La Renaissance Journey Continues

For the past few weeks I have been planning for my Europe trip next year, deciding on which countries and cities to visit. Choosing the countries/cities is probably one of the hardest task of my planning process as there are so many beautiful places all around Europe. Paris is definitely on my travel list! How can one resist the temptation of French butter, wine, baguette, cakes and macarons?

Unable to contain my excitement further, I visited the local French pâtisserie La Renaissance. I went during office lunch break and there was a long queue. While I queued impatiently, I kept hoping and wishing that they still have a good selection of cakes and macarons. To my surprise and excitement, there were quite a number of cakes for me to choose from.

I happily chose the Goya and Fleur De Lys, both have the same round shape and shiny, smooth surface.

Goya $8

The Goya was filled with light creamy mixed berry and passionfruit mousse. Topped with a slice of passionfruit, blueberry, raspberry, and 2 half of macaron shell on each side. The taste was not overly sweet due to the slightly sour and refreshing passionfruit flavour.

Fleur de Lys $8

If you are on the hunt for a really sinful, thick and dark chocolate cake then you definitely have to try the Fleur De Lys. Filled with Valrhona "Guanaja" 70% chocolate mousse with a creamy "Guanaja" centre, crunchy praline and chocolate biscuit base.

 Coffee & Honey and Dark Chocolate Macarons $2.50 each

My last treat of the night was the Coffee & Honey and Dark Chocolate macarons, the only available flavours at the store as they have sold out. Both macarons have the same shell consistency; crispy, soft and chewy on the inside. Surprisingly I enjoyed the Coffee & Honey more than the Dark Chocolate due to its intense coffee flavour. The Dark Chocolate macaron was still too sweet for my liking.

 

Le Manifique Astral

Astral, located on the 17th floor of the Star City Hotel Tower, it has one of the most magnificent harbour & city views that we Sydneysiders take for granted. Dining at Astral that evening I felt like a tourist, re-discovering the magical Sydney city through Astral's floor to ceiling glass wall. Its modern interior with a touch of elegance and dim lighting are the perfect setting for fine dining.

Unfortunately we were slightly disappointed with the level of service that evening. Even though we were immediately ushered to our table upon arriving and presented with the wine list, it wasn't until a good 15 minutes later when we finally had one of the waitresses attention. She came with her pen & notepad ready to take our order, but soon realised that no one has even shown us the menu! Thankfully her professionalism shined through & we had her full attention all night.

My first dish was the light and aromatic Smoked Salmon, one of Sean Connolly's signature dish. The dish arrived covered with a smoky glass and as soon as the cover was lifted, the smoked chamomile aroma fills up the room. The thinly sliced salmon was very fresh & soft, and it had that subtle smoky taste.

Marinated king salmon, Isigny crème fraîche, pea tendrils, chamomile pearls, chamomile smoke

My husband had the Mandagery Creek Venison two ways, tartare and carpaccio. Initially I was slightly afraid that the venison might have a strong smell, but the dish proved me wrong. Wonderfully lean and freshly cut tartare, it just melts in my mouth. The carpaccio was marinated long enough to soak the vinaigrette flavour, complimenting the raw venison taste.

 Tartare & Carpaccio with crisp potatoes, grebiche vinaigrette

We paid an extra $40 for one of the mains, the Australian Marron Tail. Such a delicate dish, we were definitely paying for the quality instead of quantity and it was worth every dollar. The marron had that crunchy fresh texture and mildly sweet taste. The bisque & parmesan froth was creamy yet light, I kept soaking the perfectly cooked ravioli into the froth and savour every moment of it.

Slow cooked marron tail, open ravioli, creamed leek, bisque, parmesan froth

The other main was the Beef Cheek with potato puree & sauteed mushrooms. A generous serving of beef cheek, cut thickly but cooked long enough to achieve a very tender result. This tender meat was paired with the soft & creamy potato puree that has soaked up some of the beef jus.

Potato purée & sautéed mushrooms

To end our meal we ordered one dessert each, but of course I had most of mine and some of my husband's. As a chocolate lover I ordered the Chocolate Dacquoise. An interesting layer of sweet & sour passionfruit and coconut cream flavour, covered in tempered chocolate and topped with champagne foam. The coconut sorbet was like a palate cleanser, very refreshing and not too overpowering with coconut flavour.

