Our Just Desserts

My quest, in search of the perfect crème brulee – and the winner was:

The BEST creme brûlée

Aux Anysetiers du Roy, Ile St Louis, Paris. This great little place was recommended to us by a friend as “an unpretentious restaurant with a very good chef/owner” and it was well worth the visit. We went for late lunch and had the place all to ourselves.

What made the crème brulee the winner: the ‘custard’ underneath wasn’t too sweet, it relied on the beautiful crisp topping for the sweetness. This one also had the best crust – oh so yummy!

The most unusual was the ‘espresso’ (a coffee crème brulee) at Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 in Padstow. It was served in a coffee mug with a froth and chocolate sprinkles like a cappuccino, and was accompanied by sticks of cinnamon ‘donuts’. Underneath the froth were crunchy choc-coffee ‘granules’. Not the usual ‘toffee’ style topping but pretty good all the same. 
Keep reading down for the choc desserts...

'Espresso' creme brûlée 

Creme brûlée at Chez Bruno

Creme brûlée at Printemps under the beautiful dome

Chocolate desserts worthy of mention:

-       chocolate dome with absinthe sauce and mint icecream at le Dome du Marais in Paris

-       trufas de chocolate, ganache and lemongrass icecream at La Mar (Peruvian) in NY

-       chocolate sphere filled with two types of chocolate mouse, with caramalised bananas at Domaine des Hauts de Loire in Onzain (near Amboise)

-       chocolate tulip filled with mousse in the Maastricht Vrijthof

Other desserts - see pics below:

Our fabulous ‘welcome cake’ in New Jersey with our friends Bobby and Raj, Nim and Mitra.

The lime meringue tart at Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 in Padstow

The amazing ‘pre-dessert’ tray at Domaine des Hauts de Loire (as big as most desserts), then Paul’s unusual local dessert that he says was a great mix of soft meringue and peach.

The pretty little ‘two-tone’ framboise tart at Chez Bruno in Amboise, white and red raspberries. Paul had this while I ‘tested’ the crème brulee – pretty good and the winner until Paris.

Chocolate dome with absinthe sauce and mint icecream

Hot chocolate ganache sauce poured over
cold chocolate coating over lemongrass ice-cream

Chocolate sphere with gold leaf and 'label', filled with
two types of mousse, served with caramelised bananas

Chocolate tulip - white and dark chocolate

Lime meringue pie with rum and raisin ice-cream

pre-dessert platter!

The local Loire dessert of soft meringue and peach

Framboise tart at Chez Bruno

Friends made us feel so welcome in New Jersey