Wednesday, February 27, 2013
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Bravo, Justin Hemmes. He has yet again snatched another culinary big name in cake and pastry queen; Lorraine Godsmark, particularly famous for her date tart that is still on the Rockpool menu up to this date since 1984. She's now the headline in Paling's Kitchen and Bar although she seems to spend most of her time at her eponymous Lorraine's Patisserie.
Lorraine's is a smooth and quiet engine. The shopfront is a tenth shop and nine tenths open kitchen. All manner of anything sweet, besides most notably macarons, appear on the menu. Cakes, tarts, even marshmellows, brownies composed of seasonal fruits, you name it, take centre stage here all on display although there are other pastries that make guest appearances on other days.
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| Frangipane Tart 6.5 per slice |
The fragipane boasts an attractive glossy surface and is scrumptious with the addition of sweet rhubarb and aniseedy fennel seeds studded throughout it.
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| Mascarpone Cake 8 per slice |
The mascarpone cake takes a little deliberating but it is a wise choice as it is well constructed particularly with the interesting addition in bruleeing the cake although strawberries were chunky which made it difficult to cut and in terms of similar cakes, Black Star Pastry's rose, strawberry and watermelon cake seems like the more intricate and delicious one.
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| Rhubarb Pie 8 |
It falters a lot on the rhubarb tart, which I find overly sour and heavy-handed on the sugar which is almost too sweet to eat. The outstanding texture contrasts of the crunchy sugar top, the perfect short buttery crumbliness that is the pastry pastry and soft rhubarb can't even redeem it.
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| Brownie 5 per slice |
I wouldn't say it's the best I've eaten but it's still delicious. What's particularly superb is the very obvious texture contrasts between the dry cracked top and thick slightly sweet gooey centre but in retrospect could have been just a tad bit darker and decadent.
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| Cheesecake 9 per slice |
It picks itself right up again with Lorraine's cheesecake which is by far easily my favourite pastry there and possibly one of the best cheesecakes I've eaten. Although slightly overpriced opposed to most cakes, it gets the balance of sweetness right, a light airiness that just melts on your tongue and biscuit base that just crumbles perfectly.
Oh, woe is me. The famous date tart wasn't in on the 2 days I went there. It just really beckons you to arrive in another day or at least call them. Lorraine is well respected in the dessert world and is certainly a great addition to the Merivale family. If you're after a sweet something that's groundbreaking and progressive, Lorraine's isn't your place. However, if you want sweet classic pastries and cakes made with a lot of love and experience, particularly a smashing cheesecake, Lorraine's is definitely it.
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2 comments:
Cheesecake!! I adore cheesecake and I will travel near and far for a good cheescake :D
ive heard so much about the date tart but argh i really want that cheesecake!
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