George Clooney eat your heart out @ Silver Fox Cafe

April 21, 2019Leave a comment

We headed to Mortdale to try out the new kid on the block, the Silver Fox Cafe. In a area with plenty of bakeries, charcoal chicken shops and grocery stores, Mortdale has been missing a quality cafe. This certainly fills that void.

As soon as you enter this cafe, it feels fresh and the decor is on trend. Pine wooden pieces, cement floors and a touch of white, the cafe feels modern and we love the Kate Moss artwork in the back room. There’s also an outdoor area if you’d prefer to sit outside.

We meet the delightful owners, and the staff working on the day are equally as nice. We felt welcomed and comfortable instantaneously.

We peruse the menu and honestly everything appealed to us. We love that the menu items are named after RnB influences. We knew the pancakes were a must order and they certainly did not disappoint. Light and fluffy banana pancakes, topped with a brûlée’d banana, and decorated like a work of art with white chocolate, hazlenut praline and blackberries, topped with taro ice cream. Whilst this makes for a very instagrammable dish, it makes for a better dish to actually eat. We love this meal and would definitely go back just for this.

Another sweet choice was the “Ex-straw-binary” – the in house made crunchy coconut granola, topped with strawberry yoghurt mousse, fresh berries, strawberry coulis and a chocolate basil crumb. The flavour combinations were brilliant and it was certainly a very generous serving.

We also had a more savoury dish- Baba’s Bowl – eggs scrambled with feta, sautéed mix of mushrooms, onion and chorizo, long pepper, garlic yoghurt, Ajvar, chilli and basil oil served with sourdough. Super delicious combo and very filling too! This was a new dish to the menu and we think it should stay.

Other selections on the all day brunch menu include spiced pakora, a beetroot medley and also a pink and purple poke. Silver Fox cafe also have a lunch menu and the beetroot stained salmon would be something we’re keen to try. Burgers, pasta and lamb shoulder are also available.

Drink wise the cafe use Pablo and Rusty’s coffee as their house blend. You’ll find a great range of juices and sometimes even some specials like a strawberry latte!

We love this cafe and thoroughly recommend visiting and getting in early. The instagrammable, palate pleasing dishes are served by a family of people who clearly know the hospitality industry.

Silver Fox Cafe

7 Mortdale Road, Mortdale

02 9585 2857

Afternoon Tea with Wedgewood, The Tale of Mr Rabbit at the Langham

April 20, 2019April 20, 2019Leave a comment

The Langham Hotel on Kent Street Sydney is a beautifully sophisticated hotel with a sandstone facade greeting you on approach, as do the impeccably uniformed doormen. Flow through the entrance past the lobby and the suave looking bar, and make your way to the tea room for the high tea. The staff will run you through the details of the afternoon.

The tea room overlooks the harbour with views out to Balmain and beyond. The tables perfectly set with white linen and beautifully intricate Wedgwood china tea sets, silverware and tea pots. Looking around the room, a very traditional afternoon tea is on the cards. Alas, there is a flash of a white rabbit, the Easter Bunny bouncing around the room fancifully and happy to provide joy to the children in the room and add whimsical fun to the experience.

The theme of Easter is not only present with the Easter Bunny, it also makes a very visual appearance at an enchanted feature table in the centre of the room. The table full of sweets; chocolate easter eggs and assorted lollies, the display further decorated for Easter with an assortment of rabbit ornaments, flowers and a touch of theatrics with a fog cleverly created with dry ice, slowly cascaded to blanket the table.

The service begins with a formal greeting from the waitstaff and a glass of bubbles, Perrier in this instance. They are also happy to cater to special dietry requirements. We are left to peruse the menus, the food, drinks menu and most importantly the selection of tea. Do we go with a traditional tea, English breakfast or Earlygray or perhaps a masala chai or peach oolong? Feeling a little adventurous, the peach oolong nicely accompanies the tasty delights on offer.

The three tier selection of afternoon treats made its way to our table. Where to start? Is it with the savoury plate containing a delicious mix of tasty pastries and sandwiches or sweets? We went for savoury first and tried the smallest item; the mushroom and gruyere cheese puff. It is quickly lifted from the plate by an index finger and thumb pincer and disappears like a chocolate Easter egg on easter Sunday. This is followed by the beef and potato pie, the tuna and creme fresh tartlet, then the sandwiches; chicken tarragon and the old staple – curried egg. Then was our favourite bite, the kingfish tartare, lime, and corriander served in a little charcoal cone.

