Starbucks Frappuccinos

Update Review, 2017-2018 Visits

I often use my Starbucks rewards as an opportunity to make ridiculous drinks.  I wouldn't ever normally buy these things, but, it always seems like a "waste" to use my reward for something more simple, even if that is a single-origin Clover brewed coffee that I really enjoy.  Nope, I always go big.

I've been on a quest to perfect some kind of Frappuccino that is basically a milkshake.  I'm nearly there, but really, I should just go elsewhere for a milkshake, and use my rewards at my new discovery: Starbucks Reserve (more on this soon).

Custom "Mint Chocolate Chip" Drink v2.  $7.95.

"Venti White Chocolate Mocha Crème Frappuccino®  with 1 Pump White Chocolate Mocha + 2 Pumps SF Peppermint + 2 Pumps SF Vanilla + 6 Scoops Frappuccino Chips + Decaf Espresso Chocolate Whipped Cream + Decaf Espresso Chocolate Drizzle + Cascara Topping.  Soy. "

My idea for this drink was a mint chocolate chip milkshake, which I had tried to do before.  That time, I used the Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino as the base which was fine, but this time I opted for the White Chocolate Mocha as the base just to try something different.  I was worried about it being too sweet though, particularly since I was adding other flavor syrups, so I knocked it down from the standard 4 pumps to 1.  I think the white chocolate sauce added a nice sweetness, although it might have been lost in the other flavors.

For the flavors, I added 2 pumps each of peppermint and vanilla.  A regular recipe calls for 4 pumps of syrups/sauce for a venti, so actually, I wound up with 5 pumps (4 pumps of these syrups plus a pump of the mocha sauce), which was likely sweeter than normal.  Since I also opted for soy milk, and Starbucks always uses vanilla soy milk, I think the vanilla here was unnecessary, although luckily I didn't find it too sweet.  I really liked the minty flavor, so I'd certainly keep that at 2 pumps, or even consider increasing to 3 if I wanted to eliminate any other extra syrups.

For the blending options, I added chips, and I went a bit crazy.  The regular recipe calls for 4 scoops, and, since I remembered loving the chips so much in the past, I upped my order to 6 scoops.  The result was tons and tons of chips well blended in.  Every single sip had tons of chips, making it more like a mint cookies n' cream than mint chocolate chip.  I liked it, but, this was a bit much.  Back down to 4 scoops next time.  As always, it was perfectly blended, the chips and ice very homogenous.

So, my base frappuccino was fairly successful - minty, not too sweet, well blended, lots of chips.  I have some tweaks I would make, but, otherwise, this was very good, and really did taste like the milkshake I was aiming for.

The toppings are also where I got a bit crazy.  I visited near Valentine's Day, when Starbucks was offering a limited time Frappuccino that had decaf espresso chocolate whipped cream and drizzle on top, and those just sounded too fun to pass up, so I added them.  I also wanted some crunch, so I added the sweet cascara topping (I did actually order two other toppings, Dark Chocolate Curls and Praline, but they were out, which is probably fine, given how ridiculous this drink was anyway).

The whipped cream was actually really good.  I normally find Starbucks whipped cream pretty boring, but the chocolate and decaf espresso really amped this up.  Fluffy mocha whip!  I did regret the decision to add the matching sauce though, it was a very strong chocolate and coffee flavor, and detracted from my minty goodness, since it ran down the sides of the cup.  I didn't really notice the cascara topping.

A regular Venti White Chocolate Mocha Crème Frappuccino is $5.25.  My swap to soy milk added $0.60, as did the drizzle, the frappuccino chips, syrups, and extra topping each added another $0.50, making this a $7.95 beverage.

Custom Creation: Toasted Coconut Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino, Tall. $4.85.

"Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino® Blended Crème, 1 Scoop Vanilla Bean, 1 Pump Toasted Coconut Syrup, 2 scoops Frappuccino® Chips, Soy Milk, Marshmallow Whip. "

Yeah, I was one of those customers, who really decided to go crazy making her own amazing Frappuccino creation. To be fair, this wasn't THAT crazy ...

I started with the Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino as a base, so it had the standard Crème Frappuccino Syrup and vanilla bean powder. Both the vanilla bean, and the white chocolate crème work well as a base, but I figured this would be a better match for my planned creation, with the vanilla rather than just the sweetness from the white chocolate. I knocked it down to a single scoop of vanilla bean powder (regular recipe is 2 scoops), since I was adding other mix-ins, and wanted to keep the sweetness in check. This was a good move I think, but it did mean the vanilla bean was very mild. I probably would have appreciated more vanilla flavor, just, not the sweetness that comes wiht it.

As always, I added the Frappuccino® chips, since I love the texture they add. I let this be the standard recipe of 2 scoops, not getting carried away as I had in the past of adding in even more. I appreciated these little bits as always, they were well integrated and chopped up, and made it almost cookies-n-cream like.

My only other real addition was toasted coconut syrup as a flavor, rather than the peppermint I've tried the last few times. I was just up for trying something different, and on the hot day, an island theme seemed appropriate. I kept it at a single pump, again, trying to control the sweetness, but the result was again kinda subtle. The coconut was nice when I tasted it, but, it just wasn't strong enough.

My other modifiers were using soy milk (since I prefer the flavor) and topping it with marshmallow whipped cream rather than plain (because its tastier, sweet, deliciousness). I didn't ask for any extra toppings or anything. See, reasonable.

Overall, this was only ok. The coconut wasn't strong enough, and it did have just a kinda strange flavor to it, perhaps from the vanilla bean? It was also still sweeter than I wanted. And it wasn't very well blended, it separated a lot, resulting in a very watery beverage. Maybe I need to leave out the vanilla bean entirely, and just add the normal amount of coconut syrup?

Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino, Soy, 1 Pump Cinnamon Dolce, with Whip, Grande.

"This rich and creamy blend of vanilla bean, milk and ice topped with whipped cream takes va-va-vanilla flavor to another level."

Well, I made a fatal ordering error.  I forgot to adjust the sweetness of my Frappuccino.

I should have done this for 3 reasons: 1) use of soy milk, as Starbucks uses a sweetened vanilla soy milk, making any soy milk based frappuccino sweeter than a dairy milk counterpart, so I normally would reduce the classic syrup due to this, 2) the addition of a pump of cinnamon dolce syrup to make it cinnamon flavored, again, I’d normally reduce the amount of classic syrup, and 3) the fact that their base recipe for a vanilla bean cream frappucino is sweeter than I really like, and, well, I usually reduce.  I did none of these things.

So this was standard full sweet, plus extra sweet from soy, and extra syrup.  Oops!  It really was just way too sweet.

I think this could be good though, as the vanilla bean and cinnamon flavors worked together well, it was well made and nicely blended.

Update Review, October 2015

If you didn't read my original Starbucks frappucino review, I suggest you start there, and then return to this update, since I'm skipping the background this time around.  See "Original Review, September 2013" below.

