tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84392154124581869132024-03-14T17:59:36.741+10:30delicious, please!estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-4616373763835722932016-01-20T12:26:00.001+10:302016-01-20T12:26:57.448+10:30paramount coffee project.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow! It's been almost half a year since I last posted and I am truly very <i>very</i> sorry about that. There are no excuses. Delicious food does not wait for anybody and I had promised to be the bearer of food news. My apologies, please forgive me. Luckily for you I've got quite a back log of food posts just waiting to be posted so without further ado, let's move on!<br />
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Paramount Coffee Project was one of those places which burst onto the brunch scene with overwhelming popularity a few years ago and it seems that the force is still going strong. My church is just around the corner from the busy cafe and it seems like every time we drive past, there are small crowds just antsy to get in. My group of three decided to hit the urban/industrial/chic brunch spot on a Sunday morning and were seated outside among the share tables. <br />
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Before you even walk in, you will notice the famous high ceilings are and how much light there is inside. It feels and looks incredibly spacious with the white, timber and stone accents. The random plants also provide a spot of nature inside the old art deco building. The menu is decently sized with enough options to keep you deliberating over for a good fifteen minutes. Drinks are also on point - they're known for their coffee and their rotation of beans and roasters every four to six weeks so order the coffee if you love coffee! Long-time readers will know that I am <i>not</i> a coffee drinker so I opted for the delicious-sounding nutella and pistachio milkshake instead.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Salsa & Kale Baked Eggs with Chorizo & Fetta Cheese</td></tr>
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Now I know what you're thinking. Kale? Really? Aren't we over that phase by now? But mannn, that fried kale was the bomb. It definitely helped to offset the tangy-ness of the green salsa which was a little too sour for my liking and the combination of creamy egg and crunchy kale was heavenly. The chorizo wasn't moist enough - it almost felt like it was intentionally dried out but overall it worked okay with the entire dish. I don't know if I'd order this again though. There are too many other options on the menu to tempt me away from an ordinary dish.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulled Pork Tacos</td></tr>
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What surprised me about this dish was the slightly Asian twist it had going on with the parsley, cabbage and peanuts. I only got to try a little bit but what I tasted was pretty good - fresh, a lotta greens and a whole lot of soft pulled pork.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buttermilk Fried Chicken Waffle</td></tr>
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This is the moment you've been waiting for. Sweet, thick maple bacon gravy slathered over a golden-fried piece of chicken with a large crunchy waffle on the side - how could anything be wrong? Well, unfortunately the waffle was a little soggy and didn't taste as though it was freshly made. I know there's a difference in texture between Belgian and Liege waffles (and this was a Liege waffle) but still, waffles need to be crunchy and softy. This one.....was not. Other than that though, the dish was definitely not disappointing. Top it off with some pickled apples and roasted hazelnuts and you have got yourself quite a feast. Be warned that it's quite a heavy dish though so be prepared to share the gloriousness with some friends. Or not.<br />
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My order was the salted pistachio and nutella milkshake (right) which was pretty much amazing. The smooth, salty but sweet concoction had a generous dusting of pistachio crumbs on the top and was filled with these really weird but oddly satisfying crunchy honeycomb particles. I didn't realise they were in there until I started scooping my drink. It was almost like eating cereal but like, the most gourmet and hipsterish cereal ever. <br />
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Overall I was pretty impressed by PCP. It took us a while to be able to order our food since we were sitting outside so none of the staff could see us frantically waving, but after that it was all smooth sailing. Would definitely recommend this place, if just for a trial. <br />
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<a href="https://www.zomato.com/sydney/the-paramount-coffee-project-surry-hills" target="_blank" title="View Menu, Reviews, Photos & Information about The Paramount Coffee Project, Surry Hills and other Restaurants in Sydney"><img alt="The Paramount Coffee Project Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/16567674/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; padding: 0px; width: 130px;" /></a> estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-71656891675754514432015-05-05T12:56:00.002+09:302015-05-07T22:41:30.296+09:30besser.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's a sad goodbye to the famous Billy Kwong but a happy and frantically-waving hello to Besser - a new Italian eatery opened up by the same team from A Tavola in Darlinghurst. It has only been open for two weeks but it's definitely gaining traction as the new place to be on Crown Street in Surry Hills. Since it is literally across the street from my home church, I didn't really have any excuse not to try it out.</div>
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My fellow eating companion and I walked in on Sunday afternoon and were seated at the window. It's always a bit weird to be sitting in front of the window. I always try to tell myself that everyone walking past is not staring at me as I try to maintain some dignity while scoffing down my delicious meal when deep down I know that, yes...they are. </div>
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Inside is tastefully decorated with all sorts of yellows and blues popping out against the white interior, while the open kitchen and all its glorious food-making noise provide a slightly noisy background. The waiter makes it clear that "all dishes are made to share" and there is a very extensive wine list which features their standout feature: <b>wine on tap</b>. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yesterday's Garlic Bread: $4.00</td></tr>
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Yes, that is what it says on the menu. Yesterday's garlic bread. Judging by the delicious softness of the bread though, it definitely didn't taste like it was overnight bread. It comes out in a paper bag just like the above - an interesting concept and I guess it also saves on washing up time? The two fingers are generously slathered in garlic butter and herbs with a fresh tomato and cheese dip as an accompaniment. I recommend you try the bread without the tomato sauce in the beginning since it's full of flavour by itself already.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polenta Dolce Latte Raddichio: $14.00</td></tr>
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Having only tried polenta once before (and not exactly impressed by all the hype), it was the combination of <i>dolce </i>and <i>latte</i> which lured us in. The most surprising part of the dish was the inclusion of blue cheese which was hidden among the beautifully golden polenta. If you're only a fence-sitter on the blue cheese wagon, I wouldn't recommend this for you. The flavour is quite strong but to its credit, doesn't overpower the dish entirely. The red cabbage is deliciously sweet and provides for a good textural contrast to the smooth, melty polenta. This polenta was very different to the one I had tried previously and has nudged me a bit further into the yes-polenta-is-amazing camp.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom Tagliatelle: $22.00</td></tr>
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For an establishment that boasts hand-made pasta, you can't <i>not</i> order the hand made pasta. Cooked to al dente perfection and coated in a beautifully flavoursome mushroom sauce, the size of the dish is a good size if you're sharing between two or for a main by itself. There were surprising additions of small chillis which simply lifted the dish rather than heating it up and the mushrooms were nicely juicy and plentiful.<br />
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Definitely a must-try-again sort of place, especially with larger groups. Prices are a little on the steeper side but average for any tapas restaurant. Their drinks list really is quite extensive so people who enjoy a glass of wine or four during a meal would enjoy the range. The service was prompt but not rushed and it's always interesting to be able to watch the chefs at work. Which we were unfortunately unable to do. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1986652/restaurant/Sydney/Besser-Surry-Hills"><img alt="Besser on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1986652/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-33759103127897229412015-04-15T12:54:00.001+09:302015-05-07T22:18:19.080+09:30tim ho wan.<div style="text-align: center;">
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I rarely ever cover Chinese food on this blog, mainly because there aren't that many Chinese restaurants which really peak my interest. Tim Ho Wan, however, is an exception. Boasting a very coveted Michelin star and having expanded world-wide, it almost seemed unforgivable if I didn't give it a go. </div>
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It was over a one and a half hour wait to be able to get seats in the restaurant but we finally managed to score a corner table. The restaurant has that brand spanking new smell to it with an open kitchen and over a hundred bamboo yumcha baskets decorating the upper walls of the place. Busy waiters are scurrying around with plastic flaps around their face to avoid breathing on to the food and there is a definite buzz about the place that can only come from customers who have waited for <i>so </i>long to get inside.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbeque Pork Buns: $6.80</td></tr>
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If there is one thing waiting in line for, it is for these little babies. The outer layer is reminiscent of the classic pineapple bun (bor lor bau) you get from Chinese bakeries and was deliciously sweet and crumbly. The inside was full of piping hot bbq pork (char siu) and char siu sauce. For $6.80, it's a reasonable price although they're not exactly huge. I could easily finish six of these buns in one go and still have room for more. But you know, that's just me.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prawn Dumplings: $7.80</td></tr>
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You cannot go to a yum cha restaurant and not order har gao (prawn dumplings). They say you can tell just how good a dim sum chef is by their har gao skin and filling. These dumplings were okay. The skin was lightly chewy and didn't stick to the paper, which is definitely a good thing. The prawn filling was also noticeably seasoned with salt and pepper but lacking the bamboo shoots which I've become accustomed to. The price was also pretty high for four small dumplings, even if they are part of the 'Heavenly Four' aka must tries on the menu.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pork Dumpling with Shrimp: $7.20</td></tr>
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Shiu mai is also a classic at yum cha. Plump, juicy wonton-wrapped balls of fatty pork and prawn these were <i>not</i>. It may have been due to the huge crowds which came in that day, but the shiu mai were slightly shrivelled, chewy and a little sad looking when they reached our table. They're also served with goji berries instead of the traditional crab roe which is slightly weird.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steamed Egg Cake: $5.50</td></tr>
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This was also a strange version of the classic egg cake (ma lai gou in Cantonese). The egg cake which I am accustomed to is a soft yellow, not brown. It was very light and fluffy though, and not too sweet. For me it almost tasted like soy sauce, but my fellow eater didn't taste that at all. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan-fried Carrot Cake: $6.00</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love carrot cake. Whether it's sweet or savoury, I’m not fussed. The traditional Chinese pan-fried carrot cake is supposed to deliciously fragrant and melt-in-your-mouth soft <span class="HiddenText"> </span><span class="HiddenText"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hide: none;">with the right balance of white carrot piece, flour, Chinese sausage and dried shrimp. Tim Ho Wan’s version was not close. There were plenty of chunky carrot pieces which is always a good thing, but the flavour wasn’t really there. It was fairly bland and not enough sausage or salt to counter the flour. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="HiddenText"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hide: none;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Overall verdict?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty average and definitely not worth the long wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are so many other great yumcha places in Sydney that don’t require too long of a wait and with loads more options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only</i> thing I would go back for would be the barbeque pork buns which were pretty amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1936376/restaurant/Sydney/Tim-Ho-Wan-Chatswood"><img alt="Tim Ho Wan on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1936376/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-11692526398309731952015-03-24T23:44:00.000+10:302015-03-24T23:45:02.713+10:30bourke street bakery.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gpO4SqccO-M/VRFapsCRwaI/AAAAAAAACNw/Ie_6AQcfyo0/s1600/2015-03-22%2B12.54.15%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gpO4SqccO-M/VRFapsCRwaI/AAAAAAAACNw/Ie_6AQcfyo0/s1600/2015-03-22%2B12.54.15%2B1.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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Whew it's been a while! My sincere apologies for neglecting my little baby for so long but working life is turning out to be more time-consuming and energy-sapping than I could ever have imagined. But no one wants to hear (or read) about me complaining so let's not!<br />
