Annisa’s chilled blueberry soup is not as straightforward as it sounds. It stands at the opposite end of the spectrum from the chilled blueberry soup at Le Cirque. I was expecting it to be a very cool dish, being a chilled soup, but this dessert has got heat! Even well after leaving the restaurant, I felt the spice on my tongue. The heat comes from the black pepper crumble, which also has a touch of cinnamon. The panna cotta is gelatinous in texture, almost like that of almond tofu. The soup is actually light and refreshing with whole cooked blueberries. And the dish is completed with a helichrysum (strawflower) tuile as garnish. The composition of elements is a delightful play on contrasts: cold versus hot, hard crunch atop smooth gelatin, fruit versus spice.

See recipe for the chilled blueberry soup to the right in the Recipe Box.