Jones The Grocer 2, Sydney CBD

Don't think that I had begun neglecting my blog did we, dear readers? But the end of assessments mean I can finally update again (more like catch up on what I've been eating during my absence!). After loving Jones the Grocer so much the last time I dined there (that sticky date pudding gives me all sorts of heart palpatations every time I think about it), I was ecstatic at the opportunity to try out their new winter menu thanks to Ashley Hucker from Jones The Grocer.

L to R: Blood orange & cardamon cordial; pear & blueberry cordial, $5.50 each

We may have been given the same drink as they both looked at tasted of blueberry to me. Regardless, a wonderfully sweet and refreshing start to our meal.

Lamb cutlets, $28.00

The lamb cutlets were a beautiful blushing pink when cut. Though a tad underseasoned by itself, the eggplant relish provided a wonderful acidity that gave it that extra punch when eaten together.

Mushroom conchiglie, $17.00

You'll see me running when I hear the word mushroom, cream and pasta all in one sentence. So it was a given that we ordered the mushroom conchiglie. Creamy pasta with plenty of meaty mushroom pieces hidden beneath all that sauce is what you call a perfect pasta to sauce ratio. A sprinkling of young celery leaves and both my sister and I were all smiles.

Wedges, $8.00

These wedges were by far the crispiest wedges I've ever had. They must have been triple fried to achieve that level of crispiness!

Panna cotta, $10.00

And who ever says no to dessert? We couldn't help but giggle at the wobbliness of the panna cotta. But that's what a perfect panna cotta does, isn't it? I was glad the lemon verbena wasn't overpowering but it was strong enough to give the panna cotta that wow factor. The strawberries were doused ever so lightly in a rose syrup as well so the entire dessert was super fragrant and reminded me of flowers and spring time.

Creme brulee, $10.00

Boy am I glad I had the panna cotta first. Whilst I loved the first dessert, this one blew me away. We held our breaths before the first moment the spoon touched the blow torched sugar on top and were very satisfied with the solid crack we heard. The custard underneath was utterly beautiful and the rhubarb added an extra tang that made it almost reminiscent of yogurt - which we absolutely adored.

Our waitress, Maisy, for the evening was absolutely darling. You can't help but love her friendliness and bubbliness - it's contagious! Whilst I was very happy with the dinner menu, it's the breakfast menu I'm dying to try out. Breakfast risotto anyone?

Crystal Noir dined as a guest of Jones The Grocer courtesy of Ashley Hucker. Opinions however, are completely her own.

Jones The Grocer
Cnr Castlereagh & Market Streets
Sydney, NSW, 2000
Level 5 Westfield Sydney

Opening Hours
Monday - Saturday: 8:00am - late
Sunday: 8:00am - 7:00pm

The Choc Pot, Burwood

I have personally been just a little bit of a chocolate addict for a short while now. Ok, I lie, it has probably been years. There's just something extremely comforting about it. It appeals to your sweet taste buds and it's oh so incredibly velvety as it melts in your mouth. Don't you agree? Luckily, I was able to indulge in my sweet tooth to celebrate the completion of my bachelors. Guess who's a postgraduate now! :D

Walking into The Choc Pot, a new chocolate bar located just opposite of Burwood Plaza, I couldn't help but be wowed by the deco. There were sweet little shelves and pots everywhere. And who doesn't love a faux brick wall just to make it look that little bit more special? :P

Though what I was really wowed by was Ash's background story to opening up this little cafe. We got chatting as he prepared our desserts for us and he told us a little bit about his background and how he dappled within many different courses in uni and finally ended up in the midst of a medicine degree. However, he found that it wasn't truly his calling and his passion and love for sweets and dessert conquered all. It was decided then and there that he gave up studying medicine to pursue his love of cooking.

It was upon discussion about his use of jersey milk and our combined knowledge of agriculture that I discovered he graduated from the same high school as me - one year before I went in for year 7. Small world, huh? The milk from Jersey cows is supposedly higher in fat content making the milk creamier and resulting in richer desserts - all the better for us dessert fanatics! I was very happy to hear that they used quality ingredients such as Cellbaut chocolate, free-range eggs and unrefined caster sugar and everything is made fresh from the man himself! I was informed that they underwent an intense testing period of all their desserts on the menu with their friends and family to determine whether it was menu-worthy or not.

White choc strawberry smoothie, $8.00

 On this sweltering hot day, the fruity smoothie was definitely a refreshing treat.

White chocolate pannacotta splice, $12.00

What made this pannacotta so special definitely had to be the pineapple and mint sauce. It was sweet but not overly sweet with a slight tang from the pineapple. I thought the white chocolate pannacotta would be a bit much paired with a fruity sauce but that was not the case and it paired together surprisingly well! So well that I pretty much poured that extra little jug of sauce all over the pannacotta. Yum.

Chocolate souffle with salted caramel, $12.00

The chocolate souffle had a lovely oozy centre that was wonderfully rich. How can chocolate not be so? And of course there's just a little extra serving of salted caramel on the side to make things just that little bit more indulgent.

I was very tempted to try many of the smaller treats in the cabinet but I will save that for another time. Perhaps after I've had a gym session down the road :P

Crystal Noir dined as a guest of Ashley & Deirdre of The Choc Pot. All opinions however, are my own.

The Choc Pot
7/1 Railway Parade
Burwood, NSW, 2143

Opening Hours

Monday - Wednesday: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

Thursday - Friday: 8:00 am - 11:00 pm

Saturday: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Sunday: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm