Everyone raves about wine and the main course, but behind every great meal is a scrumptious dessert. The next time you have a few days to spare, plan a scavenger hunt around the globe when you take a business jet charter to sample the tastiest morsels of decadence in the world.
Golden Opulence Sundae
Created by the New York City eatery Serendipity 3, the Golden Opulence Sundae is famous for its $1,000 price tag. Created to commemorate the restaurant’s golden anniversary in 2005, this dessert is in high demand by the elite around the world, including the crown prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum who recently enjoyed the dessert. The sundae includes five scoops of Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream that’s infused with Madagascar vanilla beans in a $300 Baccarat crystal goblet, which you receive in a velvet-lined box at the end of your meal. Accompanying the ice cream are chunks of chocolate made from Venezuela’s rare Chuao cacao. Drizzled over the ice cream is Amadei Porcelana chocolate that’s then covered with 23-carat edible gold leaf. Adorning the sundae are chocolate truffles, marzipan cherries, gold-covered almonds and candied fruit. In lieu of whipped cream, Serendipity 3 tops off the dessert with a gilded sugar flower that has a dollop of Grande Passion caviar on top. If you wish to partake in this frozen wonder, you’ll need to make a reservation at least 48 hours in advance.
Sultan’s Golden Cake
When you find yourself at the Çırağan Palace (Sarayı) Kempinski Hotel in Instanbul with a sweet tooth, stop into the Tuğra Restaurant & Lounge for a slice of the Sultan’s Golden Cake. There’s no better way to sink your teeth into a brick of gold. As one of the most luscious fruit cakes in the world, the Golden Cake is made of pears, figs, apricots and quince that were soaked in Jamaican Rum for two years. The cake is also infused with rare French Polynesian vanilla and topped with smooth caramel and black truffles. Serving as majestic icing is 24-carat gold leaf. The cake takes up to 72 hours to make and is served in a golden-sealed cake box made of sterling silver. It’s good to live like the royalty of the Ottoman Empire.
Macaroons Haute Couture
When you’ve landed your private charter jet in Paris, you can’t have just any macaroons. You must sample the Haute Couture Macaroons created by pastry chef Pierre Hermé. The airy bites of bliss are made from fine and rare ingredients like fleur de sel, peanut butter, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon cream, Gran Format Infinment caramel, Ceylon cinnamon, Morello cherries, pistachio, cacao from Madagascar, espelette pepper, green tea, chanterelle mushroom, aniseed, basil, saffron, caramelized fennel, carrot, passion fruit, Infiniment Chocolat Porcelana and more. With the right combination of ingredients, you can create a custom macaroon that costs over $7,000. If this is the price to pay for heaven, so be it.
The Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence
As you make your way around the world, plan a stop in Galle, Sri Lanka and find your way to The Fortress Resort & Spa. The Stilt Fisherman Indulgence offered by the resort commemorates the time-honored local tradition of stilt fishing by portraying a stilt fisherman carved out of chocolate. The layered dessert is an Italian cassata served with Irish cream, gold leaf and a mango and pomegranate compote. Balancing perfectly on the chocolate stilt is a piece of 80-carat aquamarine cut into the shape of a boat that you get to keep. If you order this Indulgence, be prepared to spend over $14,000.
Considering your traveling adventures across the country or the world in your private aircraft, what was your favorite extravagant treat?
