Tag Archives: patisserie

Lumiere Cafe and Patisserie, Surry Hills

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During dinner with Grab Your Fork, we couldn’t help but grill our dining partner for some good breakfast tips.

When you’re a food blogger, forward-planning meals is not only convenient, but practically essential!

Lumiere Cafe and Pattiserie

Brioche French toast with caramelised banana, bacon and maple syrup, $18

H suggests a few fantastic sounding places, and after some research once we’re back in our hotel that evening, our mission is simple – brioche French toast with banana and bacon, at Lumiere Cafe in Surry Hills.

Lumiere Cafe and Pattiserie

Sydney cafes seem to put in a lot of effort into interior design. I like it.

Lumiere is located in Surry Hills, the suburb which was quickly becoming my own personal eating mecca.

We arrived early, and found the sunny cafe was fairly empty, with only a few other keen diners fueling up before work.

Lumiere Cafe and Pattiserie

Omelette with smoked ham, mushrooms, chives and provolone cheese, $17

Dining with a fellow food blogger who is also your sister makes eating simple. 

To conserve valuable eating space, we opt to share two breakfast dishes between the three of us, an arrangement which worked like a treat.

Lumiere Cafe and Pattiserie

When it arrives, my omelette with smoked ham, mushrooms, chives and provolone cheese, looks a little sad and unadorned on the plate.

The next thing I notice is just how big it is – taking up more than half of the plate. Thank god I’m sharing this, I think, as there’s no way I could finish the whole thing on my own!

Lumiere Cafe and Pattiserie

But slicing it open reveals that the softly set omelette is well stuffed with a generous filling of ham, mushrooms, oozing cheese and a tumble of oniony chives.

I’m in a savoury breakfast sort of mood, and this omelette offers the perfect combination of breakfast food groups (eggs, salty protein, mushrooms, cheese) all topped off with a slice of crunchy toast. Winner!

The juicy mushrooms have created a bit of a puddle of liquid beneath the omelette, which turns its lightly browned, slightly crispy exterior soggy.

I’m glad we’re sharing our meals, as the omelette is deceptively rich and filling.

Lumiere Cafe and Pattiserie

When TFP’s brioche French toast arrives, it is a sight to behold, topped with a layer of lightly burnished bananas and crowned with crispy bacon.

It sits in a pool of sticky golden maple syrup, and smells amazing. I think this would be a scent worth bottling – eau de toilette or parfum, who cares, I’d definitely buy it! Anyone know anyone at Diptyque? I have an idea for a new home fragrance ;)

Lumiere Cafe and Pattiserie

We let her take the first bites, naturally, but I have to stop myself from tackling J with my fork to have a taste. 

The uber-eggy brioche French toast is pillowy soft, and readily soaks up the sweet syrup. The caramelised banana is tender and sweet, which contrasts really well with the salty tang of the crispy bacon.

Lumiere Cafe and Pattiserie

Interior of the cafe

I top off the meal with my daily caffeine fix, this time a soy flat white, which leaves me primed and ready to go for the eating adventures ahead in Cabramatta!

Lumiere Cafe & Patisserie on Urbanspoon

Read TFP’s post about Lumiere Cafe

Read about our other food adventures in Sydney

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Breakfast at Jean Pierre Sancho Boulangerie Patisserie, Perth

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Last Monday, I met my sister TFP in Perth for a food-filled day. We had made plans to check out the Fine Food Western Australia – a trade show devoted to food (of course)! But before we visited the show – it was time for breakfast.

We both struggled to choose from the tasty-looking baked goods on offer. Fact: I am a bread lover. And potato lover. Rice, not so much (I consider myself a traitor to my heritage, but you get that sometimes)! TFP’s eyes lit up when she spotted the fat little brioches studded with plump raisins. It immediately made me think of buying some to bring home – to make decadent brioche french toast.

Sweet (but not sickly sweet), buttery with a light and soft crumb. Yet satisfyingly dense. Ahhh. Love.

I had my heart set on a banana-chocolate croissant, but sadly when I ordered I was told that all the delicious looking banana goodies in the glass-fronted case were spoken for. I hate it when that happens. But it wasn’t a problem at all – because the chocolate croissant I enjoyed instead was a little piece of flaky, buttery perfection. Plus chocolate. Which I think makes it even better. Of course, I am still longing for the banana-chocolate version – but then there’s always next time :)

Mmm, flaky chocolate innards.

TFP enjoyed a pot of english breakfast tea (with soy milk) – which came with a loose leaf tea bag from Tea Drop. I’ve always really liked the tea from this particular brand – the silken tea bags are the perfect solution for those who prefer loose leaf blends (rather than the standard tea bag filler). I always find they brew a superior cup, without the mess factor of loose leaves.

And here’s my soy flat white, which was quite spectacular. Fact number two: I am hopelessly dependent on caffeine and all caffeine products. I like drinking coffee. Tea. Red bull. Cola. But coffee brings me the most joy first thing in the morning, and this cup was exactly what I needed. So good, that I nearly ordered a second.

But knowing our next destination – I decided to go easy on my belly. There was still more food to be had!

 

 

Jean Pierre Sancho on Urbanspoon

Quick bites: Adriano Zumbo’s Macarons

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Photo above taken using TFP’s new toy – a Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2

Australia has recently been hit with a serious case of macaron fever. I blame MasterChef. I also hold them responsible for the fact that everyone is now referring to them as ‘macaroons’, but that’s an aside.

TFP and I have a good friend named L who recently went to Sydney for a holiday. I hadn’t heard from her in a while, so imagine my surprise when I found out that she had been to Adriano Zumbo’s patisserie in Rozelle, Sydney, and that she had brought home some macarons!

TFP, the two J’s (Jac and J) and I gathered yesterday afternoon for a tasting party.

L helpfully supplied a note which explained the flavours. It was nice to know what to expect – I can picture all kinds of rude shock that might result from chomping into a golden macaron, expecting caramel, only to find hommus.

My favourite of these was the pistachio and fennel. The creamy filling had a richness and smoothness, with that perfect aniseed hit. I’m still wondering if there really was pureed fennel (bulb) in the mix. Yum.

The caramelised hommus was a little odd, but we were all pleasantly surprised to find it was really palatable. Naturally as it was a sweet macaron, they had omitted the usual hit of fresh garlic expected in hommus.  The chickpea flavour was an interesting addition.

The more safe choc mint flavour was a crowd pleaser. I really loved the bittersweet ganache filling – it went perfectly with the sweet minty crunch of the macaron ‘biscuit’.

Thanks for sharing your eatable souvenirs with us, L! :)