I'm a member of the Starbucks reward program, and every year, for my birthday, I get a birthday reward, valid for a free food or drink item.  You also get one every so many "stars" you earn.  The reward is basically any food or drink item, with as many modifications as you like.  You know me and freebies, I can't resist maximizing my value.  So, when my birthday roles around, I don't just get a small cup of coffee, or a $3 baked good.  Nope, I go for a ridiculously large drink, with as many modifications as I want.

(There are people who take this to much more of an extreme than me, and create beverages that are like $30, whereas mine tend to fall in the ~$7 range, since far more than I'd ever spend on a Starbucks beverage normally ...)

Custom "Mint Chocolate Chip" Drink: Venti Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino® Blended Crème + 3 Pumps Peppermint + Java Chips + Mocha Drizzle, Soy, Light Whip.  $6.65. 

I finally earned enough stars to get a free drink!  I decided to go all out.  I haven't ever loved frappuccinos before, but it was a hot day, and a milk shake sounded amazing.  Maybe, just maybe, I could craft a frappuccino into a milkshake?  (This has been my never ending quest, as you may recall from when I tried to use heavy cream rather than milk in a frappuccino before, to maximize the milkshaky-ness).

It was late afternoon, and I also didn't want caffeine.  I could have gone for decaf, but I didn't really want coffee flavor anyway, I was trying to just make a milkshake after all.  I decided to craft my creation from the "creme" base, rather than a coffee base.

I used the Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino® Blended Crème as my starting point, described as "a rich and creamy blend of vanilla bean, milk and ice. Topped with whipped cream."

This gave me a base recipe of 4 pumps cream base, 4 Scoops Vanilla Bean Powder, and ice, plus the soy milk I swapped in for the regular milk, since I love the flavor of soy.  Of course, Starbucks uses sweetened vanilla soy milk for all soy drinks.

Basically, a blank canvas to turn into the creation I wanted, albeit a sweet one.  At this point, just this base recipe includes 74g of sugar (plus 470 calories and 14 grams of fat).  I was creating a milkshake after all, I didn't expect it to be remotely healthy, but wow that is a lot of sugar.

I decided I wanted to try to create a mint chocolate chip shake.  Mint sounded perfectly refreshing.  So, addition #1: 3 pumps of peppermint syrup.  I recalled that 4 pumps is standard for syrups, and knew I'd likely want it slightly less sweet, so I reduced down to 3.  (+15 grams sugar, 60 calories).

Next, I needed the chips.  I didn't specify how many, just asked for the java chips.  For a Venti, this seems to mean 4 scoops.  (+90 calories, 4 grams fat, 9 grams sugar).  I've never had chips in a frappuccino before, but, I thought they'd add a great texture, and, just a tiny bit of chocolate.

Finally, I asked for just a little mocha drizzle on top.  I just wanted it for decoration.  I was thus very shocked when I got the end result, clearly loaded up with mocha sauce.  There was the expected drizzle on top, but also, tons in the cup itself.  I didn't actually want this to be chocolately!  I think this means I got the standard 2 pumps of mocha sauce for a Venti? (+ 60 cal, 8 grams sugar).

I opted for light whip, because I never actually like their whipped cream much, but I want a little extra creaminess.

Another way to think of this drink is the Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino® Blended Crème + Vanilla Bean Powder + 3 Pumps Peppermint Syrup, Soy, Light Whip, since, that is what I ended up getting.

When I saw how chocolately this was, I briefly considered saying something.  I didn't ask for mocha sauce inside.  I asked for a drizzle on top.  I didn't want a chocolately drink.  But ... I didn't really feel like bothering the barista.  This was clearly the fault of the person who took my order, not the barista.

I took an initial sip. Wow, sweet.  So sweet.  The frappuccino creme base is sweetened, the soy milk is sweetened, the peppermint syrup is pure sugar, the mocha sauce is sweetened, even the vanilla powder to make the vanilla bean component is sweet.  So. Much. Sweet.

Once I got over the sweet overload, I was able to appreciate the drink.  It really was nearly what I wanted.  Too much chocolate, for sure.  I clearly didn't want that.  But I liked the mintyness, and I absolutely loved the chips.  I can't believe I've never had them in a frappuccino before.  It was perfectly blended, although it separated a bit more than I expected.  The light whip was actually perfect, I was able to mix a little in, but I didn't have to deal with lots of mediocre whipped cream.

To improve this, I'd obviously leave out the mocha sauce that I didn't want to begin with.  I might even leave out the vanilla bean powder, I'm not sure it added anything, and certainly contributed a lot of sweet.  So maybe just creme base, peppermint, and chips?  If I wanted some caffeine, I'd also love to throw the chips into a matcha frappuccino.

As you may have noticed, my "drink" was massive; a Venti is a full 24 ounces.  Sure, some of that is ice, but, it is still ridiculously large.  My creation likely clocked in around 700 calories, 110 grams of sugar, and 20 grams of fat.  No human should get one of these on a regular basis.  I'll be honest, I actually finished almost the entire thing, and I felt ill after.  I was hopped up on sugar, in a way that made me quite uncomfortable.  It actually makes me a bit sick that Starbucks even offers a 24 ounce size like this, but, well, it is what America wants.

The final price was $6.80, with each addition racking up $0.60 each (soy milk, peppermint, chips, drizzle).  Sure, an extravagant one, but people have certainly created far more expensive ones than this.  I wasn't really trying to create the highest price, I really wanted to make something I'd want.  Any why not make it humongous?

Venti Crème Frappuccino®, Skim Milk, 1 Pump Toffee Nut, Java Chips, Light Marshmallow Whipped Cream.

Another year, another birthday reward.  This came just several weeks after my last reward creation.  It was a crazy hot day, and I wanted something like a milkshake, so it was time to try my hand at crafting another frappuccino.

I had many ideas in mind, but I was mostly inspired by my last creation of the minty vanilla bean  cream frappuccino with chips blended in.  I knew that I wanted chips blended in again, that much was clear.  I loved the texture they added.  And I knew I wanted the cream base, not a coffee base.

I almost decided to just perfect that one, taking my own advice to leave out the mocha sauce.  I also strongly considered trying the cinnamon dolce syrup instead of peppermint, as folks say it tastes sorta like cookie dough or a cinnamon roll, particularly if you add white mocha sauce.  A cookie dough frappuccino sounded pretty awesome.

But in the end, I opted for Toffee Nut as my syrup of choice.  Now, I've never had the toffee nut before.  But I've always wondered what it tastes like, so, no time like the present, right?  I reduced the syrup amount down to 1 pump rather than 2, because these drinks always just wind up crazy sweet, and I knew the cream base was already plenty sugary.  I also opted for skim milk rather than soy, because they use sweetened vanilla soy milk, and although I love the flavor of soy milk, it always makes these already sweet drinks just way too sweet.  And finally, instead of the regular, totally boring whipped cream, I opted for the fancy new marshmallow whipped cream crafted specially for the S'mores Frappuccino.

