Mr Taste and I were recently invited to take part in New Shanghai’s first ever Wine & Dumpling dinner, which also coincided with the launch of their brand new wine menu designed and compiled by Treasury Wines.

The new wine menu features aromatic whites with dry lean characteristics and robust reds that are full bodied in finish. The wines are designed to both complement and contrast New Shanghai’s menu, not only to cleanse the palate but also balance out the rich flavours.

I was particularly impressed with the selection of whites, which included a Leo Buring Clare Valley Riesling 2011 with subtle pear and apple notes and the Angel Cove Marlborough Savignon Blanc 2010, which had a refreshing cut grass and fresh capsicum quality. Sadly, both wines are restaurant exclusives, so do give them a shot if you spot them.

To ease down the wine, we were served six courses of New Shanghai’s signature dishes, including their famous panfried pork buns and xiao long bao – which need no introduction at all!

Pan fried pork bun and pan fried pork dumpling

Steamed soup dumpling, mini crab meat and pork bun, steamed vegetarian dumpling

We began with a cold platter, including pickled cucumber, kelp and drunken chicken. All three are considered ‘drinking snacks’ in Chinese, so it was a great way to start the dinner.

Shredded kelp in spice and vinegar, chopped cucumber with fresh garlic and drunken chicken, soaked in Chinese wine

I was a big fan of New Shanghai’s shepherds purse dumplings, which sat in a nutty sesame butter emulsion. The topping of grated cucumber added some subtlety and crunch to the dish.

Shepherd

The main course of crispy chicken and sticky pork belly was also a standout. The pork worked perfectly with the Penfolds Koonunga Hill 76 Shiraz Cabernet 2010 which I found too overpowering sipped alone. But together, the wine brought out a lovely plummy caramel quality in the pork belly. All hallmarks of a great pairing!

Braised pork belly and deep fried chicken in special garlic and chilli sauce

The dessert of slow cooked fungus was a bit of a wildcard. As it was slow cooked, the fungus was quite ‘slimey’ and made it a difficult flavor and texture to grasp for the uninitiated. I didn’t mind it so much, as it was a welcome sweet respite at end of the meal.

Slow cooked white fungus with papaya soup

New Shanghai will be holding a series of Wine & Dumplings dinners this summer, with the next one scheduled for the Charlestown store in November For full details, please visit www.newshanghai.com.au.

New Shanghai
Chatswood Chase
Victoria Avenue
Chatswood NSW
# 02 9415 3536
www.newshanghai.com.au

Azuma Kushiyaki’s Sugar Hit offering has always proved to be one of the most popular options for sweet lovers during the Crave Sydney International Food Festival. This year Azuma has pushed the boundaries by introducing bold Japanese flavours such as yuzu, shochu, kinako and white sesame. It’s a great excuse for those unfamiliar with Japanese flavours to be a bit more adventurous with their palate. Created and designed by Head Patissier Chef Miya Matsumara, the dessert bento boxes come with a glass of Browns Brothers dessert wine or hot green tea.

The top tray contains a matcha tiramisu with velvety mascarpone, fresh cream and shochu soaked sponge fingers; a small sample of nigori or yuzu sake; sake soaked sponge bites and a handcrafted chocolate praline with a pop rock centre.

The bottom tray offers a scoop of white sesame ice cream and an anmitsu fruit salad dressed in a brown sugar syrup and topped rice dumplings (the dumplings are rolled in kinako powder, made from lovingly roasted soy beans).

Azuma Kushiyaki’s Sugar Hit is priced at $20 per person and is available from 9-11pm from Monday to Saturdays during the month of October.

Azuma Kushiyaki
Ground floor, Regent Place
501 George Street, Sydney
# 02 9267 7775
www.azuma.com.au/kushiyaki

A big thank you to Tarryn from Azuma for organising a very special preview of Sugar Hit before the mobs hit!

Located next door to Berta, this tiny 22 square cafe is owned by Yu Sasaki, a trained chef who cut his teeth at the steamy kitchens in Universal.

Though small, Cre Asion pumps out regular batches of macarons throughout the day. This ensures the supply is fresh, moist and in tip top form – all hallmarks of a good macaron.

