High-end dessert joint promises ‘sweet memories’
Print Edition
ON a recent Friday afternoon, Chikalicious was packed as usual with young Chinese women.
Dessert is the main event at this polished yet elegant pastel-colored venue. Sit at the bar, if you can, to watch pasty chefs Mauro Pompili and Manunya Sittisuntorn (known as Maya) work their magic with the care and attention to detail that goes into every plate.
Chikalicious occupies two floors, including an outdoor area, in the South Block of Xintiandi. The second floor is an intimate 32-seat dessert bar with a prix fixe menu and recommended wine pairings.
I had my Chikalicious experience at this bar, where I met owner-principal Demos Zhu. A Hangzhou native who went to university in New York City, Zhu was a regular at Chikalicious East Village.
“Chikalicious changed my idea about desserts, which are usually associated with the last course of a fine dinner,” Zhu said. “They gave people a chance to enjoy a refined dessert experience using fresh ingredients, made without purees, stabilizers or additive.”
Zhu told me he has many sweet memories of Chikalicious East Village so he wanted to bring this part of his New York experience to Shanghai. “Our slogan here is ‘establish sweet memories.’ I hope locals can enjoy Chikalicious as I did for many years,” he said.
Zhu feels lucky to have Pompili and Maya here; they moved from New York a year ago to take part in Chikalicious’ expansion in China. Pompili’s professional pastry experience and Maya’s unique perspective as a designer-turned-pastry artisan enable them to focus on the finer details of their high-quality sweets.
“The chef couple balance and blend their visions together into their desserts and the experiences around them. They believe in the beauty of simplicity.
The talented pair focuses on the freshness of seasonal ingredients. Since they’ve been here, the duo has been sourcing local ingredients to create new recipes. They ‘let the ingredients speak,’” Zhu said.
I picked a window table overlooking the festive Christmas atmosphere of Xintaindi and opted for the newly-created main course on the prix fixe tasting menu (188 yuan/US$27 excluding drinks): Fresh market Strawberries with Yuzu Cream, Basil Agar, Strawberry Consomme and Tomato Sorbet. It’s suggested to pair this offering with a glass of Pelissero Moscato d’Asti from Italy. Zhu said the team carefully selected the wines to pair with each dessert to enhance the dining experience.
The first plate was a light amuse-bouche of lemongrass jelly with lime sorbet, characterized by a tropical fragrance and well-balanced textures that help open the palate. The main course was perfectly done with a light yuzu cream swimming in the daily-made strawberry consommé pairing with a refreshing tomato sorbet. The chefs love to integrate vegetable ingredients into their desserts to create recipes without boundaries.
The desserts might be petite in size, but they’re very beautifully presented, delicious and unique. The prix fixe menu is always rotating so even the most loyal customer can expect something different along with the house staples.
The first floor offers an a-la-carte menu of signature desserts, such as Earl Grey–White Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Cake (78 yuan), Green Tea Crepe Cake (78 yuan). For first-time visitors, the prix fixe is worth a try.
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