So, how was it?

It was ... decent.  As always, very nicely blended, no bits of ice remaining.  I again really loved the chips.

So far, so good.

It was plenty sweet, almost too sweet, even with regular milk and single pump of syrup.  The toffee nut flavor was pretty good, sorta nutty, sweet.  A single pump wasn't enough to really give it tons of flavor, but I'm certain that two pumps would have pushed it far over the sweet threshold for me.  So that was all fine, but I wouldn't opt for it again.

The marshmallow whipped cream was a winner.  It was fluffier, sweeter, just more interesting than standard whipped cream, and definitely the right choice.

I'm glad I tried this, and I did manage to consume the entire ridiculous thing, but it is back to the drawing board for me.  This much is clear though: Always blend in chips.  Always use the marshmallow whipped cream (and light amount is plenty).  Skim milk works fine and is less sweet than soy, so, not a bad option.

Original Review, September 2013

I've reviewed Starbucks a few times (most recently, I featured a bunch of their seasonal or new offerings), but since then, I've of course continued to try more drinks, mostly Frappuccinos.

The recent San Francisco summer weather inspired me to try the infamous Frappuccino.  I had never had a Frappuccino before, but I feel like it is impossible to walk down the street, even when it is crazy cold, and not see at least a few people happily guzzling them down.  Since I don't like the flavor of Starbucks coffee in the first place, I stuck mostly with the non-coffee ones.  I didn't really like them, and just don't see why people are so obsessed.  My issue is that they just aren't as good as milkshakes.  I don't see why I'd pick one instead of the real deal.  This isn't Starbuck's specific, I feel the same way about the Peet's freddos.  If I want a blendy milky icy beverage, I want a real milkshake!

[ Not Pictured ]

Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino

"Coffee blended with flavored peppermint syrup, rich mocha sauce, milk and ice. Topped with sweetened whipped cream and dark chocolate curls."

This was my first ever Frappuccino.  The image on the Starbucks sign looked so good it inspired me to finally try one.

It was sorta satisfying on a hot day, but what I enjoyed was the whipped cream and chocolate on top, and it would have been far better if it was just the chocolate milkshake it was pretending to be.

Tall Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino, made with heavy cream,  Dark Caramel Sauce, Caramel Drizzle, and Caramel Cookie Crunch. $1.48.

As I said, I'm amongst the small percentage of the population who isn't obsessed with Frappuccinos.  In fact, I'd only had the one before, and I thought it was ok, but wished it was a milkshake.

But, to start off the summer, Starbucks declared "Frappuccino Happy Hour", every day, from 3-5pm; all Frappuccinos were 50% off!  Their promotion worked on me, and on a hot afternoon, I ventured in.  I knew I didn't want caffeine, and that I don't really like the taste of their decaf, so I looked at the menu for non-caffeinated options.  There were only two listed, vanilla bean or strawberry, neither of which sounded all that interesting (sidenote: I went online later and discovered that they make a zillion more, but all are basically the same base just with any of their syrups mixed in).

Anyway, even though I've gotten horrible recommendations from Starbucks cashiers before, I asked my cashier which she'd pick.  Without missing a beat, she flipped a sign around.  "I'm so glad you asked!!!" she exclaimed.  "I would recommend this!  It is my custom creation!"  She described it as the Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino, but with all the great new ingredients from their newest Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino mixed in, and, the icing on the cake, made with heavy cream instead of milk to make it more like a milkshake.  "I promise it is sooo good!  You'd never know it wasn't a real milkshake!"  Given that my biggest complaint about Frappucinos, Freddos, and the like is that I always wish they were milkshakes instead, I went with her recommendation, against my better judgement.

The barista making the drink was equally excited.  "She got you to order this!!!", she gleefully exclaimed as she began preparing it.  At one point, she stopped and started to ask if I wanted the whipped cream on top.  "Hahaha, of course you want the whipped cream, you just got a drink made with heavy cream instead of milk!"  Oh boy, what was I in for?

The drink featured most of the elements from their new Caramel Ribbon Crunch drink, the only missing pieces were the caramel syrup and the coffee base.  In place of the coffee base was was the Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino base.  And instead of milk, it was made with the heavy cream.  It also had the new caramel cookie crunch mixed into the base.  The new dark caramel sauce was swirled all around the outer edge.   And finally, it was topped with standard whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and more of the caramel cookie crunch.

It certainly was different from other Frappuccinos, and in fact, her claim that it was basically a milkshake was pretty true.  At the end of the day, heavy cream + very blended ice is a pretty good approximation for ice cream.  It was rich and creamy, and very well blended.

The flavor wasn't awesome, I didn't really taste vanilla bean, it was mostly just sweet.  The dark caramel drizzle around the outside just added to the sweetness.  The caramel cookie crunch mixed in was really interesting, as it gave it great texture, something I always want in a milkshake.  The pieces were tiny enough to easily be sucked up with the straw, never clogging it, but big enough to be noticeable when drinking it.  Unfortunately, I didn't really like the way they tasted.  The whip cream was their standard stuff, as was the caramel drizzle.  Both added to the dessert-like experience, but didn't add much flavor-wise.  The extra cookie crunch on top would have been nice ... if I liked the cookie crunch.

I'm glad I tried this, and I do think it was far more decadent and milkshake-like than any normal Frappuccino.  And it was perfectly blended.  And it didn't separate out as it melted.  But, I wouldn't get it again, as it just didn't taste that great.

Venti Tazo® Green Tea Frappuccino Blended Crème, Non-Fat, Half-Sweet, with Whip.  $4.95. 

Wowzer.  The first thing to notice here is the size.  A venti Frappuccino is an insanely large thing!  I would never normally order this size, I always just go for a tall, but ... it was a special occasion.

The occasion being my birthday.  Starbucks gives rewards members a treat to use during their birthday month.  It can be any food or drink item, which is actually pretty remarkable.  I was struck with indecision.  Did I want to try out one of the new baked goods from La Boulange at Starbucks?  I tried to do a little research first, but there just aren't many reviews of them.  And given that I don't have the highest impression of the La Boulange goods from the actual La Boulange locations themselves, this seemed wasteful, as they are baked offsite and are less fresh than the bakeries.  If I wanted to maximize my freebie, I probably should have gotten one of the new warm toasted sandwiches, but I really wasn't optimistic about those either.  And since I haven't ever really liked their coffee, I decided that it was time to try another Frappuccino, and waited for a hot day.

Luckily, my birthday falls right before the start of San Francisco summer, so a hot day finally came.  I gleefully headed towards Starbucks.  I had my heart set on trying their version of a Green Tea Frappuccino, after having tried the Peet's version fairly recently.  I absolutely love the flavor of matcha green tea, so even though I haven't been impressed with Starbuck's drinks,  I hoped for the best.

