Desserts most delectable

GELATOS
With summer round the corner, it is time to indulge. But forget ice-creams and kulfis this year, try gelato, the "Italian ice-cream", which is proving to be quite a style statement this summer. In Delhi, designer Vijay Arora had started the trend last year, after he attended an ice-cream making course in Bologna, with several kiosks in the city.

You can have your gelato in several flavours (all natural), the added benefit being that this is supposed to have a lower fat content than your regular ice-cream. Kiosks apart, Arora supplies to several fancy restaurants as well, and if you so please, you can get your scoop at places like Olive and Diva. On the other hand, it is not just Delhi which has woken up to the gelato but also Mumbai (a number of gelato parlours have come up, particularly in south Mumbai) and Kolkata.

HOT CHOCOLATE PUDDING
The other day I was at Eggspectations, Jaypee Vasant Continental, for a "sizzler" trial. But I ended up discovering something quite different. Meal over, I was persuaded to try out one of their bestsellers, the hot chocolate pudding, and gave in despite a waiting time of about 10-15 minutes (the dessert is baked fresh),which I spent gainfully watching India beat England yet again...

The end result was definitely worth the wait. The pudding" a gooey mix of chocolate, cream, sugar and eggs, forget the calories " is baked at 185 degrees Celsius for precisely seven minutes. It is served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and citrus relish to add that suitable tang. For Rs 225, this is the best dessert in town.

HOT CHOCOLATE FUDGE
I know people crib that HCF is not what it used to be " there's less chocolate for more money. But no list of must-have desserts can be complete without this Nirula's faithful introduced in the late 70s. Both Sushmita Sen and Shahrukh Khan, former Delhiites, will agree. Khan, in particular, is remembered by old-timers as hanging out at the Chanakyapuri outlet for hours over HCF. Beats smoking, for sure.

CHOCOLATE FONDANT
Here's more of melted chocolate" and, yes, I am partial, as you will see. The chocolate fondant is a traditional French dessert, essentially a chocolate cake where only the outer edge is cooked. Despite this basic definition, everyone has their own version.

But the one that is top notch, at least in Delhi, is at this lovely little restaurant called Azzuro at PVR Saket. Shrivant, the man behind the dessert and indeed the restaurant, has a grand diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, London, and is one of the most talented young restaurateurs around. His version involves enclosing the chocolate in a partially baked pastry cup and further baking the concoction. BULL'S EYE
Many, many years ago, when things were definitely more conservative, including dining out, one of our favourite late night "adventures" used to involve stopping by at Machan, that Taj coffee shop, post midnight and gorging on their Bull's Eye. To say "sinful" means nothing in these days of half a dozen desserts thus qualifying. But sinful it was, piping hot truffle pastry with vanilla ice-cream. Since then, Bull's Eye has spawned many imitators but like always, few can match the original.

At Rs 260 plus tax, it would still qualify as a must on my list.

EGGLESS CAKES
If you must insist on these this season, what with the bird flu scare and religious inclinations, Patio at the Metropolitan Hotel Nikko has a fairly substantial counter. The "Florida" cake (a fresh fruit one) is particularly good. Rs 500 per kg.