Desserts of the Day

A scoop of beetroot sorbet with salted caramel

This evening I tried French restaurant Serge et le Phoque (Serge and the Seal), which is next to the Wan Chai wet market.

Seems like a strange location, and many first timers have trouble finding it, but once inside, diners feel a relaxed vibe that's not slouchy but not pretentious either.

Lemon mousse with capsicum jelly

Frederic Peneau is the former architect turned chef who became passionate about food and has an amazing palate from which he creates interesting flavour combinations. The concept of the restaurant is to take top quality ingredients and present dishes in a laid-back atmosphere.

He and the other servers wear shirts that haven't been ironed, casual trousers and shoes, yet they are attentive and present some amazing food.

My friend and I sampled a five-course dinner, and while I was impressed with each of the savoury courses, the desserts were especially memorable.

First up to clean the palate was a beetroot sorbet with a touch of passion fruit for tartness and then topped with salted caramel. It was amazing -- refreshing but also with a touch of sweetness in the finish.

Next up a lemon mousse topped with capsicum jelly. The mousse was quite tart, but counter balanced with the slight sweetness of the red pepper. Who would have thought of using capsicum in a dessert?

Chocolate cake with salted plum for an intriguing taste

Finally a slice of chocolate cake -- but not just any ordinary chocolate cake -- it was laced with salted preserved plum that added a saltiness to the otherwise sweet chocolate. It added another layer of flavours that demonstrated complexity and sophistication, but again without the stuffiness.

Yum.

Serge et le Phoque

3 Wan Chai Road

Wan Chai
5465 2000