From deep fried golden gaytimes to hot fudge sundaes: Sydney restaurants get nostalgic

From deep-fried Golden Gaytimes to hot fudge sundaes, Sydney has a craving for the good old days and restaurants such as Cancun Boat Club, Penelope’s and Soluna are serving up sweet treats that will take you back to your youth.

Adult kids, eat your heart out.

Sydney has a craving for the good old days of childhood and restaurants are serving that up in the form of nostalgic desserts.

From desserts inspired by your favourite biscuit or ice cream, everything old is new again.

At one of Quay Quarters newest venues, Cancun Boat Club, the entire venue is build around nostalgia. So it’s no surprise they have a Deep Fried Golden Gaytime on their dessert menu.

Co-owner Anthony MacFarlane said Streets Golden Gaytime became “an Aussie icon” in the 80s and many of the kids who sampled them all summer are now all grown up and dining at his venue.

Everything old is new again at venues across Sydney including the Cancun Boat Club Quay Quarter's Deep Fried Golden Gaytime with dulce de leche sauce Picture: Supplied.

“The combination of toffee and vanilla flavoured ice cream dipped in chocolate, and coated with crunchy, vanilla biscuit crumbs, was an irresistible combination for kids during summer... many of those kids are grown up now, so we’ve given the dessert an adult spin - creating a unique version of our own, by deep-frying the golden gaytime and elevating it with a dulce de leche sauce,” MacFarlane said.

“It’s been a big hit on the menu, I think it reminds people of a simpler, happier time in their lives.”

P&J sandwich and the ice cream sundae from Quay Quarters restaurant Penelope's is a nostaligic twist on a lunch box staple. Picture: Supplied.

Across the road, Modern Australian restaurant Penelope’s has two nostalgic desserts on their menu. They’ve got a PB & J (Peanut Butter and Jelly) Ice Cream Sandwich, made with peanut butter parfait, davidson plum jam, and filo pastry. Remember going to Pizza Hut as a kid just for the sundae? Well Penelope’s also has a Hot Fudge Sundae on it’s menu only this time it contains chocolate and hazelnut ice cream, topped with wattleseed brownie, boozy cherries, and banana cream.

Nostalgic desserts are hitting menus across Sydney, reminding locals of “happier and simpler times in their lives.” Picture: Supplied.

Both desserts were inspired by Chef Bremmy Setiyoko’s childhood. “Both desserts have become crowd favourites for their nostalgic yet refined twists,” Setiyoko said.

North Sydney’s newly opened LA-inspired diner Soluna, right near Victoria Station, have a monte carlo ice cream sandwich on the menu.

It’s made of layers of coconut sorbet, honey ice cream, coconut dacquoise, rhubarb jam and a coconut honey shortbread on top.

Earlier this year, Merivale’s Good Luck Lounge and Restaurant as well as The Boathouse Group’s Mona Social launched their new restaurants and included ice cream sundaes on the menu.