Honesty is the best policy.

If there was anything significant that I've learned in the past 3 months that I have been working in Kakawa Chocolates, it's being honest with food. With all the new fancy food that has been coming out lately, it's hard to find food lately that hasn't been defined or labelled in some sort of fancy schmancy twang only to be disappointed with the actual execution.

Now, to be fair I have really high expectations when it comes to food and desserts. One of my close friends have actually labelled me a "food wanker" because I have this really irritating habit of trying to change or adding something to food whenever I order to make it "better". Either that or it's just really difficult now to really "wow" me with the food or it takes me forever to actually find something that I like in the menu. My excuse for that is because I work in an industry where having a food-wankerish palate is in my job description - it lies in the territory. I have to know what's good, great and what works together.

That being said, although my standards have not really dropped my understanding of food has definitely changed. I've learnt that you don't need fancy, exotic and complicated combinations to make food interesting. Sometimes the simpler the food is, the better it is. If the food is executed right, changes and tweaks don't have to be made that's why it is imperative that basics have to be grasped and mastered and other techniques following that.

Inspiration from the other city...

As Sydney wasn't playing very nice in all it's buzzing glory, I decided to have a holiday to good ol' Melbourne town. Everyone didn't think it was such a good idea to splurge on a holiday seeing that I wasn't really earning money, but I did. The traveller in me have always thought that it's essential to get away from the normal life every now and again just to gain a fresh new perspective. And so I went, one solid week and Melbourne has worked it's charms.

Alley ways and more alley ways of interesting art, glorious hole in a wall cafes with absolutely beautiful coffees and amazing food and inspirational design aesthetics from Degraves lave to Bourke st mall to Hardware lane just transports you to another world. It's exactly the kind of fresh air that I needed. It was incredibly good for the soul.

In my usual city exploring, I was mentally going through a journey as well... looking at different ways to achieve my dreams and my goals and to rise above the deep end of the pool. And as I walked through the Victorian inspired architectures of their galleries I stumbled upon an interesting sight that is, Koko Black. I ventured in to find a very french designed interior filled with damask feature walls and chefs moulding and demoulding chocolates by the window and warm smiles from the hosts. It was as if I had found my calling.

Chocolatier sprung to mind.

It was also in Koko Black that I found myself entranced in the most beautiful piece of choux that I have ever had in my life. 

A chocolate choux pastry filled with vanilla bean creme patissier and raspberry coulis.

And as soon as I got back from Sydney, I couldn't help but recreate the wonderful pastry myself!