Sabbagh Patissery, Greenacre
So I don't have 20/20 vision, but I'm sure I can spot a patisserie sign faster than most people.
Despite rolling out the door of Lebanese restaurant Al Aseel, our bellies distended with falafel, lamb skewers and garlic yoghurt chicken, we found renewed energy (and appetite!) by the time we had stepped into the sweet syrupy surrounds of Sabbagh Patisserie (spelt with an inexplicable 'y' on the street signage).
Znoud el sit (ladies arms)
There's nothing quite like a counter stacked with pyramids of baklava to make me a little weak at the knees. As we marvel at the trays of syrup-glistening pastries, the pristine rows of icing sugar-dusted shortbread, the deep brown toasted hues of the kenefe semolina, it's all I can do to stop myself pressing my nose up against the glass like a kid in a lolly shop.
Shortbread
Boukaj baklava
Gift baskets
Baklava booty
I eventually come away with a tray of kenefe (to be blitzed on high in the microwave until the ricotta cheese middle is a stretchy goo) and my favourite baklava shapes: the boukaj pyramid and what I call the mini sausage rolls. Both have optimal nut and pastry ratios, that is, lots of nuts!
The baklava is good. Really good. I'm not a big fan of rosewater syrup, finding the floral overtones a little sickly and cloying. These are perfect for me. The pastry is sufficiently doused with syrup so as not to be dry but not overly sweet either. And the boukaj, I'm amazed by the multiple leaves of pastry that fan apart every so slightly. I try to count them but get cross-eyed after I hit twenty.
With each bite, there's a crisp shatter in the mouth as the pastry crumbles into smithereens. The filling of nuts is generous, with a strong taste of cashew. These are possibly better than my usual favourite, Rabeih. A topple of the baklava crown? I'd better go back, just to make sure.
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Sabbagh Patissery Lebanese Sweets
5/173 Waterloo Road, Greenacre, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9758 5020
Open 7 days 9am-11pm
Related GrabYourFork posts:
El Bahsa Sweets, Bankstown
Rabeih Sweets, Punchbowl (Aug07) and (Mar05)
posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 12/31/2008 05:11:00 pm
11 Comments:
At 12/31/2008 7:36 pm, Anonymous said…
You did well to fit in dessert! It's great to be able to take home a tray too, that way if you can't fit in dessert you can have it later :)
At 1/01/2009 8:17 pm, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…
Hi Arwen - Actually we had our dessert takeaway, consumed a few hours later. It was yum. In fact, I'm craving more of their amazing baklava already!
At 1/02/2009 7:47 am, Anonymous said…
They were good but better than Rabeih?
More tastings required before I can make that judgement.
I reckon Rabeih has better service. That old man is just so cute.
At 1/02/2009 2:59 pm, Anonymous said…
You need to hire me to proof read, totally spotted another typo haha
At 1/02/2009 4:07 pm, uberannie said…
a new baklava place to try! It's heartening to know I'm not the only person with a very soft spot for baklava... there are many things I can be strong to say no to but this is not one of them! Love the piccies, I can almost taste them from here
At 1/02/2009 11:21 pm, SydneyGal said…
Oh my god I was just there yesterday - same thing, a trip to Al Aseel followed by a takeaway spree at Sabbagh. I got a wide selection but as a neophyte at Lebanese sweets I didn't know the kanefeh thing was supposed to be warmed - I ate it cold last night and was quite disappointed, I thought it was one of the few sweets from this paradise that I didn't like! Now I feel like I need to go back, get more, microwave it and try it again.
Would three visits to Al Aseel (from Castle Hill!) in three weeks be excessive?
At 1/03/2009 1:13 am, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…
Hi Veruca Salt - lol. Happy to conduct further tastings, but I really was impressed with the pastry of the boukaj. The old man is an endearing character :)
Hi Anon - Ha, you can have half my wages. None :) And you can't tease me like that. 'fess up where it is!
Hi Uberannie - Oh yes there's no shortage of baklava haunts around Sydney. I think baklava is quite a personal thing though. It's all about pastry, type of nuts used, stickiness, crispness and oh so many things!
Hi SydneyGal - Obsessive? Nay, I say dedicated! And I think the kanefe tastes much better warm, although it doesn't always go as stringy as I'd like. I'm not sure whether this depends on the shop or the amount of heat applied. Hope you like the hot version!
At 3/03/2009 1:57 am, Anonymous said…
how about arja's patisserie at lakemba haldon st?
At 3/04/2009 9:27 pm, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…
Hi Cici - I have been to Arja's. Their pastries are quite tasty!
At 10/28/2009 12:12 am, Anonymous said…
sabbagh patisserie is wayyy better than the rabieh and betta den any otha sweet shop out der. ive been goin der for 10 years n der sweets keep gettn betta and dey have the best service and beauitiful staff ....
At 10/31/2009 9:53 pm, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…
Hi Anon - Sounds like you're quite the fan :)
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