It wouldn’t be much of an afternoon Tea without scones and vanilla scones at this afternoon tea, along with the carrot cake were a real treat. Perfectly prepared and served with homemade jam and cream.

Already a good amount of food consumed, there were the dainty easter sweets on top of the serving platter. Cute as a button and very creative; there was a mini easter scene displayed on the plate with easter bunny heading down the hole on top of the Mr Rabbit tartlet, the tasty carrot and ginger garden bed complete with a mini carrot and cherry decoration top, the cream egg split in two and the scrumptious hot cross bun macarons.

This was a great cultured experience, good to share with the children and well curated with a visit from Mr Rabbit and the enchanted sweets table. Well worth a visit for their yummy afternoon tea and they are open all days, including public holidays until April 28.

We’d like to thank the Langham for the invitation to dine, and the hospitality provided on the day.

The Langham

New Shanghai – Pitt St

April 17, 2019April 21, 2019Leave a comment

Dumplings and pork buns, there is something about these tasty little parcels that draw us in. This is our favourite part of Shanghainese cuisine.

New Shanghai have a few restaurants around Sydney and are known for producing delicious dumplings, wontons and buns. We visited the New Shanghai Restaurant in Westfield Pitt Street mall to get our fix. New Shanghai is set up to make you feel as though you are dining in the streets if Shanghai. The decor is architecturally a modern adaptation of a street market, but indoors. It is vibrant and fun, and you can get a glimpse of the staff making the dumplings.

New Shanghai is also a licensed venue a great spot for a bite to eat and a drink after work, with a good wine list and some interesting cocktails.

Dumplings on our mind, with the shumai first picked. In this instance, they are a brilliant multi-coloured soupy pork dumpling. Trying our best to maintain dumpling etiquette; place the dumpling on the spoon, pierce the dumpling add vinegar, soy sauce and chilli to taste.

The pan fried pork and prawn buns were phenomenal, all four disappeared in quick succession, with a tasty filling, the buns literally bursting with flavour when bitten into. The spicy prawn wontons were another favourite and were huge, a massive serving of yum and a must order.

It’s not all dumplings and buns, Shanghinese cusine has a variety of dishes and cooking styles. Grab a fried rice and sizzling mongolian lamb for some classics.

For a unique dish the clay pots are a good option. The clay pot with tofu and prawns with salty egg was on our order list and we were advised they may not be to everyone’s liking, however we enjoyed this dish and would recommend it to broaden your culinary experience with this traditional dish.

The location is good, right in the heart of the city. It has plenty of room for small or large groups too. Staff were lovely, in particular the on duty manager Zin, who had amazing hospitality.

We appreciate the Atticism for extending the invitation and to New Shanghai for their wonderful hospitality.

New Shanghai

Shop 1017 – 1020/188 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

+61 2 8386 8368

Newshanghai.com.au

Thai Thae – Hurstville

April 12, 2019April 21, 2019Leave a comment

Only a short 2 min walk from Hurstville station is Thai Thae. A causal thai eatery with a huge kitchen and fully stocked bar.

Not your run of the mill thai restaurant, the menu boasts authentic thai with Bangkok street dishes, showcasing a huge menu of with interesting entree additions and also some chefs recommendations for the mains. If you’re coming with a group, they also have a few different banquets.

The head chef Nikon trained under the winner of Iron Chef Thailand, Chumpon Jangprai, so he certainly knows his flavour combinations.

For the entree we had curry puffs, as well as one of their signature dishes, one of our favourites was the duck larb, a lovely combo or shredded roast duck tossed with Larb served on Chinese cabbage. It had a nice flavour kick to it.

We also really liked the Roast Duck Curry and whole steamed barramundi with lime, chilli and ginger.

We ordered a few extra things including a green curry and satay stir fry! Both were generous serves.

Drinks wise, they do serve alcoholic drinks as well as a great range of mocktails and juices. We loved the lychee mocktail and virgin mojito.

We finished off with a rice pudding topped with strawberries.

The staff here were kept busy with lots of customers and were friendly in all interactions.