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Bourke Street Bakery has been on my to-visit list ever since moving to Sydney but somehow I only managed my first visit to the famous bakery last week. I know, poor effort on my behalf. Luckily the bakery has expanded into several branches across the wide city and it is literally only a ten-minute walk from my house to the Rosebery store. You can smell the freshly baked pastries and breads from across the road and the small store is constantly packed with dine-in customers as well as those popping in for a quick coffee and tart. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1PonFwM-mL4/VRFatTkAWkI/AAAAAAAACN4/Ddyrj72HpRA/s1600/2015-03-22%2B01.13.26%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1PonFwM-mL4/VRFatTkAWkI/AAAAAAAACN4/Ddyrj72HpRA/s1600/2015-03-22%2B01.13.26%2B2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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Walking in, you're greeted with the noisy whirring of coffee machines, tinkling of coffee cups and a lovely buzz of conversation. They have an extremely wide range of breads to choose from (see last picture) and their assortments of sweet and savoury treats are nothing to be sniffed at. Having not eaten breakfast in preparation for this feast, my stomach was literally shouting at me to order everything. But alas, one must be reasonable. So between myself and another fellow eater, we ordered the lemon curd tart, pear danish, almond croissant, chocolate and raspberry muffin, a pork and fennel sausage roll and two hot chocolates. Hey, reasonable is a very fluid term in the legal world.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5fn2jeaBaqw/VRFatv-fwcI/AAAAAAAACN8/PYTVy4hoziw/s1600/2015-03-24%2B06.04.20%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5fn2jeaBaqw/VRFatv-fwcI/AAAAAAAACN8/PYTVy4hoziw/s1600/2015-03-24%2B06.04.20%2B1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Let's start with the lemon tart. If you love lemon, this is the best. If you don't love lemon, this is still delicious but could possible be a tad overwhelming. Rich, creamy and very zingy with a buttery crust - the tart was great as an in-between for all the other sweet pastries. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Dy7d9njVwk/VRFabgbUjCI/AAAAAAAACNY/HGt8QuqV9Pw/s1600/2015-03-22%2B01.13.05%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Dy7d9njVwk/VRFabgbUjCI/AAAAAAAACNY/HGt8QuqV9Pw/s1600/2015-03-22%2B01.13.05%2B1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next up was the chocolate and raspberry muffin. To my delightful surprise, the chocolate and raspberries were buried at the bottom of the muffin in two thick layers. Eating the muffin with a fork or a spoon is recommended since you don't need everyone else staring at your wide open trap whilst you try and get all the chocolate, raspberries and muffin in one go. The muffin itself was very light and moist and just sweet enough without making it sickeningly sweet with the chocolate.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sHQg0ZGhEX0/VRFacS-DkZI/AAAAAAAACNk/QbmEa57s8Lk/s1600/2015-03-22%2B01.08.39%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sHQg0ZGhEX0/VRFacS-DkZI/AAAAAAAACNk/QbmEa57s8Lk/s1600/2015-03-22%2B01.08.39%2B2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
The almond croissant was amazing. I have had great and terrible almond croissants before and this ranks high up the list. Inside the soft and flaky pastry are ground up almonds, sugar and more crumbed pastry. Seriously delectable and surprisingly filling thanks to the stuffing.<br />
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The pear danish (pictured above) was also scrumptious in its own way. The layers of folded pastry were soo soft and easy to bite into while the pears were sweetened to the right degree. The danish did get a little lost among all the other items we ate, mainly because it didn't have as strong of a flavour as all the others. However, saying that, I would easily polish off three danishes if you asked me to. <br />
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Finally, the pork and fennel sausage roll which I didn't get a photo of. For someone who is used to the Villi's sausage rolls, this was <i>gourmet</i>. The pork and fennel merged sublimely well together to create a juicy and tasty combination. The pastry, as expected, was super soft and really buttery. Great sausage roll, is all I have to say.<br />
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Having had such a good experience at Bourke Street Bakery, I am sure I will be back for more. Apparently the ginger brulee tart is <i>the best </i>so clearly I need to go try it for myself. Service was as expected from a small and busy shop - friendly and efficient with plates and cups cleared away almost as soon as you're done eating.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1472419/restaurant/Alexandria/Bourke-Street-Bakery-Sydney"><img alt="Bourke Street Bakery on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1472419/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a> estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-22668774690430647282014-12-09T19:43:00.001+10:302014-12-09T19:43:47.524+10:30bowery lane.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OKfifHvx1V8/VIaUStN9GeI/AAAAAAAACKE/absWzQDYdEc/s1600/2014-12-09%2B04.03.10%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OKfifHvx1V8/VIaUStN9GeI/AAAAAAAACKE/absWzQDYdEc/s1600/2014-12-09%2B04.03.10%2B3.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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Admittedly I am still new to the Sydney brunch scene, so I am all ears whenever someone mentions a place which I haven't heard of. Bowery Lane was one such destination; surrounded by high-rise office buildings and mainly populated with suits and ties, the O'Connell Street restaurant is aptly named after one of New York's historically popular districts. One of the most important things to note is that they <b>do not</b> do breakfast on the weekends, as my party of three devastatingly found out on a Sunday morning. In fact, they're not open at all on Sundays so definitely plan ahead! <br />
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Minimal decorations can be seen inside which gives it a slightly cold atmosphere, although the comfy two-seater dining booths and warm lighting add a bit of coziness to the place. Menu content is easy to read and all dishes sounded enticingly delicious! There is an overlap between some of the lunch and dinner dishes but the breakfast menu is exclusive. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YOzmkvrFs48/VIaX0MfDAeI/AAAAAAAACKo/qP3KOJytyxg/s1600/2014-12-09%2B04.01.17%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YOzmkvrFs48/VIaX0MfDAeI/AAAAAAAACKo/qP3KOJytyxg/s1600/2014-12-09%2B04.01.17%2B3.jpg" height="512" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brooklyn Bagel & Salmon: flaked salmon, smashed peas, scrambled eggs, creme fraiche, dill & salmon roe ($17.00)</td></tr>
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For those wanting a light breakfast, this is <u>not</u> the one to get. Each bagel half is smothered with creamy creme fraiche, a small mountain of sweet and mushy smashed peas and a huge serving of salmon. On top of all this is basically a river of soft, creamy scrambled eggs which is generously dotted with salmon roe. I only managed to comfortably finish one half of the bagel before needing assistance from my fellow eaters. <br />
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The textures of the smashed peas and scrambled eggs worked really well, although the egg needed more salt. The salmon was also slightly underwhelming in terms of flavour, but the salmon roe was the saving grace of the dish - each little egg was a bubble of salty goodness amongst its slightly bland companions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XdU0xV5GdDM/VIaX4JIZajI/AAAAAAAACKw/w3FHHQCFKyE/s1600/2014-12-09%2B04.15.17%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XdU0xV5GdDM/VIaX4JIZajI/AAAAAAAACKw/w3FHHQCFKyE/s1600/2014-12-09%2B04.15.17%2B3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast Stack: asparagus, kale, spinache, poached egg, tomatoes & walnuts ($16.00)</td></tr>
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The Breakfast Stack wasn't so much of a 'stack' in terms of presentation, but it fits the restaurant's 'refined rustic' look to a tee. The combination of all the different ingredients provided an interesting explosion in the mouth, although each element tasted fresh and delicious on its own as well. Light, zingy and <i>relatively</i> healthy, this one is perfect for those who don't want a heavy start to the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--NSAVSwId_E/VIaT8w0nxyI/AAAAAAAACJ4/iIcTyNw_Ddo/s1600/2014-12-09%2B04.02.25%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--NSAVSwId_E/VIaT8w0nxyI/AAAAAAAACJ4/iIcTyNw_Ddo/s1600/2014-12-09%2B04.02.25%2B3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scout's Breakfast: mushrooms, roast potatoes, prosciutto, poached eggs, goats cheese & parmesan ($16.00)</td></tr>
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A great take on the humble breakfast potato - this dish looked and tasted delicious. Large cuts of salty prosciutto blended nicely with the crisp roasted potatoes and flavoursome mushrooms. The two poached eggs was cooked perfectly with smooth, yellow centres and a smattering of croutons made an appearance as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mocha & Hershey's Cookies and Cream Milkshake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cleanser: beetroot, watermelon, ginger & carrot</td></tr>
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The drinks were probably one of the best parts of the meal. My order, the mocha with an extra shot of chocolate, was smooth and deliciously chocolate-y. Long-time readers will know I can't take caffeine well, and this mocha was surprisingly light on the coffee. The cookies and cream milkshake was brilliantly done. The balance between milk and icecream was just right and the extra chocolate was very welcome. The juice was also scrumptious - not overly sweet with a very clear taste of ginger and watermelon. <br />
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This meal was probably one of the best brunches I've had so far in Sydney, and that's quite a statement. The serving sizes were quite generous for the prices we paid, which were fairly standard breakfast dollars. The service was alright - nothing to write home about but nothing to complain about either. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1841522/restaurant/CBD/Bowery-Lane-Sydney"><img alt="Bowery Lane on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1841522/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-11132240806851607932014-12-09T19:41:00.001+10:302014-12-09T19:48:12.755+10:30aaaaaaaaand she's back...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-63I9Binna1c/VIauqSL__kI/AAAAAAAACLA/hkIcwph09Q4/s1600/2014-11-25%2B03.25.32%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-63I9Binna1c/VIauqSL__kI/AAAAAAAACLA/hkIcwph09Q4/s1600/2014-11-25%2B03.25.32%2B1.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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As some of you may have noticed, I've been rather quiet on this blog for the past few months. In fact, I would even go so far to say that I went a bit MIA - I wouldn't call it AWOL since I technically am the officer in charge, and do not need permission to leave. Haha, lame.<br />
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The truth is that I stopped posting because I got kinda lazy for a week. And then two weeks. And then a month. And by then, my backlog of posts had grown to the point where I was like, <i>Noooo...there's so many to write! I'll just ....leave it for some other time</i>. And of course...it kept growing. Which in turn made me even less inclined to start. Such a vicious cycle.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EgekuBWDZvI/VIa8GXemn9I/AAAAAAAACLQ/amumXG8KNKA/s1600/2014-12-09%2B07.59.28%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EgekuBWDZvI/VIa8GXemn9I/AAAAAAAACLQ/amumXG8KNKA/s1600/2014-12-09%2B07.59.28%2B1.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a><br />
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Anyway, after many complaints and encouragements from friends and family, I have now decided to unlazy myself and start again! So yeah, sorry to all the people who were waiting for me to post up reviews who now realise I don't actually have a legit excuse. I'll make it up to you someday. Or you could just follow me on <a href="http://instagram.com/lamdotdot" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and then you can see what you've been missing out on. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IqWEnNfJNRI/VIa8HqQRgCI/AAAAAAAACLY/_G_j4IeBpp8/s1600/2014-12-09%2B07.05.51%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IqWEnNfJNRI/VIa8HqQRgCI/AAAAAAAACLY/_G_j4IeBpp8/s1600/2014-12-09%2B07.05.51%2B1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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P.S. I've moved to Sydney. Surprise!<br />
estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-71014020492394785162014-08-27T12:04:00.000+09:302014-08-28T00:29:21.719+09:30butterfingers.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lZpG66Fjvb4/U_gyYPQ1mlI/AAAAAAAACGs/qr3RT9GdAaM/s1600/2014-08-09%2B01.21.36%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lZpG66Fjvb4/U_gyYPQ1mlI/AAAAAAAACGs/qr3RT9GdAaM/s1600/2014-08-09%2B01.21.36%2B3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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I feel like I'm renouncing a bit of my Australian-ness as I say this, but I do not exactly delight in finding a great pie store. I'm just not really a pie person, you know? But exceptions must be made for Butterfingers especially since they've been touted as <i>the best</i> pie store in Adelaide. A sunny day lured myself and another out to try this apparently amazing place and we were definitely not disappointed. It's a little hidden away by next-door Cibo's overreaching outdoor seating but you'll find it next to Chocolate Taperia and opposite the Lion Hotel. <br />
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If you're like me and not a pie-lover, feel safe in knowing that they have a large breakfast and lunch selection including waffles, salads, museli and a range of delicious drinks. Wooden boards and and a slight hint of the outback make up the interiors while there are plenty of outdoor seats available.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">N-doo-ya-wanna? : $15.00</td></tr>
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The name comes from Ndjua, a (super) spicy Italian sausage which is mixed together with white bean puree, parmesan cheese and poached eggs. I'm not kidding when I said it's super spicy - I like to think of myself as a relatively well-experienced chilli eater and it was pretty hot for me. The white bean puree was deliciously grainy and creamy with excellent seasoning and a dash of olive oil. The eggs were perfectly poached (look at that yolk) and everything was mopped up with the crunchy ciabatta.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vhSZLWaJPpg/U_gzOR_DKzI/AAAAAAAACG0/ZxIxZU3qwos/s1600/2014-08-09%2B01.44.30%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vhSZLWaJPpg/U_gzOR_DKzI/AAAAAAAACG0/ZxIxZU3qwos/s1600/2014-08-09%2B01.44.30%2B1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waffles: caramelised banana, peanut butter ice-cream, salted peanut butter sand & chocolate ganache ($14.00)</td></tr>
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Oh myyyyy. This was every bit as good as it looks. A huge scoop of peanut butter icecream which was soo peanut buttery and creamy on top of a medium-sized waffle. The caramelised banana and chocolate ganache went surprisingly well together, although I initially thought the banana was peanut butter sauce and was a bit taken aback when I tasted it. Loved this. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck, chestnut & pancetta pie</td></tr>
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You can't go to a place where everyone's like "Their pies are the <i>best</i>" and not try a pie. It just doesn't work that way. So we ordered their famous duck, chestnut and pancetta pie and within seconds immediately regretted not ordering another one. The pie pastry is simply superb - buttery, flaky and really well made - and the filling was rich and so full of flavour. I couldn't taste the chestnut, which was a good thing for me, and the duck meat was so soft and tender.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nutella Mocha</td></tr>
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I was tossing up between the hot Nutella and Nutella mocha and went with the latter, but there wasn't enough Nutella in it for me. It tasted more like an ordinary mocha.<br />
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I left Butterfingers thoroughly impressed and eager to come back. Service was quite decent and the counterstaff was happy to help me with my questions - e.g. 'Is your peanut butter icecream homemade?' - and convinced me to try the waffles. Food came out in excellent timing and the overall vibe was really chilled and easy-going. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1809572/restaurant/Adelaide/Melbourne-Street/Butterfingers-North-Adelaide"><img alt="Butterfingers on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1809572/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-45469258126620162952014-08-23T16:04:00.003+09:302014-08-27T12:08:51.607+09:30bread & bone wood grill.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w3enRRXZdEg/U_g0g8xSPNI/AAAAAAAACHI/PppGQyMKvXk/s1600/2014-08-23%2B03.38.36%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w3enRRXZdEg/U_g0g8xSPNI/AAAAAAAACHI/PppGQyMKvXk/s1600/2014-08-23%2B03.38.36%2B1.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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Peel Street, get it on your foodar stat, with the little lane off of Hindley Street and Currie Street becoming home to some of the newest and hippest eateries in Adelaide. Bread and Bone Grill is no exception and the best thing is that they're open from lunchtime until late <i>everyday</i> so there's no excuse not to go try it out! Lunchtimes are generally more quiet but it can get really packed at night and there's an awesome combination of conversation and food flowing freely through the warehouse-style restaurant.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vy_FuIVdNVw/U_L15NZyH7I/AAAAAAAACEY/J42-MDCQzHM/s1600/2014-08-05%2B09.55.31%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vy_FuIVdNVw/U_L15NZyH7I/AAAAAAAACEY/J42-MDCQzHM/s1600/2014-08-05%2B09.55.31%2B1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Menu options are plentiful with a range of burgers, hot dogs, wood-grill dishes and even salads for those looking for something lighter. They have a bar downstairs called Maybe Mae which is a great place to have a drink while waiting for your table, a likelihood since they don't take bookings!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 300: $20.00</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rn5ejooA-Bg/U_L2tkIePYI/AAAAAAAACEw/D-7iMUtY8_s/s1600/2014-08-05%2B09.59.17%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rn5ejooA-Bg/U_L2tkIePYI/AAAAAAAACEw/D-7iMUtY8_s/s1600/2014-08-05%2B09.59.17%2B1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double Cheeseburger: $15.50</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B&B Burger: $13.50</td></tr>
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The first three burgers were not my orders but there was a general consensus that they were fairly good. There are some burgers which a limp and a bit 'eh' but these were the opposite - strong, hearty burgers although quite small for the price you pay.<br />
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My order didn't turn out as delicious as I had hoped. I prefer my soft-shell crab to be lightly battered, crunchy and full of meat and juice, but this one was too hard and fried for too long. I did like the chilli kewpie mayonnaise it came with - could definitely eat a whole jar of that with pickles or fries. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onion Rings: $5.00</td></tr>
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These were probably the favourite dish of the night - we couldn't get enough of them! Unlike the heavily battered onion rings you get at most American diners, these were only lightly coated and deep-fried until they were golden but not super crunchy. They cost $5 a bowl, which isn't too bad, so I'd recommend getting two bowls to share among a few people. Just because they're that good.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salted Peanut Brittle & Caramelised Popcorn Soft Serve: $6.00</td></tr>
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Ha! I will never forget this soft serve for one reason - the first time we tried it, it tasted like cardboard! It tasted like peanut brittle and caramel as well and it was truly yummy, but there was this faint flavour of cardboard that we just couldn't pin. We thought it could have been the wooden spoons but it wasn't. Nonetheless, it is actually <i>really</i> good and the popcorn is amazing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Velvet Soft Serve: $6.00</td></tr>
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I was so excited to try this. I mean, red velvet soft serve? Yes pleeease. Unfortunately it wasn't as spectacular as I was hoping it to be. There wasn't much flavour to it and I feel like it needed to have a stronger chocolate taste in the actual ice cream as opposed to chocolate shavings. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1869926/restaurant/City-Centre/Bread-Bone-Wood-Grill-Adelaide"><img alt="Bread & Bone Wood Grill on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1869926/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-60386706963762547512014-08-12T11:14:00.000+09:302014-08-12T11:14:18.312+09:30the stranded store.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After enduring a whole week of grey and rainy Adelaide after coming back from Sydney a few weeks ago, the weekend miraculously turned out to be bright and sunny - the perfect weather for brunch catchups at The Stranded Store. Despite it's rather introverted location in Colonel Light Gardens, the popular eatery was filled to the brim with all tables taken both inside and out. </div>
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Their menu changes every season, although not by too much. We had a vego friend with us and it was great to see that there were more than a few options for her to choose from, as well as the assurance from the staff that they're happy to make any dish vegetarian. I quite liked the size of their menu - not too large but just enough to keep us hovering between two or three - and the store has a lovely neighbourhood cafe vibe going on.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggs Benedict with Smoked Bacon plus a side of Avocado & Lime: $21.50</td></tr>
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Everytime I look at a menu, I'm torn between choosing something more 'adventurous' or going with an oldie but a goodie like Eggs Benedict. My final choice was an excellent decision - the hollandaise sauce was beautifully aerated and the consistency was just about right. It wasn't as strong as I prefer my hollandaise sauce to be but it had enough flavour in it to keep me satisfied. The bacon was nicely crisp with a good ratio of fat to meat and the avocado and lime was nicely flavoured with coriander and red onions.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast Cassoulet: braised beans, spicy tomato, pancetta & fried egg plus a side of A & L </td></tr>
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Had a small taste of the cassoulet and wow....this is what you need on a cold winter's morning. It was a little spicy, even for me, but that's the appeal and definitely tastes amazing with the salty pancetta and thick runny egg yolk. The ciabatta bread was nicely grilled and looked quite tantalising.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avocado & Lime: fetta, fried chilli and garlic with ciabatta bread ($18.00)</td></tr>
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I didn't get a taste of this one but since I ordered the mini version as my side, I'm pretty sure this would have tasted seriously delicious also. The colours were pretty extraordinary and everything looked so fresh and green. Excellent choice for vegetarians and non-vegos alike.</div>
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Such a beautiful spot to eat, catch up and soak up the baby rays of sunshine. The food was deliciously fresh and tasty and also so beautifully presented as well. The only thing I could complain was the fact that we had to go find someone to take our order after waiting for quite some time outside. They were clearly very busy inside but since they did have outside tables, some attention should be given to them. Other than that, the staff were relatively nice and the food came out in reasonable time after ordering.</div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1649148/restaurant/Adelaide/South-of-Adelaide/The-Stranded-Store-Colonel-Light-Gardens"><img alt="The Stranded Store on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1649148/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-91384984218142188942014-08-09T10:37:00.000+09:302014-08-09T10:37:21.779+09:30orto trading co.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jajgR2fm4HQ/U9N6oLBcP7I/AAAAAAAAB9M/rupKwvTPe8Y/s1600/2014-07-26+01.02.10+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jajgR2fm4HQ/U9N6oLBcP7I/AAAAAAAAB9M/rupKwvTPe8Y/s1600/2014-07-26+01.02.10+2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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More Sydney eats! After being placed in a one-hour wait for the ever busy <a href="http://deliciousplease.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/devon-cafe.html" target="_blank">Devon Cafe</a> (weekend brunching can be a waiting nightmare), we decided to try out our luck at Orto Trading Co instead. It's about 5-10 minutes walk from Central Station, straight up Devonshire Road and turning left on Waterloo Street. Greeted by a bright display of white wicker crates and plant decorations, we promptly changed our minds and walked straight in without a second thought. The fact that there was no line was a definite plus, but everything in general looked so welcoming and happy. <br />
