Adriano Zumbo's Concept Store and Dessert Train - The Star, Pyrmont

On a superficial level people generally don't think Cheesecake Boy and I have anything in common.  However, in all honesty we share many interests and are quite similar creatures deep down.  One of the smaller, but still important things we thankfully have in common is our love for sweets.  However, sometimes I think Cheesecake Boy might love sweets more than I do.  For instance, we initially went to Adriano Zumbo's latest store at The Star because I wanted to buy our dear friend Flying High Girl some macarons, as it was the first time in years that she's been able to come down to Sydney for a visit.  We'd talked about visiting Zumbo in the past, but a lack of time always prevented Flying High Girl and I from going together.  

Anyway, my point about Cheesecake Boy is that on our first visit he noticed that there was a sushi train layout next to the concept store, and when he found out that it was going to be a dessert train, he couldn't contain his excitement.  Originally the dessert train was meant to commence trading on the 22nd of this month.  He even took me out for a drive to check it out that day, but to his disappointment the train was delayed and not running to schedule.  To play it safe this time round Cheesecake Boy actually called last Sunday to make sure that the dessert train was going to open as planned, and with the green light that it was definitely going ahead, Cheesecake Boy couldn't wait to try it out. 

MasterChef Live - Hordern Pavilion, Moore Park

Last year, Cheesecake Boy and I missed out on MasterChef Live, and I thought we would miss it again this year.  However, that was until we received a call from our dear friend Mrs. G when we were in Perth, who had some complimentary tickets, and so it was decided that the very next day after returning home to Sydney, Cheesecake Boy and I would get ourselves out and about.  It was better then our initial intentions of just sleeping the day away.

We got there quite late as Cheesecake Boy and I had slept in, and it was crowded, but it was not unbearable.  However, we were too late to attend some of the classes as they were booked out, but other classes that had a first come, first serve policy seemed to have a minimum 45 minutes waiting period.  You see, we are definitely not the patient type so waiting was not going to be an option for us.  However, after a small stroll our rumbling tummies decided that it was time for a quick and easy lunch.

Bacio cake: a birthday cake post...

It's Dumpling Sister's birthday today and I am usually in charge of organising the birthday cakes very last minute.  However, sometimes you get stumped and want something different, and need to find some inspiration.  That's how I have been feeling lately.  However, Cheesecake Boy has come up with a great idea and suggested that I do birthday cake posts to help others in the same boat as me, so from now on when we have birthday or other celebratory cakes we will post them under 'birthday cakes'.

Unfortunately, by the time I got notice, well it was too late to order a cake, so a visit to Pasticceria Tamborrino a favourite of Cheesecake Boy and mine was in order.  In case you ever need to know this, they open at 6.30am on Saturdays, which was good news for us as we had a birthday lunch to shop and cook for  as well.  In the end I settled for the bacio cake, as Dumpling Sister and I use to love eating Baci chocolates when we were kids and reading all the love notes enclosed.  The cake came in a nice box with a cute pig snout handle.

Bacio cake, $28 (feeds 8)

The Lab, Adriano Zumbo - Rozelle

A couple of Saturday's ago Cheesecake Boy, Dumpling Sister and I were off to The Lab where all things Adriano Zumbo were being created.  With my V8 Diesel cake order confirmation in one hand, we all waited patiently in line, adamant to resist other surrounding temptations, but the lure of all things Zumbo was too great as it had been a while since our last Zumbo fix.

Chocolateria San Churro, Glebe

A dessert fix was in order after El Loco and straight away Cheesecake Boy and I thought of San Churro.  When Cheesecake Boy and I first started dating, we spent a lot of late nights at San Churro chatting, nibbling and sipping the time away.  The first two weeks we discovered San Churro, we came so many times that it took a few months for us to recover and make a return visit.  Anyway, Cheesecake Boy and I love San Churro when we need our ocassional late night churros fix.

Sweet Infinity - The Strand Arcade, Sydney

Last month, Lord High Tea and I purchased a couple of Jump On It vouchers offering 6 macarons for $9 from Sweet Infinity.  I couldn't say no to a macaron deal.  Actually, it was really a good excuse for me to visit Sweet Infinity again, as my last visit was years ago at their Woolloomooloo shop.  This is how Lord High Tea and I ended up at Sweet Infinity in The Strand Arcade yesterday. 

 

 

Boon, Darlinghurst

Now that I have finally been persuaded to eat the bunny, I figured it was a fitting time to  blog my entire Boon experience.  Cheesecake Boy and I first visited Boon a couple of anniversaries ago, and have been returning back for more ever since.  A few Tuesday's ago when Cheesecake Boy and I were still on leave, we ducked into Boon Chocolates for an indulgent afternoon tea. 

Happy Easter

It's been a busy couple of days and I was meant to have a Boon Chocolates post up in time for the chocolatey Easter break, but exhaustion has kicked in.  Promise post will come soon.

Hope you all have a safe and happy break, and that you are luckily bestowed with lots of yummy Easter chocolate like my adorable bunny.  Unfortunately, it's too cute to eat right now, but the tempting hazelnut praline will make me cave in eventually.

Hazelnut praline bunny, $25

Happy holidays, Dumpling Girl and Cheesecake Boy.
 

Chokolait, Melbourne

Another nostalgic Melbourne post, wishing I was there moment.  We discovered Chokolait a couple of years ago when for Cheesecake Boy's birthday I organised for us go on a chocolate walking tour with Chocoholic Tours as Cheesecake Boy is also crazy about chocolate and eventually turned me into a chocolate nut too.  We now visit this place every time we head down to Melbourne to stock up on chocolates. We love the chocolates here so much that for Christmas one year I even ordered 7 blocks of their block of dark chocolate studded with dried strawberries to be sent up to Sydney so that I could stuff Cheesecake Boy's Christmas stocking with his favourite chocolate.

Chokolait is tucked away in the Hub Arcade that is connected to the Royal Arcade where you will find Koko Black.  The first time we came here with the tour they did not offer cakes, so we indulge in a hot chocolate that was half dark and half milk chocolate. 



The shop front

Oliver Brown, Top Ryde City Shopping Centre

 

Cheesecake Boy and I are still busy organising our new place, I swear this unpacking is just never ending.  We needed storage containers for the kitchen, so on Sunday we decided to conquer the maze of Ikea.  Approaching the crazy zoo of Ikea made me want out, so some intense wandering of Rhodes Shopping Centre took place instead.  Exhausted after our efforts, we needed a sugar hit.  

After Rhodes Shopping Centre, we headed up to Mrs. Fields at Top Ryde Shopping Centre to get a nibblers gift pack, but decided to detour to Oliver Brown for our sugar hit first.  Oliver Brown is a chocolate cafe that opened late last year.  Apparently, they also have a store in Chatswood Westfield in the Fresh Food Market section.

When the Top Ryde shop initially opened, they offered discounts for all beverages and food excluding chocolate box sets, but as it was so busy, it put us off.  However, this place opens until midnight most nights, and I always see quite a large crowd inside, so we decided to see what all the fuss was about.

The shop front

We decide to sit inside and there are racks on the wall that offer magazines or the paper for you to read whilst you enjoy your purchases.

Inside seating