I could subtitle this: the world’s (or ok Sydney’s) most anticipated cafe opening. After waiting for weeks and penciling in several possible opening dates, holding time slots open on busy weekends and having each pass by without a hint or sniff of a glorious cake, here we are, 3 weeks later, sitting in the Zumbo Café Chocolat. With who else of course but fellow bloggers and Zumbo addicts Suze from Chocolate Suze, Belle and William from Ooh Look… and bloggers I am meeting for the first time, Richard (Ffichiban) from Here Comes the Food and Chris and Tim from The Way That It Crumbles.
For the men
The cafe is small but sumptuously furnished with red chandeliers, flocked cushions, dark wood paneling and banquette seating. The men aren’t forgotten with section featuring a petrol pump and bar seating.
Humbug lights and counter display
At the front there is the chocolate, pastry and macaron selection with some great lights (reportedly the starting point for decorating the cafe), which resemble humbugs without ever verging into the “cutesy” territory. For a cafe open only 3 days earlier it is pretty full the entire 1.5 hours we are there.
The talk of the room is the Cameltoe chocolate. Yes you heard correctly. It is a chocolate in the shape of a cameltoe. Belle and Suze show us photographic evidence of the graphic and yes, it is a very cameltoe-ish shaped red wine chocolate. For those of you unfamiliar with a cameltoe, google it if you’re not at work. And if you’re my parents, don’t google it and forget you ever read this.
The chocolate itself begs the question where does one find a Cameltoe shaped chocolate mould? I’ve seen penis and boob chocolate moulds (I may admit to actually being given some penis chocolates at some stage in my life but will deny it if you ever ask me). Rachel, the lovely manager of the cafe tells us that they’re actually a fairly common chocolate mould and when they saw it the resemblance to a Cameltoe was so remarkable that they named it the Cameltoe. We preferred to call it the “CT” as there are others about that are perhaps not aware that we are discussing one of the menu items. And the blush inducing moniker works as today they have sold out of it!
Sweets menu
Savoury menu
There’s no menu yet as the cafe only opened on Thursday a few days ago but the wait staff come over to us to let us know what there is available. We order one of each type of dessert as well as some of their drinks. As well there are also pastries, filled rolls and Elmstock teas in intriguing sounding names like Green Gunpowder and Barbados (reportedly very nice as an Iced tea). We’re given Splayds (yes Splayds-that fabulous retro cake fork invention) and real linen napkins (oooh yes proper napery).
Iced Cherry chocolate $4.50
My iced chocolate with cherry arrives with a thick layer of dreamy cherry compote (the compote made and reduced on the premises as is everything except the ice cream which comes from Messina but this too will be made on the premises in the future). It’s like a gorgeous Cherry Ripe flavoured iced chocolate in a glass with dark icey chocolate and a hint of coconut cream as well as the cherry base. I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot. There are also other Hot Chocolate flavours such as Mint and Chili but quite honestly I am happy being monogamous with this one.
Hot Chocolate $4 each
Belle orders a cherry hot chocolate which she declares very rich, Suze is lulled into silence cupping her regular Hot Chocolate and Christina and Tim order a regular Milk Iced Chocolate which they seem pleased with.
“The Younger Years” $13.50
My order is “The Younger Years” which is the daily special that I was sold on because of the syringe application and kidney dish plate. It’s a warm chocolate fondant with peanut butter ice cream which comes with an accompanying syringe of raspberry. The fondant is so gooeily good with the molten centre and raspberry and cream injection and the peanut butter ice cream is very true to flavour and a lovely compliment to the richer than rich fondant. I never finish my desserts but I do a pretty good number on this one.
Injecting the raspberry sauce
I ask Adriano what his inspiration behind it was and he said that he started with the Syringe and the idea developed from there. His sister works in a morgue (haha no the syringes aren’t from her morgue, it’s not a Coogee Bay Hotel scandal people!) and out of the syringe came this fabulous idea. He said it didn’t look right to serve it on a plate and so a kidney dish was of course the perfect choice.
Miss Marple Deconstructed $13.50
I try some of the Miss Marple Deconstructed which is Belle and William’s selection, a take on his famous Miss Marple dessert and one of my favourites from his collection. It’s two maple syrup caramelised crepes filled with luscious mascarpone cheese and Grand Marnier with fresh strawberries and orange jellies. The crepe itself is gorgeous and I don’t even think it needs the fresh strawberries for taste and I find the orange jelly a little too tart for my personal preference. Just a dozen of those crepes for me please.
“It’s not a Hamburger” $13.50
Suze’s selection, It’s not a Hamburger, is a chocolate macaron sandwich with a dolce latte gelato and a rice pudding on the base and chocolate “soil” on the top in the way of a crushed up chocolate cookie. It’s very good (I’ve never met a Macaron I didn’t like), but interestingly we definitely taste a Bannoffee flavour to the gelato which is not a bad thing, indeed it’s a very good thing. I don’t get any Rice Pudding but Suze tastes it in the base.
