Ladurée

From July to September, we have finally welcomed the famous French Macaroons from Ladurée!! The moment Pierre Desfontaines (Louis Ernest Ladurée's second cousin) puts together this beautiful masterpiece, it was destined that their Macaroons will sweep away the whole world's attention.

 

 

We arrived in the afternoon, and there it was, the lovely pastel green colours and the never-ending line of people. Although we didn't see anyone sitting down to enjoy the Macaroons and a cup of tea, which made the elegant tea sets seemed a little lonely behind the crowd.

 



They had some candles for sale as well, at um...$79.00??


The Macaroons are $3.20 each for takeaway and $4.00 for dine-in, and there were 12 flavours available to choose from on the day.


You can purchase some sort of Chocolate biscuits as well, and they come in pretty round boxes at $60.00.

Oh yessssss, the Macaroons!! We swear after you taste Ladurée's Macaroons, you wouldn't want to eat Macaroons anywhere else!

 

So after all the time spent on deciding, we finally come to the conclusion of getting the box of 8 Macaroons at $25.60. I was totally in love with the packaging!! Didn't someone say that some test results shown that people prefer to eat the food inside pretty packaging than ones without packaging? As they simply think the ones with packaging tastes better! Well in this case, the packaging definitely made the Macaroons more outstanding!

From left to right:
Vanilla x 2, Ghana Chocolate x 2, Lemon, Violet Marshmallow, Lemon Lime Marshmallow and Salted caramel

How can they be soooooooo delicate? As soon as we touched them, it felt like they were going to break into thousand flakes!


Comments:
Vanilla and Ghana Chocolate - If I really have to pick my least favourite flavours, it will have to be these 2. Funny how I thought those 2 would be my favourite as I always loved vanilla and chocolate. In this case, they were just too ordinary comparing to the rest of the Macaroons.

Lemon - Very strong flavour, you get that punch of lemon but also the gentle scatters of sweetness. I actually really enjoyed this one.

Violet Marshmallow - Frankly speaking, we couldn't really taste this one. It has a very vague flavour, but the marshmallow was really nice and soft.

Lemon Lime Marshmallow - It has the perfect amount of sweetness, and this flavour goes very well with the marshmallow centre.

Salted Caramel - Surprise, surprise! When we saw its name we had a little bit of doubt, and I thought it's going to be unbelievably sweet. But it turned out the flavour was a mixture of caramel along with tints of bitterness, how awesome! I have to vote this one as my favourite and it certainly hit the right spot.



We actually regret not buying all the flavours after waiting such a long time, so we are totally going back there again soon to grab more of their Macaroons! Although...we were abit disappointed that they didn't have the cakes and pastries, I was really hoping they had the "Ispahan"!!!



Address:
100 Market St
Level 3 Westfield Sydney NSW

Opening time:
Mon - Wed 9.30am - 6.30pm
Thu 9.30am - 9pm
Fri and Sat 9.30am - 6.30pm
Sun 10am - 6pm



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Gumshara Ramen and Friday market BBQ - Eating world harbour plaza, Chinatown

 

Everytime when we walk into the Eating world harbour plaza at Chinatown, we felt like falling into Asia. Numerous stalls are displaying pictures of their dishes, waiting for the crowd to get bigger and louder as peak time rises.  There are all types of street foods here, you name it and they have it!

Pork spare rib Ramen $15.50

 

On this particular day, we decided to try the legendary Gumshara Pork spare rib Ramen. Alot of people gave good comments about this specific bowl of Ramen so we wanted to have a taste of it.

I have to say, apart from the fact I had a bad stomach on the day, the Ramen itself didn't exactly impress me. Can you imagine drinking Bailey? Pretty thick right? Try chucking in some chocolates, some butter, some more milk etc. Ok it's not that scary, but the soup along with the greasy rib and droplet of oil just made it difficult to enjoy. I know alot of you may love this and are loyal to it, but for me it was just a bit too much...

 

Now onto the real good stuffs, you probably already seen or heard about this stall on Friday night market at Chinatown. Yeah, just as it sounds, it's the Friday Market BBQ.

