Guess what amigos? I have a new category on the blog aside from Life & Style, it’s Date Night! Hubby and I have decided to set aside regular time to spend just with each other, sans baby, see our last date night in this post with Grey Goose at St Crispin. It’s not easy to have couple time once baby comes along, but I read somewhere that it’s paramount to plan, protect and prioritize your relationship. After all, happy parents equal happy baby.

As you know I’m a hopeless sweettooth so it was not difficult to pick Om Nom Kitchen & Dessert Bar as our dream date destination. You’ve probably see Christy Tania in action on MasterChef Australia, she is an authority on desserts. Her creations are meticulously crafted pieces of art, guaranteed to delight with every bite. Remember the stunning dishes from the Om Nom high tea event in this post?

Whether or not you’re a die-hard dessert fan, you’ll be glad to know that Om Nom also offers delectable savoury dishes! Under the banner The Kitchen Collective, every 3 months head chef Christy Tania will collaborate with a guest chef to create a bespoke 3 course menu to tantalize our taste buds. This month, Christy collaborated with Arnold Poernomo to present their first pop-up restaurant menu at Adelphi Hotel. Arnold is a judge on MasterChef Indonesia. The pair have been experimenting with Indonesia flavours to ensure that the savoury and sweet aspects of each course compliment each other. Oh don’t they ever!

Hubby and I were keen to try the Tasting Menu and the Dessert Degustation, so we shared an entree, had a main, a cocktail and 3 desserts each. It’s difficult not to be an om-nom-nomnivore at Om Nom!

Our entree, the Scallop Ceviche was our favourite dish of the night. It featured a surprising yet complementary set of flavours, including being topped with a coconut sorbet – the ‘icing on the cake’!

A friend of mine had recommended the Creme Brulee cocktail, because the meringue foam comes blowtorched, so I had to try it. If you just come to Om Nom for a drink, this is it! Since this was a ‘date night’, Hubby was keen to try ‘Date with the Night.’ The only ingredient I recognized was the Medjool Date, I must say I’ve never heard of ‘Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum’.

The “Semur” beef cheek was slow braised and then pan seared when ordered, no wonder it just melted upon ingestion. Hubby and I both wanted this dish but he’s a bigger beef fan so I tried the Duck Breast.

The highlight of the Duck, aside from its tender bosom, was the sweet scattering of the red sambal matah. It added an interesting candied dimension to the main.

A less jazzed up frock would not have done Om Nom Dessert Bar justice, so I chose this beaded fringe dress I acquired in New York last year. I tried it on when I was pregnant, so I figured it would house my Om Nom food belly splendidly. And now, let the 6 courses of dessert begin!

First up, meet the famous Mango Alfonso (you may have seen this signature dessert on MasterChef Australia): it was so beautiful we didn’t want to cut up the choux pastry.

The granny smith apple layers in the Tarte Tatin has been soaked in spices, so it added some interesting notes to each bite. The biscuit base was not easy to slice but I adored the chantily cream. I was curious about the cute lemongrass and ginger ball on the left, which has a liquid centre that explodes in your mouth (or in your face if your puncture it prematurely). Apparently it is formed via a chemical reaction between calcium and magnesium in the pot. There you go, I never knew that you could ‘lay eggs’ in the kitchen :)

To think that the dark chocolate case of the Basil Garden has been handcrafted just blows my mind. You could eat this with one mighty bite behind your serviette to get all the flavours of vanilla, honey, lime, white chocolate and basil, or you could slice and dice.

One of my favourite dessert of the night, Mont Blanc. I’m a chestnut fan and the chestnut cream was so delicate and aromatic.

Straight from a gourmet fairy tale, The stunning Raspberry Field is as delicious as it looks. Chewy meringue topped with raspberry sorbet, and look! The liquidy exploding ball makes a second appearance!

The flavours of the best tropical fruits combined: coconut, mango and jackfruit you can’t get more ‘modern Indonesian’ than Cendol. Those green balls are pandan caviar. You’ve got to try it to believe it.

Sitting next to us was a group of friends celebrating their combined birthdays. What a brilliant way to sample all the desserts? Since the portions are not huge and, I almost had room for more sweets. But it was after all, date night, not pig-out-night, so I guess the caramelised Smoked Banoffie will have to wait until next time!

Where: Om Nom Kitchen & Dessert Bar, 187 Flinders Lane Melbourne

Wear: Vintage Coat & Dress / YSL heels