Labor Of Love

It may disappear in a matter of minutes, but the concept and design phase of the edible artwork pictured here took 3 months to finalize, 3 more to produce a working mold and a year to perfect its taste and texture. The final product arrives dramatically as the staff frees the sugary spirit by splitting its bronze cast in half at the table, allowing diners to explore the depths of the dessert. Visual Artist Antuan Rodriguez seized his inspiration from the Pre-Colonial Mayan themes of human exploitation of resources. “People should march with nature, and not try to escape it,” he says. It all starts with a chocolate bavarian cream enhanced with the essence of vanilla, striated with levels of Caribbean fruit gelée and berry compote. Then it’s delicately placed on a canvas of Grand Marnier and dark rum-soaked almond spongecake. The masterpiece is finished with a light dusting of edible gold snow. Since the multi-step process takes almost 5 hours to prepare, only 4 sweet statuettes will be created daily, and of course will require a reservation, which includes not only a taste, but a photo with the chef, a personalized, numbered and sealed certificate issued by the artist, and your personal description immortalized in a place of honor in the restaurant. Reserve your experience before it becomes a memory; Motto Japanese Fusion Cuisine; 260 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne; 786.452.1637; MottoCuisine.com.