[Sydney Jun2010] Adriano Zumbo

Adriano Zumbo needs no introduction. He is Australia's answer to the world's famous Pierre Hermes.

I almost didn't go to his patisserie in Balmain due to rain and illness. But on the last day in Sydney, there was only a drizzle since morning and I felt better so Princes and me hopped on the bus outside QVB heading to Balmain.

I was so excited when I first saw the pink sign and the oh so tiny shop, so cute.

Everything looked so good behind the cabinet. Oh, calamity, what to choose??!

But I made my choice quickly as I excluded the chocolatey and caramely. I was not too happy when a Korean girl dragging her just-met skinhead european boyfriend squeezed past me, went straight up to the counter, cut everyone else's queue. Nobody chastised her but I gave her a dirty look. And she later returned some at the Adriano's chocolate cafe three doors up. Shot some murderous glances at Princess when she started singing loudly because she's happy.

Eh hello, she was the rude one in the first place, so I stared hard at the big pockmark on her face and fake some mock laughs. To be honest, I don't really think much of it in the first place. I don't judge a person by his or her looks.

Coincidentally, one of Adriano's girl staff also has a mark on her face which cover the bridge of her nose all the way across the eye and to the temple. But I find her pretty. Chinese has a saying "相由心生" which roughly means your inside will reflect on your looks.

The mean pockmark girl may think it's just queue cutting what's the big deal? Well, it's a matter of principle. If you are in a hurry or have some valid reasons and tell me in the first place, I wouldn't mind to let anyone go first. But if you do it purposely, it's a no-no in my book.


What a great pear of...........:Almond creme, pear vanilla creme patisserie, pate a choux sable, pear gel, almond crunch & almond struesel

You might recognise this if you follow Australia's Junior Masterchef. Glorious beauty, pear-fection.

This was set as the final pressure test for the two finalists, Jack and Isabella (last night) to determine who's the winner. Both the kids' versions looked really good. So talented and so young!

I think people should stop laughing at Queenlanders being the bogan in everything especially in the gourmet food/fine dining scene. The rest of the country was outrage when best fish & chips is won by Fishmonger's Wife in East Brisbane, best coffee a close tie between Merlo and Campos.

With recent major competitions on TV like Junior Masterchef, My Kitchen Rules and Australian Idol etc won by Queenlanders, I think people should really come to terms with the fact that Queenlanders are a force to be reckoned with.

Cross section pic of pear custard and pear jelly filled profiteroles sitting on a praline crunch base and separated by marzipan and white chocolate.

Roses are red, mandies are orange: Biscuit macaron, rose creme brulee, mandarin curd, mandarin creme legere

I also bought some macarons but they were wolfed down so quick, I forgot to take photos. To be honest, looking at the macarons rustic shells (top not smooth), I didn't have high hopes. But when you bit in, the shells are so light and slightly chewy and the ganache filling packed some serious flavour, it's one of the best if not the best I have tasted so far. For the first time, I fight with Princess for every bite. Safe to say, Big King never get to see even the crumbs hehe.

Words can't begin to decribe how good, great these work of arts are. You have got to make the PILGRIM yourself to his unassuming shop in Balmain to go on a gastronomic journey.

I can't wait for his book, out 2011!!

[Sydney Jun2010] Mosaic, The Westin Sydney

It was late when we arrived in Sydney. Raining. That went on for the next 3 days we were there.

At Westin, Big King did his checking in at the counter, Princess running around the lobby. "This place is beautiful, mummy," she kept yeling at me as she ran past me everytime -_-". Arrrrggghhhh, we were like a bunch of country bumpkin. I went straight to check out Calleija's window but the place was shut. I walked across to the GPO heritage wing and try to bath in the history. Eh.... no feel.

There were lots of after work crowds drinking at the bar downstairs. Lots of suits walked around the place especially after 5pm.

