Crave SIFF: Sugar Hit 2011 - Azuma Kushiyaki, Spiedo and Tomislav

Are you guys doing your fair share of Sugar Hits this year? I know I am! Massive post about not one, not two, but THREE Sugar Hits (plus dinner :P) below. 

Please scroll down and enjoy! You're very welcome to salivate over your screens. Just make sure it doesn't go into your keyboard cause that might cause some problems :)

Azuma Kushiyaki

As usual, Azuma Kushiyaki - Bar and Grill did a East meets West dessert tasting platter. I really like their creativeness and they come up with weird but delicious combos using Western desserts with Eastern elements.

 

Azuma Kushiyaki Sugar Hit Menu

The Sugar Hit is served with a 2010 Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora but you can also change that to either a Hennessy Cognac or green tea.

Anmitsu

Assorted seasonal fruits, tapioka pearls, shiratama rice dumplings covered in kinako powder served with a Japanese brown sugar syrup. I loved every element in this small bowl. The sweetness of the fresh, ripe fruits, the bounciness of the tapioka pearls and the soft, fluffy texture of shiratama rice dumplings was almost heavenly.

White Sesame Ice Cream

I didn't particularly like the ice cream as I found the flavours to be really subtle and has a raw sesame taste. It would've been much better if they toasted the sesame beforehand.

Sake Sample

A delicately sweet sake with yuzu. I was so cut that other tables got a wine glass full of it and ours was so tiny :(

Sake Sponge Bites and Handcrafted Chocolate

Two bite sized butter cakes soaked in Japanese sake held together with a decorated toothpick. On the right is a handcrafted dark and milk chocolate praline with chocolate ganache, enrobed in dark chocolate with hidden poprocks.

 

Green Tea Tiramisu

Shochu soaked sponge fingers layered with mascarpone, fresh cream and matcha powder.

Spiedo

We originally planned for Ocean Room Sugar Hit but it was sooooo far from Tomislav so Spiedo it is! We sat at the Stuzzibar but the full dinner menu is available.

Spiedo Stuzzibar

Pirlo $36/Jug

It is only natural for Miss K and I to get cocktails.  We love our fancy alcohol *^-^*. We chose their specialty cocktail...in a jug :D

It contains a blend of Prosecco and Aperol, lengthened with sparkling mineral water and finished with orange. The cocktail was a little bit diluted, mainly consisting of mineral water but it's still a refreshing and citrusy drink.

 

Salad of Baby Beetroot $14

Salad of baby beetroot, pumpkin, goats gorgonzola, mint and walnuts.  It's the first time I've seen baby beetroots! I never knew they were orange before they turned purple when ripen.

Homemade Potato Gnocchi $18

Homemade potato gnocchi with gorgonzola and green peas. The gnocchi was covered in a layer of gorgonzola making it extra delicious. It is a very hearty and filling dish...a little too filling... so this was left mainly untouched :(

Salumi Selection $23

I had my eyes on this dish from the very start. The people that knows me know my love for jamon, proscuitto and salami. The dish is a selection of salami with marinated fennel, olives, artichoke and crackers which I shared with Miss K.

The Sugar Hit and Spiedo starts a little bit earlier and I've seen some desserts being brought out since 8:30pm. I had been letting out squeals here and there every time it went past me and tried to rush my dinner so I can get my hands on those babies as soon as possible.

Sugar Hit at Spiedo

Since Spiedo is a new restaurant, this is the first time they've participated in the Crave SIFF events. Their Sugar Hit certainly looks promising with beautiful presentation and vibrant colours. The Sugar Hit is coupled with a 2010 Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta, Strawberry Granita and Basil

A very light and delicate buttermilk panna cotta with strawberry granita, crumbs, deep fried basil and a swirl of white chocolate to decorate. The panna cotta was nicely coupled with the buttery crumbs that brought contrasting textures to the mouth. The strawberry granita was full of fruity flavour and was my favourite. I could certainly be content with eating it alone. I thought the flavours in the granita was a bit overpowering for the panna cotta as I couldn't taste it when eaten together.

Tomislav

I was enjoying my food so much at Spiedo that I lost track of time. When I finally remember to check the time, it was already 9:30pm. Crap. We made a booking at Tomislav at 9:45pm so we quickly polished off our food, paid and ran out of Westfield to grab a taxi.  Made it! but just.

Tomislav offers 4 different desserts for Sugar Hit. Since we got there at near closing time, they only had the apple crumble left.  It's fine with me; I was going to chose the apple crumble anyway but I would really like to photograph others too :(

Sugar Hit at Tomislav

 

2009 Belgravia Gewurztraminer

The wine is not a Brown Brothers dessert wine but a 2009 Belgravia Gewurztraminer which had a musk,citrus and spice taste.

