The contents of this blog are matters of opinion formed over one more visits. There has been some artistry applied and metaphors and similes should not necessarily be taken literally. All meals are independently paid for - the author has no conflicts of interest to disclose.
We picked up a nice little cheesecake from Hanlip’s stall in Westfield Parramatta, a $14 reward for finding a bucket hat from one of the two outdoorsy stores on either side of it for my sun-protection-averse partner.
This yuzu mini cheesecake ($14) was quite enjoyable and recommendable, with a good texture, thick biscuit base, light citrusy flavour, and of course not too sweet (though the airy cream foam on top was sweeter). It was a bit expensive for the size and lack of any overheads such as seating for the café, but the taste was good and I guess I would just have a different complaint if I went to their flagship Redfern bakery-café and paid more for a cheesecake that could’ve been had for less in Parramatta.
Pretty good! And sorry for the lack of cross-sectional imaging.
(The Famous) Berry Donut Van. I don’t know exactly how famous it is, or why it’s a van. I’d never heard of it until I drove past it one day, and I don’t think it actually moves. My first donut from them was brought to me by my housemate and colleague DTC, and my second donut was eaten fresh and hot on the spot – a big difference.
The van’s cinnamon donuts, essentially their flagship product, are sold for $2.20 each, with larger quantities attracting a reasonable discount. I chose to splash out on a donut & cream ($7), billed as “Our famous original cinnamon donut cut in half with a scoop of Serendipity’s smooth vanilla ice cream in between”. As you can see from the photo, this was not what I received. I kind of expected, as per the description on the menu, to receive a ice-cream sandwich like item, but what I actually received was a donut sat on top of a scoop of ice cream. It was, in this format, not so readily edible for one as unco-ordinated as me. While the donut was seriously delicious, perfectly warm and soft and fluffy with just the right amount of cinnamon sugar, It ultimately meant that I spent $4.80 for a scoop of very standard vanilla ice cream which I could’ve had more donut instead!
UPDATE
I went back with my partner for some straight up donuts ($2.20). They were hot, fresh, and extra good.
The nutella donut ($4), with molten nutella injected at regular intervals throughout the ring, was also quite nice, and surprisingly not too sweet. Is it definitely worth almost double the price of the classic donut though? Unsure, but worth the try.
Comments: Just get the donuts. Skip the ice cream. Signage needs to be updated.
The grilled chicken roll ($8.50) was ordered not on purpose but because the BBQ pork roll was unavailable. It turned out to be pretty good, though with an unexpected amount of shredded lettuce. The chicken meat was tasty with a little bit of sweetness, moist, and plentiful. The bread, and this goes for the bread used in all three rolls, was a little bit crispy but did not cut the mouth. Pretty good all round, and not a type of roll filling I’ve ever ordered before.
The roasted pork roll ($9) was your classic roast pork roll with diced roast pork and crispy pork skin. It was good, and again extra fresh from the lettuce, which I don’t think you see as a common filling in these rolls. I do wish that perhaps more pork could’ve been in this roll, especially as it is on the more expensive side of things (compared to XCel Roll’s well filled $8.50 roast pork roll).
What can I say about this classic Vietnamese pork roll ($7)? It was pretty good, but in no way did it stand out against any competitor. It was standard to a standard tee, happily lacking the shredded lettuce of the two rolls above. It just tasted completely normal, and I can think of no other words to describe it.
Overall thoughts Dulwich Hill Pork Roll is a pretty standard pork roll place with banh mi of a reliable quality that do not really chart any new boundaries. The ladies who work there were really nice though, and I thought the bread was particularly good as it managed to be both crispy and not give me mouth pain.
Dulwich Hill Pork Roll 6/471 Marrickville Rd, Dulwich Hill NSW 2203 (02) 9518 1964
These were some wildly good banh mi, recommended by KS and ACHT as their favourites some time in 2021 and finally put into my mouth in May 2022. This was a couple who would commute all the way from Parramatta, where they lived, to Hurstville just for a couple of pork rolls, and while I wouldn’t necessarily go that far (Xcel Roll & Bowl in Parramatta is also great), I can see why.
I could tell you all about the sliced pork roll ($6.50) and what makes it great, but the words would essentially be the same as every other review of a pork roll that I’ve liked. The bread is crispy but not cutting, the salad fillings are plentiful and fresh, and the roll is not oversauced. What really sets out Phu Cuong King’s offering is the fact that extra pate is offered right off the bat as a main menu item. Just an additional $1 will get you absolutely loaded up on that delicious extra pate and Vietnamese mayo and send your mouth to a whole other sphere of creaminess and umami. It’s not something secret that you need to ask for, that you’re worried they might not do. It’s right there on the menu. And it’s glorious.
The $10 crackling pork roll was similarly good, though I made the health-and-self conscious decision not to load it up with additional saturated fats. A friend and colleague commented that $10 was too much to pay for a pork roll, which I used to agree with looking at the prices charged elsewhere for a similar item, but no longer do. No one blinks twice at paying $10 for a hyper-processed sub at Subway or $8.60 for a double quarter pounder made on a production line by high school students so why should we be so miserly when it comes to culturally authentic food made from fresh ingredients by ethnic workers?
THOUGHTS Big fan of the extra pate. Don’t care about the price. Don’t tell my healthcare team.
Despite their small size and tiny amount of available seating, Azuki Bakery in Sydney’s inner west has some of my favourite pastries of recent times, incorporating mostly-Japanese but broadly East Asian flavours into a universally loved medium (bread).
We’ll start by talking about this Kimchi Pork Sausage Roll ($5.80). This Korean inspired sausage roll was the savoury highlight of our meal, with a good flaky pastry and a warm and flavourful meaty filling.
While I had great expectations for Azuki’s Beef Curry Pan ($5), this was unfortunately not quite the picture of perfection that I had hoped. I enjoyed the light and sweet bread and the crispy oily external layer, but sadly found that the internal filling was just a bit too cool for my liking. While it is true that we waited maybe five minutes for one of the three outdoor tables to free up (our prediction for which of the three Asian couples presently seated would leave first and be replaced by us, also an Asian couple, was completely wrong – the ones who had finished eating first actually ended up staying the longest to sit and chat), this bun was otherwise straight from their counter. It is a shame as I could tell that the filling would otherwise be pretty good, but was just lacking a bit of warmth to open up the flavours and aromas.
Azuki is not the first bakery to advertise its Hot Cross Bun ($4.20) as the best in Sydney, but to be honest my knowledge of hot cross buns is neither deep nor broad enough to dispute or support this claim. This particular hot cross bun was quite densely packed compared to your average supermarket variety, with a good amount of spice in the dough and a deliciously heavy load of fruit and walnuts. It was, all in all a good hot cross bun.
The Yuzu Doughnut ($5.20) was pretty good, not too sweet apart from the candied citrus slice on top. I enjoyed the soft dough and the mild but delicious yuzu custard cream within.
This Custard Puff ($4.80) came on its own in a little cake box, so you know it’s special. It had a strong Beard Papa energy, and I loved everything about this, from the sweet and buttery cookie choux pastry to the light and creamy vanilla custard filling. So good.
The Strawberry Extra Decoration Cake ($58), which I ordered for a family birthday based on our good experience with their other offerings was sadly not as exciting as the rest. It was a fairly basic sponge cake with an interior layer of strawberry, and in my personal opinion too much whipped cream. It did not stand out as a cake against competitor cakes. At least it was not too sweet.
THOUGHTS
We tried and liked a great number of things from Azuki, but the one dessert I think you can’t walk past is their excellent custard puff. We’ll definitely be going back for another, along with some other things.