"A refreshing blend of sweetened matcha green tea, milk and ice. Topped with sweetened whipped cream" is the official description, but does not tell the whole story.  I of course did my research before heading to Starbucks to get my drink.  When they first introduced the drink, they used to add a melon syrup to it, which apparently made it crazy sweet, but they discontinued that.  But now, they still use the "classic syrup", aka, liquid sugar, when they make it, although it is not included in the description.  And the matcha powder itself is already cut with extra sugar as well.  So people claim it is very, very sweet (and, ridiculously unhealthy ... do NOT look at the nutrition stats for this thing, particularly the venti size!  I don't mind the calories, but uh, >100 grams of sugar in my drink is really just not good for my blood sugar!)

Most reviewers seemed to fall in a few camps.  There were those who just don't like the taste of matcha, and no matter how sweet it was, they weren't ever going to like it.  They were easy to ignore.  Then there were the people who actually like matcha, and lamented over the fact that it was so sweet, and that the matcha got lost.  I tuned into their recommendations to get it half-sweet, or not-sweetened at all.  This adjusts the "classic" syrup, but it is still plenty sweet from the sugar added to the matcha, and from the milk.  Some of these folks also recommended that you ask for extra matcha powder so you could really taste it.

I decided to ask for it half-sweet.  Next time, I'd go all the way and have them leave out the classic syrup completely.  While I'd like a little sweetness, I really just don't want all that sugar.  The matcha tea has a fair amount of caffeine (100mg in my drink) and add 100 grams of sugar to that, and I was just bouncing off the walls in an uncomfortable way.

Anyway, back to the drink.  Half-sweet was certainly plenty sweet.  I wouldn't have wanted the full sweetness for sure.  And I'd still like some sweetness, so I think I'd ask for a pump of sugar-free vanilla instead of the classic syrup next time.  Then, I'd have some sweetness, but I'd also get some vanilla flavor, which I always like with matcha, and I'd lose some sugar grams.

The drink was, as always, perfectly blended.  No matter how much I don't love Frappuccinos, I do respect them for this aspect.  They have it down.  Tiny, tiny little bits of ice, all ingredients perfectly mixed.  And it doesn't melt too fast.  Serious science here.

The matcha flavor was stronger than I expected given the reviews, but I can see why people ask for more.  If I wanted to perfect the drink, I'd certainly consider adding an extra scoop of matcha powder.  Even as it was, it had more matcha flavor than the Peet's one, so that was point for Starbucks.

The whipped cream was generic as can be.  I don't understand why they don't have tastier whipped cream. I still always add it, because it makes it more milkshake-like.

I really wanted to get a soy version, since I think that soy and matcha were meant to go together, but uh, lately my body hasn't been liking soy as much as I've been liking soy.  So I skipped it and went for regular milk.  If I could though, I'd definitely get soy.

So, I liked this, far better than any other Frappuccino, or perhaps any other Starbucks drink in general, but I am pretty sure I could make it tastier in the future.  Ideal version would be ... soy, no classic syrup, 2 pumps of SF vanilla, extra scoop of matcha, whipped cream.  Oooh, and maybe something blended in for texture.  But now I'm just getting obnoxious :)

Venti Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino® Blended Crème, Non-Fat, Half-Sweet, Whipped Cream.  $4.75.

"A classic combination of strawberries, fresh milk and Starbucks® classic syrup blended with ice, topped with whipped cream."

Another hot day, and I was inspired by my success with the Green Tea Frappuccino, so I decided to try another Frappuccino.  I was again looking for a non-caffinated option, and the strawberry one jumped out at me.  Really, I just wanted a strawberry milkshake from Holy Grill, but I hoped this would satisfy.

As always, it was nicely blended, tiny chunks of ice.  But besides that, it really had nothing going on.  I ordered it half-sweet, after seeing that it had 71 grams of sugar normally.  I figured if it wasn't sweet enough I could just add some simple syrup myself.  It was plenty sweet at the half-sweet level, I kinda can't imagine it having twice as much syrup.

The real problem is that it just didn't taste like ... anything.  Sweet and milky, yes, but strawberry?  Not really.  I am not sure what they mix in to make it strawberry, I think a strawberry sauce, but it really wasn't effective.  I almost think they may have screwed up and reduced my strawberry sauce as well as the classic syrup?  If I'd had a few more sips while still in the store, I probably would have asked to have more added, or ... something.  But I'd already walked away by the time I realized how flavorless it was.

Not good, would not order again, and definitely not worth the $4.75.

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Cobs Popcorn, Australia

Yup, yup, I adore snacks, I adore popcorn.  I write about them often enough to have blog labels dedicated to them.  Even more fun is trying snacks in other countries, so when I was in Sydney, I gladly tried a local brand: Cobs.  The products were much better than the other local brand I had previously tried, and reviewed, Jonny's.

Cobs makes several product ranges: popcorn, organic popcorn, caramel popcorn, Hip Chips, and corn chips.  The caramel range looks great, indulgent caramel corn coated with dark or milk chocolate, or simply drizzled with either type of chocolate, or, just plain caramel corn.  Hip Chips are ... healthy chips, made from potato, rice, and corn, in a variety of savory flavors.  The corn chips are made with super grains.  Eh.

I had only the normal popcorn, available in 5 flavors: sea salt, sea salt & cider vinegar, cheddar, movie theater butter, and lightly salted, slightly sweet.  Sadly, no crazy flavors like many of the brands of chips there that always make me laugh (honey glazed ham chips? burger rings?).

But the verdict?  Good popcorn!

Cheddar Cheese.

"For serious cheese lovers, it’s time to try this authentic taste sensation.

There is nothing better or well-loved than cheesy popcorn and ours is generously seasoned with a delicious and natural cheddar cheese recipe."

I did quite like this.  It did indeed have a great cheddar flavor, in a fake cheddar sort of way.  Cheesy, buttery, and totally not healthy in any way.  Of course it stained my fingers orange.

This was quite addicting, and I devoured bags of these with no problem.

Sea Salt.

"This is one for popcorn lovers who enjoy that real corn flavour.

If you like it simple this is the one for you, it takes only 3 great ingredients, organic corn, organic high mono unsaturated sunflower oil and sea salt, to bring you that authentic popcorn flavour. Ideal for those wanting a sugar free snack or a tasty treat to accompany that favourite drink. "

Well, this was nicely popped popcorn.  But oh so boring.  Just, slightly salted.  Not very interesting for me.

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Uncle Tetsu, Sydney

Japanese cheesecake.  Its a thing.  A rage in other parts of the world, where "famous" Japanese cheesecake shops are opening up, often with ridiculous lines, and limits on the number of items a single person can purchase (ohai, cronuts).  If you haven't had it before, expecting "cheesecake" like you know (Italian style, New York style, etc), will leave you confused and disappointed.  Instead, think of it as a lighter thing - less sweet, less rich, moist and fluffy ... almost more like a cheesy chiffon cake.  Or a souffle crossed with a cheesecake.  Usually served warm.  It really is a unique item.