Thai Thae

1/33 Macmahon st, Hurstville 2220

(02) 8971 0797

Rock and Roll Follies return for “Wanted + Wild” with a new show

April 12, 2019April 14, 2019Leave a comment

“Wanted + Wild, Rock & Roll Follies” is now appearing monthly, showcasing glitz, glam, burlesque and a good dose of Rock and Roll. The crowd is entertained with a night of variety style entertainment of rock and roll dancing, singing, burlesque routines and even some amazing tricks! At only $34 for the show, purchased through Eventbrite, it is good value for a solid night’s entertainment.

The night was again hosted by Porcelain Alice, a showgirl, burlesque dancer and producer. She demonstrated her skills on the evening with her light hearted nonchalant boganesque crude demeanour and profanities, delivering many laughs. Although not advertised as a comedy show, there are many laughs to be had. She is a seasoned performer with a wealth of credentials and her experience and ability to entrance a crowd was apparent.

Dieslel Darling supported the hosting and also performed a routine that took us back to the 80’s in her leotard and sweatbands, performing an incredible acrobatic show on a stationary exercise bike.

The band rolls out the tunes between sets bringing rock classics to the crowd performing some amazing rock and roll numbers. The house band is joined Aussie Rock Legend herself – Christa Hughes , the vocalist of Machine Gun Fellatio, whose voice is incredible. She also did her own routine, a hilarious, albeit crude version of the sound of music’s “my favourite things”.

Photo – https://www.facebook.com/wantedandwildrocknroll/

As for the Burlesque, this show had it all. Kelly Ann Doll’s impressive rockabilly dancing done at a cracking pace with plenty of sensuality in the performance was certainly entertaining.

Mr Gorski showcased his talents, showing it isnt just about bare skin and sequins, balancing a bottle of alcohol, resting atop a balloon on a knife.

This show was a real eye opener, it was refreshing to see some exciting live cabaret style entertainment in Sydney, with all performers putting on a great show.

It was great alternative to entertaining yourselves at a bar or staring at the footy on TV at the pub. This show was equally enjoyed by both ladies and gents. If you are looking for something to do and a little different, then we thoroughly recommend this. You can also get a range of bar snacks and Wanted + Wild themed drinks to enjoy whilst the show is on.

They’re back in June, so make sure you get your ticket soon, as they do sell out. Fast.

Regarding seating, it is first in best dressed! Or if you buy a VIP ticket, you will be seated at one of the ‘runway’ stage tables! Right in the action.

84 Union St
2009 Pyrmont, New South Wales, Australia

http://www.thebirdcagesydney.com.au

Facebook – Wanted + Wild

Thank you to The Society Group for the invitation to experience the show.

Page Two, Randwick

April 3, 2019April 4, 2019Leave a comment

We were, for many years, locals in Randwick. It’s a super busy place with so many people around due to its proximity to the hospital, UNSW and racecourse. There’s lots of shops, restaurants and cafes. It’s often hard to select where to eat. Page Two cafe has popped up on the brunch and lunch scene, on Belmore Road. What is so nice about this cafe is, that whilst there are plenty of seats indoors, they have a beautiful little outdoor space with a garden at the back, and decorated with hanging colourful umbrellas from the roof.

We were greeted warmly by staff and welcomed to the cafe. We chose to sit in the outdoor garden and we were given some menus to decide. We made our selection, taking three dishes to share. It was lunchtime so we decided to have two salads and a salmon crostini to share. This came atop a slice of sourdough, topped with avocado, capers, dill, red onion, cream cheese, lemon and balsamic glaze.

For the salads, we had the ‘healthy salad’ with spinach, kale, avocado, poached eggs, quinoa, pumpkin, beetroot and hummus.

Our favourite was definately the poached chicken soba salad with lotus crisps and sesame dressing.

They use in house made beans for their coffees and also sell shakes, leaf tea, and freshly squeezed juice. We tried the Tropicana; watermlon, mint and pineapple which was very refreshing.

Pop in for an easy and reasonably priced menu. There’s all day brekkie on offer too.

Page Two cafe

Address: 122 Belmore Rd, Randwick, New South Wales 2031

Phone: (02) 9399 6294

Hours: Monday – Friday: 6:30am-5:00pm

Saturday – Sunday: 6:00am-5:00pm

Website: http://page-two-cafe-coffee-shop.business.site/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Page-Two-799338696917425/

Bellbird now does brunch @ Casula Powerhouse

March 30, 2019April 7, 2019Leave a comment

Bellbird restauraunt at Casula Powerhouse has got to be the best value dining in Sydney. This initative is the result of the talented chef duo; Federico Rekowski and Shephen Pham, with Liverpool Council providing them with creative freedom to show off their skills.

