We review Janice Wong MGM, and there are more than just sweet treats on offer

Janice Wong MGM, nestled in the atrium of the MGM Cotai and featuring one of the world’s biggest chocolate fountains, is the third establishment in Asia by the eponymous Singaporean pastry chef, after outlets in her home country and Tokyo.

Enjoying natural light through the extensive sky roof, the restaurant serves artistic sweet plates created by Asia’s Best Pastry Chef for 2013 and 2014, according to Asia Top 50. It also offers dishes from soups, salads and sandwiches, to pasta and Southeast Asian delicacies.

We started our meal with compressed melon and lychee salad. The honeydew melon, watermelon and cantaloupe went well with the lychees, feta cheese, arugula and mint in a light and a refreshing starter.

Next, we ordered the pulled pork sandwich, prepared with slow-cooked pork shoulder. The tender meat, topped with barbecue sauce, fried onions and pickles, was tasty. This was followed by the popular Southeast Asian dish, laksa. Prepared with spiced coconut soup and yellow noodles, the bowl also featured chicken, prawns, fried bean curd, coriander and kale, and was served with sambal sauce, lime and prawn crackers.

The soup, which had an intense flavour of coconut milk, was spicy but it didn’t overpower the other flavours.

To finish, we tried several signature sweet plates that were as good as they looked. The Cassis plum, a blackcurrant and white-chocolate sphere filled with elderflower Choya shiso foam, and the summer cacao forest, a fruity mango-based dessert, were both light and refreshing, and not too sweet.

Wong, who was crowned Pastry Chef of the Year in 2011, 2013 and 2015 at the World Gourmet Summit, is famous for her edible art.

The irregular-shaped frozen chocolate mousse is made with 65 per cent chocolate, and is balanced with a refreshing yuzu sorbet on the side, in a treat made for chocolate lovers.