Uncle Tetsu is a bakery that originated this style of cheesecake, back in the early 90s, in Japan (yes, by someone named Tetsushi).  It has spread dramatically from there, with 100+ shops outside Japan now, a strong foothold throughout Asia, now breaking into other regions as well.

The cheesecake is their signature item, but the product range now includes not only other styles of cheesecake (like the even loftier "Angel Hat"), but also cheesetarts, you know, the other ridiculous rage going on now in Asian style desserts.  And ... crepes stuffed with chunks of cheesecake and cream.  And puddings.  And little cakes.  And rusks.  And more and more.

#allTheThings

I did not try Uncle Tetsu's in Japan, however, they have a shop in Sydney, and, believe me, it was impossible not to notice it had opened.

The queues.  The large windows showing the slew of bakers in action, pumping out products all day long.  The aromas.  Yes, I noticed.

On past visits to Sydney, I wasn't ever really willing to wait in line.  Plus, uh, they had lots of staff out on the streets with samples of literally everything, every day.  I got to try it all, in reasonable portions!  It really was unique, but, not something I wanted to wait in line for.

But this past visit to Sydney, I needed to host an event for ~50 people, and I decided to introduce them all to Uncle Tetsu.  Bonus?  I'd get to try even more items!

The event was a success, and, it really was a new experience for most.  I still find it unique, but, not items that are at the top of my dessert list.

Japanese Cheesecake

"Our Cheesecakes are made with Australian cream cheese. Soft & fluffy world famous staple of everything Uncle Tetsu."

Cheesecakes are available in 2 main styles, classic or Angel Hats.  The Angel Hats are loftier, fluffier creations, but both are much, much lighter and fluffier than "regular" cheesecake.

Angel Hats are designed to be served cold, while the cheesecakes are either warm or cold.

I ordered 4 types of cheesecake for my group, but I also have sampled others in the past.

Full Size Japanese Cheesecakes.

Classic cheesecake comes in 4 varieties: "Original Signature", "Choco", Matcha, and "Honey" (which has earl gray tea in it as well).

My notes from previous sampling said the matcha had "good matcha flavor" and the honey was "very fluffy compared to regular cheesecake, but not nearly as fluffy as the Angel Hat."

Boxed Original.

For my group, I ordered the two others: Original and Chocolate.

The original cheesecakes all come hot and fresh from the oven, boxed up in special boxes with instructions for storage.

Original Signature. $17.99

.

"The Original Signature Japanese cheesecake is the soft & fluffy world famous staple of everything Uncle Tetsu."

The cheesecake does look pretty stunning, golden top, Uncle Tetsu logo.

It was fine.  Lighter, fluffier, no where near as rich nor cheesy as standard New York or Italian cheesecake.  A unique thing, but not something I find myself craving.

Boxed Chocolate.

The chocolate version comes in its own special box.  It too was hot and fresh.

Choco $17.99.

"Our soft & fluffy japanese Cheesecake takes on a nostalgic chocolate mousse flavour with the added 70% dark Belgian chocolate and cocoa powder."

It too was ... fine.  Slightly chocolately, not that intense.

Full Size Angel Hat.

The "Angel Hat" comes in the original flavor, matcha, and seasonal special.

My notes from trying it before said "This really was unlike any cheesecake I've ever seen before!  Soo light and fluffy ...  it doesn't even make sense!"

I noted that the chocolate version, a special at the time, was the "same fluffy texture, but I didn't like the chocolate as much, it was more like a fluffy chocolate mousse."

Angel Hat Boxes.

I eagerly ordered the original and seasonal mango apple for my group.

They are chilled items, and came in specialized taller boxes.

Angel Hat. $14.99.

"The only Uncle Tetsu Cheesecake with two kinds of cheese – cream cheese and grana padano – together with custard cream all mixed together makes a cheese cloud that melts in your mouth."

This was different from what I remembered, more savory.

I again loved the fluffy fluffy texture, but the savory, grana padano forward flavor was actually just a bit too much for me this time around.  Not sure why.

I tried it again later that evening, and again, just too cheesy.  But love the fluffy texture.

Monthly Special: Mango & Apple Mango Hat. (July)

The mango and apple was almost awesome.

I loved the fluffy texture.  I loved the mango flavor.  It wasn't savory.  But ... eh to the apple flavors.

My favorite of the cheesecakes I think, but not one I'd get again.

Cheesetarts

"Our ‘rich & creamy’ Cheesetarts are among the most loved baked goods we make. The Original Triple-baked Cheesetarts are velvety smooth with a touch of sour from cream cheese.

The base for our Cheesetarts is made from scratch in-house."

Cheesetarts come in 3 varieties: original, matcha, and a monthly special, available individually or as boxes.  Served warm, although I didn't have one immediately, so it was room temperature instead, and that worked fine.

Cheesetart Machine.

The cheesetart machine is where the majority of the action is all day long, where you can walk by and watch it filling little tart shells.

Original, Matcha, Taro Cheesetarts.

Cheesetarts are all individual size, and most commonly sold by the box, so they go through trays and trays of these every day.  Sold in original and matcha varieties, plus a monthly flavor that rotates.

I had tried the monthly special chocolate one before, and noted "the tart shell is fine but its a tart shell, meh.  The chocolate filling fine but uninteresting, kinda just a thick ganache."

Not the best review ever, but when the monthly special was taro on my next visit, I couldn't resist.

Monthly Special: Taro Cheesetart (July).

The monthly special for July was taro!  <3 taro.  I ordered this in an instant.

My review of the tart shell itself is no different from before.  Yup, its a tart shell.  Not too hard, actually softer, sweeter, and nicer than most tart shells to be honest, but, its still a tart shell, not something I'll ever go crazy about.

But the filling?  That I'd go crazy about.

It was quite good.  Super creamy taro pudding basically, with a firm top.  I actually really liked the texture change from top to bottom of the filling, from firmer to looser.  The taro flavor was strong enough to taste it over the cheeses.  Sweet, but not too sweet.

I really enjoyed the filling, just eating it as a pudding with a little spoon, and would gladly get another.  I wish they did more taro items, and, in particular, wish they did an actual taro pudding, because, um, I love pudding.

Pudding

The latest offering from Uncle Tetsu, introduced literally the week before I arrived, was pudding.  Oh, yes.

Japanesse Pudding Cups.

They only make 100 a day.  Very exclusive item!

Japanesse Pudding Cup. $3.90.

"Unique Japanese rich puddings made exclusively here in our special Japanese pudding oven!"

The pudding was ... ok.  It didn't really have a flavor to it, not vanilla, not cheese, just ... there.  The menu said vanilla bean, but I didn't really detect it.

