Clocks…
Clocks…we waited with bated breath for the cuckoo to pop out!
And more clocks!
I’ve known my friend Lulu since High School. We’ve kept in contact through all sorts of moving, living overseas and moving far away and most recently she and her husband moved to the Blue Mountains. And she’s a reader of my site as much as she can with a 1 year old and another on the way. She does know of my predilection for the unusual and kitsch and when she and her husband dined at Swiss Cottage a while back they eagerly told me all about it from the great food to the waiter that balances chairs on his chin.
Bamboo ski poles!
Traditional boy’s outfit
I was of course intrigued. I had visions, and I don’t know why, of the giant from Twin Peaks balancing chairs on his chin and the dwarf dancing alongside. Perhaps it’s the fact that the Great Northern Hotel in Twin Peaks looks like it might be a setting for a Swiss restaurant-the Blue Mountains certainly has that Twin Peaks air about it. Or perhaps, and more likely, I have an overactive and inaccurate imagination. In any case I rang to book and asked the woman on the phone whether the chair balancing waiter would be there and she assured me yes.
Huge cow bells
Wooden ice skates
We’re early for our reservation as we need to head back to Sydney a bit earlier than planned and this is not a problem at all. We sit down in this adorably decorated cottage adorned with all sorts of Swiss memorabilia from vintage bamboo ski poles, lots of sets of skis; Swiss cuckoo clocks, a traditional knife sharpener and children’s outfits.
We order a range of dishes to share as we all want to try as much Swiss cuisine as possible. Walking through the lobby we see pictures of celebrities that have dined here including Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman when they were married. Of course I asked what they ordered – it was cheese fondue and soup and the smiling French Swiss owner says that they stayed for quite a while.
More wooden skis
Raclette $54 for two
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January 7, 2009
by Not Quite Nigella
I know, I know, its about time I had been to Lindt café. Ever since it opened its first store (in the world apparently!) in Martin Place, I had always been meaning to go and whilst I’ve taken away plenty of macarons (or delices as they call them) I’d never eaten in until today. But as my friends are the kind to watch what they eat, willingly wanting to go to Lindt café seems almost like surrendering to the dieting gods and indulging with abandon. Or at least giving up the notion of dieting which is not something that the girls will do often.
We arrive one Sunday afternoon and as its a beautiful day, Darling Harbour’s Cockle Bay is packed. With spy one empty table and grab it. Its dog eat dog here and ruthlessness will be rewarded with chocolate. One needs to order at the counter so we go in to select our goodies. As its a Sunday, there is a 10% service charge added which is reflected in the prices. I can never go past a Delice (macaron) and today sees two new flavours. I order a Pistachio (my standby favourite), a Strawberry because its pink and the prettiest, and two of the new flavours: Lemon and Ginger & Lime (all $2.20 each, usually $2 each). The other flavours on offer are: dark and milk chocolate; hazelnut, coffee and champagne. I also order an Iced Coffee ($6.60). Teena orders a Ice cream sundae with praline and hazelnut chocolate covered with melted chocolate, whipped cream and praline shards ($9.35 usually $8.50). Gina orders a chocolate chip sable biscuit ($3.30 usually $3) and an Iced Chocolate ($6.60 usually $6). There are also slices of cakes and individual cakes that are $11 each.
Lindt Delices (Macarons) clockwise from back left: Ginger & Lime, Strawberry, Pistachio and Lemon $2 each
We take our sundaes, delices and cookies away and we’re told that the drinks will arrive shortly. I try the Lemon delice first and it lovely, light and lemoney but not overpoweringly so. Its as delicate as a butterfly’s wing and is quite simply superb. I hope they become a regular fixture in the rotation. The Pistachio is next, always a favourite and it is slightly larger than the other which is a gluttonous bonus. Of course its gooey and soft inside and whilst not extremely pistachioey, its has a bit more filling than the others which I always like.
I try the prettiest one next, the strawberry. Its subtle strawberriness is lovely and it feels almost like a crime to bite into this beauty. I’ve saved the most curious one for last, the Ginger and Lime. Trying it I am perplexed. There doesn’t seem to be any ginger or lime flavour. In fact all I can taste is the darkest, most bitter chocolate filling which overpowers any other flavour that might be present. Not a hit with me or anyone else at the table I’m afraid.
Lindt Ice cream sundae $8.50
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March 1, 2008
by Not Quite Nigella
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