Adriano Zumbo

20th and 21st January 2011

After watching Adriano Zumbo on master chef and receiving his cookbook for Christmas, one of my priorities for the trip to Sydney was to go to his patisseries. Having got to Sydney fairly early i decided to go on the Friday night and grab some pastries for breakfast the next day. I also decided to grab a cake as a snack for myself as well.

Given the end of the day, i only had a few selections left. I decided to grab 2 berry brioche, 1 apple danish and a Pain aux raisins. I went with the berry brioche, fresh berries yogurt and a delicious sweet brioche. Excellent quality and superb taste.

I also had a cherry cherry bar. Consisting of a chocolate biscuit base and a chocolate outer casing with a edible Zumbo branded chocolate topping. Filled with a cherry compote, a cream filling and several other layers. Amazing flavours, highly complex and amazing technique

The Star restaurant also has a desert train (like a sushi train but for deserts) which we decided that we would go to on the Saturday. We headed back after lunch on the Saturday but unfortunately I didn't read the opening times and the desert train was not open at the time we visited. Instead we just had some of the cakes and pastries for take away.

I ended up choosing one cake and one pastry. The cake was a Christmas V8 cake. An 8 layer masterpiece of desert cooking with Cinnamon Creme Chantilly, Morello Cherry Jelly, Pain D'épices, Toasted Nougat Brulee, Vanilla Chiffon Cake, Vanilla Ganache, Pistachio Crunch and Pistachio Dacquoise. Topped off with coconut crusted into the base and a coconut ball on top. Technically incredible and amazing flavour.

I also went with a Pepito - a brioche feuilletage filled baked with custard, chocolate and orange zest. This was very good as but not as technically spectacular as the others but still quality.

My parents also had some macaroons that i tried. Redskin, Lime and Mint mojito and chocolate chili macaroons. These had amazing flavours and were bold in their flavour and tasted exactly like the decrisptions. The infusing of the flavours was extraordinary.

Everything at this store was done with an amazing level of dedication, a long thought process and technique above the level of ordinary deserts and pastries. Would love to return and recommend to anyone in Sydney who like cakes and pastries and to those who don't they will be converted.