Just Desserts, Tomislav Darlinghurst – Closed
EDIT: Closed.When it comes to creativity, the name that first pops into mind is Tomislav Martinovic. Combining his creativity with his love of desserts, Chef Tomislav has teamed up with Black Star Pastry’s Christopher The to present “Just Desserts” ($125), a six course degustation dinner with 4 desserts and only 2 savouries as part of this year’s Sydney International Food Festival. When the event was first mentioned on Twitter I knew I had to book fast and so after some frantic calls in the space of 8 minutes I rounded up a posse of hungry food bloggers we rocked up to Tomislav (Level 2/13 Kirketon Rd, Darlinghurst).
To kick things off, a pair of test tubes arrive, 1 filled with Violet Granita and the other with Delamotte Champagne. We are told to mix the two together and instantly child-like glee shines on our faces when the mixture bubbles and froths upon contact with each other. The resulting fizzy drink is sweet, zingy and oh so pretty.
First to start off the desserts is Grilled Strawberries with Mint & White Chocolate and the presentation has us gazing in awe. Seriously does this not look like a work of art? Mmm edible art. This dessert had an element of customising one’s dessert to own liking where you dip a grilled strawberry into as little (or as much) white chocolate as you like, a swipe of intense mint powder with a side of cream and a swirl of the yoghurt sorbet.

hee gratuitous chocolatesuze shot nomming!
When I spotted the Goats Curd Cheesecake with Elderflower & Pistachio on the menu I was initially wary as I have issues with goat’s cheese but luckily the taste wasn’t too overpowering as it was only the foam which was goat’s cheese. Under the cloud of ethereally light foam hid a quenelle of creamy vanilla and paired beautifully with the slightly sour cubes of pink elderflower jelly and slivers of grapes. I see Helen sneaking glances at my plate and before she can ask whether I like goat’s cheese I manage to demolish the dessert and scrape the plate clean.
Caramel Ice Cream with Toasted Peanuts. I think there was only 1 stand for these cones in the entire restaurant as we were instructed to select a cone which caused us to moan about photo presentation bahahaha luckily the night was winding down and we got to take some quick snaps with the stand.
This was my favourite dessert of the night! Wafer thin and super delicate, the cornets were topped with nubbins of peanuts and the added hidden surprise of pop rocks! The sounds of crackles and pops filled the air and we laugh at the unexpected flashback to childhood arvos of buying candy from the corner shop. The caramel ice cream was smooth and delicious and at the bottom of the cone was another treasure trove of peanuts. Just like those ads- there’s no boring bits!
Warm Chocolate Mousse with Olive Oil & Sea Salt has me staring dubiously at the brown pile/deposit swirl flecked with salt. I tentatively taste a spoonful of the white powder atop the sorbet to realise gasping, that it was horseradish! Definitely sinus clearing! The chocolate mousse is rich and comforting like a warm hug and the mulberry sorbet is a refreshing but what I loved most were the butter soaked biscuit crumbs hiding beneath! Seriously I could’ve totes eaten a whole bowl of the stuff!
Beef Mince Pie with Grilled Onion & Tomato Sauce. Sadly that was the end of desserts and the beginning of the savoury. I reckon I could’ve kept on going with the dessert onslaught! The pie was good with flaky buttery pastry although the beef innards were a tad on the salty side but was easily tempered with the crazy awesome tomato sauce ‘soil’.
Tomislav’s signature side of Rice Crackers with Sea Salt & Vinegar rounds up our dinner and we happily spritz the paper thin crackers with vinegar till we’re fighting for the last of the crumbs. Side note, they only had 20 slates in the whole restaurant which meant after each course they had to quickly wash and dry them!
The neon glow of the infamous Kings Cross sign shimmers as we leave, clutching a goodie box filled with Black Star pastries. I had fun with the interactive aspect of the dinner and would love to return for the caramel ice cream!