Black Star Pastry (Rosebery & Newtown)

If you're a dessert devotee, I've found your new sweet spot. Allow me to introduce you Black Star Pastry (BSP), it's a gem hidden in this sometimes hectic city and it isn't to be missed!

Creator of this well loved patisserie is Sydney born to Indonesian parents, Christopher Thé. Formerly pastry chef at Quay and Claude's before opening BSP in 2008.

His latest cafe was opened in Rosebery beginning this year and it's already becoming a local foodie hotspot with Da Mario and Kitchen by Mike just next door.

2 Salads of the day: Quinoa, roast pumpkin, cauliflower and green beans with pork.

If it's not sweet o'clock yet, have a Lamb shank and red wine pie. This handsome little beast is one of my personal favourite.

Like bees on a honey pot, everyone lept on the watermelon cake and it quickly disappeared into happy, chattering mouths.

L-R: Frangipane tart, Salted caramel panna cotta, Pistachio lemon zen cake.

Mushroom and fine herb quiche - baked to perfection in a flaky pastry shell.

Newtown's BSP is on Australia street and it's a tiny hole-in-the wall. Most of the inside is taken up by a counter covered with sweet and savoury treats like buttery, flaky chocolate croissants, quiches, pies and assortment of cake slices.

The watermelon cake have become a favourite among the regulars. I met so many people in the queue who had just come in for that on the day I visited BSP.

Finally got to eat this amazingly delicious watermelon cake. My life is now complete. One of the best around. If you haven't already been to BSP do yourselves a favour and pay them a visit.

http://blackstarpastry.com.au/ 

Brewtown Newtown / Cow & The Moon Artisan Gelato

Brewtown has taken up residency in the back streets of Newtown, originally an old Berkelouw book store. It is a new cafe from the team behind Gnome Espresso on Crown Street at Surry Hills. So naturally the cafe offers great coffee and good looking breakfast dishes. I shall leave the pictures to do most of the talking.

Frenchie ordered a helluva breakfast - grilled black sausage home made hash browns, canadian bacon and house relish with boiled eggs [$16].

I ordered baked polenta with mushrooms, grilled asparagus, poached egg and parmesan [$15], the flavours work well together but my egg was over done but all in all a pleasant dish for a hungry stomach.

Since I have never tried a cronut, I had to check it out of myself. Feeling particularly patriotic, I ordered a true blue lamington cronut. The texture of the cronut was a bit dry for me. Again, this is my first cronut so I'm not sure what kind of textures and taste I should be looking for.

http://www.brewtownnewtown.com/ 

Not feeling quite satisfied with dessert, we decided to try a family owned gelato bar, Cow & the Moon artisan gelato within walking distance in the next suburb, Enmore. This place offers a great selection of flavours and have won the Australian Grand Dairy awards and Sydney Royal Fine Food show give Gelato Messina a run for their money.

Cakes of the day.

We got a cup that fit two flavours - pistachio and hazelnut, and left me feeling happily satisfied.

A must try, the affogato with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is absolute yumminess. I'll definitely be going back to try other flavours when I need a gelato fix.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cow-and-the-Moon-GelatoCoffeeDessert-Bar/145041955555930