Peppermint Tea

The service was flawless at Tomislav with the waitstaff very friendly and approachable.  Miss R does not drink alcohol and they went out of their way in offering an alternative to make her experience more enjoyable. In the end, Miss R opted for a Peppermint Tea which they happily gave.

Warm Apple Crumble with Rhubarb Sorbet and Macadamia Sponge

The description said caramel ice cream but we were presented with a rhubarb sorbet. We really did come very late haha!

The macadamia sponge was moist and squishy. It is then topped with baked apple slices and sprinkled with apple crumble coupled with a rhubard sorbet and macadamia powder which are rolled into balls. Finally, it was drizzled with a ring of honey to complete.  A very fine dessert and I couldn't ask for more.

Azuma Kushiyaki - Bar and Grill

Location: Regent Place, 501 George Street Sydney NSW 2000

Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday from 12pm, Monday - Sunday from 6pm

Phone: 02 9267 7775

Website: http://www.azuma.com.au/kushiyaki/home.php

Spiedo

Location: Shop 6004-6005 Level 6, Westfield Sydney, 188 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 11pm, Saturday - Sunday 10am - 11pm
Phone: 02 8072 9999

Website: http://www.spiedo.com.au

Tomislav

Location: Level 2 / 13 Kirketon Road, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 6pm - 10pm, Friday 12pm - 3pm

Phone: 02 9356 4535

Website: http://www.tomislav.com.au

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Crave SIFF: Night Noodle Market and Sugar Hit 2011 - Shangri-La

I've been extra good this year for posting up my Crave Sydney events on time. Yeah? Yeah? :D Just beyond the half way mark for this awesome month and I have a 4 more events to go!

Will blog about the Night Noodle Market and Shangri-La Sugar Hit today because they happened on the same day.

Night Noodle Market 2011

Went to the Market on a Tuesday at 7:30 and it was packed.  Some stalls jacked up their prices a lot *cough $12.50 sticky rice and mango from Chat Thai that's usually $7.50 in the restaurant cough* but it's good to see most are still in an acceptable price range.

The Night Noodle Market is like an "Asian hawker-style market - for noodles, dumplings, desserts and more." ~Crave Sydney

We waited in line for Jackie M's but I got so hungry waiting so we got some dumplings from Dim Sim King while standing in line.

Assorted Dumplings and Dim Sims from Dim Sim King $10 for 6

Yay we're finally here!!

 Jackie M cooking up her famous Char Kuay Diao

I ordered a Fried Radish Cake because I've already tried her Beef Rendang (it was amazing btw) and I struggle to find a good fried radish cake everywhere!

P.S: Jackie M post to come out in Nov-Dec cause I have to get my Crave SIFF posts out of the way first :(

 

Roti

Sorry about the crap photos. The lighting isn't exactly very photography friendly. 

Free roti if you follow her on twitter! :p Apart from her delicious food, isn't that another reason to visit her stall?

Fried Radish Cake  (Chai Tow Kuay) $14

Steamed rice squares fried with preserved radish, garlic, egg and chives with optional shrimp paste chilli.  It was definitely one of the best fried radish cake I've had! The rice squares were fluffy and soft mixed with crunchy radish, fragrant chives and give your senses an extra kick with a dollop of spicy shrimp paste. I would be happy to eat this plate by myself but I shared this since I have a Sugar Hit to go to in 15 mins.

Sugar Hit 2011 - Shangri-La

I was lucky enough to be invited for a taste of the Shangri-la Sugar Hit.  Last year's Sugar Hit was not up to scratch but I've heard positives for this year's so I am pretty looking forward to it.

 Shangri-La Sugar Hit: Chocolate Tapas Plate with a Brown Brothers Dessert Wine

The Sugar Hit this year for Shangri-La offers a selection of 6 chocolate desserts from their 11 desserts for the Wickedly Sweet Chocolate High Tea with a Brown Brother's Sienna which was same as last year. 

I see that the plating has improved significantly from Mademoiselle Délicieuse's visit earlier.  The desserts were aligned neatly on a long frosted perspex rather than scattered on the plate.

 Brown Brothers Sienna

Let's start from the left to right shall we.

Chocolate and Cherry Tart

A dense sweet pastry tart shell with a rich baked chocolate and cherries in kirsch. I ate this towards the end as I knew it would be quite heavy.

Whisky Candy Bar

A nicely textured cake with a crispy feuilletine base, topped with whisky infused chocolate.

Pistachio Slice

Pistachio sponge with a white chocolate and rice pudding bavarois, finished with a pistachio glaze. I started off with this dessert first as it looked the lightest. I particularly liked the soft sponge and pistachio glaze. The flavours were subtle but nicely balanced.

Chocolate Bavarois

I saved this till last due to the novelty factor of the dessert. It also turned out to be my favourite with a smooth mousse like filling with a ring of jaconde sponge (although mine is missing half >-<). A mini pipette filled with raspberry coulis is inserted to the dessert and meant to be squeezed into the centre.

