Chef Paul Thomain’s yuzu and shiso dessert explores citrus and herb
St. Barts, Saint Barthélemy
At Bonito in Saint Barthélemy, Chef Paul Thomain has composed a delicate finale that weaves together the brightness of yuzu with the whispered green notes of shiso, finished with meringue, sorbet and crispy rice.
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Chef Paul Thomain has refined the balance between citrus and herb into a single, luminous spoon at Bonito. The Kalina dessert opens with yuzu, that bright Japanese citrus that carries notes both sharp and floral, paired here with shiso’s subtle anise undertones and a whisper of green. The composition refuses excess: atop a base of crispy rice sits a cloud of meringue, anchored by the cool precision of a lemon shiso sorbet that cuts cleanly across the palate before the sweetness settles.
The plate itself becomes part of the experience. The shallow ceramic bowl pools a delicate sauce around the elements, drawing the eye downward into the composition with the kind of restraint that marks contemporary fine dining at its most considered. Each component serves a purpose, each texture arrives exactly when the preceding one retreats. Shiso, meringue, the brittle note of crispy rice, the frozen brightness of sorbet and the foundational sweetness of yuzu create a progression that rewards attention.
This is the language of Chef Thomain’s kitchen: Japanese ingredients and European technique meeting on the island of Saint Barthélemy, where the seasons shift with the Caribbean light. Bonito sits as a quiet proposition among the island’s dining establishments, one that asks diners to approach dessert as a final thought rather than an afterthought. Reservations may be made through booking@bonitosbh.com or by telephone at +590 0590279696.
Imagery courtesy of Bonito (@bonitostbarth).