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The word 'orto' actually means vegetable garden in Italian, and it's clear that that was the theme running through the cafe. The ceiling in the cafe is super high and every table was decorated with a fresh, yellow flower. With only two people eating, we didn't think it was socially acceptable to order everything on the menu no matter how much we wanted to! So we did our best and narrowed it down to four.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrot Cake Hotcakes: $18.00</td></tr>
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Wow. Heaven. On a plate. With vegetables. Mind is blown. Who knew the humble carrot cake could taste so amazing? Beautifully decorated with cinnamon sugar and gingerbread crumbs, the hotcakes were our favourite dish out of the four. They were thick, fluffy and yet somehow incredibly dense and packed with flavour. The mascarpone had a hint of cinnaon to it and was the perfect complement - cream and pancakes anyone? Also loved the addition of toffee pecans to bring a sweet crunch to the plate. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scrambled Eggs with Sourdough Toast, Chorizo & Wild Mushrooms: $21.00</td></tr>
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A simple dish, yet every part of it was executed well. The toasted sourdough was just the right balance of a crunchy crust and a soft interior with the medallion of soft butter spreading easily over the three slices. A good mix of different wild mushrooms were nicely sauteed with butter, although perhaps a little too much butter. The scrambled eggs were very light and creamy and the chorizo was nicely spicy. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scotch Eggs: $12.00</td></tr>
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Out of the four, this was the least preferred dish. That's not to say, however, that it didn't taste good. The eggs were perfectly poached, covered in a soft radish/cabbage (not entirely sure) layer and deep-fried to a golden crunch. Maybe it was because I ate this last and it became cold, but I wasn't too sold on the flavours in the middle layer. It tasted like reheated potatoes after being frozen overnight. The curry on the right was also cold and had very strong, herb-y taste. It wasn't really to my liking.<br />
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I've only ever had polenta in a soft form, so eating them deep-fried was quite exciting. The chip, by itself, had a subtle truffle flavour to it but definitely needed the buttermilk and cheese sauce to give it some sort of impact in terms of taste. I really enjoyed these and probably could have demolished the whole plate if I hadn't been so full.<br />
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Highly recommended. Both of us left Orto's feeling extremely full and extremely happy. Service was quite quick considering the amount of people they had and it was reasonably priced for brunch. While we were eating I actually had a moment where I just stopped eating and smiled like a fool because I was that happy. Weird, right.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1583700/restaurant/Sydney/Orto-Trading-Co-Surry-Hills"><img alt="Orto Trading Co. on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1583700/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-9371437680387528652014-08-01T12:19:00.000+09:302014-08-02T23:00:58.513+09:30cherry darlings bakehouse.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yYfpvu-LeD8/U9jMrJNfa_I/AAAAAAAACBU/T3RyJyktrF8/s1600/2014-07-30+02.08.13+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yYfpvu-LeD8/U9jMrJNfa_I/AAAAAAAACBU/T3RyJyktrF8/s640/2014-07-30+02.08.13+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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Gluten free <i>and</i> vegan? I am intrigued. Cherry Darlings Bakehouse is a new bakery that has popped up in Forestville near the tram station. Despite being such a tiny store, they're already making a few waves among the food community and are earning rave review from both vegan and non-vegan eaters alike. The opportunity came for me to go have a look to see what the fuss was all about when my stomach was craving for some cake one afternoon.</div>
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The smell of freshly baked goods hits you full on as you walk through the door. On offer were a range of savoury pies, a huge selection of sweets and a fridge full of colorful soft drinks. One of the main reasons why I had come down to the baker was because I had read about a <i>red velvet chocolate cream cheese brownie</i> on their Facebook page and luckily for me, I got the last one! Since it's a bit of a drive I also got a few more treats to take home and eat by myse- err...share with my dad.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cookies & Cream Cheesecake: $8.00</td></tr>
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A slightly hefty price tag for an okay-tasting piece of cake. Since it's vegan, I'm not too sure what they used for their filling but it didn't have much flavour to it. It had a tartness to it which was interesting, but not quite the rich creaminess I'm used to from cheesecakes. The base tasted of coconut and was really crumbly. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Velvet Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownie: $4.00</td></tr>
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My brownie! It was a mixed bag - sometimes it tasted really good, other times I felt like it was a bit dry and didn't taste like anything. It had chocolate chips throughout the brownie which really brought out the chocolate element, and I could taste the sourness of the cream cheese although I would have preferred it to be stronger. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake: $4.00</td></tr>
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When you first bite into the chocolate cupcake alone, it's an underwhelming experience. But when you put the peanut butter icing and the cupcake together, it's like *angels singing*. The peanut butter flavour is pretty intense in that icing and I love the fact that it's not too rich and not too sweet. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triple Choc Brownie: $4.00</td></tr>
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Wow. This is hands down one of the best brownies I have ever eaten, and that's saying something. So luxuriously moist, so extremely rich and not so sweet that you need to stop at one. There are no words.</div>
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I had high expectations and although they weren't <i>quite</i> met, I'm still pretty impressed. The sweets still tasted pretty spot on despite the lack of animal products and you almost feel like you're doing the world a favour just by eating them! </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1858807/restaurant/Adelaide/South-of-Adelaide/Cherry-Darlings-Bakehouse-Forestville"><img alt="Cherry Darlings Bakehouse on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1858807/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-7872273815173923262014-07-29T13:56:00.002+09:302014-07-29T13:56:37.944+09:30devon cafe.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sydney eats! It's rather sad to admit, but I get this weird tingly happy/excited feeling whenever I find some place I want to eat at. More excited than, let's say, Australia winning the Olympics (hypothetically, of course). Ever since I saw photos of their beautiful and delicious-looking food on Instagram, Devon Cafe shot to the top of my to-eat-in-Sydney list and stayed there. It seems as though I wasn't the only one who experienced this as the first time I tried to get in there was a <i>one hour wait </i>on the weekend. Luckily I came back on a weekday and there was no line! </div>
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From the front it looks rather small, but there's a fairly decent-sized seating area at the back as well. Menu options range from ordinary toast and toppings to the more extravagant caviar and eggs blini or the Ultimate Toastie - a truckload of truffles with fried eggs on toast. They've also got a reputation for a good cup of coffee too, although, as readers would know, that ain't my cup of tea.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truffled Croissant: truffles, scrambled eggs, bacon & croissant ($25.00)</td></tr>
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Have you ever died and gone to food heaven? Well, if you feel like trying it sometime, order this. I believe the exact words my friend said was "This is amazing. I am in shock." The croissant was so intensely buttery and flaky that it didn't need all the extra toppings to be delicious, although no one was complaining. The scrambled eggs were deemed to be perfect and there was a very generous amount of shaved truffle accentuating the flavours. The only let down was the bacon, which was a bit bland and lacking in salt. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggs Blini: buckwheat blini, salmon caviar, poached eggs, broccolini, sauce Mikado & cured salmon ($19.00)</td></tr>
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Not quite the same "I am in shock" reaction but still incredibly delicious. The blini is the bottom layer and tastes pretty much like a pancake. It was covered in a very liberal serving of raw salmon, large salmon caviar and perfectly cooked broccolini. The Mikado sauce was probably the most interesting element - it was almost like a Hollandaise save for a slight citrus flavour to it (Google says it's tangerine). It wasn't a huge portion but I found that it still filled me up quite well. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Chocolate</td></tr>
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Mmm...not quite the hot chocolate I prefer. If you're looking for a milky drink then this is the one for you. I prefer a stronger and thicker sort.</div>
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After waiting for so long, I'm happy to say that the wait was worth it. Both of the dishes we ordered were scrumptious and well worth their money. Unfortunately the service was really, really slow. There weren't a lot of people in during the time we went and it still took nearly 40 minutes for our food to arrive. I can only imagine the dreaded waiting times on the weekend. If you're a patient kind of person, you probably won't mind coming on the weekend. But if you're like me, impatient and unemployed, definitely try get in on a weekday. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1753263/restaurant/Sydney/Devon-Cafe-Surry-Hills"><img alt="Devon Cafe on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1753263/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-34195791015942859282014-07-26T23:53:00.001+09:302014-07-26T23:56:15.750+09:30steven ter horst chocolatier.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tTdn4jutg8o/U80TDWGDUhI/AAAAAAAAB8M/YbdWQyljAnY/s1600/2014-07-21+12.40.35+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tTdn4jutg8o/U80TDWGDUhI/AAAAAAAAB8M/YbdWQyljAnY/s1600/2014-07-21+12.40.35+1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is chocolate, and then there is <i>chocolate</i>. One step into Steven Ter Horst and you know they are the latter. Situated in between Yiros House and Aurum on Rundle Street, their sleek black and white interior and carefully set out dessert displays really set them apart from your average choccy shop. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YtAMQuNL8a8/U80TaxPgjlI/AAAAAAAAB80/HFHH2-vl_TE/s1600/2014-07-21+12.49.24+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YtAMQuNL8a8/U80TaxPgjlI/AAAAAAAAB80/HFHH2-vl_TE/s1600/2014-07-21+12.49.24+1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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They have a selection of ready-made desserts in their glass display and a huge range of drinks to choose from. I love the fact that they have a variety of cold drinks which aren't just iced chocolate - their iced teas are amazing - and that they have a few different kinds of hot chocolate for the adventurous. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Chocolate: Hazelnut Praline & Mint</td></tr>
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In terms of colour, there isn't much difference. Chocolate is chocolate-coloured. But the taste is <i>so</i> different. The hazelnut is extremely rich, almost to the point of over-sweet, although for me it hovers just below that line. There's a strong nut flavour to it and it's almost like drinking liquid Ferrero Rochers. The mint is just as strong so mint-lovers should definitely try it out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon Lust: $9.00</td></tr>
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A pillow of vibrant yellow mousse with an almond praline and cocoa sponge base, the lemon lust caught my eye immediately. Inside is a deliciously chewy caramel centre which helps offset the sourness of the mousse. I wasn't expecting the mousse to be quite that tart, although I guess it is lemon, but the balance between sweet and sour was just right. The textures were also amazing - crunchy almond base with soft and fluffy mousse. This is a favourite.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Framboise: $9.00</td></tr>
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I've recently been warming up to raspberries and this has definitely helped in that regard. The cake is divided into five layers - chocolate biscuit base, chocolate mousse, raspberry gel, raspberry sponge and a coating of chocolate ganache. I quite liked the slight bitterness stemming from the dark chocolate biscuit base contrasting with the lighter and sweeter upper layers. The macaron was also deemed to be 'sooo good'.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry Iced Tea: ginger, green tea & mint ($7.50)</td></tr>
