Having sampled some of the best crème brûlées on offer in culinary destinations as far as New York, Paris, London, Prague, Sydney and Bangkok, it has become almost an obsession to find the perfect interpretation of this classic French dessert. Back home in South Africa, after a decade of tasting, the standard of crème brûlée has sadly failed to impress. So when the opportunity to find the Best of Brûlée in Gauteng came up, the More Than Food duo – Darren Meltz and Gregg Pettigrew jumped at the challenge.

Essentially the decadent crème brulee is a simple dessert but one that requires every aspect to be perfect in order to set the taste buds alight. It is one that is also easy for even the most experienced chefs to drop the ball on – a crust too thick, a custard too runny, a scrambled mixture – without real care and precision the result could be disastrous. However, when perfectly executed, there surely is no other dessert in the world quite like it. Throughout the month of January, we indulged in 11 crème brûlées one of which was at The Michelangelo Hotel's Piccolo Mondo.

With us both being thespians, the presentation of this dessert was like being in the front row of Les Cage Au Follies on Broadway! From billowing smoke to fine decoration on top, this crème brûlée was an experience before even taking a bite. Once all the smoke had been stripped away it was time to get down to the naked truth. A berry vanilla crème brûlée served with a berry compote and biscotti. The crust was delicate and underneath was a rich custard with strong vanilla undertones perfectly complimented by the light acidity of the berries. The biscotti took just enough of the edge off the sweetness. The spectacle and taste of this brûlée will leave most diners raving.

Tempted? Make your booking and try it for yourself: bit.ly/2wES529. Article written by Darren Meltz and Gregg Pettigrew of More than Food Magazine.