We visit 2am:dessertbar at the W Hotel where Singaporean Chef Janice Wong brings her dessert concept to Sydney. But there's a couple of surprises in store when we see the menu. Find out more here!
It's a Wednesday night when Girl Next Door and I arrive at 2am: dessertbar in the W Hotel Sydney. The dessert bar is located on the 3rd floor in the BTWN area between the restaurant and bar.
"Do you have a booking?" they ask us and we answer no. She looks at the screen, we look at the area with one table taken and she says that she can find us a table. The W Hotel is located right next to the expressway with cars and trucks whizzing past us.
A bit of history. Girl Next Door and I were social media mutuals and first met in Singapore on a press trip. We became fast friends and went to the 2am Dessert Bar in Singapore where we enjoyed Chef Janice Wong desserts while lying back in recliner beds. When we reconnected recently she suggested that we try the Sydney branch of 2am: dessertbar.
"The menu is vegan and sugar free," says the woman handing us a menu.
"Wait, what?" we ask, looking at each other. Yes the entire menu at the Sydney branch of 2am dessert bar is vegan and refined sugar free. The menu is also smaller than the Singapore branch where you can order desserts a la carte and there are non vegan and sugar free options too. On offer here is just a 3 course dessert tasting menu with no a la carte desserts (despite what the website mentions so perhaps it is a recent thing). The 3 course dessert tasting menu is $48 a person with an optional cocktail or zero alcohol drink pairing for $32 per person. Our waitress suggests sharing the dessert degustation and having a cocktail pairing each which we like the sound of. The desserts are prepared in the open circular kitchen at the centre of the space.
Because the desserts don't have refined sugars, they have a pronounced tartness. Like the Juniper sorbet flower with a centre of coconut caramel made with an 11 spice mix from Otter Craft Distilling in Lilyfield where they use the herbs and spices used in their distilling but not the actual alcohol. The sorbet flower needs a bit of time to soften a little and it sits on a bed of diced poached pear with hibiscus.
This is paired with the Pucker Up cocktail made with Non 3, raspberry, rosella and citrus. What is interesting is that the cocktails are sweet, actually very sweet when compared to the desserts.
The next course is a frozen macadamia cheese cup filled with figs, pomegranate molasses and balsamic sultanas and an acai berry sorbet. The flavours are a little Christmassy and again the frozen cup needs the chill taken off it before taking to it with a spoon or fork. On top is a pretty blood peach paper rose. This dessert is on the creamy and sour side.
This is paired with a strawberry fields cocktail made with Lyre's spiced cane, cucaberry, acacia and lime which is also very sweet but delicious with the predominant flavour of strawberries.
Then comes with our final cocktail drink. It's a teapot of Lyre's Malt with spiced EBT and coco 'nana. You are supposed to add some banana syrup to the drink and stir it with a cinnamon stick. The tea itself is already very sweet so it doesn't need the caramel and if anything the sweetness of this drink really highlights how less sweet the desserts are.
The Green Glass is our last dessert. There are raisins, banana and 100% dark chocolate and a matcha pistachio oat crumble. They recommend cutting it in pieces and eating all the layers together. On top is a frozen spinach glass which is basically spinach and ice. It's not sweetened and neither of us enjoy this so we remove it. I preferred the other two desserts to this one because the spinach did seem like an odd choice. It really reminds us of some fine dining establishments where it is more about interesting or unexpected flavour combinations. And if you happen to eat plant based and low or no sugar, this may be a good option.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you prefer desserts that are sweet, tart or a mix of both? And would you share desserts or would you want one for your own?
This meal was independently paid for.
2am: dessertbar
Level 3, W Sydney
31 Wheat Rd, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9072 0000
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