Passionfruit, coconut & champagne foam

Surprisingly, I enjoyed my husband's dessert more than mine. Having had 2 meat dishes for his entree & main (venison & beef cheek) he went for the light & refreshing Mandarin sorbet. The mandarin sorbet was served with fresh mandarin juice, jelly and the most interesting ingredient: pop rocks candy. Pop rocks candy creates a fizzy reaction when it dissolves in the mouth. So imagine eating the sweet mandarin sorbet & juice and suddenly you have this sparkling sensation.

Sorbet, compressed segments & soup; lemon balm & hibiscus jelly

Another spectacular dining experience that was full of flavour & creativity. Where to next?

Astral Restaurant
Level 17, 80 Pyrmont St
Pyrmont, Sydney

Pre-Theatre
2 course $70
3 course $85

Mini Cupcakes from Cupcakes on Pitt

A couple of weeks ago I decided to take a 'sweet' short walk during my lunch break. What is so dangerously appetizing about working in the city is that I am surrounded by different variety of cake shops. So that afternoon I set my heart on the mini cupcakes from Cupcakes on Pitt. 

 

Cupcakes are one of the most popular sweet treats in the world. They taste pretty ordinary, mostly made either from vanilla or chocolate sponge cake. However, it's the beautiful icing decoration on top that makes people go 'woww'. I am one of them! One who so easily fall for the pretty little cupcakes even though I know how ordinary they taste like. 

My favourites are the passionfruit and lemon meringue flavours. Both are vanilla base which is quite light and not overly sweet. I can taste a hint of passionfruit when I first bite into the passionfruit cupcake. Unfortunately the taste slowly disappears with every single bite.

From left to right: Passionfruit Cupcake, Lemon Meringue Cupcake

I love how the lemon meringue sits nicely on top of the base and melts softly when I put it in my mouth. Not as sour as I was hoping it to be, but overall I still thoroughly enjoy the lemon meringue cupcake. 

Blueberries are always great for making desserts and I had that expectation when I chose the blueberry cupcake. Regrettably, it does not taste like blueberry at all. The only thing that I can taste in the blueberry base and icing is sugar, lots of sugar.

From left to right: Blueberry Cupcake, Passionfruit Cupcake

Lucky last is the cherry ripe cupcake. Rich chocolate base, slightly heavier than the vanilla base, topped with sweet pink icing. Another one of the ordinary taste but pretty looking cupcake that uses cherry ripe chocolate as the finishing touch.

From bottom left to bottom right: Cherry Ripe Cupcake, Blueberry Cupcake, Lemon Meringue Cupcake, Passionfruit Cupcake

These mini cupcakes from Cupcakes on Pitt are great for parties, office hour tea time or whenever you fancy a sugar hit. They cost $2.50 each and are always delicately packed in a secure box. 

Check out their website for flavours, store location and opening hours.

Passion Crème Brûlée

Crème brûlée, French for "burnt cream". It has always been one of my favourite all-time dessert, simply consist of rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel.

I was introduced to passionfruit crème brûlée a couple of years ago when a close friend invited my husband & I over for dinner. She bought mini passionfruit crème brûlées from her local Pâtisserie and I feel in love with it ever since.

Over the weekend, I decided to treat myself with a homemade passionfruit crème brûlée. Why passionfruit instead of the classic vanilla crème brûlée? Well lately I have been very obsessed with passionfruits. The flavour is so intense that as you cut through it, the sweet & sour aroma immediately fills up the room.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
250gr of good quality thick/double cream
30ml of full cream milk
2 egg yolks
1 passionfruit
1 tablespoon of caster sugar (you can put an extra 1-2 tablespoons if you prefer it to be sweeter)
1 tablespoon of brown sugar (for the caramelized top layer)

Method:
1. Cut the passionfruit in half and, using a teaspoon, scoop the fruit & seeds out and put it through a sieve. Keep the seeds if you want to put them in the custard for a crunchy texture or else you can throw them away.
2. Put the passionfruit juice in a large mixing bowl together with the egg yolks and caster sugar. Using an electric hand mixer whisk on a medium speed until the mixture is frothy and pale in colour.
3. Meanwhile, heat the cream and milk in a saucepan over a small heat. Whisking now and then, until hot but ensure not to boil it.
4. Now with the whisk on a slow speed, slowly add the hot cream into the passionfruit mixture and blend well.
5. Fill the custard into two(2) ramekins, put the ramekins into the roasting tin and fill the tin with boiling water to about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
6. Cook them gently in the oven for 40 minutes in 150 degrees C. They are ready when the custard is set but still wobbles when you move them gently.
7. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool, then cover them with cling wrap and chill in the fridge overnight.
8. When you are ready to serve, sprinkle each ramekin evenly with the brown sugar. Feel free to sprinkle more brown sugar if you prefer a thick layer of caramel.
9. Now use the blowtorch to melt and caramelize the sugar. It will start to bubble and melt, and ready to serve once it turns to a dark brown colour.