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Love, love, love this iced tea. I first had this during summer last year and it was probably the best pick-me-up ever. Deliciously flavoured with strawberry puree and crushed ginger, it's a must try for someone who needs to zing up their day. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light Hot Chocolate</td></tr>
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I know what you're thinking. <i>Light</i> hot chocolate? Why! But take my word, it does not taste any different to a regular hot chocolate and it's incredibly rich and smooth. There is no hint that the beverage was made with half-fat milk since the chocolate component is at full strength. Also a favourite.<br />
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Steven Ter Horst is expensive, there's no doubt about it, but it's a rare case of the price matching the quality. Every item at this place is so carefully crafted and composed, plus they are consistently delicious. It is definitely one of my favourite dessert places and I highly recommend it to everyone. <i>Just go</i>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1568768/restaurant/Rundle-St-Area/Steven-ter-Horst-Chocolatier-Adelaide"><img alt="Steven ter Horst Chocolatier on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1568768/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-59292056770950362192014-07-21T07:13:00.000+09:302014-07-21T07:13:19.052+09:30cafe troppo.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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More birthday food for me, yay! My dad and I woke up early (well, early for me) to get a table at the popular Cafe Troppo, right on one of the corners in Whitmore Square. It was a good thing we got there at the time we did since it started filling up incredibly quickly as soon as we sat down. It has quite the lush, market-place look with hanging pot plants and woody embellishments, indoor and covered outdoor seating and the promising smell of coffee and baked goods wafting through. </div>
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They change their menu every week - both brunch and tapas - so there's always something new on offer and more reasons to get excited. Most dietary requirements are covered with vegetarian and gluten-free options and breakfast is served on the weekend from 9am to 3pm. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilli Super Eggs: scrambled eggs with kale, spinach, chilli & herbs served with rocket and aioli + chorizo ($19.00)</td></tr>
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I've never really jumped onto the kale bandwagon and this didn't make me change my mind, but it was an interesting experience. The eggs were very light and fluffy and packed with kale and spinach although a little bland. They really needed something else to lift up the flavours and the aioli, though rich, wasn't enough. I wish they had scrambled the chilli in with the eggs so they could have added some heat but I guess that could be too hot for some people. The marino chorizo has a much more meatier texture than normal chorizo and it's less rubbery - but I think I like the normal chorizo better.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brekky Pizza: homemade red sauce, swiss cheese, greens, bacon & poached egg ($15.00)</td></tr>
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Man, if breakfast looked like this every morning I would have no problems with getting out of bed. The base was thin and slightly doughy and as seen above, covered in ingredients. I appreciated the fact that it wasn't super cheesy, although I do love me some cheesy pizza, since it is breakfast and people don't need to be in a food coma just quite yet. Overall it was pretty yum, especially with the bacon and its just-the-right-amount of fattiness.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OqRejNSM7Q/U8NGXTyud6I/AAAAAAAAB5o/iDBhBJob6Xo/s1600/2014-07-12+11.59.17+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7OqRejNSM7Q/U8NGXTyud6I/AAAAAAAAB5o/iDBhBJob6Xo/s640/2014-07-12+11.59.17+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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A really great experience in total, especially with super friendly staff and quick service. The bustling atmosphere gives off a really good vibe and it's nice to see all sorts of people coming in - families, couples, friends etc. Definitely coming back here again. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1680109/restaurant/City-Centre/Cafe-Troppo-Adelaide"><img alt="Cafe Troppo on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1680109/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-71037098246507639152014-07-16T11:28:00.004+09:302014-07-16T11:28:51.213+09:30the rolling pin bakery & patisserie.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dWLPPIxpCa0/U8R1wwTQiqI/AAAAAAAAB64/PfOz3Yy9n9k/s1600/2014-07-12+11.48.09+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dWLPPIxpCa0/U8R1wwTQiqI/AAAAAAAAB64/PfOz3Yy9n9k/s1600/2014-07-12+11.48.09+1.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Birthday time! In celebration of me becoming older and wiser, this wise girl decided to forego the traditional cake and bought three delicious sweets from The Rolling Pin instead. The Rolling Pin is a small bakery on St. Bernards Road almost opposite of Norwood Morialta Middle School. It's nestled among four or five other small shops so look out for their sign as you drive past. </div><a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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They have a large selection of sweet and savoury - pies, pasties, croissants, tarts, macarons, cakes - and they also have a small area for indoor and outdoor seating. If you're driving there, as I did, don't be discouraged by the lack of parking out the front. There's another car park at the back!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Zeppelin: passionfruit creme with raspberries encased in a raspberry macaron shell</td></tr>
</tbody></table> When I saw this in the display counter it was definitely a "I MUST EAT" moment. How could anyone say no to something so beautiful? The macaron shell was slightly too chewy and not crumbly enough, thought that may be due to it's size. The passionfruit creme was packed with flavour and the raspberries were incredibly juicy and plump.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanilla Creme & Strawberry Tart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This was probably my favourite out of the three. The vanilla creme inside was a little bit tart, a little bit sweet and a whole lot of creamy vanilla deliciousness. It kind of reminded me of yoghurt but it didn't taste like yoghurt. The pastry crust was really buttery and didn't crumble at all.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lEWAKp2vgn0/U8R5f-gA3lI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/chGP9uuM7j8/s1600/2014-07-15+09.46.48+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lEWAKp2vgn0/U8R5f-gA3lI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/chGP9uuM7j8/s1600/2014-07-15+09.46.48+2.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passionfruit Creme & Raspberry Tart</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Similar flavours to the Zeppelin, although this time encased in a pastry crust and dusted <i>liberally</i> with icing sugar. For me the passionfruit creme in the tart wasn't as strong as it was in the macaron, but overall it was still a delicious treat.<br />
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I don't remember the prices for each individual item but all up it was around $10.00. The staff there are lovely and take the time to go through explain what each item is, and are patient enough to wait while the customers ho and hum around before finally making a decision. I can't wait to go back to sample more of their treats very soon!<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1755327/restaurant/Adelaide/Eastern-Suburbs/The-Rolling-Pin-Bakery-Patisserie-Magill"><img alt="The Rolling Pin Bakery & Patisserie on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1755327/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-71351168569453720472014-07-11T12:40:00.000+09:302014-07-14T14:25:01.569+09:30the himalayan kitchen.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i8adp_k7ojo/U79MeXrvkPI/AAAAAAAAB38/szF3xdQ1WjY/s1600/2014-07-11+10.20.19+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i8adp_k7ojo/U79MeXrvkPI/AAAAAAAAB38/szF3xdQ1WjY/s1600/2014-07-11+10.20.19+1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cold, cold nights call for warm chicken curries and buttery roti to help ease the freeze. A friend and I made our way to the Himalayan Kitchen on Melbourne Street a few nights ago to pop our Nepalese food cherry once and for all. It was fairly empty the night we went and for some reason it felt like we were being stared at by customers and staff as we walked in, like it's somehow weird for two Asian girls to be eating at a Nepalese restaurant? </div>
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Reading the menu, it seemed that Nepalese flavours are pretty similar to Indian food. A lot of yoghurt, chilli, tomatoes, garlic and coriander are used to spice things up with a selection of chicken, lamb, seafood or vegetables. It was hard deciding a curry or a clay-oven cooked meat dish, but in the end the clay oven won.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pakora (Onion Fritters): $9.00</td></tr>
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These were free! We were waiting for our food when the owner of the restaurant came over and placed these on our table. Unfortunately they weren't that tasty. I didn't realise it at the time but the fritters were fried in a chickpea batter, which made it rather grainy and not light and crunchy as I was expecting. They didn't have a lot of flavour and definitely needed the achar (chutney) to help it out. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Curry: $20.50</td></tr>
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Similar to Indian food, the curry came out in a small silver serving bowl and freshly cooked basmati rice. The chicken is marinated in yoghurt and then grilled and covered with a creamy tomato sauce. I didn't try the chicken but the sauce was excellent. It wasn't overly rich but still had a sweet tomato taste to it despite the yoghurt. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sekewa (clay oven cooked chicken): $24.00</td></tr>
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I was looking forward to see how this 'clay-oven' cooked food would look and taste, but was a little bit disappointed. Although it had plenty of flavour, the chicken pieces were slightly dry. There were also only five pieces of chicken which I didn't think was really enough for the price. The salad was fairly yummy with loads of fresh cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce and carrots mixed together with the chicken juices.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roti: $3.50</td></tr>
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The roti was probably my favourite part of the meal. Deliciously buttery and crunchy, it was a match made in heaven with the sauce from the chicken curry. It had this great earthy, slightly burnt after taste which comes from it being oven-baked and wasn't too oily at all.</div>
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If there's one thing you need to try when you come here, it's the meditation bowls! The owner's children were around the night we went and they brought out two meditation bowls for us to try. The process consists of you scraping a softly-padded stick around the top of the bowl until it starts to hum and vibrate. </div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1350266/restaurant/Adelaide/Melbourne-Street/Himalayan-Kitchen-North-Adelaide"><img alt="Himalayan Kitchen on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1350266/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-32245814701893314922014-06-07T10:30:00.000+09:302014-06-09T10:34:55.530+09:30matcha house.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zmycit1ocN0/U47B8OKtDlI/AAAAAAAABzw/fgRuOwQLTUE/s1600/CYMERA_20140604_002630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zmycit1ocN0/U47B8OKtDlI/AAAAAAAABzw/fgRuOwQLTUE/s1600/CYMERA_20140604_002630.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Who loves green tea? I do! So when Matcha House finally opened up its doors on O'Connell Street, it didn't take long for my friends and I to hurry down and see what it was all about. The story is that the owner, Deb, travelled to Japan a few years ago specifically for taste-testing different kinds of green tea and brought back her favourites to put on the menu. You can see the effort put behind her choices as soon as you look at the menu (half the menu is dedicated to just tea alone) but I, as usual, was more curious about the food!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wSM-1DZztw/U47Bra2l_2I/AAAAAAAABzc/SS-Yc3h_v1Y/s1600/2014-06-04+12.29.08+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--wSM-1DZztw/U47Bra2l_2I/AAAAAAAABzc/SS-Yc3h_v1Y/s1600/2014-06-04+12.29.08+1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you're not really a fan of green tea, you have pretty limited choices. 90% of the menu is devoted to green tea whether it be icecream, tiramisu, waffles, lattes etc. There are non green tea items like bubble tea (various flavours) and iced chocolate, iced coffee and the like and there are two desserts which don't have green tea in it - the peppermint slice and Japanese cheesecake. Both are served with green tea icecream though.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Tea Tiramisu</td></tr>
