Review: Adriano Zumbo Cafe Chocolat, Balmain

...because one visit wasn't enough.

The very next day after Macaron Day, I revisited Adriano Zumbo with another group of friends -- this time to visit the cafe.

The cafe itself is situated in a little courtyard a few doors down from the patisserie shop. A quick glance at the menu will give anyone a headspin -- some things in life you just cannot choose with ease.

The Younger Years

This was CL's order, called "The Younger Years". I'm pretty sure most people would pick up the connection pretty quickly, but if you don't, then I won't spoil your innocence by any means whatsoever.

Taste-wise? Well look. It's Adriano Zumbo. He's not THE Adriano Zumbo for no reason.

La Vie En Rose

The title of this dish stood out to me by a long shot not simply because I love Edith Piaf, nor was it for the fact that I'm secretly in love with Marion Cotillard, or that Audrey Hepburn sang this song in one of my favourite movie scenes, but when I read the menu, I envisioned flavours that melded together so prettily - if such a word may be used to describe food. My vocabulary fails me at this moment, but 'subtle' simply isn't the right word, and 'delicious' simply doesn't do it anymore justice. I've always found that rose flavoured desserts were often overlooked for more common indulgences such as hazelnut and chocolate. It makes me sad a little because I would love to see more rose flavoured ice creams and desserts around the place. This one definitely did not disappoint. I also found the coconut-muddled berry and tapioca pearl drink to be wonderfully complementary to the sweetness of the sorbet, custard and macaron combination.

This is definitely something worthy to draw one back for a revisit.

Mrs Marple, deconstructed

Lastly, JL chose the sunny "Mrs Marple Deconstructed". This was also something I would gladly have served up to me any time, any day. The sweetness factor was just right, and the dish was beautifully presented for the extra "eat me" factor.

I wish I could give you a few more words because I feel like I haven't given this post justice, but I'm awfully tired seeing exams have just finished and it's late and I have work tomorrow. I promise I'll do a better job next post.

Cheers.

Adriano Zumbo, Cafe Chocolat
308 Darling Street
Balmain, NSW 2041
Tel: (02) 9555 1199

Review: Sugar Hit @ Sheraton on the Park, Sydney

Brown Brothers Orange Muscat

After our Mamak visit we headed for Sugar Hit @ Sheraton on the Park. Initial reactions were a bit mixed seeing that the Tea Lounge looked rather like much like the lobby area of a hotel with napkins and cutlery arranged on the tables. Confusion soon disappeared once we were seated and treated to a glass of Brown Brothers Orange Muscat.

Warm Chocolate Pudding with Ice Cream and Chantilly Cream

Putting my indifference towards chocolate aside, the warmth of the chocolate pudding was surely an indulgent way to finish off the night. The pudding was rich, and oozing with sumptious chocolate - perhaps a little too rich for my liking. I managed to devour half the pudding before pushing my plate away and offering it to the sugar monster - aka. JL.



Sugar Hit @ Sheraton on the Park
161 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9286 6686

The Most Diet-Unfriendly Cake You'll Find Here

...and it's all thanks to Donna Hay.

Over the years I've found Donna Hay recipes to be a tad on the sweet side for me. This then got me into the habit of messing around with the measurements and what not - which probably explains why half my baking adventures fail miserably. However, this Chocolate Truffle Cake really leaves me with nothing to complain about - except perhaps the fat content.

I am going to repeat this once again. If you are health-conscious, turn away now. Otherwise, buckle up and enjoy the ride.

This is also a time consuming cake, but it definitely is worthy of every minute spent labouring away in the kitchen.First you need to sift the flour and cocoa flour. Not once. Not Twice. But THREE times.
Do it. Or you'll be kicking yourself.
Next grab 4 eggs ad 1/3 cup of caster sugar.

I'm a strong believer of Free Range Eggs. The thought of my own garden-hogging chickens flap up when I get tempted by the price of caged eggs.

Won't somebody think of the chickens!?!
Beat the egg and sugar until light and fluffy. You'll notice your mixture growing in size. It's kinda cool like that. Next, fold in the cocoa and flour mix. I always use either a rice paddle or a metal spoon when I fold - I think the metal spoon idea came from Huey's.

Pour the mixture into a springform tin (one of the most awesomest bakeware ever). Smack the tin down on the bench gently to pop any large air bubbles which may have been trapped inside.
Pop it into an 180°C oven for 25 minutes. You may want to make the truffle filling at this point.

See, I told you it would be time-consuming and lots of hard work.
For the filling, grab about 400g of dark coverture chocolate and 2 cups of single cream. The original recipe asks for more, but I prefer this ratio. Melt it while stirring over a double boiler.

