Steven Ter Horst Chocolatier

For weeks and weeks now (months, probably), my best friend Angela has been raving about the salted caramel tart at Steven Ter Horst and how ridiculous it is that I haven't tried it. I knew it had to be good when she jokingly told me that she'd have to chloroform form and drag me there if I didn't go soon. At least I think she was joking...

She finally convinced me to go and we made it an afternoon dessert date with our other counterpart, Natalie! (#triplethreat ;) )

Citron House Made Iced Tea $7.50

Lemon, yuzu, earl grey & fresh mint

This was the perfect drink to have on a warm afternoon! We all really enjoyed this, although I have to say it tasted a lot more like traditional homemade lemonade than it did an iced tea. I couldn't taste any  of the tea at all.

Apple $9

Cheesecake mousse, whipped caramel and poached apple insert on an almond jaconde sponge

My favourite colour is green so of course this caught my eye immediately when I was looking at the cake display while deciding what to order. I was told that was the first day they began serving this as it's part of their new Summer menu which they are slowly introducing in store. They hadn't even put a description for it on display, yet. I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to try a brand new dessert! I found that it was very light and airy due to the cheesecake mousse with very subtle apple flavours. It wasn't too sweet, which I personally really enjoyed, and I think it would be perfect for someone who doesn't enjoy very rich and decadent dessert. Also, perfect for summer because it doesn't leave you feeling weighed down and sluggish!

Mascarpone Dream $9

Mascarpone mousse, praline caramel creameux, hazelnut daquoise & caramel glaze

Daaang this was good. Definitely more decadent than the Apple but still light because of the mousse. Our favourite part was the thin caramel layer sitting over the base which was chewy and ever so slightly salty. We'd definitely recommend this!

Salted Caramel Tart $8.50

Ah, finally, the tart! It was just what I'd hoped after hearing Angela go on about it for weeks. A thick, decadent layer of chocolate ganache sat on top of a layer of delicious, sticky, perfectly balanced salted caramel, all encased in a buttery pastry. I did expect it to be overwhelmingly rich but I think the slight bitterness of the chocolate ganache helped make it more enjoyable overall. I could probably eat a tablespoon of that salted caramel, too. 

I had a fantastic first experience here and wouldn't hesitate to come back! All the cakes look beautiful, taste amazing and are definitely worth that little bit extra over what you'd pay elsewhere for something average. Definitely a fantastic way to treat yourself once in a while!
The service was also fantastic with the people behind the counter being very friendly, patient and helpful, explaining the new menu items, then presenting them beautifully and bringing them out to us within a few minutes of placing our order. Steven Ter Horst is located in the perfect location on Rundle St for an after dinner indulgence or just an afternoon treat. I've also heard about their dessert degustations which sound incredible. Pay them a visit guys, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Muratti's Cakes and Gateaux

For a bit of a sister bonding sesh, my sister and I went out for a morning coffee at Muratti's!

 So many gorgeous cakes!

 Latte

Salted caramel macaron

$9.60 altogether

It's all about the details! The dark chocolate dipped dried apricots (placed on the spoons) were a lovely little treat on the side to enjoy with the lattes.

They've finally picked up their game with the macarons! Or perhaps they are just more fresh. The past few times I've had the macarons, they've been extremely dry and crumbly - very unpleasant! This time, however, it was the complete opposite and definitely much more enjoyable. This is just my personal preference, but I prefer them to be slightly chewier.

Mini jam and cream eclair

Mini citron tart

$6.40 for both

The eclair's texture was too spongey and chewy for my liking and was overall lacking in flavour. Super pretty but not worth trying, unfortunately!
The citron is one of our absolute favourites - it has the perfect amount of sweetness with just the right amount of tang. Delicious!

It's impossible to dislike Muratti's, with it's delicious cakes and coffee, and consistently great service. Give it a go if you haven't already! Also, their cakes are perfect for birthdays. My family's favourites are the Citron, Concorde and Coffee & Bailey's.

Random tidbits from early 2013

Hey everyone,

As you may or may not have noticed, I haven't been posting very much recently. This is because I've been busy studying for my mid year exams which began today! I don't have any exams tomorrow so I'm dedicating some time tonight to my blog. I haven't been out to eat lately because all I want to do is study, so I thought I'd share with you photos I've snapped of my meals while out and about during the first 3-4 months of this year along with very brief reviews.
Enjoy! And I'll try to get a proper post up in about a week.

 Clockwise from top left:

Arizona Green Tea

Dips Platter $15.90

Gnocchi Pollo Pesto $18.90

Insalata Di Agnello $18.90

This was a meal shared between 3 people while on a Sunday afternoon shopping trip during the first term school holidays. The pita bread is definitely one of the best I have EVER tasted! Lightly salted, toasted until piping hot while still crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside - a perfect accompaniment to the delicious dips. My favourite was the olive tapenade. 

