3seeds

I dined as a guest of the Truffle Festival; all opinions remain my own. Following an incredible truffle hunt (see my Instagram for the full story), we returned to Tarago Truffles for a 3-course truffle lunch by staff from 3seeds Cooking School. First up was the most delicious cauliflower, parsnip and truffle soup – I went back for seconds (and thirds – shh, don’t tell anyone!). The soup was beuatifully creamy and had a generous amount of truffle inside; enough that you could distinctly taste the truffle itself. This was paired with a slice of bread with truffle butter on top. If you haven’t tried truffle butter before, get on that bandwagon now! The folk at 3seeds really know how to make the most out of this magical ingredient. The second course was the divine portobello mushroom tart, topped with truffle salt. The pastry was so buttery and rich, and the whole portobello mushroom was really plump and tender. Finally, we indulged in a sticky fig pudding, served in a caramel sauce with truffle butter – again, the truffle just lifted all the flavours, while still being present enough to taste. We were also treated to some insider tips on how to make the most out of a truffle; the perfect way to end a truffle-themed day!

3seeds Cookng School, Fyshwick Markets, corner of Dalby & Mildura Streets, Fyshwick ACT, http://3seeds.com.au/

Jamface

So, I was pretty excited to head back to Jamface after my last visit, again for cakes, but this time takeaway. We picked three to share – the peach crumble ($6.50), lemon curd & raspberry coulis tart ($5.50) and the apricot custard tart ($6.50). Each had its own distinctive highlights, but if hard-pressed, I would say the apricot tart was my favourite, just for sheer strength of flavour. The texture of this tart was spectacular, with a spongy soft custard layer that heightened the intense apricot flavour – these were high perfoming apricots, let me tell you. Next was probably the peach crumble. I’m a huge crumble fan, and I love it when the crumble mix is just right. Jamface gets it 100% right, with no dryness and plenty of luscious peach packed under the dusted crumble topping. The pastry shell is also quite lovely and adds to the whole dessert. It’s probably unfair putting the lemon and raspberry tart last, as I really enjoyed it – again, the textures were spot on, with a really rich, smooth creaminess from the curd and tonnes of flavour from the raspberry – it’s a tart tart, but definitely has enough sweetness for balance. All winners, for sure.

Jamface, Stall 28-29, Adelaide Central Markets, Adelaide SA, http://www.jamface.com.au

Paul

I’m not generally one to shy away from a good sweet, and seeing Paul on Kagurazaka-dori, it’s pretty hard to just walk past. Their window display is just a sample of the baked goods heaven inside, and I was drawn in by the promise of a good canelle. I had my first canelle in Paris at a street stall on the Champ-Elysees and have been smitten ever since, so was keen to see how this French patisserie in Tokyo compared to the real deal. The outside was lovely and crisp, with a slight burnt flavour, but not overpoweringly so. The inside has the good stuff – a custardy cake that is spongy and soft but thick, with a distinctive milky flavour. It was small, but it passed the test. Next up was the apple danish – this was a real winner, with crisp, flaky pastry and glazed, soft apple pieces inside. The lady initially got the order wrong, but happily swapped for the apple turnover she’d given me for the danish. Both of the sweets had great flavour and texture, and I was disappointed not to have stomach space for more.

Paul, Kagurazaka Terrace 1F, 5-1-4 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo Japan  http://paul-inter-release.fo-02.naxeo.net/

Ink Bake Grill

Ok, so maybe this post is cheating a bit. I organised a lunch at Ink Bake Grill, but sadly ended up getting stuck at work, so didn’t visit the restaurant. But, one of my lovely friends brought me back a pastry, so here’s what I thought of that, until I can break free of the office and head out there (they’re only open on weekdays). The pastry my friend chose, knowing my love for raspberry, was a raspberry danish, and it was a really great size. The outer pastry was incredibly flaky and crisp, but amazingly not too messy (meaning I wasn’t embarassed eating it at my desk!). The custard inside was really luxurious and rich, and there was plenty of it so no complaints from me. Finally the raspberries dotted in the centre packed in so much flavour I couldn’t believe that was coming from so few pieces! They had a real bite, but weren’t as tart as unbaked raspberries, and they melted a bit into the custard. Mmm. Highly recommended. I can’t wait to try some of their burgers, bao and tacos too.

Ink Bake Grill, Shop 3, 7 Geils Court, Deakin ACT, http://www.inkbakegrill.com.au/welcome.html

Patissez

I was super excited to try Patissez’s raspberry and pomegranate galettes after drooling over them on their Instagram feed, but alas, they had sold out when I arrived. The staff were really friendly and helpful, and when I asked for another fruity cake to try, the pointed me at this one – a raspberry and lychee dacquois. As you can see, it’s pretty, and yep, it tastes amazing. Let me walk you through it. The garnish on top is a fresh raspberry and a cluster of caramel popcorn -the popcorn doesn’t relate to any other flavours in the cake, but it’s really tasty! The red outer layer is a raspberry gel of some kind, and it’s really thick and stretchy – quite an unusual texture. The raspberry flavour is excellent though, and it matches the lychee cream filling perfectly. The lychee cream is really authentic and I couldn’t believe how light and fluffy it was – but hidden inside is a layer of more raspberry and pistachio cake – as if it could get any better! The flavours and textures all worked together really well and the dacquois was just the right size for an afternoon treat.

Patissez, Shop 2/21 “The Lawns” Bougainville Street, Manuka ACT, no website

St Ali

Note to self: the South Melbourne markets aren’t open on a Monday. Luckily St Ali is – in fact they’re open 365 days, so you can’t get it wrong (like I did with the markets). Instead of wandering through the markets a friend and I settled in at St Ali for afternoon tea, soaking up the sunshine from their outdoor seating which looks out onto the street. We were both tempted by the cake display and I caved first and ordered the fruit danish and a ‘hydrate’ juice, while my friend picked the lemon and marshmallow tart and a ‘detox’ juice. The juices were served in large, tall glasses and didn’t have much foam – mine had watermelon, apple and mint, although I could still taste the carrot from the detox juice which must have gone through the juicer first. The danish was lovely and crisp, with the pastry flaking off in large pieces to enjoy. The fresh blueberries, apricot and strawberries sat on a bed of custard which brought the whole sweet to life.  I could have happily eaten another if it hadn’t been so filling! Definitely a great place to while away an afternoon.

St Ali Coffee Roasters, 12-18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne VIC  www.stali.com.au