Dessert Story - Adelaide, South Australia

After falling in love with Meet Fresh in Sydney, we were thrilled when we first found Dessert Story in Melbourne's Chinatown. We loved the Melbourne location so much that we kept going back so we couldn't believe our eyes when the first Adelaide location opened several months ago on Gouger Street. First Breadtop came to Adelaide, then Mother's Crepe, now this! Life is good.



As you walk in, the glow of the orange lanterns welcomes you before the sheer size of the menu overwhelms you. There's certainly no lack of choices with Taiwanese and Hong Kong style desserts as well as drinks on offer. The vast majority of the menu is priced around $6-$8, which makes for a very reasonably priced dessert.



The gigantic menu can be broken down into the following:

Taiwanese Desserts (in black bowl/plate) - 

Taro, Herbal Jelly, Black Glutinous Rice, Puddings, Tofu Puddings, Snow Ice and Crushed Ice.

Hong Kong Desserts (in orange bowl) - 

Sago or Black Pearl Soup, Tofu Pudding, Black Glutinous Rice, Grass Jelly, Ice Cream.

Fruit Smoothies (in clear plastic cup) - 

Drinks with some choices containing predefined ingredients or you can build your own combinations.

Choose your category, then choose the specific item number. It's best to order by number rather than name because the names are very similar. You may be asked if you'd like your dessert hot or cold. I generally go with cold because I like to eat the ice. If you choose hot it will come in a warm soup. After ordering at the counter, you'll be given a number on a little stand. Staff will compile the ingredients, find your number and deliver the order to your table.

I'm not a fan of the Herbal Jelly or the Grass Jelly. I think they must be an acquired taste in a similar way to Vegemite. I've tried most of the other categories and my pick of the entire menu is #15 - Taro Balls with Honey Bean, Coconut Jelly, Pearls ($6.80). I love the different textures and flavours. This one is quite filling as well so can be shared between two people if you're not overly hungry.



The fruit smoothies are fun too, especially if you enjoy different textures in your drinks like pearls, jellies or fruit. Here's one of the set options: Mango Coconut drink ($5.90).



It's also important to note that the ice shaving machine is a penguin. This is awesome because he's cute (see red bow tie), appropriate (penguins and ice go together), and useful (he shaves ice for the cold desserts).

I strongly believe that the negative reviews online are mostly due to the fact that people in Adelaide have no idea what to order. This is completely understandable as we've never had this kind of dessert shop in Adelaide before. It takes a bit of patience and adventure to navigate the myriad of choices, but it's well worth the effort. Dessert Story in Adelaide is one of my favourite stops for sweets because their desserts are different, affordable, and fun.

Muratti Cakes & Gateaux - Adelaide, South Australia

Muratti Cakes has been an Adelaide favourite since it first opened back in 1990. If you're near Prospect Road at Prospect, it's definitely worth stopping in for European style cakes, coffees & biscuits.



The display case is full of biscuits, macarons, gateaux, cakes, tarts, crumbles and more. It's torture trying to decide between so many sweet temptations. If you want to share with friends and family, go for one of the full sized cakes on the bottom shelf. You're sure to find the perfect choice among the range of sizes, prices and flavours on offer. There's definitely something for everyone.



Or if you're like me and can't pick just one, go for a sampling of smaller individual cakes instead. The Blueberry Cheesecake ($4.90, top right in photo below) is my favourite for its dense, smooth, and creamy richness. Darren's favourite is the Mille Feuilles, which means "thousand sheets" ($5.20 - bottom left in photo below). It's an awesome French version of a vanilla slice made up of three layers of pastry with creme patissiere between. Also pictured is the Chocolate Blackberry ($6.80 - top left) and the Vanilla Bean ($6.80 - bottom right).



Another of our samplings of individual cakes consisted of (clockwise from center): Citron Flan ($4.80), French Cherry ($6.80), Blueberry Cheesecake ($4.90), Muratelli ($6.80), and Berry Apple ($6.80). Each cake is perfectly executed and definitely worth the calories.



We usually order our cakes to go, but I hear the coffee is worth staying for. If you don't have room for cake, you can always go with one of the various biscuits instead. Apparently the quality and selection of Muratti biscuits are admired almost as much as their cakes.

Cocolat - Adelaide, South Australia

If you haven't been to Cocolat on Rundle Street before, you must try their award winning gelato. If you love Ferrero Rocher, go for the Cocolat Rocher gelato, which was named Champion in the 2011 Australia Grand Dairy Awards and claimed Gold in the 2010 South Australia Dairy Awards. The full list of flavours is available on their website. The shop has an adequate number of tables, but it usually gets quite busy after 7pm so it's best to arrive early if you want to avoid the crowds.



