Petal Met Sugar

When I first heard that Petal Met Sugar was selling a dessert called ‘Terrarium’, I raced to my calendar to find when I could next go to Sydney to try it. Meeting a couple of lovely friends there, we snagged a table out the front and then it was terrarium time! The dessert ($10.50) is a finger lime panna cotta, dusted with cocoa nibs and topped with edible flowers. Let me start off by saying that the presentation was immaculate! This was a work of art, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed by the flavour either. The white chocolate wasn’t the sugary, sickly sweet kind, but it did add a rich, creaminess to the contrasting textures of the rest of the dessert. The cocoa nibs were almost like a biscuit crumb, super chocolatey but not overly sweet – I think they were my favourite element actually. Hidden beneath was the delightful burst of sourness from the finger lime panna cotta, just as soft and slightly wobbly as you would expect. Combined, a mouthful with all elements made for the perfect balance. So Petal Met Sugar isn’t just a pretty face, their desserts are well thought-out and definitely worth a visit. Or two.

Petal Met Sugar, 68 Sir John Young Crescent, Woolloomooloo, NSW, http://www.petalmetsugar.com.au/

Le Pain Quotidien

I love wandering through The Rocks, especially around lunchtime, when you can be tempted by all sorts of lovely smells in the narrow alleyways. I stumbled across Le Pain Quotidien from the backstreets, and moving inside, I was delighted to discover secluded little private rooms – sure they seemed small, but quaint. It was only when I took my seat in the main room that I realised the restaurant/bakery occupies the old police station! The space is utterly charming, and one menu item leapt out at me – chacuterie. I ordered it ($26) with a jug of housemade lemonade ($4.50), both of which arrived quickly. The lemonade was everything I was hoping it would be, not overly sweet, but not mouth-puckeringly sour. The chacuterie? Oh my. Apart from being beautifully presented on a bread board, I was smitten with every flavour included. There were generous servings of ham (simple and fresh), proscuitto (rich and salty) and salami (just plain yum), as well as a subdued but elegant wedge of pate, which, combined with the range of bakery breads, stole the show. I adored the olives, baby cornichons and sun-dried tomatoes, as well as the dressed lettuce, to break up the meat-fest. Hearty, tasty fare that I will be back for.

Le Pain Quotidien, 127 George Street, Sydney NSW, http://www.lepainquotidien.com.au/

Gin Garden

Circular Quay on a summer night is a lovely place to be, but with the pop up Gin Garden at the Museum of Contemporary Art open from 4pm, it suddenly became even better! Shared with the MCA’s Graze restaurant, the Gin Garden is delightfully decorated with shrubberies, flowers and fairy lights, not to mention a sweetheart swinging chair. There are several cocktails on the menu; I chose The Rose Garden ($18), with Archie Rose gin, Earl Grey tea, ginger beer and Rose’s marmalade, all served in a gorgeous glass and topped with cucumber, rose petals and rosemary. I loved the light spritz from the ginger beer, the sweet-but-not-sweet twang of marmalade and the complexity of the gin and tea combination. The whole concotion was utterly delightful and not sickly sweet. I was surprised at how generous the serving was, and unless it becomes part of a bar menu somewhere else, I’ll have to give making it a go at home. I wish I’d gone when I was hungry – the food menu looked mouthwatering, with everything from grilled flatbreads through to more substantial fried calamari on offer. Make the most of the Gin Garden’s season – it’s only open for the summer.