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Cutely set out in a small mason jar, the tiramisu (or should I say tea-ramisu?) was served with two scoops of icecream, some fruit and a sprinkle of green tea powder on top of the cream. It's an interesting concept, but unfortunately wasn't well done. The cake layers were a bit too hard - tiramisu is supposed to be melt-in-your-mouth soft with soft cake and cream merging together - and the green tea cream was so subtly flavoured that were it not for the sprinkles on top, you might not know it was a green tea tiramisu.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Tea Sundaes</td></tr>
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These two are different menu items, but they're quite similar. The difference lies in the topping - the left sundae has toasted brown rice and the right sundae has fresh fruit and red beans. The green tea soft-serve is definitely the highlight and rightly so - deliciously green-tea flavoured and wonderfully creamy. The cornflakes at the bottom provide a nice crunch while the toasted brown rice has it's own nutty flavour which holds out against the green tea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7t2ScoO7Ckw/U47CFL3XoGI/AAAAAAAABz4/XAf6l4eXlCo/s1600/2014-06-04+12.41.33+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7t2ScoO7Ckw/U47CFL3XoGI/AAAAAAAABz4/XAf6l4eXlCo/s1600/2014-06-04+12.41.33+1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Tea Waffles</td></tr>
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Green tea waffles? Whatt? Yeah, I know right? But surprisingly this is probably one of my favourite desserts from the menu. The waffles are drizzled with a sweet green-tea syrup and are beautifully light green inside. Texture is also on point with a toasted brown exterior and soft insides. The disappointing part was the presentation of the ice-cream and the 'fruit' which was really just a few frozen berries. The flavours of the ice-cream were brown green tea, matcha green tea and vanilla. Absolutely <i>loved</i> the first two flavours but the vanilla was kind of meh.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ditRXlqxzBw/U47A_ra1_RI/AAAAAAAABzA/rc-QQt3lki8/s1600/2014-06-04+11.01.38+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ditRXlqxzBw/U47A_ra1_RI/AAAAAAAABzA/rc-QQt3lki8/s1600/2014-06-04+11.01.38+1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese Cheesecake</td></tr>
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See, that's how ice-cream is supposed to be scooped and served! This was taken a day after the waffles (yes, I went two days in a row...) and I was so happy to see the ice-cream in a proper spherical shape. The cheesecake was slightly rubbery and didn't have much of a flavour to it. The sultanas at the bottom gave it some sweetness but other than that, not much else going on. The icecream was the better part of the dish - sesame and matcha green tea. Both were <i>so</i> good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YtbRjhf7meg/U47AcyEwPTI/AAAAAAAAByw/N8zCgXcjVvg/s1600/2014-06-02+12.30.05+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YtbRjhf7meg/U47AcyEwPTI/AAAAAAAAByw/N8zCgXcjVvg/s1600/2014-06-02+12.30.05+1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Tea Soft Serve</td></tr>
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One word: delicious. That is all. Order it.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-88RQsy4GCDA/U47Bw_zjubI/AAAAAAAABzo/P4GGSdr8g_g/s1600/2014-06-04+12.39.45+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-88RQsy4GCDA/U47Bw_zjubI/AAAAAAAABzo/P4GGSdr8g_g/s1600/2014-06-04+12.39.45+1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ginger Snap Basket</td></tr>
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The same scoops of icecream as the waffles - brown green tea, matcha green tea and vanilla - with strawberries (these were frozen) and green tea drizzle over the top. Slightly unimpressive given that the ice-cream was half melted when it got to us and frozen strawberries...really?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matcha Green Tea Latte (hot)</td></tr>
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Apparently, matcha green tea lattes are traditionally served in a bowl and not with milk. We were also warned that it might be very bitter and hence a small bowl of sweet red bean was given to us. None of us found it bitter at all but it is quite a personal taste, so beware the bitters!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vquEAjyvASQ/U47AulsziXI/AAAAAAAABy4/THAsVZDLY3I/s1600/2014-06-02+11.43.10+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vquEAjyvASQ/U47AulsziXI/AAAAAAAABy4/THAsVZDLY3I/s1600/2014-06-02+11.43.10+1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Tea Latte (cold)</td></tr>
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A friend described this as "I feel like I could go to sleep after drinking this", which is a pretty apt description. There wasn't much of a green tea flavour save for the sprinkles on top (much like the tiramisu) but the drink was incredibly milky. I'm quite used to my green tea lattes being <i>strongly</i> green tea so these were too weak for me. It could be ideal for someone who isn't so into heavy green tea flavouring though.<br />
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Overall it was a mixed experience. From what I've heard, it seems the green tea soft serve and green tea icecream are the ones which are most well-liked, a statistic which I agree with wholeheartedly. The softserves are pretty amazing. The rest of the dessert menu is a bit hit-and-miss though. <br />
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The staff are in the kitchen a lot of the time so it's hard to flag someone down if you need to order or want to ask a question. Once you've get their attention though, they're extremely helpful and friendly. Here's a tip: if you stay until closing time, they have to clean out their ice-cream machine and you <i>may</i> just score a free icecream!<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1848866/restaurant/Adelaide/OConnell-Street/Matcha-House-North-Adelaide"><img alt="Matcha House on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1848866/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-69940086254452998522014-06-04T00:33:00.000+09:302014-06-04T10:27:21.679+09:30public.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UeRTY2MBSl4/U4vVqc-FkcI/AAAAAAAABx8/IrnlajKc7Jg/s1600/CYMERA_20140529_162827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UeRTY2MBSl4/U4vVqc-FkcI/AAAAAAAABx8/IrnlajKc7Jg/s1600/CYMERA_20140529_162827.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The life of a graduate seeking employment can be depressing sometimes. But here's the silver lining - midweek birthday brunches! No need to wait for the weekend and join the queues. Instead my friends and I celebrated one of their birthdays at PUBLIC, a fairly unmissable establishment on Franklin Street just opposite the Victoria Square park. It's generally bustling with suits and office ladies around the early morning coffee and morning tea times and lunchtimes are quite popular too. <br />
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The breakfast menu is served only up till 11 am, and we made it with 5 minutes to spare. There are quite a lot of options for breakfast including a delicious sounding blue swimmer crab omelette and fig & walnut bread, plus the regular eggs-as-you-like with bread and additional toppings. The lunch/dinner menu is also fairly extensive and they do a special Friday night dinner menu each week.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy Tomato Eggs: $17.50</td></tr>
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Look at those yolks! My order: perfectly poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce with chorizo and haloumi cubes. The chargrilled home-made bread were slightly buttered and made for great dipping sticks, toasted on the outside and meltingly soft on the inside. I would have liked one more to soak up the rest of my sauce, which was just the right mix of spicy and tomato. The chorizo and haloumi pieces were a bit small and engulfed by the sauce, although mixing the eggs in made the sauce thicker and easier to eat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D57HpfvCg10/U4vVvK8_RzI/AAAAAAAAByg/RKvJCGTuvX8/s1600/CYMERA_20140529_163103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D57HpfvCg10/U4vVvK8_RzI/AAAAAAAAByg/RKvJCGTuvX8/s1600/CYMERA_20140529_163103.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ricotta Pancakes: $15.50</td></tr>
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A stack of three fluffy and well-syruped pancakes were topped with a melting medallion of cinnamon butter. Only the top pancake was filled with ricotta; the bottom two were pure batter. The caramelised apples lifted the sweetness up by a lot and the caramel sauce was intense.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IfZG7pMHOvM/U4vVtOm2p_I/AAAAAAAAByI/tpyaoxZCxHc/s1600/CYMERA_20140529_162924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IfZG7pMHOvM/U4vVtOm2p_I/AAAAAAAAByI/tpyaoxZCxHc/s1600/CYMERA_20140529_162924.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggs on Toast with Chorizo & Smashed Avocado: $19.50</td></tr>
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The original template is eggs on toast, but my friend added in the chorizo and smashed avocado. She found the chorizo delicious but thought that the smashed avocado was slightly overpowered by lemon juice and chives. The masterpiece, however, was definitely the scrambled eggs.<i> </i>So perfectly scrambled! So deliciously yellow and creamy! So meltingly soft! There must be an egg master at work in these kitchens because these eggs (and mine) were amazing. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDJ3cqclNpg/U4vVtDfrptI/AAAAAAAAByM/RZ5Hruk1IeA/s1600/2014-05-29+04.08.04+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dDJ3cqclNpg/U4vVtDfrptI/AAAAAAAAByM/RZ5Hruk1IeA/s1600/2014-05-29+04.08.04+1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Chocolate: $4.00</td></tr>
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Nothing too extraordinary about the chocolate. I do commend the barista's attempt at latte art though.<br />
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Great food and a lively atmosphere make Public another place to add to my ever-growing 'must come back' places. The service was pretty standard although I have to say the guy waiters were much friendlier than the girls. A major tick was awarded by my friends for their bathroom having 'amazing' handsoap and hand lotion in the toilets. So if pretty toilets and good food are your thing, you should go by and have a try.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1715270/restaurant/City-Centre/PUBLIC-Adelaide"><img alt="PUBLIC on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1715270/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-42634801124291928802014-05-29T15:43:00.000+09:302014-05-29T15:45:23.378+09:30coffylosophy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Coffylosophy. What a name. The grammar nazi in me is crying out "No! How could you!" but the foodie side of me is going "Suck it up. Who cares as long as the food/coffee is delicious." So there you go, the inner turmoils of my brain. Moving on.<br />
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Having opened up relatively recently (March, I believe) near the middle of Hutt Street, Coffylosophy came to my attention when dear mother mentioned she had bought some online vouchers a while ago and that they needed to be used quickly. Clearly I wouldn't be doing my Chinese heritage justice if I didn't use them so off me and a friend went to try it out.<br />
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There are a <i>lot</i> of food options. Aside from their specials board, they offer an all-day breakfast menu - museli, fruit salad, waffles, toast, crepes and more - and a not-as-extensive lunch menu. They also have quite a few drinks to choose from, coffee and non-coffee alike, but their main focus is the coffee. The name alone is enough to suggest that they are serious about good coffee, to which I can attest to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-Iin6w_Pfc/U4WDBoe33yI/AAAAAAAABwY/tH6PrWqHKKI/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_151532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-Iin6w_Pfc/U4WDBoe33yI/AAAAAAAABwY/tH6PrWqHKKI/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_151532.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toasted Banana Bread with Mascarpone, Mixed Berries, Pistachios & Maple Syrup: $9.50</td></tr>
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Berry lovers, this one is for you. Loads and loads of blueberries and raspberries adorn a thick, syrup-infused piece of banana bread. Personally I found the syrup to be a bit too overpowering and may have been responsible for my sugar high later on in the day. Nonetheless, I loved that the creamy mascarpone was thickly spread over the bread and that there were lots and lots of pistachios amongst the berries.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAnGIufuCh4/U4WDBv4BOiI/AAAAAAAABwc/uQp6LBySqN4/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_151705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAnGIufuCh4/U4WDBv4BOiI/AAAAAAAABwc/uQp6LBySqN4/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_151705.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open Sourdough Toast with Pesto, Spinach Avocado & Poached Egg: $9.00</td></tr>