The texture was interesting, Asian style for sure, almost like a tofu or almond jello pudding.  But, flavorless.

On the bottom of the pot was a layer of sweet syrup, slightly caramelized, "dark caramel", said the menu.

It was fine.  But really nothing special, not anything I even really wanted to finish.

Onigiri Crepes

Onigiri crepes are not one of the standard items carried by Uncle Tetsu, and I think maybe only offered in Sydney, and only at a side window off the front of the main store.

They are a fun hand held concept, a chunk of cheesecake, cream, and other fillings, wrapped in a fresh crepe.

Onigiri Crepe Menu.

Onigiri Crepes are available in 5 flavors: Original, Mixed Berry, Honey, Choco, and Matcha (or, if you dine in at Angel Garden, "Choco choco" and "Matcha matcha", with chocolate and matcha crepe crepes, respectively.).

These were introduced right when I visited last year, and Uncle Tetsu was giving out samples regularly, so I tried a few.

I noted back then that I really liked the cream inside, and the matcha "had decent flavor".  Those notes were enough to inspire me to finally order one.

Onigiri Crepes station.

The crepes are made on the side by a separate staff member, with their own dedicated register.  I found it odd that they weren't on offer at the main register at all, even though literally just a few feet away.  More exclusive, more lines, right?

Original Cheesecake Onigiri Crepe. $3.90.

"Original Cheesecake / Caramel Sauce."

I went for the original.

The crepe wrapper was good, soft, slightly sweet, pleasant enough. A nice edible wrapper.

Original Cheesecake Onigiri Crepe: Inside.

Inside was a simply a chunk of the original cheesecake, lots of cream, and a bit of sweet caramel.

I didn't really care for this this time.  The cream tasted off, not as delicious as I remembered from previous tries.  The caramel was nearly non-existant in mine.  And the cheesecake, fine, but I did find myself thinking it was all a bit odd ... I didn't really want a chunk of cheesecake in here.

Fun to try, interesting, but likely not something I'd get again.

Other

And then, there are more items, not quite as special seeming, so I didn't try them.

Rusks.

The rusks aren't even on the menu anywhere, but near the register were packaged containers of "double baked cheesecake rusks" ... perhaps what they do with the scraps?  Bake them off again to make crispy cookies, kinda like biscotti?

Madelines.

"Madeleines are Uncle Tetsu's favorite! Luscious and moist, this buttery cupcake literally melts in your mouth. Warm up this madeleine with microwave for 15 seconds to get the just-out-of-the-oven fluff."

Madelines come in 4 varieties: honey, choco, matcha, and orange, available in singles or boxes.  Not my thing at all, so I never had these, although they are one of their more popular items.

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Three Williams, Sydney

Sydney is very, very good at brunch.  Puts San Francisco to shame.  The offerings are vast, creative, and generally, delicious.

On my visit to Sydney in February, I only had one day I could get brunch, as I was working the rest of the time.  I nearly returned to Cuckoo Callay, as it was the best brunch I've had in recent memory (seriously, those fondant pancakes - my review here), but the menu had changed, and there wasn't anything particularly calling out at me.  I also almost returned to Devon Cafe (past review), where there were a few menu items that sounded potentially interesting, plus, they have a new location closer to my hotel.

But in the end, I decided to go somewhere new to me, to check out Three Williams, a place that had been on my list for the past few visits.  The menu had changed since I had put it on my list, but one thing remains consistent.  Everyone raves about the always changing french toast, unlike any other out there, a very unique offering (stay tuned).

So I went.  Alone.  I'm very glad I did.  It was incredible.

The next time I visited Sydney, in July, Three Williams was at the top of my "Must Do" list, and I dragged a co-worker with me.  I couldn't resist the latest french toast.  Its just too amazing.

I will gladly return to Three Williams any time I am in Sydney, and really would like to explore more of the menu ... someday.  As long as they have a new french toast to try, I'm pretty sure I'm incapable of not getting it.

The Space

Three Williams is located in Redfern, down a side street.  At first I thought I might have the wrong address, as I seemed to just be in a residential neighborhood, but then I spied folks milling about on the sidewalk.  Ah yes, a waiting list for brunch.  I knew I was in the right place.

My wait the first time was only about 2 minutes, as I was a solo diner, and it was easy to fit me in.  The second visit was a bit longer, 20 minutes for 2, but still not bad.  On both visits, I arrived right before 12, and that was key.  The queues grew fast after that.

Interior.

I can't say that Three Williams had great curb appeal.  Or that it felt cozy.  To enter, you go down stairs into what felt a bit like a bunker, with concrete floors.  The walls were brick and plain white.  Really, um, no ambiance whatsoever.

Table Setting.

My table the first visit was rather tiny, which was fine for me alone, but I think even with two people might have been hard to fit many dishes.  Really, not a comfortable place.

On my next visit, we had a bigger table, but not significantly.  The optimize for fitting tables into the not large interior.

Tables were pre-set with menus on wooden boards, salt &pepper shakers, water glasses, and silverware in a cup.

Food & Drink

All my thoughts on the lackluster environment disappeared within a few minutes.  What warmth was missing in the decor was made up for by the staff.  They were friendly and welcoming, really some of the best service I had in Sydney.  

My server was particularly amused that I ventured there solo to order the epic french toast.  She warned me that it was quite large.  She warned me that most people split it with at least one other person.  I nodded, said I understood, but I was alone, and I wanted it.  She laughed and said she liked me, that I was a women who knew what I wanted.

She was right.  I knew what I wanted.  I wanted that french toast.  And I got it.

My order was taken quickly, water delivered within 2 minutes, my food within 10.  I was in and out in 30 minutes on that first visit!

Our second visit had equally good service, a patient server with us taking our time to order.  Food again came within 10-15 minutes of ordering, hot and fresh.  We did linger longer, but, per Australian style, no one bothered us until we asked for the bill.

Truffle Menu (July).

One benefit of visiting Sydney in July, as in, the depths of winter, besides the wonderful hotel rates, is that it is truffle season.  Many restaurants embraced this.

Three Williams had a special truffle menu, alongside the regular menu.

There were some very tempting items on it, like the truffle ice cream sundae that had hazelnut cream, caramel popcorn crumb, gold dust feuilletine, crispearls, hazelnuts, edible flowers, fresh truffle, and chocolate cake.

My dining companion ordered one item from here.

Bottomless Sparkling Water. $4.

Three Williams makes their own sparkling water, presented in a large bottle, left on the table so you can pour yourself.  I was solo, and didn't require a second bottle, but if I had, the menu said "bottomless", so I assume I would have been provided another.

I appreciated the zero waste, I appreciated being able to pour myself, but, $4 for house water did seem a bit steep, and this fee is per person.

Long Black, Decaf (February). $4.50.

