Note: this has been in my drafts since before Christmas. True apologies!
The smallest business sign out? Leading to cavity inducing sweetness! Oh right. Let me just say, to combine someone who isn't good with directions, who has a tendency to want to shop whenever shops are around, and a small tucked away patisserie meant that my head was literally spinning in every direction trying to locate this place. There was a bit of added stress having to assure my friend that "I swear, there is a patisserie here... somewhere..." without really believing it myself. But thanks to lovely locals, we spotted the place (cue "Oh my gosh that's so hidden!" here). By the way, it's kind of opposite the Manly wharf, on a 'vertical' road.. opposite this businessy and private office building. Disclaimer: my directions are only to be used as a last resort, as I truly have the worst sense of direction. No joke.
Yes, the entrance is also very understated. It can hardly be considered a door!Entering the store, I was like rather surprised. Compared to the website (geek I am), the interiors were much duller, much smaller, rather empty. However, I was intrigued by the wall art, as it perfectly encapsulates Adriano's reputation as the Willy Wonka of pastries and the like.
Quirky, vibrant, abstract. By the time we arrived (thanks to a hell lot of procrastinating, movie watching and video game playing) at 6, a lot of goodies were gone (the v8!). That's not to say we didn't overindulge as it was already. More about that to come. We stood in awe for a bit, wanting a bit of everything, then discussing what to buy for the boys and then working out what my friend could devour (she's allergic to nuts). Here are some of Zumbo's delectable desserts:
The tarte aux fruits de la passion & grandma's soap... Zumbo has a thing for unique names.
The logs: lemon meringue and pecanne. 
What I nicknamed the Deadly Duo: one is hot (as in spicy) chocolate and the other has green chilli in it! We daren't take that risk!Eventually, these were our picks:
Grandma's soap, Snowmanorr, NYC
Colourful "Zumbarons": Sweet corn with a hint of mango, Plum pudding,
Grandma's soap, Snowmanorr, NYC
Colourful "Zumbarons": Sweet corn with a hint of mango, Plum pudding, Watermelon & orange, Cola, Lychee & Lime & mint mojito
Pain au chocolat (far left)
Pain au chocolat (far left)
Chocolate snowmen (it had a much awesomer name, which I forgot)Needless to say, they're all very neatly presented. The only ones I managed to taste though were:
Grandma's soap - $9
This was rather ... interesting? It was just sweet enough, and very light. However, faithful to its name, it did have a soapy taste (perhaps due to the lavendar, my guess). The layer of almond creme was perfect though - creamy, not overly sweet and not too smooth either. Can't say much about the blueberry, except that it made me crave blueberries, a whole punnet please.
Pain au chocolat - $3.50
A very standard pastry, yet undeniably delicious. Pastry was crunchy on the outside, and chewy enough on the inside, with bits of chocolate. I can't fault it because I love my pain au chocolat because it combines pastry with tidbits (not too much) of chocolateeeee!
Macarons - $2.50 each
Actually, we bought these for the boys and I (there are almond bits in all macarons and J is allergic, the poor girl). Luckily, by the time we had desserts the boys were too immersed in a life and death game of Monopoly (their words, not mine) and were uninterested in desserts. Their loss I tell you. So yes, I had all these to myself as a matter of fact.
Cola:
My sister didn't really fancy this when she had a bite but I thought it was alright. Admittedly there was barely any 'distinct flavour' in this, which was what I was looking forward to (the idea of capturing the awesome flavour of cola which is so heavily reliant on its 'texture' in a macaron). So there was a bit of disappointment on my part.
Lime & mint mojito:
Me and my friend literally squealed when we saw this. And no it's not because we're alcoholics - not even close (neither of us really drink). But because it was such a pretty green and sounds quirky enough, but also safe enough. It was really good. Perfect to take a big bite from, or to nibble from too. Suits me perfectly (I alternate from the two when I'm snacking).
Sweet corn with a hint of mango:
Didn't taste the 'hint of mango' to be honest. But the sweet corn was an interesting taste actually. I'm not a fan of sweet corn flavours in general (I like the real thing too much). But I found this quite pleasant anyhow. I think it's really hard for me to fault 'Zumbarons' because they're so texturally and experimentally intricate that even if the thought of the flavours are seemingly weird, but when blended together in a macaron, the textures balance out the oddity of the flavours. Just a thought/rambling.
Plum pudding:
This was described to us as a Christmas special, so I couldn't pass that up. It was nice between my lips, but in hindsight, definitely not a memorable combination to be frank. My guess is that amongst all Zumbo's seemingly crazy, erratic and experimental flavours, this one paled in comparison. However, that might be a blessing in disguise for those who want to steer clear of the 'weirder' flavours (don't worry, I didn't want to have a Hot Chocolate Zumbaron myself).
Watermelon & orange:
This was yummy. Crunchy and sweet. I liked it.
Lychee:
I left the best till last. My favourite Zumbaron. Light, fruity, sweet and perfectly crunchy. So so yum, I kind of want more just thinking about it.
Chocolate snowmen:
Oh my god. The chocolate was so deliciously rich and I just wanted to keep eating it but it eventually ran out. But damn, that was some fine chocolate. It was darker than I usually enjoy but that kind of thing is secondary to it's overall texture and taste. And the crunch of the shell.
Sushi Manly:
Contrary to the title, our stay there wasn't brief. But this post will be, because I only snapped one photo haha. The rest I forgot (even though the camera was in my lap) because I dug in immediately. However, I enjoyed the food.
As an avid fan of my salmon, me and my friend pay careful attention to the quality and freshness of the salmon. Luckily for us, our salmon was fresh and tasted flawless.
Sushi train - raw salmon roll? (I honestly forget the name of this, I just gobble it all up)Apart from that, I also had my staple california roll (delightful), tried cuttlefish - which was interesting... reminded me of squid but much chewier and less flavoursome. As I've never tried cuttlefish before, I don't have a standard to set it against, except I personally enjoyed it a lot. Funnily, when I picked it up, I mistakenly thought it was scallop. I also had salmon and avocado which was also very yum, avocado was soft and creamy and salmon was wonderful. The main flaw about the place is the soy sauce. As a lover of sushi, I cannot iterate how important soy sauce is. It can't be too salty because that takes so much away from the freshness and natural flavour of the seafood and overpowers the slight sweetness of the rice vinegar in the rice. Also, soy sauce shouldn't be too heavy because of the natural textures of the fish (saying this with raw salmon in mind). Thus, I love my soy sauce slightly sweet. Sorry about the rambling, but I love my sushi and the art of sushi (too much free time spent researching and watching documentaries on this). Just a side note, if you want to determine whether ingredients are fresh, be mindful of what drinks you have. Some places will recommend teas to go with it, others might suggest sakes. Water is good too. This is truly if you want to determine whether the place actually serves wonderful sushi. That being said, if you're out for a good time, drink what you please! My friend had the miso soup, which she wasn't very impressed with.
Shop 1a/40 The East Esplanade
Manly, NSW 2095
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday
7:00am till 7:00pm
Saturday & Sunday
8:00am till 5:30pm
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