Mosaic's advertisement was everywhere, posters, flyers (a whole rack of it!) stating exactly the same thing. The restaurant was promoting their 2 courses for $58 and 3 corses for $68 and a sunday brunch at $65 per person.

We decided to give it a go on our last night there.


Mosaic seafood trilogy

Trilogy is made up of mulloway, mashed beans, potatoes; kingfish with vegetables; and deep-fried yabbies with vegetables.

The fish was well-cooked (kingfish a bit fishy though) and subtly flavoured with clean-tasting consomme style sauce. Vegetables were lightly cooked, nice and fresh. Yabbies were lovely and sweet. I enjoyed this though I can't say they are fantastic or to die-for. It's just well, a nice dinner.


Duck leg, sausages & speck, white beans

I had a nibble on the various items on the plate. Let's just say, the plate was too busy. There were way too many different things around (lots of other things in the beans) and the flavours were all over. I can't even remember what I ate and tasted some 2 minutes after tasting.


Fish and chips

This is Princess' order from the kid's menu. The serving is huge! It could easily feed two adults!!

However, the fish was cooked to death. Fish was hard and grainy, quite difficult to swallow. The batter and the fries were good and crisp though.


Mosaic trilogy

Since this dessert bear the restaurant's name, it's content must be the restaurant's signatures. The trilogy is made up of orange creme brulee, strawberry waffle and lime and white pepper ice-cream.

Creme brulee was nice and smooth, however, the orange flavour was so subtle, it was a little hard to detect. Waffles hard and chewy, strawberries quite tart, very forgettable. Ice-cream texture was good and smooth, lime is tangy and refreshing however, just a tad heavy-handed on the white pepper.


Raspberry tartlet

This was the biggest let-down. Tartlet case was extremely hard, there's no hope of even cutting it with a knife. Fillings was just melted chocolate and fresh raspberries with some nut pieces on top. Lucy from Junior masterchef could beat this with her creations anyday. Blah.

Enough with my rantings, I still think it is good value as we went for the $58 for two course selection deal.

Now the duck leg and the raspberry tartlet are no longer on their menu which is a good riddance, I would say.

[Sydney June 2010] Le Grand Cafe

Le Grand Cafe
Grd Fl Alliance Française
257 Clarence St
Sydney NSW 2000

After an unfruitful rummaging through $1/$2 Japanese knick-knack shop on Clarence St, we decided to have lunch nearby. I wanted to go to Plan B initially but it is really just a takeaway joint beside Becasse and I didn't want to sit on the street, much too cold and it was drizzling.

So we went across the road and into Le Grand Cafe.


Croque-monsieur - $8.00

Although the cafe wasn't packed and only one other table waiting, the croque monsieur did not arrive some twenty minutes after ordering.

It's just a friggin toasted cheese and ham sandwich, how long can it be?? Sigh, by the time it arrived, my hot chocolate was half gone (I struggled not to finish it) and became cold chocolate. Worse still, the appetite was gone because the chocolate came in a big tall mug. I was full and sick from the chocolate. Grrrr....

Lucky I was sharing with Princess.

Though not hungry, we finished the sandwich quickly. The hot and toasted sandwich with melty cheese was very comfoting on a cold rainy day.

The much awaited desserts quickly arrived after the bread board was cleared.


Petit pot au chocolat - $8.00

Normally I shun chocolatey desserts, chocolate cake, chocolate ice-cream, chocolate whatever, I reject them all. I like to eat just plain chocolate and sometimes with fancy fillings.

But other choices look less appealing so I went for the chocolate pot. Looks plain and boring but the nut praline topping looked and smell delicious.

Digging in, the chocolate was extremely smooth and not too sweet. I understand why when I digged my spoon further in, there is chocolate truffle hidden inside and at the bottom sit a pool of caramel sauce. Surprise much. I quietly squealed inside my head as I revealed the treasure underneath.

Out of this world.