I find the Nestle Cooking Chocolate works fine, but if you're a chocolate connoisseur then by all means use high quality stuff to your liking.
It was some time here that the timer on my oven went off and I had to go rescue the cake. I know this because the ordering of photos on my camera tells me so.
I'm also going to use this opportunity to show you oven mits (?) that SK got me from the U.S. It took me ages to work out what the shape was meant to be, so I'm just gonna it leave it there for everyone to guess.
Back to the chocolate mix. Remember to keep stirring or it may just catch on the bottom.
After it is melted, set it aside and let it cool.
Next, separate six eggs. You'll need the yolks. The whites you can use for meringues or macarons. You can even make them and then stick them as decoration on the cake, or do something trippy and make it all Adriano Zumbo-esque.
Put the egg yolks with 1/3 cup of caster sugar over a double boiler. At this point I'm going to say I hope you have a power point near your stove, or you're going to need an extension cord.
Next, beat the egg and sugar over the double boiler. Make sure you scrap the bottom regularly with a spatula to make sure that the egg doesnt cook on the side of the bowl.
When the mixture is thick, put it aside and let it cool slightly for about 2 minutes.
Next, fold in the chocolate cream mixture from before. Make swift, gentle folds so that the mixture stays light.
And then place it into refridgeration for 30 minutes.
While the truffle filling is cooling, proceed to slice the cake into two. Don't be like me, cut them evenly, please.
Place the bottom half of the cake back into the springform tin. At this point I will stress that you remember to tighten your tin. Nobody likes runny truffle mixture all over the benchtop.
Pour half of the truffle mixture over the bottom layer. The mixture, at this point, should be at a consistency so that it will naturally spread itself over the layer without the need for a spatula, but it should not be so runny that the sponge cake will start absorbing it like syrup.
Put the top layer of cake on top of the truffle mixture...
...then pour the rest of the truffle mixture on top.

Easy right?
Then pop the entire thing into the fridge and leave it there for at least 5 hours. I experimented once with 5 hours, and once overnight. The overnight one was definitely more cutting friendly and was better texture-wise.

Once the cake is set, detach the springform tin carefully. It should come off quite easily without needing to run your knife around the edge.
Then just cut it up and serve!

(from Donna Hay Modern Classics Book 2)

Josophan's Fine Chocolates - Part II

Not far from the actual chocolate shop is Josophan's Chocolate Cafe. The idea is similar to that of Max Brenners, less the chain store mould type decorations. No poster ads of the latest fads in chocolate nomming, just a simple sit down menu in cozy comfort.Embracing the cafe was a strong European air mingling with the dark wooden furnishings and photos of Paris tempting the mind to escape into another landscape.
Mug of Hot Chocolate with Cream and Chocolate Shavings - $ 6.00

It was sooo ridiculously cold outside that I couldn't stop myself from ordering the mug of hot chocolate. As expected, it was beautifully rich, but not overly sweet, and just like the chocolate itself, incredibly smooth in texture. Hot chocolate with Marshmallows - $4.50

JL ordered the standard cup of hot chocolate, which was very much the same as mine, less the cream. He's much more health-conscious than I am. Waffles served with Josophan's Chocolate, Vanilla Ice Cream and Cream

AL and HL decided to go for gold and bring home the waffles drizzled in Josophan's chocolate. I honestly don't know how they managed to finish the plate, but I imagine that it must've been too darn good to let it go to waste.Chocolate Mousse

VH decided on the the Chocolate Mousse after been swept off her feet upon the sight of the glass fridge cabinet just in front of the counter.
And gosh, it was really really smooth in texture, despite being somewhat heavier than some of the other mousses I've tried. The slight bitterness of the dark chocolate against the delicately sweet was simply moreish.Even the local cockatoo would have to agree with that...

Josophan's Fine Chocolates - Part I

I don't like chocolate.

Seriously. No joke.

It's not that I hate it and refuse to have anything to do with it, it's just that...well, it simply does not make my heart flutter the way that it does for most other girls. I like chocolate flavoured things like ice cream, cakes, mousses etc, but I just don't like the actual block chocolate stuff that people seem to just give away as a "oh I needed to give you a gift but wasn't sure what to get" type of gift.

Let it be known that I'd happily pick away at a jar of good olives than even so much as bothering to touch a block of Cadbury.
Having said that, I simply could not walk past Josophan's Fine Chocolates in Leura without sneaking a peek at the goodies inside.Josophan's Chocolates have won numerous awards over the years at various produce shows, including the Sydney Royal Show and has consistently remained at the top of the chocolate making industry. Obviously I'm not much a chocolate connoisseur, but luckily for me JL loves his sweets and all the things I don't so that he may fill in the gaps where needed.According to him the chocolates were incredibly smooth and sensuous in texture. He had bought milk chocolate, and the subtle taste of milk could actually be tasted through the gentle sweetness. I took a bit myself and had to agree. It was amazing to finally appreciate the sweet scent of milk in the chocolate.

If it weren't for my love of purple, I think I would be hating Cadbury by now.

In the end we decided to all chip in for a box of 8. However, we only ended up getting 6 as the Cappucino cups and Cafe Noir were special and counted as 2 in the box. I wasn't complaining as I was really only interested in the Cafe Noir. In retrospect I think the Hazelnut Praline would have been pretty nice as well.Now this would be the part where I was meant to tell you about the taste and texture of the chocolate. Unfortunately I can't do that. Why?

I never ended up eating the chocolate. Long story short we had an overdosage of food on the trip and the fact we had a box of good chocolates just didn't really appeal to me. I did remember to take photos for the sake of the blog, but gosh...

As if you could bear to destroy those beautiful pieces of chocolate. Seriously.