Located on the 16th floor of The L. Square building is Atum Desserant, a specialty dessert bar that has revolutionised the way Hong Kongers eat their traditional sugary treats. The modern open-concept bar boasts beautifully plated confectionary and stunning improvisation desserts; we were beyond enthralled by Atum Desserant’s ingenious creativity.
Atum Desserant is already very famous in Hong Kong, and well-loved for their innovative concept of improvisation – where guests get to sit back, relax and partake in an interactive experience with their personal dessert chef-cum-artist who will spontaneously create an edible artwork on the spot, right before your eyes.
The fun-filled demonstration of the table-plated dessert is an effortless integration of art and food; it was quite a show that left us speechless.
Keep your eyes peeled as an elaborate performance unfolds before you. We would happily take in those calories for this stunning dessert display. And, we strongly recommend you to make a reservation in advance to avoid disappointment.
At first glance, the abstract-looking menu offers a variety of tantalising colourful desserts. Depending on the availability of ingredients, most plated desserts are on a seasonal basis with a quarterly rotation. The ever-changing menu encourages fans to return regularly to check out the new creations, but “Improvisation” (HK$328+/ S$60.25+) is a main-stay and totally deserves to be.
As its name suggests, “Improvisation” is a dessert created by the pastry chef spontaneously and it can be improvised upon your requests (if any) along the way. It includes a coffee/tea of your choice.
All guests are seated by the white marbled bar counter and served fresh juices in eye-catching laboratory test tubes. Before the commencement of the interactive dessert feast, we were given the choice to choose a coloured canvas (black, grey or white) for our desserts to be placed on.
A friendly pastry chef then took us through an impressive whimsical demonstration of colourful sugary treats. Expect Asian-inspired ingredients such as taro sauce, mandarin jelly, yuzu cream, dragon beard candy, liquid nitrogen ice-cream and whatnot.
While our appointed personal pastry chef was working her magic on our edible masterpiece, we peeped at the couple beside us and saw that their “Improvisation” was completely different from ours. No two artwork at Atum is identical that way.
The engaging demo actually took about an entire hour and we were handed bite-size sampling portions of confectionary from time to time while the chef continued to beautify the dessert mat. It was a sensational experience watching the blank canvas transform into an edible piece of art; we were completely sold by the spectacular visual and edible treat.
The inviting dessert lounge also boasts abstract art paintings and an open-air terrace that overlook the skyscrapers of Causeway Bay.
It is also worth mentioning that the young owner of this lovely establishment is a passionate and driven entrepreneur who painstakingly designed and created everything in Atum Desserant. From the brainstorming of the unique desserts to designing the beautiful menus, owner Bong Kwok is a multitalented individual who understands what appeals to the new generation.
Atum Desserant is opening up another outlet in K11 Shopping Mall, and we are totally gonna check that out on our next trip to Hong Kong!
Atum Desserant
16/F, The L. Square,
No. 459-461 Lockhart Road
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2956 1411
Tue to Thu: 2.45pm – 12am
Fri to Sun: 1pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Causeway Bay
For more recommendations, read our Hong Kong food and travel guides.
About the writer:
Hui Jun Ng is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She previously worked in the food and marketing industry. She loves traveling and enjoys exploring underrated destinations. In her free time, you will find her indulging in coffee and her all time favourite local dish – bak chor mee.