Cow & the Moon

Hello #icecreamthurs! Let’s eat icecream to pretend it’s still summer. I love Cow & the Moon – it’s pretty much the best gelato I’ve ever had – so I’m always happy to go back and try more of their fabulous flavours. On this visit, I chose two of their fruity sorbets to try, one new and one old favourite. The new flavour was the peach sorbet, which I sampled and fell in love with. The peach flavour is sweeter than other peach sorbets I’ve tried, so the effect is more like eating a sweet, ripe peach, which I really liked. The texture is perfection – as creamy as any dairy-based icecream – and the flavour is beautifully intense. I also went for an old favourite, the black and blue sorbet, which tastes just like a blackberry chewy lolly. This is the kind of flavour that gets the saliva going, it’s so sweet and tart and bold. Dad ordered the World Gelato Championship-winning Affogato flavour, which I tasted too – oh my. There were caramelised almonds in it, as well as the perfect coffee and vanilla flavours. Swoon. Must visit for anyone heading to Sydney.

Cow & the Moon, 181 Enmore Road, Enmore, NSW, no website

T Bar

I have been going to T Bar for tea since I was a uni student (and they were in the David Jones food court), and one afternoon exploring in town I stopped by their store in Rundle Place for a snack. I love that you can both have their teas in store/takeaway and buy packets of their tea to brew yourself – T Bar was here before T2 and is still my favourite. On this occassion, I ordered an iced peach green tea and a lemon melting moment to dine in. The iced tea came out in a huge glass with lots of ice and fresh lemon slices inside – yum. The tea has a really lovely peach flavour without being too sweet; it’s well balanced with the sencha green tea flavour and doesn’t have an strong bitterness that some green teas have. The melting moment was buttery perfection – yes, it was small, but the luscious filling with a lemony tang and the crumbly, well-cooked biscuit were calories I won’t regret. The back of the store has a really nice seating area to enjoy your tea, and I’d love to come back for more substantial food and to relive my uni years again soon.

T Bar, Rundle Place, Rundle Mall, Adelaide SA, https://www.tbar.com.au/

Scroll

I ate courtesy of Scroll; all opinions remain my own. I popped in to the Adelaide Scroll store to try their new sorbet range (yay, dairy-free options!) and opted for the Raspberry Dash (usually $9), which comes with fresh mint and is topped with mint-infused ice. Oooh. I watched the Scroll ninjas make my sorbet, starting with a liquid syrup that is spread on the icy-cold teppan, and smoothed flat before being scraped into perfect scrolls. The team were flat out during this visit, so I had about a 20 minute wait, but with ingredients running out and not enough staff, the two team members on shift were very apologetic. The sorbet itself had the most intense raspberry flavour I’ve ever tried in any icecream/gelato/sorbet, which was quite impressive. There was just the right balance between tartness and sweetness, and the textural contrast of the ice on top worked well (although I couldn’t taste the mint). Unfortunately, as I continued to eat, the raspberry sorbet started separating into chunks of ice and thick raspberry flavour, so perhaps the mix isn’t quite right yet, but overall the intensity of flavour made this stand out as an excellent sorbet.

Scroll, 35 York Street, Adelaide SA, http://www.scrollicecream.com.au/

Paesano

I think my friends and I confused the staff at Paesano – we stopped by for dessert one night and asked a tonne of questions about their options, dietary requirements and pricing (Instagramming all the while) that might have looked (and sounded) something like a foodie whirlwind. Regardless, we eventually managed to order and sat outside. While most of the group ordered gelato, I was sucked in by the pretty dessert in a jar. Yep. It was a raw vegan cheesecake (continuing the Adelaide trend of awesome raw foods), created by Sweet Lola. The jar looks small, but once you get stuck in, there’s a lot in there! Topped with apricot, raspberry, cacao nibs, coconut and other delicious things, the berry-flavoured ‘cheesecake’ (no dairy actually contained) had the lovely texture of all raw cakes – and was surprisingly filling. I found every mouthful to be a delight and was sad to reach the bottom of the jar. The cacao nibs in particular were interesting – not sweet, but well-paired with the sweet apricot, they added a lot of flavour. The staff happily let us sit and chat until late – a nice place to while away an evening and enjoy dessert.

