Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney

So all my visits to sugar hit have been spur of the moment. If I find myself with nothing to do at night I’d drop by one and hope there’s a table. As a result they’ve all been taken with my iPhone camera :(

So just in case any one was wondering what was in the Shangri-La sugar hit, here it is.

 Lemon macaron, Pistachio rice pudding, opera cake, chocolate bavarois and chocolate, whisky candy bar, and cherry tart

I started with the pistachio one, thinking that I wouldn’t like the taste at all, but I was wrong. It would be hard to pick a favourite from this, I’ve thought about it over and over since I visited 2 weeks ago. I often find myself trying to find the time and dedication to trek up that huge hill to go back and order this sugar hit again. I’ve been to 5 thus far, and this was my first and favourite one. I loved the red Brown Brothers dessert wine it was paired with. None of the other sugar hits I’ve been to has served that wine, even though they really should have. It went perfectly with the chocolates on the plate.

yum :)

Shangri-La Hotel
176 Cumberland Street
The Rocks, Sydney
T: (02) 9250 6000

Spiedo Restaurant and Bar, Sydney

It’s been way too long since I last posted but this is a well deserved, long needed break! Plus, it’s one of my new favourite places which I honestly want to share with everyone!! The post below is a snapshot of the dessert that Speido has to offer and also Sugarhit for Crave Sydney 2011.

Spiedo Dessert Plate: Mix of Strawberry Sorbet, Spiedo Tiramisu, and Amedei Chococlate Barbajada ($18.00)

Strawberry sorbet served on finely chopped strips of fresh strawberry

Fruity flavours were never really my thing but now I am just converted. The strawberry flavour is so refreshing you’ll be finished before you know it and asking for more.

Unique Spiedo Tiramisu

One of my favourites! A deconstructed tiramisu… A crunchy chocolate biscuit based with a shot of coffee served with a soft sponge and cream on the side.

Peanut Butter gelato

The waiter kindly allowed us to choose the gelato on our second Speido Dessert plate. The peanut butter was light and creamy and honestly, much better than I had expected. Would definitely order that one again!

Sugarhit: House-made buttermilk panna cotta, strawberry granita and basil ($20.00)

The panna cotta tasted quite tofu-like but loved the strawberry granita which was so refreshing. Maybe strawberry desserts are their specialty? Anyway, will leave that for you to decide! But remember, sugarhit is available for October 2011 only!

The Food Zoo experience: Highly recommended! The pasta I had last time was really special (will need to blog about it later) and the desserts are absolutely fantastic and refreshing =)

Spiedo Restaurant and Bar
188 Pitt St Westfield Sydeny Level 6
Sydney 2000
T: (02) 8072 9999

Playfair Terrace, Old Sydney Holiday Inn, Sydney

Hurrah another sugar hit post! (I’ve actually got another one waiting from The Ocean Room) So after two failed Sugar Hit attempts at the Shangri-La (why close at 8pm on a Sunday night???), the boy and I went to Playfair Terrace at the Old Sydney Holiday Inn. The restaurant is located in a little corner of the lobby and I love the enclosed feel of the lobby which looks up at each level and all the corridors.

Sugarhit: Orange on The Rocks: white and dark chocolate mousse, with honeycomb pieces, chocolate ganache, orange segments highlighted with Cointreau, and woven caramel nest ($20.00)

I actually had no expectations of what Sugar Hit was going to be like. For starters I had no idea what Orange on the Rocks or Cointreau was. I guess it was this lack of expectations which had me so impressed with this Sugar Hit. So just a quick rundown of the whole dish…

Firstly I’m still not sure what was supposed to be so special about the orange. It tasted nice and sweet but just, orange? I found the presentation aesthetically pleasing though. Secondly, the white and dark chocolate mousse was spectacular as well. The mousse was nice and thick and so was the taste (like Thick Belgian chocolate). Now last but not least, the honeycomb! A massive chunk but it was so light and airy so my teeth didn’t get stuck together when chewing and not too sweet. Loved it!.

Playfair Terrace, Old Sydney Holiday Inn,
155 George St,
Sydney, 2000
T: (02) 9252 0524

Azuma Kushiyaki, Sydney

The long awaited Sugarhit at Azuma Kushiyaki! Well it was more like a light dinner followed by some heavy dessert!! This restaurant is the second Azuma restaurant (original at Chifley Square) which is supposedly cheaper and offers more variety.

The black interior gives a cool modern vibe without losing the traditional Japanese presentation. Pretty plates, cups and chopstick holders really add to the dining experience.

Assorted Sushi 10 pcs ($29.80)

Freshly chosen sushi of the day. It’s not cheap for ten pieces but the servings are moderate beautifully presented =)

 

Seared Tuna Salad served with Vinaigrette ($16.00)

A little disappointed with the size of the tuna salad and also I expected the tuna to be a bit more raw (i.e. seared like beef tataki) so the texture wasn’t as nice, smooth and chewy. On the other hand though, the vinaigrette really nice and flavorsome.

Spider deep fried soft shell crab ($11.00)

 yummy yummy. I think it’s pretty hard to make a horrible spider roll when there’s so many ingredients to distract your tastebuds. Nevertheless the presentation was really nice and consistent so consider it was a job well done.

Sugarhit 2010: Selection of Eastern and Western-influenced desserts and sweets with drink selection ($20.00)

So Sugarhit included ALL of the following:

– Vanilla Panna Cotta served with Strawberry Coulis: loved it! panna cotta was so smooth but the strawberry coulis just tasted like jam
– Belgian Chocoalte  Mousse Cake with Raspberry Coulis centre & Freeze Dried Raspberry Flakes: I’ve had conflicting opinions on this one. Some saying it’s too rich and the raspberry flakes too sour but combine them together I think it makes a good dessert (though there wasn’t much ‘cake’ in the mousse
– Premium Japanese Matcha Green Tea Ganache Tart: my favourite of the night. The thick green tea ganache filling was awesome!
– Fresh Japanese Wasabi Ganache Tart: I am 100% not a wasabi fan… so one bite and I couldn’t bring myself to finish the rest…
– Petit Almond Financier: cute but wasn’t my favourite
– Freshly Baked Macaroon: I think I had an orange flavoured one (they change every night) and although it was teeny, the flavour was really strong yet fruity which went well against the rich tart and chocolate mousse =)

 

Being silly and just playing with my food! hehe

Sugarhit wine: Brown Brothers 2009 Orange Muscat & Flora

So just based on the sugarhit, my verdict is… I love it!! Just two important things to remember:
~ Make a booking (especially for sugarhit!)
~ Required one sugarhit per person (there is no other dessert menu available for SIFF)

Azuma Kushiyaki
Regent Place
501 George St
Sydney 2000
T: (02) 9267 7775