Sundae
The decadent US$1,000 Golden Opulence treat was developed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of dessert haven Serendipity 3 in Manhattan. It contains five scoops of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream that’s also infused with Madagascar vanilla and topped with a gold leaf, drizzled with one of the world’s most expensive chocolates, Amedei Porceleana, sprinkled with chunks of rare Chuao chocolate and is filled with Parisian candied fruits, gold dragets, truffles and marzipan cherries. Topped with a small glass bowl of Golden Passion Caviar – a special salt-free dessert caviar – infused with passion fruit and orange, it’s served in a crystal goblet with an 18-carat gold spoon and a tiny mother of pearl spoon crowned with a gilded sugar flower. If you’d like to indulge, just make sure you order it in advance of your visit.
Soup
Served at Kai restaurant in the exclusive Mayfair area in London, the £108 ‘Buddha Jumped Over the Wall’ soup is described on the menu as, “a highly extravagant soup with exquisite ingredients. Abalone, superior shark’s fin, dried scallops, sea cucumber, ginseng, corn-fed chicken, Chinese mushrooms and gold in a broth fit for an Emperor.” It requires five days of advance notice to be prepared and is part of Kai’s Imperial Delicacies list that calls for extensive preparation involving several kitchen staff and expensive ingredients.
Sushi roll
Available only in restaurant Koi’s Las Vegas outlet, the Highroller sushi roll (US$1,000) is made with Hudson Valley foie gras, covered with sweetly succulent Lobster sashimi that’s brushed with a saffron and vanilla bean butter and topped with Golden Osetra caviar. It’s finished with a tableside shaving of white Alba truffles and a drizzle of 100-year-old balsamic vinegar. Not mentioned on the regular menu, the roll has been dubbed a VIP dish and will be made available only to the select few who have heard of it through the grapevine.
