Author Archives for Choc Chip Uru

About Choc Chip Uru

Hi all! I love to bake. Can't really explain it any more concisely! Let's get some facts right before you start reading 1. Savoury is not really my thing - sorry! 2. I am obsessed with chocolate And with that, welcome to 'Go Bake Yourself'

CCU Undercover: Izakaya Samurai Restaurant

CCU had been so busy of late, she had had no time to bake at all! Uni this, uni that, reading this, assignment that, honestly it felt like her Saturday nights were god sent!

One Saturday night, she decided enough was enough, so calling up two friends, she decided to whisk them down to Neutral Bay to enjoy a nice hearty Japanese dinner.

CCU and her friends certainly got a lot more than just hearty, delicious food…

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Before we even began our eating journey, I was completely out of the whole ‘driving to Neutral Bay’ thing, so we left a little extra early, arriving therefore half an hour early before our booking.

Oops 😛

Well.. no it really wasn’t an oops, because my mates and I (I have been requested to call them ‘Tofu Master’ and ‘Honorary Vegetarian’ – you shall see why… :P) trawled down the main road…

And we ended Mooberry for a little ‘dessert before dinner’ action 😉

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CCU Undercover: Cake, Bake & Sweets Show Part #2

And here I am again, following my first post about the Cake Bake & Sweets Show, with more food porn to share with you and lots more stories to tell. I did mention that there was a celebrity incoming no? 😉

Yes, that’s right, I managed to get a reasonably good seat to view a live demonstration by Eric Lanlard, off Baking Mad!!!

Part of the Lifestyle Food’s All-Star Theatre, he was there with the likes of Adriano Zumbo (who he happily ribbed throughout his baking due to his popularity!!), Duff Goldman and more!! Super charming, super French, super accented and an amazing baker, you can see why he was included in this A-list class of professional sweeties (if you know what I mean :D)

This was definitely the most popular area, as stars were continuously doing demonstrations here. There were people sitting, standing, recording, staring and everything else, as they mixed ganache like a pro! A large stage, a very fabulous presenter and a cheeky camera man definitely completed the atmosphere that built up there!

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CCU Undercover: Cake, Bake & Sweets Show Part #1

I am genuinely not even going to begin with my customary, third person introduction because you guys are about to be taken on a very long journey through the world of sweets.

I really suggest snuggling down, grabbing some savoury snacks, popcorn preferably, because I am about to take you on a candy roller coaster of sweet, sweet, and a little bit more sweet fun 😉 – if you didn’t have a cavity before, I assure you, you will after reading this post.

Consider that my only warning!

And remember… this is only part 1. Yes, I am rather thorough 😉

I think the best way to go about showing you all the wonderful world of the Cake Bake & Sweets Show, is to start riiiight from the beginning! Located at Sydney Olympic Park’s Showground Dome, it covered massive area, and the entire festival was located in a covered location, which was a great idea in case of weather!

Though we were lucky and had a sunny day anyway – doesn’t my mummy look pretty? I don’t think you have face-met her before 😀

We ambled over to the massive dome, and I got my press release (MEDIA ZOMG) badge, though I totally kept my cool, and may have kept flashing it “accidentally” at all the security people, because I felt super important. Then, by extension, it was really cool, my mum was also included as being media by extension, because she came as my guest! We both kept our lanyards, it will make good stories in the years to come! 😉

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CCU Undercover: Launch of Moutai, Australia + Giveaway!!! (Closed)

CCU was pondering on how to tell you guys, being in Australia, and being 18, that she had… you know… drunk alcohol. It seems like a touchy topic, she didn’t know why, after all, almost everyone drinks it.

But it made her feel like she had lost her childlike innocence. Despite openly loving tiramisu and Bailey’s chocolate mousse, she still felt it was different.

Suddenly, opportunity arose in the form of an invite to the launch OF an alcoholic drink. Now she could classily, hopefully, tell you guys that yes.. she had indeed tried alcohol… she just had to be tactful… like speak through third person… 😉

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My friend (let us call her Sis) and I were walking down Sussex St, wandering and wandering, trying to reach the location, when BAM! We were confronted by flowers, a bright red carpet and a distinct Asian theme in the air… though of course, we were basically in China Town 🙂

You see, we were there as I was generously invited to attend the launch of Moutai Australia (pronounced Mau-tie). This is indeed, as I very subtly hinted at the beginning of this post, an alcoholic beverage, but it is a highly prestigious one, being China’s national drink.

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Brother’s Throwback

There are a lot of universal questions out there, questions that I have learnt through psychology, that are actually unanswerable, as they cannot be empirically measured.

Why am I using smart language? Because I am sitting in the grass on a lawn at my university typing away, pretending I am doing actual big person stuff, when really, I am promoting food porn…

But back to those types of questions, the types that now, I feel like I am not allowed to ask in the presence of those who do psychology, such as ‘what is life?’ and ‘what is my purpose?’

They are too philosophical, too broad, too unmeasurable, and yet, we all wonder about them. Let me add to what appears to be, the never ending list of universal questions.

Is sticky date ‘pudding’ a pudding… OR A CAKE?!

I have been making this dessert (generic terms are best) for years, traditionally for my brother’s birthday so one special March day annually! And each time, while I cut it, spoon sauce all over it and serve a large scoop of vanilla ice cream next to it, I keep thinking… what am I serving?