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I was pretty disappointed with this. First of all, that egg is not poached. Secondly, aside from the pesto, everything was bland. I was expecting the spinach to be cooked, or at least drizzled in some kind of herb-infused oil, but raw spinach for $9.00? Mmm....no.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DWRvn_NijN4/U4WWdVFjwxI/AAAAAAAABxg/e64z1L4pdQ8/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_172644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DWRvn_NijN4/U4WWdVFjwxI/AAAAAAAABxg/e64z1L4pdQ8/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_172644.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry & Chocolate Waffles with Whipped Cream: $10.00</td></tr>
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It came out looking delicious with all that glistening chocolate sauce over mounds of fresh strawberries. The waffle was not exactly what we were hoping. Unlike the regular waffles my friend and I are accustomed to, this waffle tasted more flaky and less crunchy - almost like it had been made out of croissant pastry. It did taste pretty good with the whipped cream and toppings though, so no complaints there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BP692bFwYmQ/U4WDAekY6sI/AAAAAAAABwQ/LW-zc4dTG4U/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_153552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BP692bFwYmQ/U4WDAekY6sI/AAAAAAAABwQ/LW-zc4dTG4U/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_153552.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixed Berries & Mango Munch Smoothies</td></tr>
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Both friend and I quite liked our smoothies. I didn't get to try hers (mixed berries) but my mango munch tasted like a liquid yoghurt bar with coconut. It wasn't super mango-y but had just a light hint of mango flavour, mixed with coconut milk and shredded coconut.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HudgVdymJy4/U4WDVDS7paI/AAAAAAAABxA/7XXvF_d2tpw/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_160410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HudgVdymJy4/U4WDVDS7paI/AAAAAAAABxA/7XXvF_d2tpw/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_160410.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanilla Latte & Macarons</td></tr>
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I've said it a few times before, but I'm not really a coffee person. However, I was feeling somewhat adventurous that day and asked for the ultimate beginner's order - a vanilla latte. It was deliciously sweet and creamy with a good amount of froth. Even after two macarons my coffee still tasted yum, although maybe slightly more bitter than before.<br />
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I <i>really</i> liked the watermelon macaron. Not only does it look rather cute, but the cream filling inside was incredibly refreshing and did not taste very sweet at all. The purpleberry was also good and more softer than the watermelon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aQMVUkoeiv4/U4WDZ4YI3uI/AAAAAAAABxQ/BgZtRSWxe40/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_1540051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aQMVUkoeiv4/U4WDZ4YI3uI/AAAAAAAABxQ/BgZtRSWxe40/s1600/CYMERA_20140528_1540051.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watermelon & Purpleberry Macarons: $3.00 each</td></tr>
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All in all, it was a good experience. It's a cosy little area and I <i>love</i> the interior design theme they have going on. My disappointment at the spinach dish is probably not enough to keep me from coming here a second time without the voucher. The staff are great for coffee advice (they recommended the vanilla latte) and food came out in a reasonable time. The place is pretty small and is most ideal for pairs to groups of four.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1828292/restaurant/Hutt-Street/Coffylosophy-Adelaide"><img alt="Coffylosophy on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1828292/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-71119172112164713362014-05-25T09:13:00.001+09:302014-05-26T01:17:25.095+09:30five little figs.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5gPOxEI3fj4/U3HHovi1cGI/AAAAAAAABvQ/FVT029bqJvU/s1600/CYMERA_20140513_153658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5gPOxEI3fj4/U3HHovi1cGI/AAAAAAAABvQ/FVT029bqJvU/s1600/CYMERA_20140513_153658.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Adelaidean mums, welcome to kid-friendly cafe heaven. For the rest of us, Five Little Figs is definitely worth the hunt for a delicious, nutritious, organic-alicious meal. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that the cafe is completely hidden inside suburban Payneham, but luckily it's bright lime signage is eye-catching.<br />
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As soon as you go inside, you know this cafe was made for mums and bubs - there are children's merchandise everywhere and a specially catered-for-kids menu. It has a really homey but sophisticated feel to it with a combination of wooden and wicker furniture. They serve a small breakfast menu until 12:00 and a much more fleshed out lunch menu until 2:30. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AxpZq18bNgQ/U3HHqGZlIqI/AAAAAAAABvc/Lvi_rBjj8hs/s1600/CYMERA_20140513_153735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AxpZq18bNgQ/U3HHqGZlIqI/AAAAAAAABvc/Lvi_rBjj8hs/s1600/CYMERA_20140513_153735.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushroom Bruschetta</td></tr>
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This was an explosion of colours, flavours and textures. Grilled mushrooms, goats cheese and fresh spincah were topped with herbs, with generous lashings of sweet balsamic vinegar bringing it all together on soft bread. It was a slightly weird combination for me but I enjoyed every mouthful, particularly loving the contrast between the sweet vinegar and slightly pungent cheese. Add in the fact that it's a pretty healthy dish and you have a winner.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkin, Carrot & Coconut Soup</td></tr>
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This was fantastic soup. I don't generally order soup for lunch (it's not really lunch material....) but one taste of this and I could be convinced to change my mind. Thick and chunky with the pumpkin and coconut flavours really coming out, it was a huge bowl of orange goodness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LiPTl5cxNDw/U3HHznACZqI/AAAAAAAABv8/hC0HnUlnGTc/s1600/CYMERA_20140513_154430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LiPTl5cxNDw/U3HHznACZqI/AAAAAAAABv8/hC0HnUlnGTc/s1600/CYMERA_20140513_154430.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French Toast</td></tr>
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As soon as this came out, I immediately wished that this was my order. Three pieces of eggy brioche toast covered in raspberries and lemon sauce and dusted with icing sugar...it was beautiful just to look at. Flavours were also delectable, although I feel like it could have used an extra crunch element somewhere. The lemon sauce and raspberries were tart and sweet, but the addition of liquid cream made it smoother to go down.<br />
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I was pretty impres<span style="font-family: inherit;">sed by this little cafe. The atmosphere is genuinely warm and inviting, with the friendly owners and staff taking the time to go through the menu and any dessert item inquiries. Too bad it only opens from Monday to Friday, but if you have a free afternoon and you're in the area, definitely go in an have a try!</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1759498/restaurant/Adelaide/Eastern-Suburbs/Five-Little-Figs-Payneham-South"><img alt="Five Little Figs on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1759498/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-2199558549061932342014-05-13T16:46:00.002+09:302014-05-13T16:46:55.188+09:30penny university.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SrcQX3bmWHU/U3BndiYm31I/AAAAAAAABuU/VKIwjy-dTBY/s1600/CYMERA_20140512_153510.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></div>
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You may have heard about the new 'retro salad' place that's popped up opposite Burger Theory on Union Street, but if you haven't then let me make the formal intros - Penny University, you, you, say hello to Penny University. Loads of fresh baguettes, wraps and salads adorn the front of the small (and I mean, <i>small</i>) cafe but dine-ins are welcome so long as you don't mind sharing the table with other randoms.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vY8oa_I4wLc/U3Bnd-7EoGI/AAAAAAAABuY/nJZutcOIKbk/s1600/CYMERA_20140512_152853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vY8oa_I4wLc/U3Bnd-7EoGI/AAAAAAAABuY/nJZutcOIKbk/s1600/CYMERA_20140512_152853.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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My friend and I unfortunately arrived 20 minutes too late for the breakfast menu (darn! the french toast looked so good) but their selection of salads and breads are definitely not a shabby choice. They have around 7-8 different salads to choose from - broccoli, quinoa, pesto pasta, sweet potato, rice noodles etc - and generally have a Soup of the Day. Coffees, teas and juices round out the drinks menu.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_oOBmSbntwM/U3G5-2VQ4sI/AAAAAAAABu8/agTw8hAQ4fc/s1600/CYMERA_20140513_155344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_oOBmSbntwM/U3G5-2VQ4sI/AAAAAAAABu8/agTw8hAQ4fc/s1600/CYMERA_20140513_155344.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bocconcini Baguette ($9.00) & Pesto Pasta Salad ($4.00)</td></tr>
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The baguette was everything I needed it to be - a crunchy, toasted crust and deliciously soft and pesto-filled inside. The melted bocconcini made it all stringy and creamy, perfect for complementing the fresh tomatoes and pesto. The pasta was a little bit too dry for me but it still tasted pretty yum. Loved the fact that it was a fairly big serving and the addition of salted olives and sun-dried tomatoes made it taste much better.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turkey Wrap</td></tr>
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This I didn't get to try, but apparently just half of it was enough to fill my up my ever-hungry friend. It did look really fresh and the bread looked so soft and pillowy.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Chocolate: $4.00</td></tr>
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This was huge. Like, needed-two-hands-to-hold huge. The foam was super thick and creamy, just how it's supposed to be done, and the chocolate would probably have been amazing had I been smart enough to stir my drink. Unfortunately, being the idiot that I am, I ended up drinking hot milk for most of my meal and didn't realise that all my chocolate powder had settled to the bottom. Hashtag first world problems.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VqsJmt42_wA/U3BncEYtphI/AAAAAAAABuM/f0hXDA6j9lY/s1600/CYMERA_20140512_153038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VqsJmt42_wA/U3BncEYtphI/AAAAAAAABuM/f0hXDA6j9lY/s1600/CYMERA_20140512_153038.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm quite excited by this new salad place, mainly because the salads they offer are actually interesting and not just the boring old chicken caesar or greek salad. The layout of the cafe is also pretty cool. It's a mix of hippy and retro, which is pretty fitting with the food choices. <br />
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I should warn you about the lack of space though. The sharing table inside is comfortable for eight, and tight for ten. They have window sill seating and another bench below the window sill for those who couldn't get a seat inside, but that's it. Don't come here expecting to get a seat unless you're early. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1829449/restaurant/Norwood/Penny-University-Adelaide"><img alt="Penny University on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1829449/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-44761175333743231562014-04-27T22:46:00.001+09:302014-04-27T22:48:31.992+09:30lucky lupitas.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JFgYv7QWNj0/U04VUGy6ndI/AAAAAAAABts/5VPlOW78mqI/s1600/CYMERA_20140416_144345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JFgYv7QWNj0/U04VUGy6ndI/AAAAAAAABts/5VPlOW78mqI/s1600/CYMERA_20140416_144345.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Being quite a fan of its sister shop <a href="http://deliciousplease.blogspot.com/2013/08/united-latino-cocina.html" target="_blank">ULC</a>, it was high time to venture down south to the original Mexican shop that got everyone talking: Lucky Lupitas. Situated between a cluster of other little restaurants just down from Flinders Hospital, it's easy to miss it completely. Luckily the blasting sound of Mexican music should be enough to signal that there is indeed something wonderfully Mexxy going on inside.<br />
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Not exactly the same menu as ULC, but the ULC Dog and appetizers do ring a bell. Loved the sound of all their burger options but unfortunately two stomachs can only fit in so much.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c1BjsCxmxPg/U04VQu9agSI/AAAAAAAABtc/8BacyYNRjLY/s1600/CYMERA_20140416_144214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c1BjsCxmxPg/U04VQu9agSI/AAAAAAAABtc/8BacyYNRjLY/s1600/CYMERA_20140416_144214.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queso Fundido (spicy cheese dip) with Seasoned Corn Crisps: $12.90</td></tr>
