We don’t want to sound biased but Middle Eastern desserts are one of the tastiest and sweetest among the world’s various cuisines. And if you’ve been one of the lucky few to have visited our motherland before, chances are that you would’ve been invited by an Armenian family to come over for a bite. And when we say bite, we actually mean an entire feast.
Rounding off the mouth-watering feast would be a selection of desserts (“anoush” in Armenian), usually served with finely ground coffee. At Sezar, we bring this ritual to the laneways of Melbourne so you, too, can feel like you’re at home when you dine with us. Our dessert list features the sweets that we grew up with — but with modern twists inspired by our Melbourne upbringing and our travels. Here are our desserts, presented in no particular order:
Sink your teeth into this Middle Eastern syrup-soaked pastry adored by millions around the world. Baklava is traditionally made with layers of filo pastry, then filled with chopped nuts and held together with syrup (or alternatively, honey). We seriously think there’s nothing better than biting into layers of crispy, flaky buttery pastry and getting an immediate sugar buzz. Our version retains the crunchy filo pastry but we ramp it up with walnut toffee ice cream and everyone’s favourite thing in the world right now: salted caramel.
Chocolate may not be an ingredient you see in Armenian cuisine, but there’s no reason why we can’t indulge in it every now and then — and that’s why we’ve introduced this indulgent little number to our dessert menu. We jazz our chocolate cream up with malted milk ice cream for balance, honeycomb for crunchy texture and sprinkle some braised peanuts on top as a nod to Armenia’s love of nutty desserts.
Often spelled as “mhallabiyeh,” this sweet treat is silky and balanced — the perfect choice if you prefer to end your feast on a light note. Similar to the Italian panna cotta, the malabi is a milk pudding that’s made with rice, sugar, rice flour and milk. Traditionally topped with a sweet syrup, we dress our version with fresh strawberries, rose and semolina biscuit.
Armenia has a solid honey industry, with the country’s private farms playing host to hundreds of thousands of bee colonies providing several thousand tons of honey products annually. Armenian mountain honey is also one of the world’s best due to its variegated mountain flowers that contribute to a sweet, clean taste with medicinal properties. This honey can be eaten on its own or used as a key ingredient in Armenian honey cake. Soft and sweet, this old school recipe gets the modern treatment by sharing space with roasted apricot, apricot tea and bitter almond ice cream.
Can’t decide between the four of them? Why not try them all by ordering our dessert tasting plate for only $35. Perfect for sharing, even better to enjoy on your own — if you dare!
