By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
Perched high above Sydney Harbour, Henry Deane – the rooftop jewel of Hotel Palisade – has just marked a stylish decade with the launch of a bold new food and cocktail menu that’s every bit as immersive as its postcard-perfect views.
New Head Chef David McConaghie and licensee and Head of Bars, Kau Sampaio, have joined forces to create an immersive culinary experience that extends from the plate to the glass. Among the dreamy new sips is the Miss Marshie: a cocktail that’s straight out of a sugar-dusted daydream.
Frothy, flirty and fantastical, this pastel-hued potion mixes clarified lime, a Champagne reduction and a whisper of toasted marshmallow syrup for a nostalgic nod to childhood treats - only all grown up.
There’s also vodka to give it a little rooftop sass and a floaty, foamy puff of pineapple ‘air’ that’s literally whipped into existence using a fish tank pump.
Served with a sprinkle of sparkle, the result is an effervescent elixir that is as soft as a cloud, as sweet as fairy floss and as shimmering as the city lights beneath it…
The cocktail has an interesting back story; the team utilises Champagne from opened bottles which would historically have been discarded.
Kau says it’s then carbonated before being garnished with pineapple foam made from brand new fish tank air pumps.
"Foams have been used as a technique to add texture and flavour to cocktails for years, but historically they’re made with egg whites and culinary gas syphons, which both generate more waste and tend to make them heavier,” he says.
"I wanted to be more creative when developing the menu, so I used the air pumps from a fish tank to create a more delicate and dainty foam that really complements the rest of the drink, but which still looks like a glass of rosé Champagne.”
