YOUR mini reviews

I know, I know. It's about a month late. Much apologies for the late posting - I could have done it in my spare time while in Barcelona (rubbing it in… rub rub rub), or during the last 3 weeks when I had plenty of 'me' time. The real reason was that I just got slack - you may vent your frustration and anger (and maybe envy?), via the cyberspace, and I won't talk back. Promise.

OK so the theme for April was "submit your mini dessert review", meaning that while I indulged during my holidays, YOU the dessertees were my contributing guest editors. And I was really pleased at the responses over the last month. Dear June even posted photos (many thanks)!  Here are her reviews:

"My dessert was voted a favourite at the Restaurant Du Lyceé Hôtelier Escoffier in Nouméa, New Caledonia - Verrine Chantilly A L’ananas et Vanille De Lifou, Tuile Croustillante. Chantilly was the lightest, most delicate whipped cream ever, layered with discreetly mild pineapple and topped by strips of vanilla pod (with seeds!) from the nearby South Pacific island of Lifou. Oh, and the crispy tuile tickled my palate. What an indulgence!" 

"I don't need much encouragement to share this delectable dessert - the infamous Singapore ice kachang. When I was a kid I loved this dessert called ice ball - it was sold by street hawkers who shaved a block of ice into his hand and put a teaspoon-full of kachang (red beans, cooked and cooled) in the centre, before completing to shave more ice to form a ball of ice. Since those nostalgic days, ice kachang is now served on a dish (for hygienic purposes) and buries more delectable tid-bits than kachang. Slurping a hand-held, colourful, syrup-coated ice-ball provided most of the fun experience for a kid!" 

Then it was my list of Sydney favourites - many of the desserts can actually be found in past blogs (see links), and I have deliberately chosen only those that are always available so if you feel the urge to challenge your sugar tolerance, just follow the links …

** Tiramisu - Napoli in Bocca at Haberfield - I consider this the best tiramisu I could buy in Sydney…. knowing how many fabulous home-cooks can now make a ripper of a tiramisu, I don't want to say this was the absolute best in the world!

** Creme brulee - Bather's Pavillion at Balmoral 

** Macaron - La Renaissance/Baroque at The Rocks - No "hamburger" or "pigs blood and chocolate" wackiness here!

** Pistachio gelato - Pasticerria Papa's at Haberfield

** Black sesame steamed bun - Ding Tai Fung at World Square, Sydney. Or any other Ding Tai Fung restaurant - black hero. 

** Croissant - Bourke St Bakery, Surry Hills, or one of their many other locations. Flaky and not dense nor glazed. 

** Passionfruit tart - Adriano Zumbo, Balmain (here and here). 

** Chocolate caramel "goo" tart - Blackstar Bakery, Newtown

** Palmier - La Gerbe d'Or, Paddington

** Espresso - this is hard so here are a few I can remember: Most of the places serving Campos Coffee or Toby's Estate Coffee, Little Marionette at Balmain, Bertoli's at Balmain, Bean Drinking at Crows Nest... 

Contribution from Wallace - thanks and now I have to go check them out!

** Banana Split - Bodega
** Fried Ice Cream - Holy Basil
** Watermelon Cake - Blackstar Pastry

Ness - who doesn't eat a lot of sweet stuff, but comes to DDT anyway so that we could take advantage of her generosity (she'd buy a serving and eat one mouthful, leaving the rest for us to devour!):

"It's been a while since I indulged (and yes, KT, you can laugh when I say "indulge"), but my favourite, favourite, favourite place is still The French House in Waterloo... That passionfruit dessert was delicious (the one spoonful that I had) and most impressively, my teapot and cup and saucer came out on a silver platter, with cubes of sugar and silver tweezers. I think everyone looked at their mugs of coffee and felt hard done by.

PS The black sesame creme caramel at Monkey Magic comes in at a close second, but that's because I also got cocktail of the month with a complete sushi roll (plus I got Katie's dessert wine)

PPS The Boon chocolates were pretty spesh (and exy), but mostly coz I got to share the experience with my dessert-making cousin, Jo... who left me a box made of chocolates full of chocolates after she house-sat."

And from Fran - with some international flavours too! 

‎1. The best maple syrup pie in Old Quebec town, Canada.
2. Lemon tart in Bathurst. 

3. Souffles in the Wharf restaurant.

So if having read through this long list of recommendations you are not tempted, go see a doctor. In fact come and see me - I AM a doctor (not the kind that's useful, but one none-the-less) and I'll fix you up!!!! 

CS

[KT: You missed my contributions... Losing your touch ;) Here they are:

Best hot chocolate: Hannsi Artisan Market, El Hatillo Venezuela - pure
cacao... I was high for a very long time and could stay that high
forever...








Best profiteroles: Antigua Bistro, Caracas Venezuela - crunchy choux,
ice cream centres, amazingly dark, warm chocolate sauce and fresh
toasted almonds







Best millefeuille: Lenôtre, Paris France - sized XXL, no joke! (pic
with CS' eager hand...)








Best pancake: Squzi, Buenos Aires Argentina - thin pancakes filled
with apple slices, flambée with rum, topped with vanilla ice cream








Best tart: (apart from myself?) Bourke Street Bakery, Sydney Australia
- ginger & pistachio crème brûlée tart, stunning! (no pic)