 

 

Lamb skewers x 10  $15.00

 

These are my favourite, and I am speechless everytime after eating them. You have to try these if you haven't already, they are absolutely zesty! The meats were so juicy, and the cumin flavour just soaks into each piece so well. There were also fats stuck in between those meats, which makes them extra succulent. However, I prefer them when it's cooked outdoor (it's the mood and atmosphere that counts), and you can ask them to add extra chilli. Can you imagine this? Once I got too excited and told them to add as much chilli as they can, and it was like...the most suicidal move you can ever make. The meats were literally covered in red flakes, and the heat just make the chilli flavour even stronger! Anyone up for a challenge? Bring it on anytime!

 

 

Address:

Gumshara

Shop 209

Phone number: 0410 253 180

 

Friday market BBQ

Shop 201

 

Both are inside Eating World harbour plaza:

25-29 Dixon St (enter from Gouburn St or Factory St)

Haymarket Chinatown, Sydney

 

Open 7 days 10am - 10pm (Gumshara opens from 11.30am - 8.30pm Sun-Mon and 11.30am - 9pm Tue - Sat)

 

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N2 Extreme Gelato, Chinatown

Whoa!? Random science lab in Chinatown? What on earth are those bottles? Nitrogen? Wait a minute, look at those people working on those unknown machines! No, this is not some mad science project going on, it's N2 Extreme Gelato.

Look at those flasks full of different colours, mmm how amusing? Time for some Chemistry lesson?

 

We immediately noticed these staff members wearing lab coats and thick black frame glasses, getting ready for some dramatic actions. Something else we noticed were the funny illustrations on the black board behind them, it was like some naughty student sneaked into the classroom and did them on impulse.

 

 So the process here is using liquid nitrogen (N2) to freeze those ingredients into lovely scoop of Gelato ice cream. We were so amused by the scene, as it felt like we were back to the science labs in school and ready to create some magnificent explosions! HOHOHO!

 

 1 scoop $6.00

 

After examining the brainstorm of flavours, we decided to go with the "safer" choice which was "Coconut and something else" (even though that "something else" part made us abit suspicious). We happily watched the staff made our little scoop and we couldn't wait to try it.

 

Here it is! Our very first experience of N2 Extreme Gelato! It tasted so smooth with flakes of coconuts on the top to add abit of texture. We thought it was very different to the ice creams we normally had.

 

We'd love to go back there to try some other flavours in summer, and since the menu changes, who knows what we will come across next time?

 

 

Address:

43/1 Dixon Street

Sydney, NSW

 

Opening hours:

Daily 2pm - 11pm

 

Summer:

Daily 12am - 12pm

 

Website:

http://n2extremegelato.com.au/



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Adriano Zumbo

Sizzling neon lights, vibrant colours, funky settings and creative decorations, these were the first few impressions that we had on Adriano Zumbo at The Star.

In here, you can have Dessert train as well! Yes, just like sushi train. (O-M-G what?!) Unfortunately we didn't have time to try it, but I'm sure it will be an interesting experience.

When we were looking around inside the store, we have fell in love with these display boxes, it almost felt like an incredible journey into the future. We stared at these desserts one by one, and they all looked stunning.



We also found these sights at the front window, how adorable!? The mini wheel was made of funny looking shoes, spinning round and round to create amusement for its audiences. Also the tower of pink and orange macaroons instantly reminded you of childhood dreams...all those wonderful days where our world was full of pretty colours and endless sweets.

We also noticed these emergency glass boxes used to display the Zumbarons, it create the urge to reach your hand inside and grab them and start biting! But how brilliant is the idea of putting them inside there??


Ta-da!! Here are the ones we bought!! *Anticipation* Although...one thing I have to mention to you lovely readers out there...I wasn't happy with the service they provide, but it could have just been me. Their ignorance was quite irritating, just not sure if it was due to busy hours or what, oh wells.



 2-pack Zumbarons: Chocolate doughnut and Peach ice tea flavours $5.00

We got this tiny box containing big surprises, and it was pretty difficult to pick 2 flavours out of the many. The Chocolate doughnut one had a generous amount of filling, and it was very rich. The Peach ice tea was a unique one, even though it didn't really taste like the actual peach tea, it was memorable.






Chocolate Mousse $9.00

No doubt this caught our attention almost immediately, as it had a simple but tempting look. It consist a mixture of chocolate and fruity taste, creamy and stimulating. Umm by the way, do most people pick out the berry first and then start eating other components?







