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How do you welcome the New Year’s? For the Spaniards, the first minute of the new year has been something of a race — a race against time to finish 12 green grapes before the clock ticks for the next minute. Las doce uvas de la suerte, or the “12 Grapes”, dates back to the 19th century. Believed to bring luck to the new year, the tradition entails that each grape corresponds to a wish for the 12 months ahead, and all the grapes must be finished within the first minute of the new year. Giving this charming tradition a delicious twist, three talented pastry chefs in Hong Kong have created bespoke desserts using the lucky green grape.
Yukkuri
Yukkuri lies behind an enchanting wooden door from France, brimming with storied antiques and recipes nurtured to resplendence. Its entrance is flanked by a wooden bench from a Japanese church, and ceramics handmade by the restaurant’s co-founder, Ren Ngan. Beside our small table, staggered jars of homemade kombucha, and jasmine and strawberry wine bubble quietly. “Good things take time,” Ren reflects. The resounding belief echoes in the love for collecting antiques, making ceramics, and fermenting food. It’s also reflected in the restaurant’s name, which translates to ‘slowly’ in Japanese, juxtaposing the bustle of their Kowloon City neighbourhood.
Ren and her team created a bespoke dessert that highlights rice and cream, giving it the nickname of a ‘white tiramisu’. Below the velvety mascarpone is a layer of soft lady fingers soaked in sweet Denshin’s Yuki sake, bringing hints of vanilla. Grape is presented in two forms: rum raisin, which had been soaked for a month, and peeled green grapes soaked in sake for two weeks. The former packs a punch, while the latter is relatively modest and sweet. A scoop of homemade mascarpone and rum raisin ice cream sits on top, with gobbets of sake jelly sprinkled throughout the layers. Homemade amsake, a fermented Japanese rice drink with a porridge-like consistency, cuts through the creaminess of the dessert with its naturally sweet and slightly savoury profile.
No.424, Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon City, Hong Kong; @yukkuri.hk
Otera
Chef Joanna Yuen opened Otera in 2023, redefining dessert dining with her “temple” of harmony. Recognised as La Liste’s Pastry Talent of the Year in 2024, Joanna began baking in her mid-20s and earned her first job in pastry at Landmark Mandarin Oriental with no professional experience. Her grit and drive then took her to iconic kitchens, including NOBU and Ando. In Joanna’s world of desserts, umami and gentle sweetness fuse to evoke a feeling of quiet equilibrium—a sugar rush is not at all what she’s interested in. “Good design is about eliminating what does not add value. What’s left is simple but powerful,” she says.
The bespoke dessert is meticulously considered from its sensations to shadow. A singular message pertains: celebration. How does one evoke feelings through flavour? Joanna uses shiso for a strong cleansing punch, grape leaves for herbal depth, and grapes for sweetness that seeps through. Rather than being mouth-stingingly sharp, the verjus tastes gently sour with green-apple, grape-skin brightness and a touch of natural sweetness. “It adds lift and complexity to a dish without shouting over more delicate flavours,” Joanna explains. Her aptitude for refined and imaginative design shines through in the purple “Ring” sugar sculpture—a shape that holds connotations of union, eternity, and occasion. Not to mention how sugar sculptures have long been reserved for feasts, weddings, and grand tables as a show of abundance and craftsmanship. This celebration is one of artistry, cultural bridging, and a charmed new year.
Unit 03, 21/F, Technology Plaza, No. 651 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong; @oterahk
LOUISE
Since joining Louise in January 2025, Head Pastry Chef Eve Minialai has dreamed up elegant desserts akin to paintings on a plate. Eve grew up in France and began her culinary journey at a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Paris. She had set out to rise the ranks in the main kitchen, but a curiosity for making pastries led her down a different path. She fell in love with pastry making and immersed herself in a year of pastry classes. Now at Louise, she brings with her a wealth of experience at France’s top Michelin-starred kitchens and training with some of the most renowned pastry chefs, including Jessica Préalpato.
Eve’s creative process reflects her culinary journey: “First, I learned to eat a lot of the produce, to find out everything I can about it. After, I try to cook it. Because I started in the kitchen, I always cook in my desserts. I was cooking it with butter, vanilla, and poaching it— I tried many things, and finally, I decided to do a dessert with different desserts.” To Eve, a balance of freshness and ‘tastiness’ is key. For this bespoke creation, the shiso and mint sorbet, green grape verjus jelly, green grape sauce, shiso oil, and fresh kiwi form a fresh and tangy symphony complemented by clouds of Fontainebleau and petals of royal icing for textural contrast. This is complemented by a ‘tarte tatin’ with grapes, blessed by butter and vanilla while roasted, and a caramelised puff pastry.
35 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong; @louise.hkg
Photography: Samantha Sin
Styling: Ella Wong
Editor
Karrie Lam
