Kürtősh, Darlinghurst

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t know it was socially acceptable to have more than one piece of chocolate at a time until high school.  Ever since I was little my mum would only ever allow me one piece per day, and as a kid, you just assumed that mum’s word was law. You neither questioned it nor tried to. Exceptions being my dad though, where the few times he would go grocery shopping he would buy excessive amounts of junk food. On those days I would have chocolate, chocolate yoghurt, packets of chips, biscuits, the list goes on. It was one of the happiest days of my childhood. The combination of my parent’s parenting is probably the reason I have the biggest sweet tooth while also teaching me that chocolate will always be a special occasion and to enjoy it in the rare moments you have it, which partly explains how I arrived at Kurtosh in Darlinghurst one rainy Spring day. I remember trying it at the beginning of the year and having this heavenly flourless chocolate cake that I needed to have more than once in my life, so I pleaded to my friends to accompany me to this adorable Hungarian dessert place in the heart of Sydney.

Kurtosh is named after Kurtoskalacs, which is a traditional Hungarian pastry that is also known as a chimney cake and sold as a popular street food in Hungary. Setting eyes upon the place, it stood out from the surrounding restaurants and cafes with its pastel blue paint job and wooden sign that hung above the sidewalk. It’s a really quaint and sweet place with its rustic feel and the smell of cinnamon sugar floating around. We’re warmly welcomed and for newcomers, the staff politely explained their specialty and didn’t rush us with our orders.

The way we order is quite unique too. Besides the Hungarian pastry it specialises in, there is a wide range of baked goods. The ones that stand out though are the massive slabs of cake within the display cabinets. When you finally decide on what you’re going to order, you also tell them how big of a piece you want and they will weigh this and charge you accordingly. It’s very creative while also effective!

Flourless Chocolate Cake - $4.50 per 100g

I personally ordered the flourless chocolate cake that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since first bite. It’s as rich and dense as I remember without it being overly sweet. For others, this could be too much as they’re used to cakes that aren’t as heavy as this but as you can tell, my sweet tooth can withstand a lot. If you’re a fan of chocolate and dense cakes, this one’s for you.

Rhubarb crumble - $4.50 per 100g

My friend ordered the rhubarb crumble and it was lucky I sat across from him because I got to go back to it multiple times. The rhubarb was perfectly tart which was then sweetened by the creamy filling. The crumble on top was also buttery and soft. He said it was “the best $4.50 he ever spent”.

Lemon crumble cheesecake - $4.50 per 100g

I also had a bite of the lemon crumble cheesecake from the plate of my cheesecake loving friend. It was a standard cheesecake, creamy and light with a hint of acidity in the background. She said she would’ve enjoyed it more with a spot of tea!

Tiramisu - $4.50 per 100g

The tiramisu was delightfully creamy and moreish. However, I seemed to have missed that coffee hit from the usual coffee soaked sponge. But I only got a small bite so maybe I missed something. However, my companion who ordered it said the cocoa powder on top was a bit excessive and took away from the tiramisu.

Mum's chocolate cake - $4.50 per 100g

This chocolate cake was incredibly crumbly and I wasn’t sure if it was because I had my flourless chocolate before I tried this, but it seemed a tad dry. Good chocolate flavour though.

Nutella Kurtosh - $9.50 

Now this was probably the highlight of the meal. The Nutella kurtosh. It was freshly baked and came out steaming hot. Cutting into it, the outside was incredibly crunchy and caramelised while the warm insides were pillowy soft. Between the layers was a slathering of Nutella, without it being overkill. Nothing irks me more than the overuse of Nutella. I really enjoyed this and my picky friend next to me gave it a thumbs up, when he wasn't too busy checking out the pretty waitress. I would definitely have this again.

By the end of this meal, I had sworn off chocolate for a day or two and had some leftovers to take away for my brother who (not so) secretly loves desserts. Thanks Kurtosh for an outstanding dessert, you will never disappoint.