KOI Dessert Bar

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The owner of this chic dessert bar is Reynold Poernomo of Masterchef fame, and since it opened, KOI has quickly risen to become one of Sydney's must-try dessert destinations, frequently appearing in 'best dessert' lists. 

 Kensington Street in Chippendale where KOI is located has a charming back alleyway feel, filled with street-style small eateries, open-air tables and niche little shops, making it understandably attractive to students from near-by UTS and Usyd. 

 KOI is beautifully decorated with exotic flowers everywhere you turn, it looks more like a florist than a dessert bar at first glance - until you look at the even more beautiful dessert creations nestled behind the counter for take-away or enjoyment at the bar. The upstairs area is reserved for dining or dessert degustations, and overlooks the 'Spice Alley' that is the back of Kensington Street - charming with its red lanterns and cobblestones. 
Something Sweet & Savoury
The set dessert menu kicks off with an adventurous bang with "something sweet & savoury": artichoke gelato, shitake with crispy parsnip, caramel and brown butter almond. The artichoke gelato is beautifully churned - not too cold (just as the perfect gelato ought to be) and silky smooth; while the shitake mushroom and parsnip flakes add a slightly salty earthiness to the dish. The brown butter almond at the bottom of the dish has the consistency of shortbread crumbs, which complemented the gelato beautifully. 
Moss
One of the most famous items on the menu, 'moss' is an astounding creation of pistachio mousse, caramel gel, white chocolate matcha dulce cremeux, pistachio sponge cake, matcha 'moss', apple blossom jelly,  green apples and nitro lime and yogurt. The nitro lime is refreshingly tart, while the nitro yogurt has the consistency of snow. The highlight of the dish for me is the matcha dome, which hold a liquid centre of oozing caramel. 
I like things Matcha
Matcha gelato is served with yuzu (a Japanese grape fruit) curd, strawberries and rhubarb consomme, and decorated with fresh and freeze-dried strawberries. While each component of the dish is quite lovely, together they become rather overwhelming and the strawberries and rhubarb consomme clashed with the yuzu curd and the matcha gelato. 
Red Winter
KOI finishes with a bang, just as it started with one: beetroot lime sorbet is gorgeously light without any attempt to hide the beetroot flavour; coconut yogurt snow has an indescribable yet charming consistency that melts on the tongue while giving the illusion of being quite dry; passion fruit bubble offers a burst of tartness and and rose petals add yet another consistency to this palette-tempting concoction. 

 Score: 4.5 / 5
The atmosphere, service, dessert and view are charming. I would definitely recommend for a romantic date. 
Price: dessert set menu is at $65pp
Address:46 Kensington St, Chippendale
Website: www.koidessertbar.com.au

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