When it comes to blocks of chocolate, one of my favourites would have to be Cadbury's Top Deck - milk chocolate with creamy white chocolate on top. I had never experienced a block of Top Deck chocolate before coming to Australia and I fell in love with the stuff at first square. At Cocolat, you can order your Top Deck in liquid form as a hot chocolate. The Cocolat hot chocolates are generally quite milky, but I enjoy the combination of the white chocolate and milk chocolate flavours in the Top Deck so it's my pick from the drinks menu.



In terms of desserts, you have an entire display case to choose from full of cakes, muffins, cupcakes, and handmade chocolate truffles. If you can't decide, I strongly recommend the Peanut Butter Brownie for only $5.50. It's a dense peanut buttery base with a fluffy chocolate top. If you love Reese's and/or peanut butter with chocolate, you're going to love this one. It comes with some melted swirled chocolate and whipped cream on the plate, but a cup of creamy French Vanilla gelato (winner of Gold in the 2010 South Australia Dairy Awards) compliments the brownie perfectly!

Steven ter Horst Chocolatier - Adelaide, South Australia

Steven ter Horst Chocolatier can be found nestled among the shops on Unley Road, Unley. It's open 6 days a week, closed Mondays.



Steven ter Horst clearly has a great deal of love and respect for chocolate and his shop is filled with proof that he has done his chocolate homework. The small and beautifully decorative chocolates in the glass case are perfect for boxing up as a gift or to take home for later.



Chocolate also comes in liquid form at Steven ter Horst and I love this stuff. It's very concentrated and full flavoured. It's like a dark chocolate, but without the bitterness. I don't know how he does it. For those who don't want to drink their chocolate, there are plenty of coffee and tea options as well as house made sparkling lemonade, orange or ginger drinks. Definitely something for everyone.



The desserts are all spectacular and most of them contain that ridiculously good chocolate. The options do change, but it's hard to go wrong here.



Try the Chocolate Cloud ($8.50) to ensure that you experience Steven's chocolate in its full glory.



The Chocolate Cloud is chocolate mousse, vanilla cream and crunchy cocoa nib disc over a flourless chocolate sponge. It's beautifully light and deliciously rich at the same time.



The Salted Caramel Truffle Tart ($6.50) is another winner as it achieves that delicate balance between salty and sweet. Underneath the decadent chocolate is the perfect compliment of gooey salted caramel.



Not to be forgotten is the Chocolate Truffle Tart ($8.50). This one is luscious dark chocolate truffle ganache over a base of crunchy hazelnut praline, served with berry coulis. This one also comes in a round 20cm tart ($30) for those of you with guests or a large chocolate loving family.



There's even an option for citrus lovers called Lemon Lust ($8.50). It's made of a lemon mousse dome with a praline cream centre and cocoa sponge. The lemon is the star here, with the chocolate playing a supporting role.



It's difficult to leave Steven ter Horst Chocolatier without a smile on your face, a bounce in your step, and of course some more of that chocolate to take home for later. Chocolate aficionados, this place is definitely worth your visits.

Update 20 November 2013:
The Unley location is now closed and Steven ter Horst Chocolatier can be found at 256 Rundle Street in the Adelaide CBD! They're open 7 days 10am-late.

La Belle Miette - Melbourne, Victoria

We made a quick macaron stop in Hardware Lane in Melbourne and it was one of the highlights of our trip.



La Belle Miette means "beautiful crumb" in French and this patisserie definitely lives up to its name. We were greeted just after opening by a full case of macarons.



All the beautiful colours and flavours were slightly overwhelming when it came to choosing our assortment.



We ended up with a 6 pack containing: 72% Cocoa Single Origin Chocolate (Venezuela), Caramel a la Fleur de Sel, Raspberry, Violet & Blueberry, Cherry Blossom & Sake, and Strawberry & Vanilla.



Each macaron was perfect in its size, flavour, colour and texture. Buy as many as you can, people! Sydney may have Zumbo, but Melbourne has La Belle Miette.

Kenton Valley Cherries - Kenton Valley, South Australia

Cherries are synonymous with the holidays in South Australia. If you're in the Adelaide area in December or January, you should have no trouble tracking down some awesome local cherries nearby in the Adelaide Hills. Check out the Cherry Growers Association of South Australia website for the latest Cherry Map for all of the options.

One of our favourite stops is Kenton Valley Cherries (open in Dec & Jan), signposted off the Gumeracha-Lobethal Road. Not only can you purchase fresh cherries here, but you can also sit down for a cup of tea or coffee and some delicious homemade cherry desserts as well!



First things first - The cherries! On our latest visit, we selected a 1kg bag of Seconds Cherries ($6) and 1kg box of 26cm Cherries ($10). They also had 1kg boxes of First Grade 28cm Cherries for $14. The Seconds bag has a mixture of cherry sizes (including the gigantic 28cm ones), some of which have imperfections or are missing their stems. If you want pretty looking cherries, go for one of the boxes, but if you're on a budget and don't mind a few splits in your cherries, the Seconds bag is excellent value. Seconds also come in a 5kg box and First Grade Cherries also come in 2kg or 5kg boxes.



