[Photograph: Kathy YL Chan]

A Meyer Lemon Meringue ($12) is the newest creation on the dessert menu at Monkey Bar on 54th Street. It features a balanced tart and creamy meyer lemon curd tucked into the most buttery of pastry shells, baked golden and just the slightest bit nutty. Plush meringue on top just melts in your mouth. The tart comes with a quenelle of citrus mostarda ice cream, and note that the mostarda—a classic Italian condiment—deserves a Sugar Rush of its own. It's made from a mix of (get ready!) lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange, apple, pear, fennel, cayenne pepper, horseradish, pickled mustard seeds, and mustard powder, all folded into a silky vanilla ice cream base. It's intense and intriguing, with the hint of cayenne lingering after that last spoonful.

Monkey Bar

60 East 54th Street New York, NY 10022 (map)
212-288-1010
monkeybarnewyork.com

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan blogs at Kathy YL Chan, where she chronicles her eats and travel adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.