Rekindle my love with Strudel Baron

After our delicious breakfast at Rosebud, we dropped by Strudel Baron (only a few doors away) to stock up for our Sunday night desserts.
Studel Baron at 172 Victoria Road, Drummoyne, used to be our occasional breakfast/dessert place when we lived around the area. I was delighted to see that they have ventured out to the neighbouring suburb, Balmain.

Freshly made pastries...

Plum Tart $4.90

Lemon Roulade $4.50

Passionfruit Tart $4.90

I can definitely taste the freshness of the pastry on both the tarts, soft and crunchy at the same time. The plum was more on the mild side, however my favourite was the passionfruit tart. The passionfruit flavour was very strong and the seeds were not only for decorative purpose but added that playful crunchy bite to the tart. The lemon roulade was soft and light, unfortunately missing the sharp lemon taste. 

Overall, I am glad to have stumble upon Strudel Baron again.

Midweek Indulgence at La Renaissance

Heard of the famous book by Mireilla Guiliano, 'French Women Don't Get Fat'? It is one of the books that has been highly recommended by my Sister-in-law, but I have not gotten around to read it yet.

Well apparently, "French women don't get fat, but they do eat bread and pastry, drink wine, and regularly enjoy three-course meals." - Janet Maslin, New York Times
I'm not French, but I can so relate myself to that statement (from the 'but' onwards)!

La Renaissance has always been my favorite Pâtisserie in Sydney. Located at 47 Argyle Street The Rocks, it is less than ten(10) minutes leisurely walk from my office. Tell me, how can I not be tempted to take an afternoon break from work and indulge myself?

As soon as I entered the shop I was lost in sweet la la land, which one should I get? They all look so delicate, beautiful and most importantly mouth-watering!

Being a passionfruit and berries lover, I bought the Passion De Pierre and Larme De Gaugin which you can either eat in for $7 or take away for $6.

Passion De Pierre

The passionfruit mousse is so light and creamy, and the added layer of raspberry jelly in the middle compliments the sourness of the passionfruit. It is encased in joconde, which is a mixture of eggs, ground almonds, icing sugar and a little flour, made into sponge like sheets.

Larme De Gaugin

Similar to the Passion De Pierre, it is also encased in joconde. Light and creamy, you just can't get enough of the mixed berry mousse.

I will definitely go back to La Renaissance, maybe this time I'll dine in (enjoy the outdoor cafe) and order myself a baguette. 

Celebrating CNY & Valentine's Day with Adriano Zumbo's macarons

This year's Chinese New Year falls on the same day as Valentine's day. One of the tradition in celebrating CNY is to have sweets and cookies. After I did my weekly grocery at Eveleigh Farmers' Market , I head down to Adriano Zumbo Pâtissier at 296 Darling St, Balmain and get a box of macarons to complete our CNY celebration.

It was hard deciding how many macarons and what flavours to get as I wanted to try all of them! I managed to control myself and came out with only ten(10) macarons, and $20 less in my wallet (cost $2 each). 

Unfortunately I have to share my macarons and only managed to have five(5). However, I made sure that I have my hands on the Mexican Dark Chocolate and Chocolate Passionfruit. I love the Chocolate Passionfruit flavour (third from the front row in the image below), it still maintains the sourness of the fruit and was definitely less sweeter than Lindt's Passionfruit delice. I have nothing against Lindt's delice (a fan of its 70% Excellence delice), I just prefer my macarons to be on the less sweet side.

Heart shaped macarons for the special V day!

Some of the other flavours that I bought were: Normal Dark Chocolate, Caramel & Salted Chocolate, Vanilla, Rasberry, Coffee, Lychee & Pandan, and Strawberry.

I quite like the peculiar taste of the Caramel & Salted Chocolate macaron. The chewiness of the caramel blends really well with the saltiness of the chocolate.

Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat will be one of my next destination wish list. My aim is to recruit enough ladies/daring men to devour as many cakes as we can stomach!

Care to join me?