The gnocchi was a bit of a let down after the entrée. I found it very 'boring' and very ordinary.

The lamb salad was the dish of the day! The lamb was cooked to perfection and the candy balsamic dressing was oh so good. I absolutely loved the feta - it wasn't too crumbly or salty. I ordered this again to have all to myself in April and it was just as good. Definitely recommend it!

Iced tea, Tasting platter for 2

This was my first time trying Devour and I was very impressed! I happened to be in Prospect for a Street Fair in March, I think, saw Devour just opening up for the night and quickly dragged my sister and her friend in with me. No matter how much I wrack my brains, I can't seem to remember the flavour of the ice tea. It might have been something along the lines of rose and lychee? 

By memory though, the tasting platter consisted of a white chocolate macaron (blue), black sesame macarons, peanut butter panacotta,  and deep fried donuts with vanilla ice-cream. I enjoyed all elements except the white chocolate macaron - it tasted like nothing. The deep friend donuts were delicious though I could only manage one. The peanut butter panacotta was deliciously rich and I liked the contrast between it and the crunchy salty and sweet crumbs of something which I just can't remember. The black sesame macarons were also delicious! I haven't been back since, so I think another visit is on the agenda.

This was an evening in January when 2 of my friends and I had a quick Korean dinner together after a UMAT course we did. So I can't remember the exact names of these dishes. I know that the dish in the first photo consisted of pork and vegetables tossed in a spicy sauce. It was tasty but I don't think we'll be ordering again any time soon. The second dish was very well received by us! It consisted of battered and fried chicken pieces atop a bed of salad veggies, drizzled in a tangy lemon sauce. The chicken was crunchy and tasted so good with the lemon sauce. This has been probably our 4th or 5th time dining here at Koba, though probably not our favourite. I really don't know about the authenticity of these dishes - we usually have barbecued meats. I'd probably recommend this mainly for the barbecue option. Remember to order the garlic pork belly if you visit!

 Latté and salted caramel macaron

Ordered this while resting my feet after running a few errands in town and waiting for my sister to finish up.

From La Petit Macaron on the first floor in the David Jones building.

 Green Tea Matcha Latté

A huge group of us, both guys and girls, visited the Aviary on the evening of the 15th of February after our school formal at 11:30pm. I ordered this to start me off. I wanted something warm to drink because it was quite a cool evening for mid February. It was really powdery. I liked the flavour, just not the texture.

 Lychee Pearl

Lychee ice cream encased in a pink guava granita on a bed of of lychee jelly and vanilla and raspberry swirl custard

This was the special for February, I'm pretty sure, but I found that it's on the regular menu now. I loved the presentation of this as it reminded me of the Peter Gilmore's "Snow Egg". This was my first time at the Aviary and I'd set my expectations pretty high because I've heard so many great things about it. I really liked the idea of this dessert but it really let me down. The lychee ice cream didn't have a distinct lychee flavour, though I did like the pink guava granita surrounding it. But even the flavour of that was too subtle. The lychee jelly had the most strange texture and I really didn't like it so I didn't even bother finishing it. The custard was a bit disastrous - it was far too runny for a custard and just created a bit of a mess at the bottom of the glass. 

 Macarons which I took home and had the day after. I think the flavours were:

Lamington

Cookies and Cream

Salted Caramel

Chocolate

Jaffa

and I can't remember the final one!

They were delicious and the texture was just right. I'd recommend the macarons here, for sure!

From the Sneaky Pickle food truck at Fork on the Road in March.

Left: Tasting platter of fried pickles, pulled pork and coleslaw bun, and pastrami sandwich.

Right: Chilli cheese fries

I don't like pickles on their own or in burgers (pickles in Maccas' cheesburgers as a kid = nightmare!), but battered and dipped in that mayo is a whole other story. They were so delicious! Definitely give them a go if you ever encounter this truck. The pulled pork was very tender and tasty. I'm not a fan of coleslaw though, and there was HEAPSS of it! The pastrami sandwich was also quite tasty - I didn't love it though. The chilli cheese fries were so finger-licking good! I wish it was a bit more chilli, but I still liked it as it is. I believe this is only on the menu at special events, so dig in if you're given the opportunity!

 Citron

Fresh lemon callebaut mousse, light vanilla sponge, with raspberry centre and finished with white chocolate glaze

 Coffee & Bailey's

White chocolate mousse, fresh ground coffee mousse, sponge finger biscuits soaked with baileys and dark chocolate sponge.

One word for both cakes: HEAVENLY.

My family is obsessed with this place and we absolutely adore their cakes. They're consistently delicious and I can back that up - we've been customers for over 2 years now. I promise you, you won't be disappointed - definitely go and give them a go! Just steer clear of the macarons.... trust me.

And finally, some red velvet cupcakes which I baked and decorated for my sister's sweet 16th. I think I did a pretty good job :P

Hope you enjoyed the picture spam!

Much love,

Vy

xo