V8 $10.00

My goodness, how on Earth am I going to describe this one to you? I DON'T KNOW!! Let's start on the elements? There were black sesame dacquiose, brown sugar crunch, lychee gel, raspberry sponge, raspberry jelly, liquorice cremeaux, and rose chantilly patisserie. The outer layer was soft and melts into your mouth smoothly, however, the core was...full of different textures. There was the layer that felt like sands, the sour fruits hiding somewhere in between, and the subtle punch of lychee flavours. I had about 5 spoons and I just couldn't stand it anymore...no, it wasn't bad actually, just by this time that I already had enough sweetness in my digesting system and can't take anymore in. Now here's another thing, I can't believe I thought of eating the rose pedal as well (blame on the fact it was too beautiful).


What do I think about Adrian Zumbo at The Star? It's modern, it's unique, and it's exciting! You probably can never see that much colours popping out at one particular store in anywhere else, whether it's the environment or the desserts, they were all full of energy. Although I have to say they are a little too sweet for me...



Address:
Shop 1, Cafe Court
The Star
80 Pyrmont St
Pyrmont NSW
(Entry via Edward St)


Website:
http://www.adrianozumbo.com/


Opening hours:

Mon 11am - 10pm
Dessert train is closed

Tue to Thurs 11am - 11pm
Dessert train: Closed on Tuesday
Wed to Thu 6 - 10.30pm

Fri and Sat 11am - 12am
Dessert train:
Fri 6pm - 11.30pm
Sat 2pm - 11.30pm

Sun 11am - 9pm
Dessert train: 12pm - 6.30pm

*Sugar daddy
6 - 8pm Wed to Sat
Pink and White plates are $4 and Black plates are $8



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Red Lantern on Crown

The first thing you will notice are the elegant red lanterns hanging down from the ceiling, waiting for its customers to immerse into the special mood.

We were greeted by the waiter and got allocated an outdoor table, and funny how the red lighting made my heart beat a little faster as the passionate atmosphere built up. One other thing we realised was that there were a couple sitting downstairs away from the heaters, and it was freezing! Almost instantly, the waiter brought them some warm blanket. How thoughtful!? It was these types of services that make you definitely want to remember the restaurant.















Muc Rang Muoi $23.00
Lightly battered chilli salted squid with fresh lemon and white pepper dipping sauce

The bite-size squid were coated in fabulous golden crust, along with the dip of the sauce that leaves your tongue tangy. We felt it was served in a generous portion, and it was good enough to keep us chewing for quite awhile.














Bo Kho $35.00
Pasture fed Wagyu beef braised with Vietnamese spices, tomato paste and chilli

We thought we made a mistake to order the beef and the duck together, why? Because they both had a thick base and left you the feeling that you have consumed too much fats. Nevertheless, the beef chunks were very tender, just that it made me very full just after about 3 pieces!!































Cari Vit $36.00

Burrawong duck cooked in a fragrant coconut milk and red curry sauce with banana blossom

Served Vietnamese style, on the bone

Now here is the duck, each piece was half sunken into the mushy curry. As we imagined, the curry actually went perfectly with the rice, you soak the rice in them and this then intensifies the taste of the curry.



















 Dessert platter for two $22.00

Finally it was dessert time! After all the oily dishes, we were desperate for something to take the greasy flavour away.















Com Nep La Chuoi
Red sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf and char grilled
Served with jackfruit and coconut ice cream

The ice cream was melting pretty fast, thus we had to dig our spoons into this in lightning speed. I believe you will enjoy this, it had a subtle coconut taste and a contrast of the temperatures.

Banh Cam Mang Cau
Sesame and rice flour dumplings filled with sour sop and served with black sesame ice cream

This dish reminded me of what I ate when I was a kid, the sesame ball inevitably will become your favourite if you prefer less sweet desserts. I love the way that the crust was formed with sesames sticking on firmly.




Kem Flan
Coconut Crème Caramel made with free range eggs and coconut milk

 

I still remember the waiter advised us to eat the crème last, luckily we followed the advice. This dessert was unbelievably sweet, so we'd probably be drunk with sugar if we started off with this dessert.

 

 

It was a pleasant experience to dine at Red Lantern, and we probably would like to return there one day to try out the tasting menu. Oh, just becareful with parking around the area, we definitely saw some tickets gluing onto the cars infront of our table!! 

 

 

 

Address:

545 Crown Street, Surry Hills NSW

 

Phone number:

(02) 9698 4355

 

Opening hours:

Lunch:

Tuesday to Friday 12pm - 3pm

Dinner:

Monday to Sunday 6pm - 10pm

 



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