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The spicy cheese dip was creamy and spicily satisfying but probably needed a bit more cheese to it. The corn crisps need a <i>lot</i> less seasoning on them. Eating them plain was almost impossible since they were incredibly salty and mildly spicy at the same time. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lupe Hamburger: $15.90</td></tr>
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Mmm, a juicy beef pattie with loads of lettuce, salsa and the same spicy cheese sauce from above. It has jalapenos inside as well but do not fear! Cannot-eat-hot-stuff people can still order this since there's not much of a hot factor. The crinkle chips were seasoned with the same seasoning as the corn crisps, but thankfully not as heavily, and tasted really good with the mustard.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quesadilla de Hongo y Frijoles: $14.90</td></tr>
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I've always thought quesadillas wouldn't be very filling, hence I've never ordered them, but I was wrong. Two huge triangles stuffed with mushrooms, spinach, pinto beans and onions are definitely enough, especially when you have sour cream and fresh salsa to top it all off. The grilled mushrooms had a deliciously earthy flavour to them and made for an interesting combination with the beans.<br />
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Oh Lucky Lupitas why are you so far away? I think I prefer the menu here than the one at ULC's, mainly because I quite like having appetizer options instead of just corn or corn crips with salsa. Having said that though, I definitely prefer the atmosphere at ULC. The music at Lucky Lupitas was incredibly distracting and loud, making it hard to hold a conversation without raising our voices. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1652524/restaurant/Adelaide/South-of-Adelaide/Lucky-Lupitas-Bedford-Park"><img alt="Lucky Lupitas on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1652524/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-48899221670924488192014-04-17T16:33:00.000+09:302014-04-17T16:36:10.828+09:30the pantry on egmont.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p-MQIVQEk_Q/U04UOIWIu7I/AAAAAAAABs4/ff7KPtgmgNY/s1600/CYMERA_20140414_182534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p-MQIVQEk_Q/U04UOIWIu7I/AAAAAAAABs4/ff7KPtgmgNY/s1600/CYMERA_20140414_182534.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's holidays! Well, for most students anyway. A friend and I made our way down to the much-talked-about The Pantry down in Hawthorn, not far but not exactly close to our usual food haunts. It's on a very small road, right next to the train tracks, so conversations can often be interrupted by the loud tooting and ding-ding-ding from the train. Nonetheless it's got a cheerful, quirky atmosphere and makes a great spot for casual eats.</div>
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Inside is small and seats approximately twenty people, so get here early if you want a seat. Their breakfast menu is larger than the lunch, although the latter is not small, and plenty of drink options for coffee and non-coffee drinkers alike. It was a tough choice between the french toast, smashed avocado and the mushroom burger but the toast won in the end. Seriously, who says no to french toast? <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">French Toast: cinnamon sourdough with blueberry & apple compote, vanilla cream cheese & maple syrup ($14.00)</td></tr>
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One look at that description and I was sold. The toast was deliciously soft and eggy and completely smothered in syrup and cream cheese. No complaints there though. The cream cheese was super creamy and smooth, the perfect accompaniment to all ingredients. I loved the addition of the blueberries and apples. They were definitely a necessary addition to offset all that sugar from the syrup and cinnamon.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DWnZKsGbFeU/U04UJDzUwhI/AAAAAAAABso/cJR3-Wfhpr0/s1600/CYMERA_20140414_182320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DWnZKsGbFeU/U04UJDzUwhI/AAAAAAAABso/cJR3-Wfhpr0/s1600/CYMERA_20140414_182320.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home Made Felafels: $14.00</td></tr>
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Crusty and herb-filled, the felafels were decently sized but I felt like they could have had more of a nutty flavour. Served with salsa and home-made flatbread.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoestring fries with garlic aioli & chutney: $7.00</td></tr>
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As a lover of soggy chips, the fries were a bit too crunchy for me. Having said that, I am also a lover of deep-fried potatoes so these were gone pretty quick. It helped that the aioli was the perfect complement - thick and creamy with a shot of garlic. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blueberry Iced Tea: $4.00</td></tr>
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Initially sharp and almost bitter, the taste of this took some time to get used to. Over the meal it became sweeter and mellowed out a bit although it was still big contrast to my sugary sweet french toast.<br />
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Overall everything was quite enjoyable. The french toast was pretty delicious, I have to admit, and the prices were surprisingly on the lower end. It's hard to find a brunch place nowadays where food is below $15 and the quality is still on point, so hats off to The Pantry. I can't wait to come back and try the other two options which I was agonizing over.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1603027/restaurant/Adelaide/South-of-Adelaide/The-Pantry-on-Egmont-Hawthorn"><img alt="The Pantry on Egmont on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1603027/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-1816694367018139762014-04-10T00:18:00.000+09:302014-04-10T11:43:12.967+09:30koko black.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Koko Black's in town! Hailing from Melbourne, the chocolate shop has finally opened up its doors in Adelaide Arcade and I was super excited to try it out. Uber chic and glossy-looking, the shop has a similar vibe to Steven ter Horst on Rundle Street with a black and gold accented interior design. The shop has two levels for its coffee and dessert shop and a separate section for individual chocolate buying, so there's a bit of something for everyone.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dessert Degustation: $24.00</td></tr>
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The dessert menu isn't long and seeing as my fellow eaters and I wanted to try a bit of everything, the dessert degustation was the clear choice. We didn't try any drinks this time round but the drink options look really yummy. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Ice-Cream with Chocolate Soil; Hazelnut Praline Delice </td></tr>
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First up was the chocolate ice-cream and 'soil'. Although smooth and creamy, the ice-cream was slightly underwhelming. That's not to say that it wasn't delicious or that I wouldn't eat a whole tub by myself, but it wasn't as chocolatey as I had hoped. Sara Lee Ultra Chocolate ice-cream is probably the preferred choice. The soil was definitely interesting. The texture is eerily similar to dried dirt but luckily (or hopefully?) tasted much nicer. </div>
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Next was the hazelnut praline delice - a hazelnut mousse with dark chocolate creme, hazelnut dacquoise and praline crisp. This was <i>really</i> sweet, almost to the point where I could feel the sugar drilling holes in my teeth. Nonetheless, this was one of my favourites. I am in love with the crunchy hazelnut base and the velvety texture and flavour of the mousse. </div>
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I'm generally not a huge fan of raspberry flavoured foods, or raspberries in general, but this wasn't too bad. Although the mousse is completely covered in a raspberry coating, there wasn't as strong a fruity taste to it as I thought there might be. As always, the mousse was rich and super smooth and an absolute delight to eat. I love mousse.</div>
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The chocolate alchemy cake got mixed reactions. I quite liked it because it was surprisingly creamy and smooth, not spongey or crumbly like cakes normally are. There's also a layer of chocolate creme on top of the cake which made it even creamier. </div>
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Ahh, good old Belgian chocolate mousse. There's not much to say about this one except it was just as mousse should be - rich, smooth and chocolatey. More soil with this one.</div>
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The caramel delice was all caramel: caramel mousse, caramelised white chocolate brulee and a chewy caramel centre. The caramel sauce is <i>strongly</i> salted and we made the mistake of pouring almost all of it on, resulting in the almost painful yet sweetly satisfying task of finishing it off. A word to the wise: take small bites and no one gets hurt. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salted Caramel Delice: $10.50</td></tr>
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Koko Black didn't disappoint and I can't wait to come back and try out their drinks. The Iced Caramelised Coconut is calling my name and it would be rude not to respond.<br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1826581/restaurant/City-Centre/Koko-Black-Adelaide"><img alt="Koko Black on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1826581/biglink.gif" style="border: none; height: 146px; width: 200px;" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439215412458186913.post-20977784837754759972014-04-07T16:24:00.001+09:302014-04-07T16:24:21.593+09:30bar 9.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kF_c00aABr8/Uz_H_KFRzfI/AAAAAAAABrY/rLT_ikydC9A/s1600/CYMERA_20140403_161524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kF_c00aABr8/Uz_H_KFRzfI/AAAAAAAABrY/rLT_ikydC9A/s1600/CYMERA_20140403_161524.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Bit of Bar 9 to start the day? Don't mind if I do. It's been a long time coming, but last week I finally managed to get my bum down to the ever-popular breakfast place for a quick brunch with my parents. It was a Wednesday afternoon but was still plenty bustling with the sounds of people chatting, coffee machines grinding and Michael Buble in the background. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rM9SN_x8_OM/Uz_HwlJ7SPI/AAAAAAAABrA/BgOE21I9LgE/s1600/CYMERA_20140402_183813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rM9SN_x8_OM/Uz_HwlJ7SPI/AAAAAAAABrA/BgOE21I9LgE/s1600/CYMERA_20140402_183813.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Swimmer Crab: green curry scrambled eggs with Asian greens & chilli ($17.00)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This was a lot chillier than I expected. My poor dad, who is a chilli novice at best, took one bite and tears, yes <i>tears</i>, almost came out. Morale of the story - don't order this unless you can handle a hot curry. I, on the other hand, quite like my spices so I found it easy on my palate. The scrambled eggs were deliciously creamy while the chunky crab pieces soaked up all that curry goodness. I did find the curry a bit too salty though.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xAM4aoij1Rc/Uz_HuohsT6I/AAAAAAAABqw/VUikccaHUHA/s1600/CYMERA_20140402_183727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xAM4aoij1Rc/Uz_HuohsT6I/AAAAAAAABqw/VUikccaHUHA/s1600/CYMERA_20140402_183727.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creamy Truffled Mushroom Ragu: with poached eggs on toast & truffle honey ($18.00)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>All I hear about Bar 9 is the amazingness of their truffled mushroom ragu, so this was a must-order. A mountain of truffled mushrooms in a not-so creamy sauce made their way to the table and I was ready to pounce. Pounce I did, marveled I was not. The mushrooms were definitely well-flavoured, but to the point where both I and my dad found them too salty to eat by themselves. A stronger sweetness from the honey and creaminess from the ragu sauce was needed to balance out the heavy truffle, although the perfectly poached eggs did help in that regard. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1-qMEK0sG-g/Uz_HvX1T47I/AAAAAAAABq4/1G940s3JGi0/s1600/CYMERA_20140402_183910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1-qMEK0sG-g/Uz_HvX1T47I/AAAAAAAABq4/1G940s3JGi0/s1600/CYMERA_20140402_183910.jpg" height="498" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speck Meets Avocado: speck, avocado, caramelised onion & dark rye ($16.00)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This was lovely. Smoked pork (speck), creamy avocado and sweet onions covered in parmesan shavings make for a delightful combination. Everything kind of just melted in the mouth and barely required any chewing, save for the dark rye which served as a great base to it's toppings.<br />
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It's cool and funky and I wish I could have loved this place, but it was kind of disappointing after hearing such rave reviews. Service was great though, really friendly and food came out promptly. I hear this place is also good for coffee-lovers, so try it out if coffee is your thing. <br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/336/1510422/restaurant/Adelaide/South-of-Adelaide/Bar-9-Eastwood"><img alt="Bar 9 on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1510422/biglink.gif" style="border:none;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>estherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17699838808202534784noreply@blogger.com0