Chef Matthew Petersen Gets His Just Desserts; CityZen Rolls Out Dessert Tasting Menu To Celebrate ‘Top Chef’ Appearance!

SOUTHWEST -- Already firmly established as one the District’s best restaurants with a coveted AAA Five Diamond rating, the Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C.’s CityZen has recently sweetened the proverbial pot amidst the local restaurant scene.

Executive Pastry Chef Matthew Petersen torches a fresh fig.
For a scant $25, D.C. foodies can now dive into a special three-course dessert tasting menu at the top-rated eatery courtesy of Executive Pastry Chef Matthew Petersen. The launch of this culinary journey is timed to coincide with Petersen’s appearance on the second season of Bravo’s “Top Chef Just Desserts” reality TV series.

Over the course of ten episodes (the season premiered on August 24th), Chef Petersen will compete against 13 other “chef’testants” for the show’s grand prize ($100,000, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, and a showcase at the Annual Food & Wine Cayman Cookout) and bragging rights to the “Top Chef Just Desserts” title.

Already in the season’s second episode, he bested his peers to win the show’s “Quickfire” challenge and remains a contender for the grand prize, with six more installments to go.

Caramelized mission fig with vanilla sorbet.
Washingtonian foodies, of course, are lucky enough to be able to render their own judgment of Chef Petersen’s culinary prowess in person -- either through his regular pastry and dessert menu offerings at the Mandarin Oriental (think of the legendary Parker House rolls to start) or through CityZen’s new dessert tasting menu.

Star anise rice pudding with whipped plum, rice flour sablé, “sprinkles” of forbidden rice, and honey ice cream.
The latter will change each week on Thursdays and will feature some of Petersen’s favorites, as well as borrow heavily from the property’s fresh produce bins.

A glass of sparkling peach lemonade, vanilla glacé, and melted Path Valley raspberries.
On a tight budget? Chef Petersen has you covered there too. From 6-9 p.m. every Wednesday, diners at CityZen’s sister restaurant, Sou’Wester, will receive a complimentary order of his banana “split” fritters at their tables.

Valrhona chocolate brioche with salted pretzel ice cream.
“I’ve always wanted to try and do a dessert tasting menu,” said Petersen. “I just think it’s fun to take people on a voyage of different flavors, textures, and colors. It’s about giving something to our guests to remember us by.”

Sounds pretty sweet to us…