Gin Garden, open all summer at MCA, 149 George Street, Sydney NSW

Pressed Juices

I know I’ve blogged about Pressed Juices before, but they have such a fun range that I couldn’t help myself. This time I wandered past one of their Sydney stores, and was determined to try something different. I hadn’t had any of their ‘green’ juices, and the lady kindly offered me a couple of samples to try, but while I was sipping on those, my eye was caught by one of their smoothies. I double checked – yes, dairy-free – and went for it on an impulse. It was, luckily, a great choice. The texture was like a slightly runny smoothie, although surprisingly thick for a cold press containing nothing but fruit. The four ingredients – pineapple, coconut, lychee and lemon (yes, they were the only ingredients in the whole thing) – were really well balanced. The pineapple and lemon were the most distinct flavours, but neither was overly sharp and the coconut made the overall flavour a bit creamy. I also really liked the ‘bits’ of pineapple and coconut left in the smoothie, which enhanced the texture, although I imagine could be offputting for anyone not a fan of pulp. So, two for two on the Pressed menu.

Pressed Juices, Shop 1, Region Food Arcade, 2 Bridge Street, Sydney NSW    http://www.pressedjuices.com.au/

Lotus Dumpling Bar

I know people rave about Ding Tai Fung, but to me, Lotus make the best dumplings in Sydney. Yep, I called it. This title was definitely reinforced on a recent visit. We started out with a Jade Forest cocktail – Citron Absolut, mint, lemon juice and soda blended into a perfectly integrated, light and refreshing drink that was dangerously delicious – be warned, you will probably want more than one. We had two dumpling courses, and as the serves normally include four dumplings (and there were three of us), the waitress asked if we wanted portions of six (yes) – great service. The jade prawn dumplings were the standout. With two-toned, thin, sticky skins, these are the closest thing I’ve found to the dumplings I had in Guangzhou. The filling had fabulous identifiable individual textures (i.e. it wasn’t a blended mush) – plus the prawns were super juicy. Oh yum. Next were the pork xiao long bao, which were as silky and lovely as I remember. We then had the black pepper beef, which was incredibly tender and slathered in a delicious marinade, served with perfectly steamed asparagus and baby corn, and the crispy eggplant, which was deep fried, crispy on the outside and pillowy soft inside. Mmm. Lotus, you are undoubtedly my favourite.

Lotus Dumpling Bar, 3/16 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay NSW, http://www.lotusrestaurant.com.au/

Zu Zu Zu

Newtown is known for its Thai food, but sometimes you just want ramen. Zu Zu Zu appears to have opened recently and was there in time to meet my ramen craving. I was curious about their black sesame broth, something I haven’t tried before, so ordered that along with gyoza and edamame to share. The edamame were served hot and salted – we devoured them happily. The gyoza were excellent too – pan-fried with a herbed pork filling, although perhaps slightly on the small side. The ramen came out in a giant bowl and the broth had an interesting colour. On first sip, I was a bit surprised – yes, the black sesame flavour was there, but it lacked the complexity and depth of your usual ramen broth. I still enjoyed it, but would probably stick to the tonkotsu next time. Having said that, the teriyaki chicken inside was to die for – perfectly tender and slathered in an amazing teriyaki sauce. The ramen themselves were quite thin and didn’t seem housemade (please correct me if you know differently?), but the tamago was (as always) the best bit. I couldn’t finish my bowl, but I did enjoy the meal overall.

Zu Zu Zu, 191 King Street, Newtown NSW, no website

The Grounds

It wasn’t really possible for me to walk past the pastry display at the Grounds and not buy something. If I could have, I would have bought all the things – it all looked so delicious! I was very restrained and picked two – the salted caramel tart and the raspberry chocolate torte. Luckily they were to share, because they were both very rich. I only tried a bit of the salted caramel, but oh my it was good. The caramel was so oozy and there was just a perfect amount of salt. The chocolate layer on top added even more goodness, and the pastry around the edge was nice and crisp. I could have happily devoured a whole piece (and will be back to do just that as soon as I can). I had more of the raspberry and chocolate torte, which was sinfully rich. The raspberry glaze on top was lovely and tart, in contrast to the perfectly smooth, silky chocolate cake beneath. The fresh berries on top were a nice break from the decadent chocolate and added some textural contrast. More please!

The Grounds of Alexandria, Shop 7A, 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria, NSW    http://groundsroasters.com/