What is it that I am feeding to people? How can I serve something and not know? What a conundrum…

But, this year, it was my brother’s 21st and it was about time I found out what was going on with his favourite dessert. Honestly, you want to know what I feel? It is SO a cake. I bake it, I cut it, it can be layered and filled with butterscotch buttercream (try that sometime!), otherwise it can be smothered in sauce. But at its foundation, it is a cake.

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CCU Undercover: High Tea w/ Peter Kuruvita @ Dilmah, Taste of Sydney

CCU opened the invite on her phone with shaking fingers, trying to figure out why anyone would possibly be hoping to contact her and be in association with SBS Food hero, Peter Kuruvita.

Scanning the message, she almost chucked her phone on the ground in a ‘touch down’ moment of happiness. But she didn’t. Instead, she sat down, and wrote a very calm reply while bubbling over with excitement, similarly to a newly opened bottle of champagne.

Finally, the day had come when, courtesy of Dilmah teas, she was going to have a high tea with Mr Kuruvita. Only she didn’t realise that high tea in this case, truly did mean high tea…

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I don’t really know where I should start with this post, because in the past two years, this is one of the most exciting events I have been lucky enough to experience!

But I will give it my best shot 😉 – hopefully you will learn to appreciate both tea, and the effort that goes into creating it, after I am done!

The Dilmah tent where I experienced my high tea was actually located in a massive complex of various foodie tents and stalls, set up with tasters, food gurus and chefs giving out free samples and wine tastings. Bustling with bloggers and media to food lovers from all around Sydney, this show is known as the Taste of Sydney, aptly enough 😀

Located in the beautiful Centennial Park near the city, it was set up right in the central fields, with large signage and obvious hype surrounding it. Surrounded by massive geese, tall trees and flower bushes, all these pavilions were set up in rows on the grass, with the box office to the front. Featuring stalls from over 15 restaurants, countless breweries and with free goodies all round, it is no wonder they made this an annual festival!

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Daddy’s Throwback & Winner Announced!

March 9, 2014
Choc Chip Uru
75 comments
birthday, fresh, lemon, lemon meringue pie, meringue, spring, tart

Last time I made a lemon meringue pie, I may as well have been wearing blogging diapers. It was a time of average photography, linking without a recipe and even then, not much change to said recipe.

I am so glad things are different now, without a doubt! 😀

As you can see 😉

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CCU Undercover: Yakiniku Koh-Ya Restaurant + Massive Giveaway!!! (Closed)

Ok, so before I begin writing about the *ahem* first AUTHENTIC Japanese barbecue restaurant in Sydney (yes, they are trusting normal civilians to play with fire and cook food), I have a massive announcement.

But before you get super excited, this applies only to Australian residents. (sorry international darlings of mine!)

There are times in life where you just want to see beauty unfold before your eyes. You want to see the colours come to life, the technique by which true art is created, and you want to sit back, relaxing in the talent.

On this one-off chance, you will also get to eat the art you see created!

Want to know, where, how and when? Well… In three weeks I am happy to announce that there is an incredible baking event being held, aptly named the

Cake, Bake & Sweets Show

From the 21st to the 23rd of March, Sydney Olympic Stadium will be filled not with sneakers and balls, but a range of whisks beating eggs, fondant being rolled out like red carpet and frosting painting the town red (or yellow, or green!) 😉

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CCU Undercover: Mooberry Dessert & Breakfast Bar

She felt like Pinocchio. It had been so long since CCU had stretched her legs and gone to her closet, looking past party dress, sweatpants and fat pants, for her trench coat.

She was all wooden, all rusty, and she could feel her skin scrape as if she had a million splinters stuck into her. “Just get past this’, she kept muttering to herself.

“Once you are into your reviewing, it will all come back to you…”

And it totally did. In the wonderful vicinity of a frozen yoghurt haven known as Mooberry…

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Ok so I think I have the best bunch of blogging mates around. One such being Tina, who is a year older than me, running an amazing blog called Food For Tina! Now this girl has tons of contacts, as she reviews basically every restaurant she eats at, and she has such a spunky personality, you can’t help but want to keep in touch 🙂

Now, Tina got an invite from a Fro-Yo bar called Mooberry, their most famous store being in Sydney’s hipster haven of Newtown, to come along to their launch for a new store opening in Neutral Bay.

This was so, no ordinary store. It promised three levels of absolute fro-yo mayhem, a catered dinner and, as you can probably tell, a full on red-carpetted event. Pretty darn awesome 😀
Now, Tina already had plans for that evening, so she asked me to take her place. I may have screamed a little when I got her email explaining all this, but I was all condolences and said, for the blogging world, I would go.

Of course. 😉

This launch sounded super promising. Catered by the likes of Sam Thai, and sponsored by big BIG brands such as Peroni, Patron and Porsche (yep… the car!!!), I had super high hopes for such an amaze balls store!

So there was, feeling overdressed slightly, dragging my brother in tow to meander through the Northern shore and reach the dessert bar. Though I promise you, as soon as I got there I felt fine. There was a mixed crowd, albeit mostly my age or a little older (in the cool age of 22, 23 and 25!) along with a range of other bloggers, professional photographers and random plus ones/owner friends.

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Belated Valentines Post

Yes, I am not so socially inept that I do not know that Valentines Day was actually last week. But if you truly love someone (or something in my case :P), then you know one week makes no difference right?

I would have made and posted these sooner, closer to the day of roses, velvet, love hearts and more, but the chocolates featured in this post weren’t delivered on time (delays happen) and then I was really busy and yadda, yadda, yadda (SEINFELD!) 😛

But what matters is that I am here now right?

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