I was dining at noon, and had been up since 6am (yay, jetlag!), and let's just say I had already consumed more than my daily allowance of coffee.

But I really wanted a coffee to pair with my upcoming decadent feast.  I didn't order a coffee when I ordered my meal, but strategically planned to order one after 5-10 minutes, so perhaps it would arrive when the food would, rather than before, and thus run out.   I observed how long coffee orders took for tables around me, and it was quite quick, so, this seemed like a good move.

My food however did come a bit faster than I expected, so, doh, I hadn't yet ordered the coffee when my food arrived.  I quickly ordered it then, and it arrived fast enough, so, crisis averted.

Anyway.  It was actually very good decaf.  It had body and flavor, low acidity, not harsh, no funk ... very good, and, it turned out, yes, just as necessary as I thought it would be to pair alongside my sweet dessert, er, brunch.

Long Black, Decaf (July). $4.50.

My second visit was much the same as my first.  Jetlag had ensured I was up at 5am (!), so I had long since had my fill of coffee as my visit was at noon.  I was already 7 hours into my day!  But still, I knew french toast would need a strong bitter compliment, so I ordered a decaf long black again, this time, ordered at the time of the meal, but I asked to have it arrive closer to my food.

The food came before it, but, it did come soon after, so this technique worked.

It was again a good decaf, very strong, but no strange decaf badness to it.  And again, it was exactly what I wanted alongside my french toast.

Golden Gaytime French Toast (February). $18.

"Crunchy brioche french toast, house vanilla ice cream rolled in a chocolate cookie crumb, chocolate crisps, fresh strawberry, toffee sauce."

Um, wow.  That is about all I can say about this.  

I knew everyone said the french toast, no matter what the seasonal creation is at the time, is spectacular, the best they have ever had.  I read so many reviews, and heard so many testimonies from local friends, that I had high expectations.  And I had Instagram stocked it.  I knew what it would look like. I knew what people said about it.

And it still blew me away.

I'll go ahead and join the ranks of people who say this is some of the best french toast on the planet.  Wower.

I was slightly daunted by the size when it was set down in front of me, a solo diner though.  The slice of toast was no standard slice of toast, in any dimension.  It was quite lofty, and very long.  One slice was, uh, plenty.

It also was daunting just in how stunning it was.  The ice cream was perfectly perched on top, perfectly round, rolled in the crunchy feuilletine based chocolate cookie crumb.  The fresh strawberries were laid out on top deliberately around the ice cream scoop.  Crispy bits were everywhere, yet in an entirely controlled way, with eye catching freeze dried strawberries adding color that mirrored that of the fresh berries.  The toffee sauce coated the plate, but didn't ooze out anywhere it shouldn't.  Seriously, amazing plating.

I dug in.  One bite was all it took for me to realize that it lived up to the hype, lived up to its looks, and then some.

The french toast was fluffy and light inside, yet amazingly crispy on the outside.  The feuilletine coating added such great crunchy texture.  It wasn't eggy, which is always something that makes me rarely order french toast, rather, it was soaked just to give it moisture, and not take away from the flavor.  It was piping hot.  This dish did not sit in the kitchen waiting for someone to bring it to me at all.  Very clearly freshly prepared and whisked to my side.  Really, the french toast itself was a thing of beauty.

And then, the ice cream.  It too was clearly just barely done to order, it somehow hadn't melted, at all, even though it was 80 degrees out, and it was perched on the hot french toast.  The ice cream was rich, creamy, and really did have vanilla flavor, not just plain.  Very quality ice cream, and I loved the extra crunch from the cookie crumble it was rolled in.  It paired perfectly with the french toast, and I managed to make each and every bite have a little ice cream with each bite of french toast.

And then, the berry elements.  I actually didn't like the fresh strawberries on top, as they were a bit tart and not the ripest.  But the freeze dried strawberry bits scattered around were fabulous, intense pops of berry flavor to brighten everything up, both visually and in taste.  Strawberries have nothing to do with Golden Gaytimes obviously, but, I appreciated the addition.

The rest of the rubble was equally welcome, more cookie crumble, and little chocolate crispearls.  So much crunch and texture here.  They just nailed the eating experience, providing plenty, but not overwhelming.  (Side note: do you know crispearls?  I adore these things.  I have jars of the salted caramel and white chocolate ones at my desk.  Pastry chefs use them as a garnish all the time, but for me?  Amazing snack.   I eat them by the handful.  Crispy, sweet, and just awesome).

And then, the toffee sauce.  Sweet, gooey, rich toffee.  I didn't think I'd eat it all.  I love toffee, but, the french toast really didn't need it.  And yet ... guess who found herself close to licking the plate?  Yeah, this girl.  Every. Last. Drop.  It was wonderful.

This was a home run in every department.  Presentation.  Execution.  Flavors.  Textures.  Everything.  

That said, even though I did manage to finish it myself (I know, I know), I would recommend splitting it, either as a dessert after having savory items for lunch, or at least alongside something else for brunch.  It was incredible, and it didn't ever get old or one note, but, it was a lot for one person, even one who loves things like this as much as I do.

I'd love to try more of their french toasts.  I'd love to try more of their food in general.  I'd love for them to add ice cream sundaes to the menu.

  Ruby and Rose French Toast (July). $18.

"Crunchy brioche french toast, rose cream cheese, house churned white chocolate ice cream, macadamia, white chocolate, fresh raspberries, raspberry jelly, raspberry coulis."

The seasonal french toast this time was the "Ruby and Rose".  I'll admit that the flavor wasn't one I was as interested in, but, I clearly still had to try it.

The concept was exactly the same as the Golden Gaytime version.  The base, a brioche coated in feuilletine to make it extra crunchy.  Sitting in a pool of sauce (this time, raspberry coulis and rose cream cheese, rather than caramel).  Topped with a huge scoop of house made ice cream (white chocolate rather than simple vanilla this time).  Ice cream rolled in a coating (this time with a macadamia and white chocolate crust, rather than chocolate cookie and feuilletine).  Garnished with crunchy things (macadamia, white chocolate, freeze dried raspberry, instead of chocolate crispearls, chocolate cookie, and freeze dried strawberry).  Topped with more fruit (fresh raspberries instead of strawberries).

Same formula, just entirely different ingredients.  And just as well executed.

The toast itself was again a massive slice, in every dimension.  Lofty, thick, huge, not from any normal size load of bread.  It was again not eggy at all, and really, calling it "french toast" is a bit odd, as it doesn't resemble any other french toast.  I again loved the crispy coating and crunch it added.

The toast is good, but really, this thing is all about the other components.

The rose cream cheese is the lighter pink schmear on the plate.  There was much more than you can see here.  It was very, very subtle rose flavored, slightly sweet, good cream cheese flavor.  It combined really nicely with the raspberry and white chocolate, bringing an almost cheesecake-like element to the dish.

