Black Star Pastry, Newtown

Tucked just off King St, I felt like Black Star Pastry was my little bakery secret – until H mentioned it’s gingerbread ninjas. Secret’s Out! The bakery also functions as a café and although I’ve never eaten in, the polished surrounds and friendly staff create an intimate setting, regardless of how busy it gets. I do feel this is an inadequate post in terms of pictures, since the following snapshots are only a small slice of what’s really on offer…

The place is run by Christopher The, formerly of Quay, Claudes and Sonoma’s, who creates a multitude of sweet and savoury goodies, in addition to some seriously good bread. Glancing around, the sweet section of the shop is laid out in an open manner on cooling racks adorning the counters. Little chocolates, those gingerbread ninjas (so cute) and little bite size chocolates easily tempt me at every turn.

Lemon Curd Biscuit

I choose this one! True to my penchant for lemon, this really was a no brainer. The thumbnail biscuit is delicately crumbly while the lemon curd is silky with that satisfying tang.

What really caught my eye were the jams for sale, near the cash register I eyed off the large jars of marmalade and rose petal jam before deciding to wait for next time.

Mushroom Quiche

Inside the Mushroom Quiche

Herr Mouttard’s savoury option, we also chose a baguette that day which we gobbled up quickly! Lovely quiche, the pastry was perfect and the bread on the baguette (brie and salad) was probably the best I’ve had in a while.

I find Black Star Pastry an elegant patch in the of Newtown, it’s products with an air of refinement equal to the showiness of my other favourite bakery Adriano Zumbo. While Zumbo definitely has an edge on sweetness with his gorgeous and decadent creations, Black Star Pastry offers much better bread (big plus for me) and savouries. It’s also more convenient than Sonomas me lol. To me it’s quite similar to the smaller patisseries/boulangeries I encountered while in Paris, which were full of dazzling and delicious creations and truly sanctuaries of all things baked.

277 Australia St

Newtown, NSW, 2042
Ph: (02) 9557 8656

Other Bakery related posts
Caketown, Newtown
Adriano Zumbo, Balmain

Twelve, Newtown

Belated post. After another round of exams, the last for Madam Saucy, unless she wants that 3rd degree, my close girlfriends and I decided to have a long overdue catch up (and celebratory drinks) after our long self imposed study exiles. Another reason I just couldn’t wait for it all to be over was that I knew my great friends MedicineWoman and H would be coming from Brizvegas and Eden respectively to visit and celebrate the end of exams with us – aren’t they the best?!

Sindel and I kicked off our celebrations with a post exam bbq at our house, but emerged later to join the rest at Twelve on King St. I like the exterior look of Twelve as a restaurant, it’s huge glass front offers a peek not only at the fixtures, but allows people like me to spot friends inside:)

Antipasto Platter

Starting with the antipasto platter to share, we were lucky it consisted of mostly chargrilled veggies (MedicineWoman is vegan). The veggies tasted fresh and even though it’s not in the picture, there was large, crispy bread sticks to mop up all that dip:) Nothing spectacular but still a nice start. In the past I’ve also had the saganaki prawns as a starter and they were yum (not to mention the serving size was huge).

Lamb with Roasted Beetroot and Pumpkin, served with a Mint Jus

This dish was quite large. The meat was cooked well – tender and juicy, but I thought the beetroot could have been more flavoursome. The jus was a lovely compliment to the meat and Madam Saucy had no complaints with this meal.

On a side note, this restaurant is extremely noisy. There’s something about the acoustics of the place… It used to bother me but I guess I must be used to it now. If you touch underneath the table you can feel the foam they’ve added there to absorb the noise but I don’t think it does much. Note the noise never stops me from coming

Fresh fig, chilli and basil fettucine

Sindel and I voted for pasta. My usual pasta dish here is the fettucine with WA swimmer crab, champagne, parsley and marscapone, which is divine:) but that night I didn’t feel any desire for a seafood oriented dish. Instead I opted for Sindel’s old faithful, the fig, chilli and basil pasta. This wasn’t an entirely bad thing as I always stare at her plate and ask for bites when she has it anyway lol. The figs are gorgeously sweet, and the amount of chilli is just right, offset by the tiniest dash of cream. The combination of flavours was beautiful, although I do think it would benefit from less pasta and a more figs lol (that’s just me being cheeky and wanting mooooore!)