Food Porn :)

Gateau Opera

Layers of Kahlua soaked sponge with hazelnut chocolate crunch and coffee butter cream.

Gianduja 'Macaroon'

The description wrote macaron with two 'o's which made me cringe. The Gianjuda Macaron made an appearance in last year's Sugar Hit at Bacco. Gianduja pretty much just means 'an European chocolate made from chocolate and 30% nut paste (usually hazelnut)'. Mr. W asked if this is what a macaron tastes like because it was different from mine. Yes, yes it is. Just that mine sucked and this didn't. Thus the difference.

This year's Sugar Hit was definitely much better than last year's and I personally think it is worth your money as the desserts add up to more than $20 if bought separately not to mention that you get a glass of Brown Brothers dessert wine as well.

Sugarpuffi attended the Shangri-la Sugar Hit 2011 courtesy of Crystal Ling.

Night Noodle Market 2011

Location: Hyde Park North

Opening Hours: October 10-14 and 17-21, 2011, 5 - 9pm weeknights (free entry)

Website: http://cravesydney.com/content/night-noodle-markets/gjoc54

Lobby Lounge, Shangri-La

Location: 176 Cumberland Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Opening Hours: Mon - Sat 7am - Late , Sun 8:30am - Late

Phone: 02 9250 6144

Website: http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/sydney/shangrila/dining/restaurant/lobbylounge

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Sugar's Sweet Blog turns TWO and celebrate with cakes and giveaways

ღ Sugar's Sweet Blog is now TWO Years Old! ღ

Haiiiiiii Allllll!! Today is a very exciting day for Sugar's Sweet Blog because it turns TWO Years Old! Yippeeee! Remember last year where I had store bought cupcakes to celebrate? Well, this year, I made my own and an extra cake since, it's turning 2 and all.

White Chocolate and Strawberry Cheesecake

Chocolate and Cream Cheese Cupcake

Recipe will sadly have to wait because I need to get my Crave SIFF posts up ASAP.

Two years on since I've started this blog and my love for it has not decreased; if not, even more.  You may have noticed that I don't blog as much as I used to but hopefully you will also notice the increase in blog quality. Quality over quantity, right?

Thank you to all my readers, your support is my motivation to blog more.

As a little thank you for your continual support, 5 prizes will be given away.  I was very kindly sponsored by Ted's Cameras and Madman Entertainment for this giveaway.

First Prize will be a $100 Voucher from Ted's Camera

Second-Fourth Prize will be a Gourmet Farmer Series 2 DVD valued at $29.95 ea

Fifth but not least will be a copy of Cheap Eats in Sydney 2011-2012 worth $12.95

First Prize X1

$100 Voucher from Ted's Camera

A specialist retailer of  all major brands and the latest in photographic hardware, including digital compact and SLR cameras, HD video cameras and accessories; equipment suitable for the novice through to the professional.

Second Prize X3

Gourmet Farmer - Series 2 (Value $29.95)

On the 5th of October , the second series of Gourmet Farmer will be released on DVD. This carries on from Series 1, following chef Matthew Evans on his organic farm in Tasmania – except now he is a family man, with wife Sadie and young son Hedley joining him! Matthew finds himself exploring ingenious and inventive ways of expanding his business with friends and family.

Third Prize X1

Cheap Eats Sydney 2012 (Value $12.95)

Cheap Eats 2011-12: In Sydney, showcases 500 of Sydney's best cheap restaurants, eateries and cafes. It contains over 500 restaurants where you can eat good, authentic, creative food for under 50 bucks.

This guide reviews each restaurant based on an important set of guidelines including price, cuisine, trading hours, facilities, website, disabled access and public transport accessibility to give you a thoroughly comprehensive impression of what to expect.
 

To win, simply do the following:

1. Leave a comment below stating your favourite photo on Sugar's Sweet Blog and why. If you're really slack, you can just tell me what is your favourite photo anywhere.

*****PLEASE EMAIL me a copy of your comment to sugarpuffi@sugarpuffi.com Blogger does not let me see your emails so I cannot get back to you if you don't do this. *****

2. Like Sugar's Sweet Blog on Facebook and/or follow me @sugarpuffi on Twitter

3. Entries close at 11:59pm, 25 October 2011.

Thank you sponsors:

 

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Crave SIFF: Sake Dinner and Sugar Hit 2011 - Cafe Ish

Another night, another Sugar Hit. I went on 4 Sugar Hits in 3 nights and my waistline is screaming in procrastination. Sorry buddy, I have another one next Tuesday. My food outings are far more frequent than my blog posts and I feel so bad about not blogging them on time *cough 120 back logs cough*.  I will try my best to blog about the Crave Sydney events ASAP so people can use my posts as reference to what they will be expecting.

