Sweet Street Bakery, Parramatta

• I was pretty hungry when I walked into Sweet Street Bakery and had my heart set on a beef pie.
• However, the only beef option available was a steak and cheese pie which didn’t really speak to me.
• So I opted for the lamb and rosemary pie instead with sides of brussel sprouts salad and beetroot salad.
• The pie was lukewarm.
• Chunks of tender lamb were interspersed with potato and carrot pieces with an adequate amount of sauce.
• Not a bad flavour combination but, at the same time, nothing special.
• Both salads were underwhelming.
• And the desserts behind the glass counts looked a bit sad so I didn’t hang around for a sweet treat.
• Overall, the food filled me up but it wasn’t satisfying.

Pork & Fennel Sausage Roll, Bourke Street Bakery, Potts Point

• Just like the Ginger Brûlée Tart, Bourke Street Bakery’s Pork & Fennel Sausage Roll has a bit of pastry fame surrounding it.
• On a little side tangent, I wasn’t aware of food photography backlash until I stumbled across Michael’s post about it but my personal approach is to quickly capture the food in a snap or two, be conscious of my dining companions and not to get too caught up in the need to document every single thing.
• Given that approach, my photo of the Pork & Fennel Sausage Roll is not the most flattering, nor do I expect it to induce any mouthwatering antics.
• I think I’ve been rather sheltered when it comes to sausage rolls.
• When they appear in the company of pies, I tend to favour the pies because I have little faith in phenomenal tasting sausage rolls.
• Well, let me tell you that this sausage roll was pretty darn good.
• I would happily eat it again.
• Unlike the Beef Pie, the seasoning was spot-on.
• The pork was succulent and there was just the right amount of fennel to make every bite a wonderful experience.
• I also liked that the pastry wasn’t greasy.
• Once completely consumed, the Pork & Fennel Sausage Roll was a satisfying lunch that was filling without being too heavy.

Beef Pie, Bourke Street Bakery, Potts Point

• I ducked into Bourke Street Bakery to try their Beef Pie for lunch.
• When I was told that their tomato sauce was homemade, I had to squeeze some onto my pie.
• Obviously a freshly baked pie will reign supreme over frozen supermarket meat pies.
• The chunks of beef were generous and tender, and I liked the addition of small carrot pieces because it added to the flavour and texture of the pie.
• The puff pastry that encased it all was fine.
• The homemade tomato sauce was a nice sentiment but I found it too sweet.
• I don’t think I would eat the Beef Pie again.
• Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad by any means.
• I really enjoyed its homeyness but I think its seasoning needed some punch.

Chocolate Mousse & Raspberry Tart, Bourke Street Bakery, Potts Point

• Shall we call it a day and say that this may potentially be the best tart I’ve ever eaten?
• It’s definitely my favourite from the ones I’ve tried at Bourke Street Bakery.
• A delicate chocolate sprinkling sat atop the chocolate mousse that was light and balanced perfectly with the raspberry centre.
• A great blend of flavours and top notch pastry mades this a delightful treat that I cannot fault.
• If you’re headed to Bourke Street Bakery for something sweet, you should definitely try this. Definitely.

Bourke Street Bakery, Potts Point

• I was initially lured to pay Bourke Street Bakery a visit by the promise of cookies on their online menu.
• However, once I got to the store, my attention was swiftly diverted by the range of pastries on display behind the glass counter.
• Now, contrary to the picture above, I actually ate the depicted tarts on two separate occasions.
• For my first foray into exploring Bourke Street Bakery goodies, I decided to try their Ginger Brûlée Tart.
• The cult following that this particular tart seems to have was even enough for me to put aside my semi-ginger aversion.
• It was certainly an interesting combination of flavours.
• The burnt sugar layer had a decent crack but was nothing noteworthy.
• The custard was very smooth and the pistachios were a good addition.
• What about the ginger?
• It was definitely a strong flavour that held its own against the other components of this tart.
• It didn’t exactly clash but – and perhaps this is just my semi-ginger aversion bias talking – it wasn’t what I would call a 100% harmonious blend either.
• The pastry was impressive.
• It was slightly flaky but condensed for a bit of crunch.
• It also helped to balance out the custard and ginger.
• All in all, this is one of those desserts that I would eat again for the mere intrigue of the interplay between its flavours.
• Next up, the Chocolate Tart.
• Using milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate made this less heavy.
• The pastry, as mentioned above was very nice.
• Overall, the Chocolate Tart wasn’t anything special.
• My main gripe would be its overbearing sweetness with nothing to cut through it.