The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry | A Sydney Food Blog

Adriano Zumbo, The Star, Pyrmont

October 17th, 2011  |  Published in Uncategorized  |  9 Comments

Adriano Zumbo, The Star, Pyrmont

The thrill of a kid hopped up on sweets – that’s the feeling Adriano Zumbo wants to evoke in his new patisserie.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star, Pyrmont

This outlet, located at The Star, lives up to his sugar-powered hopes: the interior is one long headbuzz of fun. Step into this wonderland and you’d be convinced you could troubleshoot the world’s problems by simply eating macarons.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star, Pyrmont

The “in case of emergency, break glass” displays only reinforce this. To get to the rows of Cola, Blood Peach and Lime & Mint Mojito flavours though, crazy Thor-style hammer action isn’t necessary – just a non-violent unlatching of the door will do.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star, Pyrmont

The playful interior also includes a dessert train, which zips cakes and confections through the room on a conveyor belt – the only time traffic flow would inspire your sweet tooth.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star, Pyrmont

Printed across the walls, like lines of edible code, are confetti-bursts of macarons. This graphic reproduction of Zumbo’s flavours is inspired by the lickable wallpaper in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star, Pyrmont

Other Wonka-style magic includes the whimsically sloped roof and the bubbles decorating the wash area. Licorice-allstripe colours wind along the edge of the dessert train table like ribbons being unspooled.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star, Pyrmont

Adding to the child-like fun is a ‘Ferris Wheel’ of boots and the shoe-wearing bathtub filled with chocolate – both references to the board game Mousetrap.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star, Pyrmont

These imaginative flourishes were all carried out by Luchetti Krelle, the award-winning Sydney interiors firm that also created the look of the David Chang restaurant across the hallway (from the limited glimpse available, it seems to be Zumbo’s very design opposite: sleek, minimal and dark).

Adriano Zumbo at The Star, Pyrmont

The patisserie’s picturebook-like appearance means it’ll probably be the most-photographed eatery in Sydney – but this element alone isn’t what drives the Zumbo pilgrims. It’s the outlandish and inventive sweets that compel the crowds and the offerings available here only underscore this.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star, Pyrmont

There’s the Lemon Carpet Crush, a citrus tastebud-jumpstarter of lemon crush “liquid”, jelly, cake and lime marshmallow and the Water My Melons which eerily reproduces watermelon with fruit, yogurt and chocolate. Lychee gel, coconut crunch and bubble tea custard are a few of the intriguing ingredients making cameos throughout the menu. The Berry Handbag, sadly, is for display only.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star, Pyrmont

In terms of macarons, the “emergency”-saving flavours that left me buzzing most were the Thai-flavoured Coconut, Green Chilli & Lavender, Cola and Watermelon & Orange. The Caramelised Pumpkin Seed might be nicer reincarnated in a bread loaf, though.

Adriano Zumbo, The Star, Pyrmont

With an adventure-driven menu, the odd misfire isn’t surprising – but that kind of wildcard gamble still appeals to me more than a safer, one-size-fits-all approach to pleasing crowds. With this new location, Adriano Zumbo still casts spells through sugar. I’m pretty sure the “glass-breaking” macaron displays will end up collecting a few noseprints from overeager kids. And there are worse things in life than watching a series of Zumbo desserts tailgate each other on a conveyor belt, each yours for the choosing.

Adriano Zumbo at The Star, Pyrmont

Adriano Zumbo, Level G, Café Court, The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont NSW adrianozumbo.com

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9 Comments

  1. To be honest I don’t find Zumbo’s desserts to be the best in Sydney but I do admire his creativity. Great displays!

  2. I agree with lateraleating. I guess we all do eat with our eyes!

  3. Tee hee, much fun. I think the Coconut, Green Chilli & Lavender maaron is the favourite of many

  4. second hand says:

    Wow what a sensational display, thats amazing, I love the Zumbo, his smile is as sweet as his cakes.

  5. tori says:

    I love the sound of tailgating desserts. Brilliant description. Can’t wait to get back and check out all the new options at the Star…

  6. betty says:

    wow i def want to go check this place out!

  7. Happened to walk by it last week with the kids I was lucky to get out of the place, talk about a kid in a sweet shop….kids in a pastry shop are even worse so much to choose from

  8. wow the decor is so bizarre! i love it!! really cool with the dessert train, still haven’t been to the star yet ><

  9. flickyourfood.com says:

    I can’t believe no one has thought of a dessert train sooner.
    This place is genious, if your not really a sweet tooth you still would check this place out to re-live your childhood!
    Brilliant photos!

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Hi, I'm Lee Tran Lam. When not blogging with my mouth full, I'm usually writing, presenting Local Fidelity on FBi radio, making zines, producing podcasts or continually breaking promises about how I really am gonna get through my book pile one day.

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This is a blog about eating and drinking in Sydney, Australia (with the odd cross-border or off-topic detour). BYO appetite.

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