The staff here are just great, every time I’ve been here I’ve had an efficient, friendly waitperson and tonight was no exception. MedicineWoman needed to make some small adjustments for a pizza in order to accommodate her veganism and both the wait and kitchen staff were more than happy to switch menu items for her:) I didn’t manage to get a decent shot of this said pizza (apologies), but it looked fabulous:)

Italian pavlova with marcscapone and vincotto macerated black grapes

H joined us just in time for dessert – looking smashing as per usual. This dessert was the special on the night and H, Sindel and I shared it (Madam Saucy and MedicineWoman were done with food for the night). It looked beautiful, the pavlova was cooked to perfection and the creamy marscapone was deliciously sweet but not sickening. The grapes were large and juicy.

Overall I love coming to this restaurant. Not only is it close and convenient for me, it also offers something unique on a street that is undoubtedly dominated by thai food. Sure, it’s a little noisy, but I’ve always found the food and staff really enjoyable, PLUS the fact that it’s BYO, and there’s a Vintage Cellars next door :D


View Larger Map

Twelve
218 King St

Newtown, NSW, 2042
Phone (02) 9519 9412

http://www.twelvenewtown.com.au/

Thai Pothong, Newtown

The household hasn’t been out for a collective dinner for too long. Following some thai food nostalgia moments (initiated by Sindel and mainly about Thai Pothong’s Four Season Tofu), we all make our way to Thai Pothong.

There are so many Thai places on King St, but Thai Pothong is in my top 3, for multiple reasons:

1. They can always take large last minute bookings because of their huge space
2. The food is yummy!
3. The waiters/waitresses/waitstaff are fabulous
4. We play the ‘serve ourselves rice game’ when we’re there lol. More about this later.

As per usual, I make a last minute booking (don’t want to wait on a Friday night) and we are seated in the back section - a great view of the amorous paintings lol.

Entrée time!

Miang Goong

As soon as our Thai Pothong plan was hatched, Herr Moutarde had declared he was having Miang Goong. These pretty little things are served on an edible Betal Leaf and contain a prawn, some crunchy toasted coconut, bits of red onion and sweet chilli jam, topped with a cashew nut and some caviar. They can be a bit messy to eat, but are sooo good! The combination of flavours and textures is lovely.

I love communal/sharing courses and the entrees at That Pothong are perfect for it.

Four Seasons/Three Flavours Tofu (Tao Hoo Se Rod)

This dish was always known as Four Seasons Tofu but when we went back, it had been renamed Three Flavours Tofu and had switched from the regular to specials menu. Things Change… Never mind…. Sindel ordered this without hesitation lol. The tofu is quickly fried – crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a sweetish, sour and slightly spicy red sauce drizzled on the top. had to have a piece!

Vegetable Curry Puffs (Garri Puff)

I am never one to turn down curry puffs. My standard “can’t decide what I want” drama for the night was that I couldn’t choose an entrée. The only thing that I felt strongly towards was the Four Seasons Tofu and I knew Sindel was already ordering that:) Daisy Moo offered me a way out – she wanted 2 entrees! I immediately took ownership of one – these curry puffs lol. They were fresh from the fryer (crispy!) and the filling was potato and veggies, served a clear vinegary/tangy sauce that had bits of cucumber and red onion in it. Yum!

Fish Cakes (Tod Mun Pla)

Daisy Moo ended up ordering these, which came with the same sauce as the curry puffs, except with added crushed peanuts.

BBQ Octopus (Plamoukyang)

Unlike indecisive me, Chocolate Queen knew she wanted octopus from the start. The octopus had a smokey flavour and the sauce that came with it was surprisingly hot (chilli, not temperature). Chocolate Queen preferred the other entrees to her own, but I found these quite good, and happily ate the rest lol.

Sindel is a vegetarian (seafood and eggs ok) so I was really glad with this range of entrees – it meant we could all share:)

Mains Time:

Snapper With Coconut Milk & Chilli Sauce (Pla Lad Prik)

Daisy Moo and Sindel shared this gorgeous fish. It was deep fried (hmmm another deep fried dish lol) and topped with a tasty sauce. The fish was tender and flavoursome and despite the bright colour, the sauce wasn’t overwhelming. I think I’m going to have this next time. I snuck in this shot before the efficient waitress could carve him/her up:)

Green Curry (Gang Keaw Warn)

Chocolate Queen had the Green curry, which is made with chicken. She thoroughly enjoyed it:) My favourite part about this curry is that they put in little baby eggplants. Like the other curries here, the sauce was thick and packed with flavour.