Cafe Ish is my next stop for Sugar Hit but they are also offering a Sake Dinner exclusively for the month of culinary appreciation which...of course I ordered.

Sake Dinner

For $38 you get...

Crave SIFF Sake Dinner Menu

Pressed Moto Sake $33/bottle

Josh was very kind to let us have a taste of his expensive sake.  The sake tasted sweet like umeshu but with a rice wine aroma. There are very limited bottles in Sydney (only 40) so get a bottle here!

90mL Kizan Sake

How could it be called a Sake dinner without sake? 90mL of sake is included in the Sake Dinner package and you can choose from: Okarakuchi, Kizan, Shikomi, Hakugyokuko, Mutemuka, Dokan, Shizan Jozo and Tempo 13

Crave Sydney Sake Dinner $38

Inside this set, you will get:

Selection of Japanese Pickles

I have a soft spot for the yellow radish pickles. Its always been my fave.

Chilled Organic Tofu with Riberries and Soy

I've never tried riberries, nor have I heard of them before so it was definitely exciting to try. It tasted like cranberries but with a stronger note of cloves than sweetness which I think went quite well with the tofu.

Japanese Potato Salad Scented with Native Mint

A very nice potato salad with an oriental twist.  It is also mixed with ham and corn to give it extra flavour.  The salad is then topped with some pretty purple coloured edible flower.

Warrigal Greens with Sesame Dressing

Don't let the look of this give you bad judgement on the taste.  It was my favourite of the night.  The warrigal greens is similar to a spinach but it doesn't leave that weird 'squeaky' feeling on your teeth.  It is seasoned with sesame dressing then sprinkled with white sesame.

Kangaroo, Prawn, Ginger Gyoza with Black Vinegar and White Soy

Potato Mochi with Organic Fetta

Four little fried discs of potato mochi was lovely to eat. Once you crunch through the crispy outer layer, you are met with the soft, fluffy insides.  In the middle you will also find a cube of fetta cheese which brings in an extra layer of flavour into this mochi.

California Roll of Crumbed Crocodile, Avocado, Lemon Myrtle Mayonnaise with Pickled Rosella Flower

As I shared the Sake Dinner with Miss V, we ordered another dish just in case it wasn't enough. Oh how wrong I was, I was stuffed to the brim and I still have a plate of dessert to finish too...

Crocodile Leg Karage with Shichimi Mayo $12

Never had a crocodile karage before! The texture of the crocodile leg was firm but had grains like chicken. Very interesting dish for me to try.

Sugar Hit

I've been anticipating the Sugar Hit at Cafe Ish for the longest time because they promised us a chance to design our own dessert. 

"An artist pallet of sweet treats and a blank canvas to design your own unique creation." ~Cafe Ish

Sugar Hit Menu

Like all other Sugar Hits' it is $20 and it comes with a Brown Brother's Dessert Wine.  Cafe Ish also offers Umeshu as an alternative.

Brown Brothers Moscato and Umeshu Izumibashi Yamadajuro (or Uzenshiraume Umeshu)

The tools to make our creations came up first and oh it looks so fun!

Creative Tools

Artist Pallet of Sweet Treats

The desserts came up and it was served on an artist pallet. *squee* Too cute!!

The sweet treats consisted of:

Biscotti and Japanese Styled ANZAC Biscuit

Macadamia Icecream, Caramel Sauce, Raspberry Puree, Chocolate Sauce, Red Bean, Lemon Cream

Array of Different Coloured and Flavoured Jellies, Meringue

After we ooh'ed and ahh'ed (and of course took lots of photos), we started to bring out our inner artist and started to create...with our food! Fun fun.

Miss. K painting on her blank canvas, Miss. R decorating her blank canvas

It has been a very long time since I've created something. I feel like I've completely wasted my Degree in Design.  I was thinking how to tackle my blank canvas till my icecream melted while Miss. R has already finished and started to eat her creation. Doh!
 

In the end, I've came up with this...not the best but please don't judge me!

My Design

Apologies to the WTF moment when you saw this. I have no idea what it's meant to be nor it has any style or flare so please don't ask. All I ask, is for you to not laugh till you fall off your chair because I don't want to be held responsible for your damaged brain.

Close Up

Messy pallet in the end

It was definitely the most fun and entertaining Sugar Hit I've been to and it was such a great experience getting to play with your food like you are back in Year 3 art class. Remember those macaroni necklace days? Yeah. Awesome.

Cafe Ish

Location: 82 Campbell Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Opening Hours: Mon - Wed 7am - 4pm, Thur - Fri 7am - 10pm (dinner from 3pm), Sat 9am - 10pm, Sun 9am - 10pm (dinner from 3pm)

Phone: 02 9281 1688

Website: www.cafeish.com.au

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