Izba Russian Treats579 King St
Newtown, Sydney
Izba Russian Treats brings the traditional ‘Izba’ experience - the authentic Russian countryside - to life in Newtown. Located on the south end of King Street, a neighbourhood bursting with multiculturalism, Izba Russian Treats has cemented itself as a local favourite with an array of delicious treats, both sweet and savoury.
We arrived at 579 King Street and although the space might seem small, with seating to hold about ten people inside plus a few tables out the front, the cute wooden tables and stools make it easy for you to enjoy coffee and cake on the premises, so we took a seat inside.
Immediately excited with the vast selection of cakes and pastries on display, some of which we couldn’t pronounce, we knew choosing what to order was going to be a difficult task.
We generally start off with a couple of coffees but we noticed a very interesting selection of frappes on the board so we decided to try one. This Lemon, Honey and Mint frappe was served in a giant glass and was bursting with freshness and flavour. We also had a long black which we enjoyed. Izba Russian Treats use Crave Coffee which is exceptionally smooth.
Whilst deciding what to eat, we met Olga, the owner of this amazing patisserie Her warm welcome and passion for traditional Russian food made us feel eager to try every single item on the menu! Olga talked to us about her mission to showcase her Russian heritage and childhood memories through her sweets. Everything here is made in house from recipes that have been passed down to Olga through generations of her family.
We opted to start with something savoury, so we chose the Salmon Pie. What a great choice! This huge piece of pie, filled with delicious chunks of salmon, spinach and cheese was a hearty and warming dish. The buckwheat filling was a surprising and tasty addition and made it exceptionally light along with the airy and crisp house made pastry top.
Next we tried the Blini - two pancakes filled with tasty cottage cheese and sultanas with sour cream on the side. They were very fluffy and soft, quite different to how they usually look. Olga told us they use yeast in the pancake mix which is the traditional Russian way of making them, resulting in a delicate micro-lattice effect. They really were delicious.
Our Russian tasting adventure continued with three more impressive cakes - Napoleon, Honey Cake and the eponymous Izba.
We all know Napoleon as the very famous French emperor, but in Russia, Napoleon is the name of the most popular cake around.Adapted from the traditional French style mille-feuille vanilla slice in the early 19th century, this divine cake boasts three layers of crispy, flaky pastry.
The pastry then sandwiches delicious Russian-style custard which is then topped with beautiful pastry crumbs.
The very different Honey Cake however is a fusion of sour cream and honey that is then topped with a nutty crumble.
It’s a combination of flavours that really melt in your mouth.
Lastly, we tried the Izba, their signature dish. This cake is stacked like a log house (Izba means log house in Russian) and is nothing like we’d ever seen before. The log shaped dough was filled with Amareno (non-alcoholic almond liquor) and covered with a vanilla infused sour cream. This is a heavenly combination of flavours. We could taste the fresh cream.
Our experience at Izba Russian Treats was nothing short of divine. The service is exceptional and the atmosphere is very warm. The freshness of the traditional food stood out. Everything was bursting with flavour. There were so many other treats we wanted to try but just couldn’t fit in. We certainly will be back to try them.
Izba Russian Treats is open7 days a week and is also now at Broadway Shopping Centre in Ultimo, giving you even more reason to try this Russian art of food.
The Counts, who are now doing reviews for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of Izba. Special thanks also to Olga, the owner, for arranging this.