While the cherries are the main attraction, you can't come to Kenton Valley Cherries without getting at least one Cherry Slice ($4). In my experience, this is an absolute winner every time. It's served warm with delicious whipped cream and a cherry on top. Divine!!



Other options on the Menu include Cherry muffins, crepes, scones, pie, crumble, ice cream and milkshakes.



To go with your cherry dessert, you can choose from the drinks menu which includes a nice selection of tea and coffee choices.



Shed Doors are always fun to visit and Kenton Valley Cherries has made theirs even better by offering a cute cherry themed cafe as well.

Mother's Crepe - Adelaide, South Australia

Little old Adelaide seems to be coming of age. We have our first Mother's Crepe location! Other Mother's Crepe locations can be found in Japan, USA, Canada, Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Amazingly, the only other Australian locations are in Sydney, Parramatta, and Chatswood in New South Wales. They came to Adelaide before Melbourne or Brisbane. I can't believe it!



As you can see in the photo above, the Grote Street location is a semi-shared space with Chatime, who specialise in bubble teas. Mother's specialises in crepes. In fact they have 135 different crepe options on the menu. It's a good idea to include the crepe's menu number when ordering since many of the names are very similar. Check out the plastic displays (pictured below), the full menu located just past the counter, or the tv screens near the cash register to attempt to make the difficult decision of what to order.



There is ample colourful seating, shared with Chatime. The booths look to be especially nice.



On our first visit, we ordered one of the Premium Hot Chocolate Crepes - #108 Strawberry, Custard & Bitter Chocolate ($5.50). We received a receipt with the Order Number listed at the top. While we waited for our number to be called, we watched the staff build their magical crepe creations.



They claim that they only use Free Range Eggs, their whipped cream is vegetable based (50% less fat), and their crepe mix contains oat bran. We've only had one crepe so far from Mother's but I have to say it was fantastic! Our "bitter chocolate" was melted dark chocolate. They say that they use Hershey's chocolate and Nutella. The chocolate completely overpowered the custard, but it was OH.EM.GEE amazing with the strawberries. A definite winner! The prices here range from $4 to $7 for a crepe, which is much more reasonable than The Crepe's Story in Rundle Mall where a crepe costs about $7 to $9. Mother's Crepe also sell some non-crepe desserts which were much more expensive (about $12 to $15) but crepes are obviously their specialty. If you try Mother's, let me know which crepe is your favourite!

Update 17 Dec 2011:
We've revisited Mother's Crepe a few more times and have found that we really like the vanilla soft ice cream. We also tried the green tea soft ice cream which is nice too but the vanilla is the winner between the two. There are only about 6 ice cream crepes on the menu that come with the soft ice cream but I am pretty sure you could request it to be added to any of the other cold crepes as well. Here's #34 Caramel Strawberry Cheesecake Soft Ice Cream ($6.80):


Front & Back views

Update May 2012:
Sadly, Mother's Crepe no longer offers soft ice cream in their crepes. You can still get normal ice cream in your crepe, but I miss the soft ice cream. :(

The Crepe's Story [CLOSED] - Adelaide, South Australia

Adelaide has an exciting new crepe place in Rundle Mall. It's called "The Crepe's Story" and it's a one of a kind, having no connection to similar crepe places you may have seen in Melbourne or Sydney. With its bright pink decor, it is pretty hard to miss if you're walking down the King William end of Rundle Mall.



A closer look at the display case reveals plenty of choices for fillings. Everything from strawberries, cheesecake, mango, bananas, nutella, Hershey's chocolate syrup, apples, peaches, and so on. Crepe prices range from about $7 to $9 depending on your choice of fillings and whether you want cream or ice cream. Ice cream generally costs about 50 cents extra.



They even have some savory options such as Chicken Teriyaki, Ham Cheese, Seafood Mix, Chicken Salad, and Chicken Curry (pictured bottom left). I haven't had any of the savoury options yet so you'll have to let me know what you think if you try one.



If you're on a budget like me or you can't decide which crepe to try, you are in luck. They have a daily special written on the board above the glass display case. The price is usually about $5.50 for the daily special with ice cream. My favourite so far has been the Kiwi Fruit with ice cream. Once you've ordered, you can watch the girls in pink make your crepe and wrap it into a cone.



Here's the finished product (this is Mandarin Ice Cream). To eat it, just tear the wrapper out of your way and dig in!



It's great to have a place in Adelaide that specialises in crepes. I think their prices are a dollar or two more than they should be, but the special of the day is a definite winner. If you can't make it to Healthy Sweet in the Central Markets Food Court (better value), The Crepe's Story is a delicious alternative with plenty of options.