Cute cooking runs in La Carmina’s family — and here’s the proof! My cousin Amanda Yuen runs a Hong Kong cooking school, Princess Cake House, specializing in cute food and fun, decorated desserts. Sebastiano and I joined a class, where we learned how to make adorable panda bread, while chomping on Rilakkuma’s chocolate ear.

Seba’s yellow cat shirt: Hyoma, from the I.T. store.
La Carmina’s Goth-cute tank top: Black Peace Now, from Closet Child Tokyo
Pink and silver flower necklace: gifted from Soho Hearts

The workshop, located in Fo Tan, was bustling with about 40 students. My Rilakkuma bear apron matches Amanda’s chocolate bread creation.

Every weekend, the instructors teach students how to make adorable sweets, like panda bear bread.

Who came for the lesson? Seriously, everyone: kids, female friends, couples, a headhunter from the UK. Amanda won a cake decorating award in Japan, so she’s well qualified to teach.

Hazel demonstrates the steps while the students watch. Pop quiz: can you find Seba in this photo?

The layering of the black, white and green (matcha-flavored) dough…

… results in panda faces on every slice of bread. Kawaii!

As you may know, I wrote a cookbook, Cute Yummy Time (published by Penguin Books). It’s about how to make healthy food fun — by decorating it to look like cute characters! You can find more info here.

What a fun cooking school, with smiling objects everywhere. Using this wooden rolling pin, can you guess what I did to Seba?

Seba’s munching turned the cute bear’s face into a ghost. Using the torch, he made a creme brulee crust.

Amanda also baked dainty cakes and pastel macaroons. She let us eat whatever we wanted — and we did!

Whenever I travel to a new place, I enjoy taking cooking lessons; it’s a rewarding way to learn about the culture and pick up new foodie skills. And why not add some cuteness to the mix?

If you visit Hong Kong, I hope you’ll pay a visit to Princess Cake House. Cooking classes are held in Cantonese, but you can email them and ask for my cousin Amanda. She’ll make sure you don’t get lost in translation.

Have you ever taken a cooking lesson? Or tried cooking cute? My bento-decoration-inspired book is available to buy here.

PS: Seba and I have SO many photos to share… Milan, Rome, Venice, Florence with Luisa Via Roma. Plus two fashion design collaborations to be released this month. Patience please!

Song of the Day: Yelle – Safari Disco Club (French electro; you can stream the entire album.)