Zumbo fans will enjoy Cre Asion’s selection of weird and wonderful flavours, including white miso, bamboo charcoal and black sesame, wasabi and grapefruit, yuzu and red bean. All flavours are made from scratch using real ingredients, which shows in the end result. Macarons are priced at $2.70 each, $19 for 8 or $30 for a box of 14.

If you’re lucky enough to nab a seat in this cafe, you’ll love all the thoughtful touches, such as the pashmina throws, the charcoal blocks in the water jugs (to catch the impurities, Yu tells me) and the fully expandable glass walls – perfect for the summer or when the crowds get unbearable!

Big props to Chocolatesuze for discovering this gem!

Café Cre Asion
21 Alberta Street, Surry Hills
www.creasionmacaron.com

Open from 7am to 4pm Monday to Friday and from 8.30am to 4pm on Saturdays

Leading the lineup is the Christmas Delice, decked out in the festive colours of red, green and white. Flavoured with Christmas spices and filled with a vanilla white chocolate ganache, the macaron tastes like a Christmas pudding – only without the guilt trip. It’s the perfect gift, especially for the macaron obsessed like myself. The Lindt Christmas Delice comes wrapped in a box of six for $15.

Or if you prefer the more traditional flavours, Lindt is introducing Delice towers, which can be made to order to include your choice of Delices, either as a 40 piece or 112 piece set.

Other Christmas goodies include:

* Peanut butter Lindor balls – classic Lindor balls with an irresistable peanut butter filling
* Chocolate santas
* Lindor Hanging Tree and Lindor Hanging Star – gorgeous tree ornaments filled with milk, dark and white Lindor balls
* Chocolate macadamias
* Lindor Joy Ornament – mini Lindor balls in dark, milk and white chocolate

Check out the full Christmas range available at Lindt on www.lindt.com.au

Many thanks to Sarah at Entwistle PR for the heads up!

Following the tweets from bloggers on the ground that morning, the line outside Adriano Zumbo was about an hour long – despite the downpour. I tactfully decide to visit during closing time – surely they’d still have some macarons left!

It turned out to be a great strategy as we showed up a 5pm, with only a few bodies before us. Some of my top choices were sold out by this time – including lychee, lamington and chocolate water – but this didn’t worry me too much.

When I arrived home, I had a Marie Antoinette moment as I peeled open the box and the cute-as-a-button macarons trickled out. The macarons were soft and supple on the inside with an ever so slight crisp on the outside. Out of the 15 odd flavours I picked up, my favourites were the pandan, passionfruit chestnut and azuki red bean.

I also picked up the macaron ‘mini cake’, filled with passionfruit cream and fresh raspberries. Amazingly, this little beauty is still in my fridge. I haven’t the heart to eat it!

Once we stepped inside the hotel, we sheepishly ate our words.

The Cortile, though only a lobby lounge was impressive in its own quiet way. The hanging light features and sandstone arcades brought a real sense of elegance and drama. You can’t say that about many lobby lounges!

Not long after we sat down, our dessert arrived. It was a triple chocolate gateau with homemade amarena cherry, orange honeycomb and a Bailey’s macaron. This dessert was full on – rich, heavy and sweet. We could only afford a few bites each, before pushing the plate away to seek refuge in the accompanying glass of Brown Brothers Orange Muscat & Flora, which was light and refreshing.

We were deeply disappointed with the macarons, which must’ve been made well in advance as they had lost their freshness. The shell was dry and unforgiving, nothing like the fluffy soft macarons we expected.

Yet the biggest slap in the face was paying $7 for a very average cup of coffee. In fact, half the coffee was foam – I paid $7 for half a cup of coffee and air!

I can’t say I had the best experience with this Sugar Hit, though other bloggers have raved about the Sugar Hit here. Tread with caution is my advice!

Cortile Lounge
InterContinental Sydney
117 Macquarie Street
Sydney NSW 2000
# 02 9240 1396
www.sydney.intercontinental.com

I recently met with Ghazaleh Lyari, the founder of Ghermez Cupcakes. Ten years ago, Ghazaleh was a high flying investment banker on Wall Street. Now she’s the head of a booming cupcake business, concoting new flavours and managing the day-to-day of her brand’s three stores.