Herr Moutarde had Red Duck Curry, which despite only having a ‘mild’ chilli rating, set our mouths on fire lol. Lucky we all like spicy food. The duck was tender and although it really was devastatingly hot, I’d still order it again. I couldn’t get a decent shot of it though, the lighting conspired against me lol.

Panang Duck Curry (Gang Panang Red)

I chose the Panang Duck Curry. The sauce was thick, nutty and creamy!! I love this dish:D

At Thai Pothong, they serve you unlimited rice from ornamental looking, silver rice holders, which look like big trophies to me lol. They sit at the end of your table and the instant you reach for a rice refill – a waiter pops out of nowhere to serve you rice! Many a time, we’ve tried to serve ourselves, waiting until no waiters are in sight…but we Fail Every Time. A game we have never won…

Thai Pothong
294 King Street
Newtown, 2042, NSW
Phone: (02) 9550 6277
Fax: (02) 9519 8050
http://www.thaipothong.com.au/

Kuleto's Cocktail Bar, Newtown

I’m certain I’m not alone when I say I LOVE Happy Hour at Kuleto’s Cocktail bar. Happy hour is now between 6.00 – 7.30pm every night except Saturday, when it’s between 6.00 – 7.00pm.

The cocktail range is fabulous, the location especially convenient if you’re a student at Sydney Uni (guilty over here) and the concept of “sharing is caring” is never more poignant as when your dear friend trades you her fruity concoction for your creamy glass of goodness .. Oh the variety!!!

I’ve recently had a spate of Kuleto’s Happy Hour encounters, so thought a post would be appropriate.

Round 1 – Getting a feel for the ground floor

Red Corvette (red), Mango Daiquiri (yellow), Devil in Disguise (pink) and Japanese Slipper (green)

Devil in Disguise is my favourite. It's a satisfying mix of strawberries, coffee liqueur, coconut and chocolate! I traded one of mine for one of Daisy Moo's Japanese Slippers. I'm not exactly sure what was in this green concoction but with the Midori, it was fresh and not too sweet, perfect and summery! Goldilocks and Lady S shared the Mango Daiquiri and Red corvette:) With strawberry liqueur, Frangelico, Midori and a ton of strawberries and ice, the sweet Red Corvette is a lovely non creamy contrast to my Devil in Disguise - I had a few sneaky sips while they weren't looking :D

Round 2 – We hit upstairs!
Honeycomb Delight (light yellow), Lotus Chill (pink), Peach Passion (bright yellow)

The Honeycomb Delight was simply gorgeous, with mango and butterscotch schnapps among other things. It was sweet, creamy and considering it was the first time we'd ever ordered it, it became the star of our night. The Lotus Chill blends lychee with cranberry - YUM! While the Peach Passion had a lovely dash of passionfruit on the bottom.

And you get the idea.

I’ve noticed there’s been a few new cocktails added to the list, I’ve been eyeing off the one with cherry brandy and cranberry juice – maybe next time :)

Kuleto’s Cocktail Bar
157 King St
Newtown NSW 2042
Phone: (02) 9519 6369
http://www.kuletos.com.au

Cooper's Arms Hotel, Newtown

Although I am not a fan of the ground floor of the Cooper’s Arms Hotel, I do appreciate the recent renovation to its top floor. With H finally returning from her backpacking adventures, it was up to her to choose the venue for our latest rendezvous. She suggested the top floor of the Cooper’s Arms, for a night of bar food and girly white wine. Sindel, Madam Saucy and I were more than happy to oblige :)

Flat bread and condiments

To start we decided to share some bread and dips. Some crispy, toasted flat bread arrived, accompanied by hommous, babaganoush, tzaziki along with some olives and feta cheese. I felt we could have used more bread (or a smaller plate!).

Fish and Chips Cooper's Arms style

Sindel and I weren’t particularly hungry (unusual I must admit), so decided to share a meal. Our battered barramundi and chips were fresh from the fryer! The batter was light and crispy, albeit a tad greasy and our chips were thick, crunchy on the outside and dense on the inside (the way I like them!)

Sindel and I commented on the fish:chip ratio. There was a very generous serve of fish - 3 fat chunks, however we ran out of chips very soon after we started eating lol. Now, I’ll never complain about getting too much fish ;)

Lamb Salad

H ordered the Mediterranean Lamb Salad. It was a colourful plate, full of fresh lettuce leaves and cherry tomatoes (a significant contributor to the recommended 5 servings of vegetables!), however H did lament at the lack of any form of dressing.

