Espresso and Exotic Chocs walking tour of Sydney

TamaraC

Espresso and exotic chocs walking tour 8th May 2007

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As you may have guessed by reading my other reviews, I do like chocolate. But you know, I don't eat that much of it. Chocolate is a definite trigger ingredient on a dessert menu, and I love a single piece of 70% Lindt dark as an afternoon pick me up, but I don't need it every day. So when my much-loved brother visited home recently, I thought about what I like (chocolate) and what he likes (coffee…and…chocolate) and found something fantastic - the ‘Espresso and Exotic Chocs' walking tour of Sydney city.

I have lived in Sydney all my life (apart from two ill-fated years in Melbourne - even good restaurants don't make up for it; and another two fun years in Auckland - who knew how many great restaurants they have!) and like to keep up to date with new and fab places in my city. How could ‘Jeff de Bruges' have escaped my notice!!? (see pic taken by m-lbro). This and other wonderful boutique chocolatiers were revealed in our 2 ½ hour pleasantly paced, generously sampled walking tour.

We started at the Museum of Sydney, learning that the First Fleeters had planted coffee plants right there on Bridge Street hoping for a crop. Sydney being somewhat south of the optimal coffee-growing zone, the crop failed sadly. Rum all round instead!

A short walk took us past historic buildings to Vanderwee Chocolate in the Wintergarden atrium, where we sampled 70% chocolate imported directly from Bruges, and truffles made by hand by Hendrik and Hilde Vanderwee Rosseel. I tried the passionfruit truffle and have to say I could detect no passionfruit flavour at all, but the centre was a lovely creamy consistency.

Following this it was off to Adora Chocolates in the arcade adjoining the Sofitel Wentworth. Hot chocolate made from liquidy chocolate was on offer, along with our choice of two truffles from the display. Here I chose a black sesame truffle - a grey speckled semi-soft (ganache) centre with a gentle sweet-bean flavour; and a ginger truffle - fine ginger flavour from the freshly grated ginger infused with cream dipped in dark chocolate. No mistaking the flavours here!

Then it was off to the Lindt Café, a haven for anyone who loves their Lindt, and a homing-beacon in Sydney's otherwise business and high-fashion oriented Martin Place. Come to think of it, if you could afford to shop at Armani then pop into the Lindt Café for the caramel and pear torte (picture a half-tennis ball size torte with outer layer of caramel mousse, and enclosing a centre of caramelised pear) that would be no bad thing…in any case, I was happy on this visit with a peanut butter Lindt ball. Puts those peanut butter M&M's to shame (who knew?)

And then my friends, it was off to Jeff de Bruges, ironically, a French chocolatier. (And what's with the ‘Jeff' isn't that an Australian name? Jeff Fenech, Jeff Kennett) Now you know when you look back at your photos and you have taken stacks of particular places that really rated off the scale? Well Jeff de Bruges was it for me and m-lbro. Gorgeous chocolate brown and aqua blue merchandising, counter piled high, soft serve flavoured with pistachio or mocha, this is class! And the chocolate was amazing. For my free sample I chose ‘Lemon' - milk chocolate with a ‘lemon pie' ganache centre (just the right amount of contrast), and took home ‘Makassar' for later. This little gem has a dark chocolate exterior and cinnamon and coriander flavoured praline centre, absolutely amazing. They have franchises all over France, and, their website informs me, will soon have one in Kazakhstan (those Kazaks, can't get enough of it…; )

Our last stop was the Sheraton on the Park where we enjoyed teas and coffees in their very elegant café fronting Elizabeth Street.

What I haven't said is that for the coffee-lover there were ample opportunities to sample different style coffees, and that our warm and knowledgable host Shelagh brought along samples of cocoa and coffee beans and pods along with other visuals to illustrate her informative talks on the origins, history and processes of making coffee and chocolate.

A great day out!