“Having worked with so many entrepreneurs, I’ve always wanted the opportunity to be the girl in charge,” Ghazaleh tells me and admits that she explored several business models before settling on cupcakes. What prompted this decision was that serious businessmen in the US were investing in cupcakes.

Sydney is no stranger to cupcakes and Ghazaleh has cleverly identified a gap in the market. Ghermez caters for a different kind of consumer, one perhaps like Ghazaleh herself who doesn’t have a sweet tooth but will indulge in a seriously good piece of cake.

Having done her research, Ghazelah set out to make quality cupcakes with a variety of unique flavours set out in a stylish environment. Her cupcakes are baked fresh everyday, using wholesome natural ingredients. No thick slabs of fluro buttercream on her cupcakes, everything is made from scratch – including the strawberry icing which is made fresh daily with real strawberries.

Ghermez currently have 20 flavours on their menu, with new flavours added seasonally. Dulce de leche is one of these flavours as is the new gluten free orange and almond (with more to come!).

“My inspiration for new flavours come mostly from my mother’s cooking. She is an amazing cook, and I grew up in a household where fabulous, wholesome and delicious food was around no matter when you walked through the doors!” Ghazaleh says, “She makes a lot of beautiful sweets and uses a lot of ingredients from the east, including pistachios, rose water, orange blossom extract.”

I got to sample a few of Ghazaleh’s creations, which included Chocolate Honey, Chocolate Marshmallow, Red Velvet, Dulce de Leche and Strawberry.

The standouts are undoubtedly the two chocolate flavours, both fluffy and moist – a rare quality missing in most cupcakes. The flavour of honey in the Chocolate Honey cupcake is subtle, well-balanced and not too overly sweet. Meanwhile, marshmallow forms the gooey centre of the Chocolate Marshmallow and makes a very clever (and addictive!) combination.

Ghazleh has big plans for her brand in the years to come, “My objective with Ghermez is to make sure we are regarded as ‘best in class’. I am hoping that ‘Ghermez’ will be a brand associated with all things delicious and stylish.”

Expanding beyond cupcakes is definitely on the cards. Ghazaleh has her eye on the next venture, and we’re all excited to find out what it is!

Molecular gastronomy turns time old traditions about food on its head and combines the excitement of food and science in one undeniably mind blowing combination.

The leading chefs in this area are Ferran Adria of El Bulli, Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck and Grant Achatz of Alinea, who coincedentally all appear in the top 10 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

While some Australian chefs dabble here and there in this style of ‘avant garde’ cooking, Tomislav is probably the first of its kind to build its entire menu around this premise. Describing itself as a ‘future bistro’, Tomislav is located on an easy-to-miss corner of Darlinghurst within direct view of the Coke sign.

Owner and head chef, Tomislav Martinovic trained under Heston Bluementhal and has also worked with the likes of Matt Moran, Guillaume Brahimi and Eric Chavot.

Tomislav is intimate, cool and understated. The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, all within direct view of the kitchen – where the magic happens.

We began our meal at Tomislav with an order of crackers. Rice crackers to exact. Accompanied with a sea salt and vinegar atomiser, we are advised by our waitress that three sprays are the recommended amount. The crackers were tangy, crisp and wildy addictive. We could’ve easily finished off a whole bowl and taken home a bag each.

Rice crackers with sea salt & vinegar - 7

I originally had reservations about ordering the oysters. What luck that I persisted, the oysters at Tomislav turned out to be my favourite dish of the night. Freshly shucked, the oysters were very juicy and supple. The lemon ice and soy dressing was the perfect duo – both soothing on the tongue and well seasoned. I don’t think I can have oysters any other way now.

Freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters with lemon ice and soy dressing - $12/$24

As we waited for our entrees to arrive, we were handed a small basket of bread and a plate of butter. The waitress tells us that the butter had been churned on site and was topped with an onion powder. I grinned from ear to ear, this is exactly the sort of creation I came for. The powder had a very subtle roasted onion flavour and added a nice earthy flavour to the butter, which in itself was so soft – almost like the whipped butter you get with McDonalds hot cakes.

Butter with onion powder

The excitement didn’t stop there. Our next dish was the grilled salmon rolls, topped with wasabi crumbs. Don’t be fooled, they’re not as lethal as they look. The crumbs actually had a very creamy taste with very little harshness at all.

