish dumplings,    

curry fish balls, a bowl of instant noodle with egg, sausages, and spam, and an another bowl of            instant noodle with curry fish balls and sausages(not placed in the pictures).  Actually, I did not think these dishes were all that great.  The udon was not chewy enough, and it was just average.  The curry fish balls were a bit better.  The sauce was a bit spicy which was perfect.  I really liked the little           sword picks it came with.  Lastly the two instant noodle soups were very ordinary.  But I liked the     

way they cut up the sausages.   But we weren't mainly here for this, we were here for my favorite        style dessert !                                                                                                                                            

udon with fish dumplings ($5.80)

curry fish balls ($2.95)

instant ramen with sausages, spam and egg (5.80)

the dessert menu (sorry about that bright spot down at the bottom)

THE DESSERT: I think the thing that makes all these desserts so similar is because they used a mango based puree in almost of them.  What I love about HK desserts is the freshness I can taste because of the use of fruits, and how ingredients make it refreshing. This is what we got:

Crystal snow on sago with pomelo and mixed fruits: On the left side of the dessert, I think the part of it that made the whole thing complete is the scoop of ice on top that looks like ice cream.  It's actually hard to explain, the ice isn't just regular ice, it's sweet and is really packed together.  The yellow stuff on the right side of the bowl is the mango puree with crystal snow.  First of all, the mango puree tastes really fresh and sweet.  The crystal snow doesn't have a huge taste but with the mango puree, it's a great combination.  On the left side of the bowl is the pomelo(kind of like grapefruit).  It's pretty sour so since the mango puree is sweet, it balances out the two flavors.  On the very bottom of the bowl is sago, which are tiny transparent balls that are really soft.  Make sure to mix the sago to the top before eating it or else you are going to be left with only the sago(like I did) and it won't have as much flavor.  And on the right side, there is a bowl of mixed fruits that include a strawberry cut up into tiny slices, mangoes, kiwis, cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew. The fruits aren't too sweet, but they also weren't too sour.

crystal snow on sago with pomelo and mixed fruits ($7.35)

crystal snow on sago with pomelo and mixed fruits ($7.35)

Glutinous rice balls with mixed fruits in mango juice: This dessert is pretty similar to the one         before.  On the left side of the dessert, it's a bit different.  There are glutinous rice balls (the title         explains it all) that are really chewy.  They are not huge but the texture is just perfect.  And with         mango juice/mango puree, the sweetness of it just blends very well together.                                       

glutinous rice balls with mixed fruits in mango juice ($5.55)

Glutinous rice balls in mango juice with extra mango: This dessert is basically the one before this, but with extra mango chunks and without the mixed fruits.     

glutinous rice balls in mango juice with extra mango ($5.55)

Aloe jelly in mango and coconut juice: Again, mango.  Mango, mango, mango. The last dessert is a drink that is made of mango juice, coconut juice and aloe jelly.  All the green stuff at the bottom is the aloe, so make sure you stir that all up before drinking it.  The aloe is very unique, it's not just like chunks you would normally eat elsewhere.  

aloe jelly in mango and coconut juice ($2.95)

I would definitely come here again, and again but only for the dessert.  And that's what they're known for mostly.  The music and desserts always reminds me of the feeling back in Hong Kong.  And I love that feeling.

This is probably the only place I know of that serves such authentic Hong Kong style desserts.  I really hope that this place will not close, because I will not be able to experience that feeling again.  If you're a asian dessert lover, particularly HK style desserts, this place is a must to try.