paramount coffee project.

Wow! It's been almost half a year since I last posted and I am truly very very 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!

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.

orto trading co.

More Sydney eats! After being placed in a one-hour wait for the ever busy Devon Cafe (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.

devon cafe.

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 one hour wait on the weekend.  Luckily I came back on a weekday and there was no line!  

cafe troppo.

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.  

coffylosophy.

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.

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.

exchange specialty coffee.

Okay, I think this is the last one.  The last place I haven't tried in Ebenezer Place, that is.  With a similar vibe to East End Providore, Exchange is quickly emerging as one of Adelaide's best coffee places.  I know I'm not the best judge of coffee, but the day I went a group of five guys (yes, guys) came in just for their coffee and a chat.  Mmmhm. 

east end providore on ebenezer.

Ebenezer Place seems to be the place to be opening up chic cafes this year, and East End Providore is no exception.  Small but gorgeously open and airy, EEP (eep! ...ehehe..) is a deli-style cafe which sells gourmet foods like French cheeses, local meats and fresh bread, but also has a dine-in menu which utilises their fresh produce.

The menu isn't large by any means - breakfast has four/five items and lunch has about six or seven - but they all sound very tempting.  They have a fairly large drinks menu in terms of coffee and bottled beverages and do a few fresh juices as well.

Prosciutto ham, Gruyere cheese & sun-dried tomatoes on toasted sourdough: $10.00

This is technically a breakfast item, but I was tempted by the thought of creamy melted cheese and sour tomatoes.  The bread was extremely fresh with a hard crust but very soft inside.  Quite a few layers of ham and melted cheese topped the bread, but I would have liked more tomatoes - there's only two! Sad face.

Prosciutto, marinated eggplant, basil pesto & rocket on sourdough: $14.00

Marinated mushrooms, beetroot chutney, fetta cheese, basil pesto & rocket: $14.00

Didn't get to try the others but they both looked amazing.  Heaped up with rocket and their individual filings, each sandwich screamed freshness and flavour.

Hot Chocolate: $5.00

I love love love the setting of this.  There's just something so ... lovely about it, no?  I wasn't expecting the almond biscuit (which comes with all coffees) and the glass of water, so it was a really nice surprise.  Unfortunately the chocolate was really milky and not very sweet - which I guess, for some, is a good thing, but I prefer mine to be sweeeet. 

Overall a charming place to have a light lunch or an afternoon coffee.  Serving portions are not large, so don't expecting to be holding your stomach after eating here.  The quality, however, is superb.  The owner is super friendly and is happy to provide help in choosing your food, especially when you have no idea what each ingredient is.

the coffee barun.

Seeing as my dad is huge fan of coffee, The Coffee Barun sounded like a pretty good spot for a Father's Day breakfast.  I don't know the first thing about coffee, except that it makes me hyper, but other reviewers named it as one of the best coffee places in Adelaide so off we went into Barun land.

Coffee Duo: $6

ur caffe.

Hello scrumptious.  Where have you been all my life?  A morning appointment in the North Adelaide region brought me to UR Caffe (prounounced 'your cafe') for the first time and I absolutely loved it.  They serve a variety of breakfast and lunch options as well as coffees, teas and juices.  Even though it's a small space they've done a great job in opening up the area with plenty of seating options so feel free come here in packs, in pairs or even by yourself.

sir cafe.

Adelaide's newest dessert place, Sir Cafe, has been open on Rundle Street for a few months now, but you'd be forgiven for not even knowing that it was there.  They're located right next to Vego & Lovin' It, which is accessible via the stairs next to the clothing store Naked. 

The cafe has has a bit of an antique Victorian theme going on inside with large mirrors, odd animal decorations and candles to set the mood.  There are also antique-styled chaises and sofas used instead of chairs in the front area which are absolutely perfect for someone my height, but beware of falling asleep during your dessert because they are so soft and very comfortable to lean back on.

We arrived at the little cafe at around 9:30 and it was completely full - all six tables had been taken.  The owner took down my phone number and told me that it could be a 15-20 minute wait, which I probably would have been more happier to do so if it was inside.  However, since there was no space to sit and wait (the place is tiny) my party of three ended up walking around Rundle Street in the cold for about 25 minutes.

Sir Waffle: $11.90