Grilled salmon roll toast with wasabi crumbs - 12

The poached comboyne hen’s egg reminded me of congee. Except, instead of century egg, pork, chinese sausage and pickles, this had peas, ham and warm potato cream. Topped with a wafer thin slice of ‘toast’, I think it would make an incredibly comforting breakfast.

Poached Comboyne hen's egg with peas & ham and warm potato cream - 18

The quail, with its glistening skin, had very distinct Thai flavours – corainder, chilli and roast pineapple. The glaze was very addictive – if I wasn’t in front of company, I would’ve picked up the quail and eat it with my fingers.

Roast Red Gate Farm quail with chilli, coriander and roast pineapple - 19

The risotto was unique in that it used basmati rice – as opposed to the stubbier and creamier arborio rice. This meant that the risotto wasn’t as rich as normal and the lemon zest added a nice balance to the dish.

Basmati rice risotto with poached Yamba prawns, chives and lemon zest - 18

To round out the entrees, we had the poached yellow fin tuna with egg linguine, parmesan and celery cress. This really was an interesting trio of ingredients: the poached tuna really tied the dish together, while the celery cress helped cut through the richness of the creamy parmesan sauce.

Poached yellow fin tuna with egg linguine, parmesan and celery cress - 20

With only a brief moment to recover from the entrees, we were shortly presented with our mains. The barramundi was a very sizeable portion and both juicy and rich in flavour. Meanwhile, the cauliflower and parsley crumbs brought some colour and texture to the dish.

Wild river saltwater barramundi with cauliflower, parsley crumbs and king browns - 31

The scotch fillet came with a roast bone marrow split down the middle and a dab of horseradish cream. Already pre-sliced, the scotch fillet was cooked to a perfect medium rare. Our piece of marrow on the other hand, appeared to be overcooked and a little shrivelled. This didn’t affect the taste too much, it was an indulgent touch to the classic steak.

O'Connor scotch fillet with roast bone marrow and horseradish cream - 32

The duck breast was beautifully presented, set against a bright swipe of beetroot. Again pre-sliced (which made sharing so much easier), the crisp skin perfectly rendered and encased a tender strip of duck. The olive oil sponge had a very subtle flavour, perhaps overwhelmed by the surrounding ingredients.

Pasture Burrawong duck breast with olive oil sponge and baby beetroots - 32

The egg linguine was too creamy and salty for our liking. The pasta tasted very similar to the entree dish, it almost felt like we had doubled up on the order.

Egg linguine with Jannei goat's cheese, broccoli and anchovy - 29

Terry Durack raved about how great the chips were. But we found them dry and overcooked. If you’re ever travelling through Canada, the best chips money can buy can be found at Wild Bill’s in Banff. How they get their chips so darn crispy, I don’t know!

Crinkle cut chips - 8

When it came to ordering desserts, I was very disappointed to see that the chocolate mousse dome was no longer on the Tomislav menu. I had looked at it longingly when I read reviews by Not Quite Nigella, Eat Show & Tell and FoodiePop. Alas, we persisted with the four desserts that were featured on the menu.

The cheesecake wasn’t really like cheescake at all. It was light, creamy and airy – almost like mousse. The rhubarb was the perfect accompaniment and it’s very seldom I see it used so well in a dessert dish (besides the obvious tart or crumble).

Vanilla cheesecake with cream cheese and rhubarb sorbet - 14

Seemingly a tribute to the Bounty Bar, the dark chocolate coconut bar was a rich and decadent reinterpretation of the classic candy bar. The coconut ice and chocolate sorbet really made the dish and the sprinkling of pomegranate was nice touch! This dish reminded me of the ‘gas station’ challenge on Top Chef, where the contestants had to make fine dining dishes usuing only ingredients found at a gas station.

Dark chocolate coconut bar with coconut milk ice and chocolate sorbet - 14

My least favourite dish of the dessert round was the caramel pudding, which is surprising because I am a huge caramel fan. The caramel pudding sat at the very bottom of the bowl, buried under mounds of caramel walnuts. While the yoghurt provided a nice acidity to balance out the sweetness in this dessert, there was something about the combination I just didn’t enjoy.

