Sydney’s most decadent chocolate desserts: 15 wickedly indulgent dishes to try
IF chocolate was seasonal, it would now be at its peak, and these 15 seriously indulgent desserts are what dreams are made of.
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IF chocolate was seasonal, it would now be at its peak.
Easter is synonymous with the dark stuff, from eggs to bunnies and everything in between.
But if you’re after a more sophisticated chocolate fix, you can’t go past these decadent in-house indulgences.
1. EIGHT-TEXTURE CHOCOLATE CAKE
This unassuming disk (pictured top) from Quay holds eight delectable layers.
It starts with a base layer of fudgey chocolate cake, topped with a chocolate mousse layer made with Amedei chuao chocolate and a crisp chocolate and hazelnut meringue layer.
Up next is a caramel, chocolate and vanilla scented ganache layer, then a crunchy milk chocolate layer which contains hazelnut praline and finely chopped caramelised puff pastry plus milk chocolate whipped cream. A disk of Amedei chuao tops it off and the final texture is a hot chocolate ganache poured all over it. From Quay restaurant, at The Rocks.
2. DRAGON EGG DESSERT
A shell of Valrhona Caramelia milk chocolate encases a filling of vanilla-toasted rice mousse with a kalamansi (citrus fruit) flavoured namelaka, or cream, at its nucleus. Crack it open to reveal the hidden ingredients. It’s served at the table under a pouring of liquid nitrogen to up the theatrical element. From Sake Bar and Restaurant, The Rocks & Double Bay.
3. MILK CHOCOLATE DELICE
Chef Mark Holland has created a dessert reminiscent of his childhood. “Easter brings out the child in everyone and for me my dessert is one that sings out many childhood memories,” he says. “Milk chocolate, a cup of malty Horlicks (Ovaltine), and the flavour of the Feuilletine flakes surrounding the ice cream gives me that ‘by the British sea side ice cream in a cone’ flavour. It’s everything I loved as a child on one plate.” From The Tilbury, 12-18 Nicholson St, Woolloomooloo.
4. WARM COVERTURE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
A delicate shell of milk chocolate is filled with raspberry mousse and mint ice-cream and topped with gold leaf. Warm coverture chocolate ganache is then slowly poured over the shell at the table, so you see it melt away on the plate. From Black Bar and Grill, at The Star, Pyrmont St, Pyrmont. (ground level).
5. FETTA ALLA BANANA E CIOCCOLATO
This theatrical dessert features dark chocolate ganache, banana bavarois, salted caramel mousse, peanut brittle and milk sorbet. From Otto Ristorante, Area 8, 6 Cowper Wharf Road Woolloomooloo.
6. EASTER CHOCOLATE EXPLOSION
A sundae that’s been pimped up especially for Easter, this dessert includes choc chip cookie crush, Kinder ice cream, chocolate ice cream, chocolate Easter egg filled with kinder ice cream plus caramel and chocolate sauce. From Extract Espresso, 650C Gregory Hills Dr, Gledswood Hills.
7. THE CHOCOLATE SPHERE
The theatrical melting sphere is filled with seasonal fruit compote, chocolate mousse, mint sorbet and milk chocolate sauce that envelops the dish at the table. It’s only available Fridays and Saturdays. From The Garden, Wests Ashfield.
8. EGGILICIOUS
A new dessert item on the menu for Easter, it’s eminently Instagrammable and made up of almond soil, vanilla rum mousse, lemon yoghurt sponge and mango sphere. It may look too pretty to eat, but trust us, it’s not. From Koi Dessert Bar, Kensington St, Chippendale.
9. CHOCOLATE DEGUSTATION MENU
Throughout April, dive into four courses of chocolate-based dishes, including a death-by-chocolate cocktail, a rhubarb, strawberry, Zephyr white chocolate, cream and basil dish, a Pur Noir chocolate delice, tonka bean custard and peanut sachertorte and a 55 per cent dark chocolate, coconut and mandarin glass egg. At the Glass Brasserie, Hilton Sydney, 2/488 George St, Sydney.
10. MILE-HIGH CHOCOLATE CAKE
If size matters, this will take out top prize. Standing tall at 17cm, this is for serious chocoholics. There are seven layers of chocolate cake, each one brushed with Frangelico. Separating each layer is a rich espresso icing and it’s all topped off with a dark chocolate ganache. From Eastside Grill, 2-10 Kensington St, Chippendale.
11. CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT MOUSSE CAKE
This chocolate/hazelnut mousse cake infused with Pedro Ximenez, a Spanish white wine, has a liquid caramel centre, is covered in chocolate ganache and decorated with an edible gold leaf. This dish won second place at Taste of Sydney’s food festival a few weeks ago. From Mercado, 4 Ash St, Sydney.
12. EVE’S CHOCOLATE CAKE
This is Damien Pignolet’s take on a classic Viennese recipe. He learnt it from his friend Eve in 1970 and it’s still going strong.
“Bake two thirds of a chocolate mousse recipe, refrigerating the balance which becomes the topping. Scatter with bittersweet chocolate shavings and a touch of raspberry sauce. Don’t spare the whipped cream for originality,” he says.
From Regatta, 594 New South Head Rd, Rose Bay.
13. DARK VALRHONA CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
The Dark Valrhona Chocolate Mousse is a more-ish mix of milk chocolate cremeux, kirsch poached cherries, crème chantilly, yoghurt and cherry ice cream. From Catalina, Lyne Park, Rose Bay.
14. CIOCCOLATO E OLIO D’OLIVA
This dessert includes Zokoko 68 per cent chocolate mousse, olive oil sorbet and olive caramel crisp, plus salt of dried olives, caramel and a liquid centre. From Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, 1 Notts Ave, Bondi Beach.
15. SMOKED MOCHA DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE
This is a dark, velvety, refined version of the American classic. It’s made with an airy 70 per cent dark chocolate mousse, rich coffee crémeux and a smoked vanilla foam. From Prime Restaurant, Sydney GPO Building, 1 Martin Place, Sydney.
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