Sweetness Patisserie

Sweetness The Patisserie

38 Oxford St

Epping

Ph : (02) 9869 3800

HOURS :
Mondays to Wednesdays, Fridays : 8.30am-5.30pm
Thursdays : 8.30am-8pm
Saturdays : 8am-5pm

After the disappointing lunch at nero across the road, it was only natural that I visit Epping's most famous food destination, Sweetness, a place whose wares I had only previously eaten when purchased at various  Sydney weekend markets, where I could be guaranteed of a happy gastronomic experience.

Taking pride of place in the shop is this diploma from La Fondation Le Cordon Bleu.

It's a rather pastel and pinkish type of place, with the cakes, slices and other sweetmeats attractively presented.

Even if you're at the counter you can't escape the temptation!

A peek into the kitchen.

A closer look....

One of the items for which Sweetness is known is their delicious marshmallows.

As is the case at their market stalls, there are some marshmallow samples for customers to try.

One of the features of the shop is the attractively displayed "Daily Menu", placed at the window and just asking to be photographed and eaten.

I wanted to buy one of everything.....

...but decided to exercise some self control by only having three items. The fourth (the raspberry macaron), was the sole choice of my friend.

ONE item?!?!

The meringues, at $3 each, were raspbery and pistachio, both filled with chocolate ganache.

I had high expectations of these, as I am partial to a macaron or two.

Tastewise it was good, but as you can tell, or some reason it was a little hollow. To my mind, one of the joys of macarons is their chewiness, so this was a bit of a disappointment. The raspberry one was similarly hollowed out.

However, this was more than compensated by the lemon meringe tart ($4).

The tart base was buttery, the lemon curd's tartness just right, and the meringue topping (unusually not browned), was light and just the right level of sweetness. The taste of the meringue and the fact that it was not browned were testament to its freshness.

Ah the Jam Cookie ($1.75). A small cookie that I regretted not having purchased more of! I can't describe how buttery and flaky the cookie was, and how fruity the jam was. There was nothing solidified about the dollop of jam. I don't know if it was added subsequent to the baking of the cookie itself, as opposed to before the cooking process, but however they bake it, it works!

[AP]

nero restaurant/ cafe/ bar

15 Oxford St

Epping

Ph : (02) 9869 4686

One lunchtime I went for what was me, a bit out of my usual loop, to visit a friend in Epping. He'd already had a lunch location in mind, and Italian restaurant that he'd been meaning to try but simply never gotten around to doing.  My august arrival provided him with a reason.

Covering two floors, this cafe/ restaurant is a pleasant space, the upper level with large windows and thus a lot of natural lighting.

I decided to go for lasagne ($15.90). There were meat and vegetarian options. Naturally, I went for the meat.

As soon as it arrived I regretted my choice. In eating it, my regret was reinforced. The portion had obviously been pre-cut (I subsequently saw a tray of them in the front takeaway cabinet. Had I seen these in the first instance, there is no way I'd have ordered this) and reheated in a way which made the edges hard and chewy.  Tastewise it was really quite forgettable an experience. 

My friend went for the "Pasta Meal Deal" ($12.50).  This consisted of Garlic or Herb Bread and the. pasta of the day

He shared half of this with me. Half was enough.

This is called Penne Epping. It was described as being a "mix of pesto and bolognaise".  My friend is obviously more adventurous than I, as he was not deterred by this description.  I didn't try it so I cannot speak from personal experience, but his reponse was something on the lines of "very ordinary". 

This was the Parmesan that was offered with our meals.

Taking a table shot (Stowa LE B-Uhr on left, unknown model Seiko on right) made me feel better.

After this, we went across the road to Sweetness : the Patisserie, which was a far more successful food visit.

I know that my experience was a very average one indeed, but I do commend them on their friendly (if occasionally forgetful) service. They were fairly busy, so perhaps some dishes are better than others.

[AP]