Caramel pudding with yoghurt sorbet and caramelised walnuts - 14

And the dessert I ranked highest on the night was the apple crumble. I loved the deconstruction of this classic dish as well as the creativity in Tomislav’s re-construction. The individual elements were just as vibrant and delicious as the crumble combined. That’s the beauty of deconstruction I guess!

Apple crumble, macadamia nuts and clotted cream ice cream - 14

If you’re tired of the ‘same old same old’, then Tomislav a try. It will be sure to surprise you with its trippy menu of weird and wonderful creations.

Tomislav
2/13 Kirketon Road
Darlinghurst NSW 2010
# 02 9356 4535
www.tomislav.com.au Open Tuesday to Saturday from 6.00pm – 10.00pm.

Zeta Bar is redefining the way Sydneysiders wind down on a Friday night with the launch of an innovative menu of ‘cryogenic’ sorbets and cocktails. Remember Richard Blais’ wacky liquid nitrogen experiments on Season 4 of Top Chef? Zeta Bar takes it to another level with alcohol. That’s right, frozen alcohol. Didn’t think that could happen?

The liquid nitrogen and dry ice used to make the frozen cocktails and sorbets drops the temperature of alcohol to its freezing point – and because it does this in a matter of seconds, the resulting product is devoid of crunchy ice crystals and tastes incredibly smooth. It’s almost like a puffed ball of alcoholic air!

The new menu includes:

Zeta Sorbet – A summer inspired collection of all time favourite classic cocktails and champagne fixes – deconstructed and frozen in to cold palate cleasing sorbets. Flavours include: Black Raspberry Clover Club, Champagne, Mojito, Margarita, Pina Colada and Spiced Black Raspberry Mule.

Nitro Puffs – A selection of classic cocktails freshly made to order and cryogenically frozen with liquid nitrogen and served as an edible trio on a platter.

Champagne Ice Blocks – Served on the terrace from a bed of steaming dry ice. Perfect for a refreshing summer cocktail indulgence.

Cocktails – A selection of bespoke Belvedere Black Raspberry Cocktails.

Thanks to the team at Hilton for providing us with an entertaining and exciting entree into molecular gastronomy. Now, if only I took a barrel of liquid nitrogen home….

The Cryogenic Sorbet & Cocktail Bar is available from the Terrace Bar every Friday night until the end of March. Sorbets and cocktails start from $4.

Zeta Bar
Level 4, Hilton Hotel
488 George Street
Sydney
# 02 9265 6070
www.zetabar.com.au

A big highlight on the calendar of festivities is Sugar Hit, which affords foodies a dessert and glass of Brown Brothers wine (or Hennessy cognac) for $20. Restaurants offering Sugar Hit include Azuma Kushiyaki, Glass Brasserie at the Hilton, Bilson’s and the Stamford Hotel.

Mr. Taste, Ms. Epicurean Explorer and I decided to check out The Grace Hotel, intrigued by their tasting plate featuring ‘Desserts of The World’.
After a quick meal at an anonymous basement Japanese eatery, we arrived at The Grace Cafe ready to tackle whatever the kitchen had in store for us. Once seated, the waitress showed us the Sugar Hit menu, which listed a whopping 6 desserts. We were gobsmackingly impressed.

The desserts included:

* Tiramisu with biscotti
* Pavlova topped with fresh berries and cream
* Blood orange sorbet in a brandy snap basket
* Vanilla bean brulee tart
* Sticky rice with custard
* Turkish delight and fairy floss

The standout favourite for me was the blood orange sorbet. It was light and sweet, without the heavy acidity and bitterness that usually comes with the fruit. The brandy snap basket provided the perfect accompaniment.

The vanilla bean brulee tart was a close second. Though a mere mouthful, the tart is meltingly satisfying and the caramelised top provides a nice crunch.

The most unusual dessert was the Turkish delight, which wasn’t anything like Turkish delight at all. It tasted more like fruit jubes, without the sugar coating.  That said, the fluff of Persian fairy floss was a real treat!

If you’re looking for value and plenty of variety, you really can’t go past The Grace Hotel for Sugar Hit. Happy indulging!

The Grace Hotel
Corner King & York Street
Sydney NSW 2000
# 02 9272 6636
www.gracehotel.com.au

Sugar Hit is available daily from 9-11pm for the month of October. For more information, please visit www.siff.com.au.