Sugar Rush: Where to go for the best desserts in Chinatown

For sticky-sweet treats of an Asian persuasion Chinatown is the place to set your foodie compass. From fish-shaped ice cream cones to gigantic shaved ice creations, there is a wealth of super tasty and super unique desserts to discover here. So, grab your spoon, sharpen that sweet tooth and get ready to discover where to go for the best desserts in Chinatown.

Mango with Sago at TPT Café 

Q: How do you start a pudding race? A: Sago! OK that decades-old joke is groan-worthy but sago is a super-popular dessert in Malaysia. A sweet, liquidy soup made from boiled sago pearls, palm sugar and coconut milk. Think of it as a big bowl of warm bubble tea. TPT Café do sago of all stripes but its Mango with Sago is summer in a bowl.

Mango with sago

Mix & Match at Shan State 

Who can say no to a spot of dessert DIY? At Burmese eatery, Shan State you can build your pud in three stages until your taste buds are content. Simply select your base – it could be milk jelly, soya pudding or coconut sago – add an ice cream, then lead on as many toppings as you’d like. Think, playful little numbers like matcha balls, popping straws, red bean and green agar. Slurp!

Just one of the delicious ways to build your dessert

Bingsu at Shibuya Soho

If you’ve ever wondered what that cool emoji is that looks like an enormous sundae, it’s actually bingsu; a popular Korean dessert made of flaky shards of ice milk. Shibuya Soho’s vertiginous towers of delight come fully loaded with piles of strawberry, mango or Oreos and we challenge anyone to polish off a whole one by themselves…

Oreo Bingsu at Shibuya

Taiyaki at Bake

One of Japan’s superstar deserts is the taiyaki; a fish-shaped hollow waffle cone stuffed with sticky-sweet surprises. At Wardour Street’s Bake (a treasure trove of Asian baked delicacies) you’ll find their amazing taiyaki jam-packed with matcha ice cream. In fact you can’t miss the gigantic taiyaki machine (imported from Japan) pumping out the treats in the bakery window.

Matcha soft serve in a taiyaki cone

Lotus Seed Buns at Kowloon Bakery

A little bit sweet, a little bit savoury but oh-so delicious. One of Kowloon Bakery’s fluffy lotus seed buns will fill you up all afternoon. A round doughy pillow with a liquid centre made from lotus seed paste. It tastes and looks like caramel but is infinitely healthier. Pop in and grab one for brunch when they’re still fresh and warm.

Tasty lotus seed buns