Destination Dessert
With its translucent pillars and floor to ceiling paintings, the Grand Millennium Hotel is worth visiting simply for the lobby. While you're there, however, be sure to drop into CBD International, the hotel’s expansive all-day dining establishment, for upscale cuisine and mind-blowing desserts. We began with a combo plate of three starters: A savory lamb korma served with rice in a mini poppadom, a tangy and delicious Thai shrimp dish and spicy noodles. Our appetizer, Chilled Grilled Salmon Spring Roll with Laksa Leaf and Citrus Vinaigrette (￥80), was so artfully constructed that we were afraid to start eating the carefully woven slices of vegetables wrapped around the fish. The Roast Eggplant Soup (￥58) was a delicately flavored, creamy concoction, with a dollop of delicious truffle potatoes topped with crispy shallot rings in the center. The main course, Chicken Breast Rolled with Prawns and Boneless Duck Leg Stuffed with Roast Vegetables (￥150) came with excellent mashed potatoes, but the meat wasn’t as tender as we'd hoped. Once the dessert arrived though, we wished we’d skipped the main course altogether. The Warm Chocolate Fondant with Passion Fruit Center (￥68) is a masterpiece of a dessert, for which we’ll definitely head back to CBD International. Best of all, it doesn't matter when we can no longer control our cravings for the heavenly passion fruit sauce and warm chocolate cake, served with apricot rosemary marmalade and vanilla ice cream: the restaurant is open 24 hours a day. Midnight snacking has never seemed more appealing.

Sienna Parulis-Cook

Contact: 1/F Grand Millennium Hotel, 7 East Third Ring Middle Road, Fortune Plaza, 东三环路7号, 财富中心, 千禧大酒店, 8587-6888