It can’t get more decadent than the new ice cream sundae on the menu at the Baccarat Hotel in NYC – at $1,500 a pop! Baroque Access gives you a taste.
Called the ‘Bear Extraordinaire’, this edible masterpiece contains extraordinary ingredients including Madagascan vanilla, champagne sauce, gold leaf, fondant butterflies and, believe it or not, black truffle. Served in the Baccarat Hotel’s Grand Salon, the dish is served in a stunning crystal figurine (the bear in the title of the dish) that diners can take home with them.
So where’s the truffle, then? Three grams of the precious stuff in the form of a crumble is located underneath a hand-painted white chocolate shell (it’s painted with colored cocoa butter). The crumb is mixed with Madagascan Manjari dark chocolate and Valrhona Gold cocoa nibs.
On top of the sundae there’s a hibiscus champagne sauce and a citrus meringue. This is decorated with fragile fondant butterflies and thin strands of sugar, as well as some edible gold and silver leaf. The butterflies were inspired by the Baccarat butterfly collection located in the hotel’s Grand Salon. When it’s served, the ice cream shell is cracked open to reveal its indulgent interior.
So why is it so expensive? Well, the truffle alone is valued at $95 an ounce. Then there’s the magnificent Baccarat Bear that it’s served inside, which the customer takes home. That’s valued at $1,200. It’s individually numbered and signed by designer Jaime Hayon and comprises a clear Baccarat ‘Zoo Bear’ crystal bowl, a porcelain base decorated with a honeycomb motif and a crystal in the shape of the bear’s face on top.
Interestingly enough, you can pay a mere $300 for this hedonistic treat if you’re prepared to have it served without the bear.
This ice cream now tops the list as the most expensive in New York City, a title previously held by dessert destination Serendipity 3. Their concoction has a price tag of $1,000 and includes Tahitian vanilla ice cream, caviar, and an orchid created from sugar. It’s served in a $350 Baccarat crystal goblet with an 18-karat gold spoon on the side. This famous dessert establishment actually made the Guinness Book of World Records in 2007 for a sundae that cost $25,000 – this is not on the menu anymore. We’re not sure why!
If you’re interested in sampling one of these exclusive ice cream desserts at Baccarat Hotel New York, you don’t have much time. It’s only available till Labor Day (3 September). So book your reservation now!
If you would like to book a reservation at the Grand Salon in the Baccarat Hotel New York, let Baroque Access assist. Mail us right away, request@baroqueaccess.com and we will make your booking for you, to enjoy one of the most hedonistic treats in the world.