Paesano, 81 O’Connell Street, North Adelaide SA, no website

Frugii Dessert Laboratory

You guys! It’s truffle season! And, of course, being Frugii, Frugii decided to add a Black Truffle flavour to their menu. How could I resist? It was a tough call – pair it with Dark Chocolate or Fig? – but in the end I opted for Fig, noting that truffle is an excellent flavour-enhancer. The Black Truffle icecream ($6) has a really clear, distinct truffle flavour, which isn’t for everyone – it’s hard to describe, but there’s a real complexity to the taste that I loved. I tried the Fig on its own, and was so impressed by the authenticity of the flavour, but when paired with the Black Truffle in one mouthful, all my taste buds activated and my mouth started watering! I was particularly excited by the texture of both the icecream and the sorbet. There really wasn’t that much difference between them (such good sorbet, not icy at all) and the creaminess was absolutely beautiful. Frugii portions are always great value (no extra charge for two flavour choices) and the service remains impeccable. Definitely get down to Braddon and try the Black Truffle flavour (with any pairing – let me know what you try) while it lasts!

Frugii Dessert Laboratory, 30 Lonsdale Street, Braddon ACT, http://www.frugii.com/

Lotus Restaurant

You know that feeling, when you look at the dessert menu at a restaurant, and want everything? This was my dilemma at Lotus. However, one item stood out above the others, so we made the call and went for it. The Lotus Garden ($15), with a white peony tea bavarois, poached peach, raspberries and raspberry puff sounded irresistible. When it arrived, the stunning presentation only confirmed the choice. Dotted with edible flowers and microherbs, the pale peach colour and the vibrant raspberry red was visually striking. This dessert has all the textures happening – from the crisp of the raspberry puff (think prawn crackers for texture), to the pop of the fresh raspberries, to the soft give of the poached white peach, and the smoothness of the shiny, glazed bavarois (similar to a pannacotta) – making it an exploratory adventure. All of the flavours worked so well together, and a mouthful with all of the elements was utter heaven. The sweetness of the white peach was offset by the tartness of the raspberry, and the white peony tea flavour added a delicate but not particularly sweet floral note. I’m not sure I could go past this next time, as much as I’d like to try the rest of the dessert menu. Note: between dining and publication, the Lotus Garden has changed on the menu, so this exact flavor combination is no longer on offer.

Lotus Restaurant, Level 1, The Galeries, 500 George Street Sydney NSW, http://www.lotusrestaurant.com.au/

Via Dolce

Oh, hello #icecreamthurs, aka I’m-in-denial-summer-is-over.  Canberra’s dessert scene has its own little hub in Civic – after shopping with a friend, we decided to have something sweet and ended up standing on the corner that encompasses the tough choice between Koko Black (chocolate), Oliver Brown (chocolate) and Via Dolce (icecream). Of course, we went for the icecream. The display cabinet at Via Dolce is always beautiful, and with such exotic flavours as Prickly Pear and Blood Orange, it was hard to choose. In the end I went for the Raspberry sorbet, wanting something refreshing. The portion was a good size (although it did look small in the cup) and the sorbet ticked all the boxes – good texture, just the right amount of sweetness and a lovely, authentic fruit flavour. There’s just something about a good sorbet – you get such a strong impression of the fruit you’re eating, and this cup full definitely had me in mind of a batch of juicy, fresh raspberries. I found the serving just enough to satisfy my icecream craving, but next time I’m definitely going to try one of their cakes!

Via Dolce, 108 Bunda Street, Civic ACT, viadolce.com.au