Tarte du jour, strawberry tart - $8.00

Even withough the glace, the strawberries were sweet. Custard a bit hard and too set for my liking. Tart bottom looked hard and heavy. Sure enough, I can't even cut through it with a knife. You will have to really force your knife through and then the pieces will fly away when you succeeded.

In the end I just eat it with my hands and fed Princess. The tart was too big a piece for princess to handle. Strangely, the pastry melted in my mouth and actually quite light on the palette. It was good.

The tart was less memorable, still, it was tasty with nice custard and delicious strawberries.

The chocolate pot is da BOMB!

It's a nice place to chill and away from the hustle and bustle of main street and busy shopping centres and food court nearby.

It you were lucky, you might catch Justin North coming in to check on his crew!

[Sydney Jun 2009] Din Tai Fung @World Square

Din Tai Fung
644 George St
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9264 6010

First night in Sydney...still raining.....orz.........

I made plan to meet with cousin, H, who lives and works in Sydney. Oh, I haven't seen him in ages, like, two years.

I gave him pandan chiffon cake and leftover cruller frm Chat Thai lunch. Hehe, hope he doesn't mind that it's not as good as his dad's.

This was the queue when we left at around 7.30pm. The place was half-filled when we arrived at 6-ish and thus were promptly seated.

We were so excited to be visiting Din Tai Fung Sydney as we remembered our meals from DTF Taipei with utmost fondness.

Default order, xiaolongbao, dainty little morsels of gastronomic delight.

Hmm, I popped one in my mouth and frankly speaking, taste was average and filling was a bit dry even with the soup swimming inside.

H had chicken chop served with fried rice. I stole some chicken from him. Yum.

Big (pork-chop face) King had what else but pork chop served with fried rice.

Fried rice here was rather good but still miles away from Taiwan's version who used top-notch rice (from who knows where) and spring onions from Yilan complete with wok-hei.

Oh, sesame paste noodles, my favourite. I had been dreaming about this for ages. Can't find the likes of this in Brisbane, sien. I had it mild, they normally comes spicier, as I am sharing with Princess.

Stir-fried spinach with garlic

Finally, some green for fibre. This was executed well and nicely seasoned to my taste.

[Sydney Jun 2010] Chat Thai

Chat Thai
20 Campbell St
Haymarket
Website: www.chatthai.com.au


As soon as I saw Chat Thai featured in Food Safari, I made a mental note that I would make a visit if I were in Sydney.

My cousin strongly recommended it when I told him I was going to Sydney.

'It's very authentic,' he said. Magic word. Now I die die must go.

But weather was not kind to us when we visited, it ws pouring on our way from Westin to Myer, luckily the Myer building was connected to QVB via an underground passage.

We found the free CBD shuttle outside Sheraton, hopped on it and alighted at Chinatown. Campbell St was just a few steps away from the stop, opposite Capitol Building.

It was early when we arrived, the legendary snaking queue was nowhere to be seen. We scored a table easily.

The place was quickly filled up as the dining room was quite compact, long and narrow. The tables were within inches of each other and the patrons sit elbow to elbow.

Not a place for private chit-chat.

Crullers with kaya dip

My uncle made better ones :-(. Kaya was weak and very (too) lemak.


Suko thai AUD8.90 (with or without consomme)

Thin rice noodles in spicy chicken stock with fish paste dumplings, dried shrimps and pork loin; finished of with peanuts and finely sliced green beans.

Very tasty dish, the soup packed a punch and the flavour was incredibly complex. You have sweet, salty, sour and umami swmming in your mouth and the back of your head.

Khanom jeeb AUD5 for 4 pcs

Steamed wonton dumplings with chicken and prawn filling.

Very good eaten with the smoky sweet and salty chilli sauce.

Oh, before I forget, there is a reader who wants to know where to get cake flour.

You can get them from Chinese supermarket which will say low gluten flour in Chinese or you can use 'Lighthouse' brand 'Cakes, biscuits and pastry self raising flour' available from Coles or Woolworths.