Sink your teeth into the city's most delectable and indulgent sweet things
Fromage Blanc Island Cheese Cake at Chikalicious
Served as part of the upstairs prix fixe menu at this New York founded dessert-only restaurant, this not-too-sweet, incredibly fluffy showstopper will leave you gloriously content. Arriving on a small plate atop a bowl of crushed ice – which keeps the temperature perfectly chilled – the dessert is then doused with a pot of luscious cream by your waiter. Pair with a glass of Champagne to complete the decadence, and take a bite – the airy marshmallowy texture and delicate flavour of this dish will completely wow you time after time.
Price 188RMB (three course dessert menu, plus 108RMB for wine pairing) plus 10 percent.
Chikalicious is at Unit 205a, Xintiandi South Block, No 5, Lane 123 Xingye Lu, near Madang Lu, Huangpu district.
Gracie's Banana Split at Al's Diner
This incredible concoction of childhood favourites isn’t for the faint of heart. The hugely nostalgic Split features a trio of ice cream (Gracie’s homemade take on the classic Neapolitan choc-vanilla-strawberry combo) – nestled among slices of a perfectly ripe banana, topped with whipped cream, hot fudge sauce, sea salt caramel sauce, and a sprinkle of Graham cracker crumble; last but not least, three plump, sweet Amarena cherries quite literally form the cherry on top of this tasty treat.
Price 128RMB.
Al's Diner is at 204 Xinle Lu, near Donghu Lu, Xuhui district.
M's Very Famous Pavlova at M on the Bund
Although the origins of this hotly contested meringue dessert remain unknown (Australia? New Zealand? Who knows!), it’s found a happy home here in Shanghai at M on the Bund. In theory, the pavlova is relatively easy to make, but it’s also wildly hard to perfect, and the M version is the epitome of a successful pav. It scales ambitious heights, presented as a gleaming tower of tropical fruits piled atop a fluffy cloud-like interior and a magically crunchy meringue crust; this dessert should be enjoyed often and with gusto.
Price 98RMB plus 10 percent.
M on the Bund is at Seventh Floor, Five on the Bund, 20 Guangdong Lu, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, Huangpu district.
PBJ (peanut ice cream, red fruit and salted peanut caramel) at The Commune Social
Peanuts and red fruits are two dessert heroes when consumed solo, but when you put them together they create a taste explosion that’s hard to top. This gorgeously plated mix from Kim Melvin is a delight both on the eyes and taste buds – a tower of flavours and textures. Lining the plate is a sweet puddle of raspberry jam, which is topped with seasonal fresh berries and super-tasty peanut clumps made from white chocolate, thin wafers and peanut butter. A salted caramel peanut sugar crisp then creates the base for a block of oozing peanut ice cream and a quenelle of blueberry sorbet. The final touch: a sprinkle of frozen mixed berries; the perfect dessert for any season.
Price 62RMB.
The Commune Social is at 511 Jiangning Lu, near Kangding Lu, Jingan district.
The 'Coconut' at Alan Wong's Shanghai
The ‘Coconut’ at Alan Wong’s is tasty, tropical and melodramatic (in a good way). Light coconut sorbet is moulded into a dark chocolate shell, with the ingredients working together to imitate the look of a coconut – the husk is recreated using real stuff. The flavours are balanced and not overly sweet, with the fragrant sorbet teamed with seasonal fruits – the likes of mango, cherry, kiwi and strawberries – and drizzled with a passion fruit sauce. Say aloha to holiday vibes.
Price 98RMB plus 15 percent.
Alan Wong's Shanghai is at Second Floor, Shanghai Centre, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Xikang Lu, Jingan district.
Lemon & Lemon Tart PP at Mr & Mrs Bund
This chic and elegant dessert may look simple, but the recipe – created by Paul Pairet in 2001 – is jaw-droppingly complex. To start, the lemon’s insides and pith are removed and the fruit is slow-cooked in syrup for six hours, before it’s left to soak at room temperature. Then, after a night spent in the fridge, any remaining pith is painstakingly removed, and the whole soaking-cooking-scooping process is repeated another two times, taking a total of around 72 hours. Phew. Finally, before being served, the delicate lemon case is stuffed with lemon chantilly, lemon sorbet, lemon ice cream, lemon curd and segments of grapefruit, orange and lemon. This complicated combination of citrus is offset by a chopstick sized sablé biscuit that helps cut through the tang. This is the ultimate dessert for those who know that when life gives you lemons, you make a lemon tart.
Price 110RMB plus 10 percent.
Mr & Mrs Bund is at Sixth Floor, Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu. Huangpu district.