Madam Saucy on the other hand, had no complaints about her meal. She ordered the calamari rings, which were served with a tasty, thick creamy sauce, bean shoots and salad. She dove straight into her meal before I could take a photo! Although I did have a bite of a calamari ring and I can vouch for its tender deliciousness :D

We had an unexpected black out during the night, which added a creepy, mysterious vibe but overall we had a great time – the seats were comfy, it was well ventilated, and the bar was very forthcoming with wine!

Cooper’s Arms Hotel
221 King St,

Newtown, NSW, 2042
Phone: (02) 9550 3461

Pastizzi Café, Newtown

Not too long ago, the word ‘Pastizzi’ would have elicited quite a few puzzled looks. But now, thanks to the Pastizzi Café, Sydneysiders can enjoy a pastizzi with coffee, a pastizzi on the run or perhaps indulge in a pastizzi extravaganza meal.

Pastizzi originate from Maltese cuisine, where they’re usually filled with ricotta or a pea mixture and usually eaten as a snack.

I love pastizzi. I love biting through that golden, flaky pastry and hitting the tasty goodness inside…. And I love their versatility – sweet, savoury, vegetarian, snack, meal…

That being said, it’s probably not a great surprise that I do, in fact, love the Pastizzi Café and do pop in regularly, for a quick snack. Recently, Daisy Moo and I found ourselves buying a few to share after a looong morning of work.

Piping hot!

Chicken and mushroom

Not a flavour I usually get, but it is delicious. The chicken is tender and the mushrooms are juicy and full of flavour – yum!!!

Chilli Con Carne

One of my usual choices, it’s bursting with beef and beans and usually a decent hit of spice.

Empanada

My favourite hands down. The filling is a divine mixture of meat, carrot, sultanas and egg and although it took a few trips before I first ordered it, I’ve never looked back:)

Apple

I love that you can round off a mini meal of pastizzi with…..a sweet pastizzi lol. Apple is a nice one and the people serving always dramatically sprinkle them with icing sugar for you:)

Real fruit inside!

This is only a very small range of pastizzi flavours available; others include spinach and ricotta, salmon and dill, veggie curry, chocolate ricotta and cherry cheese.

Although it is indeed full of pastizzi, there are many other pleasures on offer at the Pastizzi Café. They’re open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a menu including ravioli, kannoli, mains and desserts such as tiramisu and cake. They also do a decent coffee:)

Pastizzi Café
523 King St
Newtown, NSW, 2042
Phone: (02) 9519 1063

Won’t you take me to…. Caketown??

I think Caketown is an absolute gem. Without fail I walk out of that closet of a bakery with a mouth-watering, oh-so-satisfying treat. I highly recommend:) The chocolate éclairs are divine, and I wouldn’t say no to one of their meringue pigs either.

After a frantic rush through the rain that seems to be plaguing us these days, Cherries and I decided we deserved a treat, so, damp from rain, ran into our beloved bakery.

Our Rewards

Strawberry tart

A personal favourite of mine. The sweet strawberries sit atop luscious custard, encased by delicate, buttery pastry….mmmmm.

Hedgehog

Unsurprisingly, this baby’s called ‘Hedgehog’. Imagine a rich, moist chocolate fudge cake. And imagine sandwiching said cake with the most decadent, sinful chocolate ganache. And then imagine this ganache sandwich being engulfed by even more ganache in the shape of teardrop things. This my friends is the mouthwatering hedgehog:)

Banana Raspberry Pistachio

I’ve never had this one before, and the name only tells me flavours… Upon inspection it appeared to be some sort of cakey thing covered in chocolate and green. Once you have a bite though, it’s an explosion of banana bread and chocolate:)

Lemon Meringue Pie

Being obsessed with all things lemon at the moment, I couldn’t resist this one. Apologies for the mess – it got crushed in the box:( Pretty self explanatory really – lemony goodness, topped with sweet meringue, and there’s that beautiful pastry again.

So that’s only a small snapshot of what Caketown has to offer. If you’re ever in the area, pop in and have a looksee, you won’t be disappointed:)

Caketown
569 King St
Newtown, NSW, 2042
Phone: (02) 9557 6766

Meringue Pig - Oink Oink!