The raspberry coulis was the other sauce, a sweet berry sauce, intensely raspberry flavored in a shocking way, good for running a chunk of toast through, en route to the ice cream.

The ice cream was the stunner of this dish.  The last one just had vanilla ice cream, but this was white chocolate, and it was fabulous.  Creamy, sweet, amazing white chocolate flavor.  It melted perfectly too.  I loved the ice cream, particularly with the crunchy coating of more bits of white chocolate and macadamia.  Such wonderful flavors together.

More raspberry was found on top of the toast, a raspberry jelly, that I really liked.  Sweet, fruity, a chewy texture, and again, just perfect flavor combo with the macadamia and white chocolate.  The fresh berries were my least favorite part, just kinda out of season berries.  I see why they included them though.

And finally, the crunch, bits of macadamia, white chocolate, and freeze dried raspberries.  The crunch not only coated the ice cream, but also was strewn onto the plate.  The crunch really completed the deal, adding amazing texture to everything.  Plus, pops of white chocolate sweetness never hurt.

The ingredients here really, really worked together.  I was a bit shocked to be honest just how well the flavors worked.  The ice cream alone was very sweet (hello, white chocolate!), as was the raspberry coulis, but when you put this all together, it was ideal balance.

So again, Three Williams nailed it.  Great flavors, great textures, perfect execution.  Their are famous for the french toasts for a reason.  I did prefer the Golden Gaytime version, but that is only because I just like toffee more than raspberry.  I was still thrilled with this dish.

One thing to note though.  I loved it, but, I again found the serving size just too large.  I can take down a dessert single handed no problem, and I have a fairly insatiable sweet tooth, but I realized that I just didn't appreciate the last 40% of this dish.  I honestly think I'd be happier with it being 2/3 the size, even if the same price.  My overall enjoyment would actually be higher, as that last third really pushed me over the edge to a point where I was too uncomfortably full.  I'm not capable of leaving something I love unfinished, so I did finish, but, less happy.  I know I could just leave it unfinished but ... ahhh.

Really, I guess they expect everyone to go in groups and share.

Duck Narnie. $18.

"Peking duck, cabbage, cucumber, spring onion, coriander, fried eschalot, orange hoisin."

My dining companion got one of the signature narnies, aka, a naan sandwich.  I had been eyeing these on Instagram (ok, who am I kidding, I'm eyeing basically the entire menu), so I was happy to see one in real life.  It was not a dainty little sandwich, and it certainly was not designed for easy eating.

It was kinda fun watching him try to figure out how to tackle it.  He clearly couldn't pick it up, at least, not from the start, as the contents were spilling out everywhere.  Let's just say, it was generously stuffed.

He enjoyed it, and said the duck in particular was really quite good.

Sometime I want to go with a group, and try one of these as a savory bite before moving on to my french toast (which, I really do want to split!)

Truffle Fries. $22.

"Waffle fries, three cheese sauce, fresh truffle, chives."

My companion also ordered the truffle fries, from the special truffle menu.  I think ... he thought he was just getting a side with his sandwich.  Which, makes sense, if you aren't an Instagram stalker, and don't realize just how large the portions are Three Williams are of any of the dishes.  A sandwich served a la carte without any sides, makes sense to want some fries.  Some fries, not generally an entree.  But this plate of truffle fries was really an entree.  Seriously, one person could order this as an entree, and still not finish.  Really, clearly designed to be shared with at least a group of 4.  Why didn't our server warn us?

Anyway.  I helped him out a little, even though I don't like waffle fries, and I had my hands full with my french toast.  How could I resist cheese sauce and truffles?

The waffle fries were crispy on the outside, moist inside, seasoned.  Good basic waffle fries, and just not my thing.

The cheese sauce was tasty though, creamy, good flavor, nicely coating the fries.  And the truffles of course were wonderful, plenty to add lots of flavor.

Overall, sure, I appreciated a little cheese sauce and truffle, but, this isn't something I'd ever order.  And at $22, it was our most pricy order.

My dining companion tried valiantly to make a dent in this mound of fries, and really did like them.

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Let's Do Yum Cha Food Truck, Sydney

When in Sydney, go to the food trucks?  Yeah, not my normal agenda, but  I found Let's Do Yum Cha at a winter festival.  It was one of several trucks, and, like seemingly everyone else, I was drawn in by the idea of yum cha (dim sum to you Americans ...).

I love a good dumpling, and Sydney has so much amazing asian food, I was pretty hopeful that this random truck would deliver.  Yum cha seems like a good fit for a truck actually, as steam baskets are all you need, and these could work well, and hold things easily for service.

Alas, I didn't like ... anything.  (Luckily, I found an amazing truck soon after, Vejoes, for, seriously, vegetarian cuisine that rocked my world).

Let's Do Yum Cha Truck Line.

It had the longest lines, no question.  I sadly joined the line, with high hopes.  Spoiler: it was not worth this wait, nor, any wait.

Orders were taken from behind the counter, where each thing you asked for was served up, all on the same plate, fetched from steam baskets on the counter.  It was rather comical watching people who had really large orders have literally everything just piled on top of each other onto a plate.  A bit odd service really.

Menu.

The menu was pictures on the side of the truck, a bit hard to see with the crowds, you had to wait until you were ready to order basically.

The lineup was: BBQ pork buns, custard buns, vegetarian spring rolls, prawn & chive dumplings, vegetarian dumplings, pork dim sum.

I planned to get most of the savories, skipping only the veggie spring rolls because I assumed fried food would not be great not fresh, but alas, they were out of the prawn & chive dumplings, and when I saw the pork dim sum I opted against it, they were strangely huge, and just didn't look great.

I wish I had just skipped it all.

Vegetarian dumpling, BBQ pork bun, custard bun.

I started with the vegetarian dumpling.  It was fairly large as well, but I hoped this just meant it was handmade.  The wrapper was incredibly thick.  On the plus side, it didn't fall apart.  But it was just entirely too much unremarkable dough.  The filling was minced veggies, really quite flavorless.  Just a nondescript mass of chopped stuff.  I didn't care for it at all.  My least favorite.

Next, the BBQ pork bun.  Also not great.  On the plus side, it wasn't soggy, as can happen when sitting in steam baskets for too long.  On the minus, the dough was totally boring, again flavorless, it didn't have the touch of sweetness I usually associate with these kind of buns.  The BBQ pork filling inside was not generous at all, only a few little bits.  On the plus side, the pork wasn't chewy.  On the minus?  Yeah, it tasted like nothing, even though there was sauce.  I think my favorite piece though, but I didn't even really want to finish it.

Moving on.  The sweet item was a custard bun.  It was cute.  It had eyes.  It was also fascinating, as I bit into it, molten custard filling came pouring out.  It was generously stuffed.  It was hot.  It was fresh.  It was unique.  But ... it was far, far, far too sweet.  I'm a girl who loves sweets, but I just didn't like it at all.

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