Lotus Restaurant

You know that feeling, when you look at the dessert menu at a restaurant, and want everything? This was my dilemma at Lotus. However, one item stood out above the others, so we made the call and went for it. The Lotus Garden ($15), with a white peony tea bavarois, poached peach, raspberries and raspberry puff sounded irresistible. When it arrived, the stunning presentation only confirmed the choice. Dotted with edible flowers and microherbs, the pale peach colour and the vibrant raspberry red was visually striking. This dessert has all the textures happening – from the crisp of the raspberry puff (think prawn crackers for texture), to the pop of the fresh raspberries, to the soft give of the poached white peach, and the smoothness of the shiny, glazed bavarois (similar to a pannacotta) – making it an exploratory adventure. All of the flavours worked so well together, and a mouthful with all of the elements was utter heaven. The sweetness of the white peach was offset by the tartness of the raspberry, and the white peony tea flavour added a delicate but not particularly sweet floral note. I’m not sure I could go past this next time, as much as I’d like to try the rest of the dessert menu. Note: between dining and publication, the Lotus Garden has changed on the menu, so this exact flavor combination is no longer on offer.

Lotus Restaurant, Level 1, The Galeries, 500 George Street Sydney NSW, http://www.lotusrestaurant.com.au/