Greeted with the lovely Rachel’s smiling face
I purchase a few goodies to take away with some helpful suggestions from Rachel. She also tells us of the upcoming desserts to be added to the menu: the texture plate with chocolate of different temperatures and textures; the strawberry plate with a strawberry emulsion milkshake, macaron and sorbet (yes me please!). These will be added by next week. People can also buy the cakes from the store 5 doors down and eat them at the cafe.
Truffles
There are a multitude of truffle flavours including cappucino, yuzu sticks, salted caramel, vanilla caramel, praline feuilletine, rotten eggs, boiled eggs, ginger crunch, gianduja, lavender, saffron and butterscotch.
My selection clockwise from bottom left: Pineapple and Pepper Milk truffle; Boiled egg Chocolate, The Earl Grey Macaron $2; Rose and Mandarin truffle and Lime dark truffle
I am excited about the Earl Grey Macaron as there is YAY more filling! If I had one grumble about the mini macarons it was that there wasn’t enough filling. Not so with the full sized babies. Earl Grey happens to be my favourite tea and so I fall upon the Earl Grey having had my earlier selection sold out (the Yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit one). I am not disappointed, the Earl Grey flavour so present in every crunchy, squidgy delicious bite whilst the luscious chocolate centre spurts out when bitten into. There’s nothing I hate more than buying a flavour of something and finding no resemblance to the flavour in the item, or worse still a different flavour. It’s a pet hate of mine.
The chocolates are sold by weight and average at about $1.30 per smaller chocolate to a bit more for the larger ones. The rotten egg chocolate egg “white” is white chocolate and coconut whilst the “yolk” is passionfruit jelly. I like this as I find that sweet whtie chocolate needs a slightly tarter flavour like passionfruit.
The Rose and Mandarin truffle is a gorgeous two layered truffle that tastes like the softest Turkish delight of your dreams. And the Lime truffle, so strikingly reminding me of a crisp men’s shirt (good gift idea!) is great-the lime subtle yet very present if that makes any sense at all. The only truffle that doesn’t grab me is the pineapple and pepper milk truffle which is too sweet for me and the pepper too subtle. I think dark chocolate would suit this better to temper the sweetness of the pineapple jelly centre.
Clockwise from left: Pineapple and Pepper milk chocolate truffle, Gianduja (chocolate hazelnut paste) and strawberry balsamic dark truffle.
Gianduja (left) and Butterscotch (right)
Adriano
We bump into Adriano outside and I ask him about the famed Cake Walk and he confirms that it will happen, hopefully before Christmas this year or at least January 2009. A promise is a promise after all!
Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat
308 Darling St, Balmain (inside Balmain Mall)
Open 7 days from 7am-6pm (times may vary as the cafe settles in)
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34 Comments | Add your own
That place looks excellent, particularly liked the egg chocolate.
So good to finally meet you ^^!! You guys are all so awesome hee hee. Hope to see you again soon
The desserts were all spectacular but I must admit that the fondant was my favourite mmmmmmm!
Wow, it was fantastic meeting you all =) Looking at your pictures, I feel a sudden urge to visit again and indulge in another crepe…
hmmmm a reason to brave a trip to the inner west
What’s Cake Walk? A cake and pastry making class?
Yummmmm, what do I have to do to get an invite
Have to razzle up my friends now because I think a trip to Balmain is in order! I’m now craving the Miss Marple.
This looks pretty awesome, thanks for the great pics. Looks like Adriano has done it again with these creations.
I’ll make a note not to miss the return trip
finally !!! I was waiting for long time…hope that next week I will go chance to go there…^ ^
Oh, by the way, last night I went to Guylian for dark hot chocolate…it was super rich, thick and very nice…As last time you seems to not satisfied with milk chocolate (they served you wrong), next time try dark !
YUM!!!
I drooled though the entire post! Simply cannot wait to get there:D
Yes, a strawberry plate for me too! Hope you can get some CT next time. Great to see you again, Lorraine.
Hi Cappucino-it was indeed and yes the eggs chocolates were very cute!
Hi FFichiban-It was great to meet you in person! It was so hard to choose a favourite but anything with a kitsch or quirky serving plate always gets me
Hi Chris-It was so nice to meet you and discover a new blog! I had to stop myself from going back…
Hi jay-definitely, they should put it in the brochures for Balmain!
Hi Lilia-A cakewalk is just like a catwalk runway show but for cakes.
Hi Karen-I’m not sure! I think it came about after the last blogger gathering
It’s definitely a good trip to do with sweet loving friends
Hi Howard-Yep, no disappointment at all here. And I like the fact that you can get the cakes and eat them there too! A pity you couldn’t make it
Hi Bean Sprout-Good to hear that the dark hot chocolate was good, I wish they’d have given us the correct order!
Hi Miss Honey-It’s worth the trek! I am stopping myself from going back too quickly
Hi belle-Haha yes I hope they don’t run out of CT! It’s always great to see you and William
I’ll have a dozen of those crepes too! And a macaron and a try of that peanut butter icecream and a sip of your iced cherry chocolate please
what an awesome place? i predict that several times over the next few days, i’ll think of cameltoe-shaped chocolates, laugh out loud, and receive weird looks from those around me.
Your post just made me realise why Adriano was so uncontactable for the details of my birthday cake the last week. Heh, I thought it was “chef attitude” but all forgiven now!
Oooooh I’m so excited. I’m going to visit Zumbo first thing on Wednesday to get election-day treats (what? I’m a political nerd) and I may just have to wander up a few doors to this. At least for an earl-grey macaron, and while I’m there …
The crepes look delish too.
Aww, so bummed that I missed out! I didn’t end up going to the Sydney Food & Wine Fair either due to a sore foot… haha, long story. But the Miss Marple Deconstructed looks amazing. It wasn’t a brulee type of hard caramelised sugar was it? hehe… mmmm, Earl Gray macaroons! Ooo, i also love the red chandelier!
heh good to see ya again dude! hope you get the ct one day =D
I just have to say, Adriano Zumbo is one fine looking piece!
Back on topic, the man is a modern day Willy Wonka. Everything is so creative and a lot of thought has been put into each creation. And he understands textures and is experimental with his combinations too. I am so glad he opened up a chocolate cafe and will definitely give the other chocolate corporations a run for their money.
Can’t wait to try the place out. I really do hope I like the chocolates here because I find Haighs a bit too sickening and his chocolates look great
Hi Maria-Sure! Only a dozen though as it’s so good?
Hi grace-LOL as long as you don’t tell them that you’re laughing about cameltoe chocolates
…
Hi Vivz-Yes he’s one busy guy judging from things!
Hi SydneyGal -What are you going to buy? Yes just a few chocolates and macarons to take away I think might be in order…
Hi Jen-Awww no, I hope your foot is ok? It was brulee blow torched but not crackling hard, just lightly caramelised. Me too, I think they would have objected had I gotten up and unscrewed it and taken it home
Hi suze-Haha thanks was fun catching up! I hope so too-who knows, it might be sold out next time I go!
Hi Maria-Haha he’s probably Balmain’s most sought after man.
He is indeed our very own Pierre Herme or Willy Wonka. I can’t wait for the cake walk myself, the cakes and desserts are the things that have caught my imagination!
FINALLY it’s open! Must make a visit!
Ok call me ignorant, so this cafe is different from the place that sells the macarons? is there more Andriano zumbo’s out there?
Hi Sydneyguyrojoe-This is is cafe and yes it is the same Adriano Zumbo that runs both.
Hi Teresa-I know! Finally hey!
ohh…it’s not fair..wish I could live down there just to experience this once a week..my chocolate satisfaction would be met I think. Well looks like it’s going to my list of visits when I go down (from Brissie) next!
Hi Jules-definitely put it on your must-eat Sydney tour
I was actually really disappointed in the cafe. I love the cakes, macaroons and chocolates but the pancakes with berry compote I ordered are probably some of the worst pancakes I’ve ever had. They were hard, dense and bland. The topping helped, but there was too little of it to cover up the poor pancakes.
Hi Chinalilly-That doesn’t sound right, did you send them back and let them know? Our experience of their crepes (not pancakes) was superb.
The time and effort has paid off. Travelled from Hobart just to try it all.Congrats to Ratch and team. Jonnie makes the best coffees and the chocolates, get in there and try for yourself, yummy xx
I have died and gone to heaven. This looks amazing. Why have I never heard of Zumbo before??
I visited the Zumbo cafe two days ago and ordered, among other things, the Cherry Iced Chocolate but am disappointed to find that it has changed considerably! Yours looks a bit like a milkshake where the cherry compote is distinguishable whereas mine resembled a Gloria Jean’s Iced Chocolate – it was thick as the ice had been blended and the drink itself had a quite subtle cherry flavour. I am wondering whether the cafe has revised its method of making drinks, given that some of the menu items (A Night Out with Trisha; Mum & Me) have now become extinct!
Hi Mick and Kathie-Wow, that’s a long way to travel. It is great though, although I’d expect nothing less of Zumbo
Hi Angela-He’s a Sydney phenomenon. Like our version of Pierre Herme
Hi Sarah-So the cherry layer at the bottom was no distinct? Aww no that was my favourite bit!!
I’ve visited the Cafe recently for the first time with a couple of friends. It was a Sunday morning. There were only two waitresses at that time, one Asian looking and the second one was European looking, both didn’t look friendly. The place wasn’t busy and no one bothered to clean up the mess the previous people made. One of my friend had to actually bring the dirty plates and cups to the kitchen window on the side. We waited one of the waitress to take our order for about 10 minutes and we watched the European looking waitress (she knew we were waiting to be served) went to serve a couple came 5 minutes after us. What a joke!? Very bad first time experience for us, very poor customer service! Don’t know if those waitresses were under paid or it is what you are supposed to expect from the famous Adriano Zumbo Chocolate Cafe!??
all of this looks so scrumptious! ill have to go this week – as the cafe was already closed when i went to the patisserie on tuesday… where i spent a fortune and all the extravagant, innovative creations were worth every penny! i had such joy dissecting and examining all the different parts! will blog about it very soon.
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