Bellbird dining also has their own vegetable patch on site which enables them to adhere to their sustaiable and farm to table philosophy. This garden means they can source the freshest of ingredients. The fact it is grown onsite means costs can be kept low, making it accessible.

Casula Powerhouse and Bellbird Restaurant are in a decomissioned powerstation, converted into a museum and dining space. It is in a nice setting by the Georges River. It’s easy to get to, Casula train station is right on its doorstep. The powerhouse iself has a gallery and rotating exhibitions, and free entry makes for a great day out.

The dining space is modern and a little rustic with comfy leather chairs and vases of flowers on each table. There’s an enclosed balcony space with heating to keep you warm. There’s an outdoor pizza oven soon to be used, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

The food on offer is Modern Australian and is influenced by cultural diversity. The technique on display is of a high level, as are the beautiful plating skills of the chefs. It is contemporary food with a fine dining feel.

Bellbird are now serving a brilliant Brekky menu (until 11:30) and have plenty of vegetarian options too. Their breakfast offerings include an array of delicious flavour combinations and you are sure to find something to your liking. The current breakfast menu consists of the below options and it does change seasonally to ensure the freshest ingredients are utilised.

There are some classics done very well including the Bacon and egg brioche with tomato relish and the Baileys and brown sugar French toast with caramelised figs and double cream (vegetarian), sure to be a popular choice. We went for the sourdough, streaky bacon (normally comes with proscuitto but we asked for bacon) corn and spinach as an accessible brunch choice. We’re sure diners will like this too.

There are two great salmon dishes on the menu and the pickled fennel imparts a unique elegant sweetness to the dishes.

A new menu item – proscuitto and figs with blue cheese was a masterpiece of art – like a woodlands display on show. We thought this was creamy, super tasty and it had the freshest of ingedients.

Other options include:

– Smoked salmon, poached eggs and toasted rye (without Salmon can make it vegetarian) served with pickled fennel, zucchini

– Lightly smoked Atlantic salmon with scrambled eggs and pickled fennel croissant

– Sautéed corn, tomatoes, confit garlic, prosciutto, poached eggs and rye

– Streaky bacon, confit field mushrooms, spinach, eggs and rye

If you sleep in and arrive a little later, the brunch/lunch options are superb including; burgers, vegetarian options, and a bunch of well curated and beautifully prepared menu items. The Cured SA Swordfish with charred Baby Onions, Crispy shallots and Japanese Mayo is a lighter, healthy option, with beautiful plating and we thoroughly enjoyed this.

A popular choice amongst diners is the Gnocchi, figs and prosciutto which we had on a previous visit. Ticks all of the boxes with house made Gnocchi and delicious ingredients, an enticing dish that will ensure food envy, but you will not want to share. This time, we had one of the new options, the falafels with smokey eggplant, labneh and tabouleh, served with crispy flatbread.

Another quality dish is the pan fried free range chicken breast, served atop sweet potato puree, field mushrooms and jus.

The desserts were spot on and we really enjoyed the Chocolate Brownie with Dulce De Leche, Peanut Powder & Cream, a soft and gooey brownie that we devoured in seconds.

The absolute winner on the day was the Mandarin & Almond Cake, Lime Curd, Lemon Myrtle Powder & Pistachios. A moist and fluffy cake with a superb flavour combination. You cannot beat this, especially with a small $10 price tag.

You can also enjoy a boozy beverage if it tickles your fancy. With craft beer, cocktails made from Australian artisan distiller Archy Rose, there is also a selection of wine on offer. Otherwise order a coffee your way, T2 tea of even hot chocolate made with callebaut chocolate.

We’d like to sincerely thank the wonderful chefs at Bellbird dining, who not only produce amazing food, but make it priority to come and speak with customers. We appreciate the hospitality shown. We also thank Original Spin for the invitation to dine.

Bellbird Dining and Bar at Casula Powerhouse

phone – 02 8711 7123

address – 1 Powerhouse Road, Casula NSW 2170

Ampersand Bookstore and cafe

March 28, 20191 Comment

As you walk down Oxford St, Sydney in Paddington, you’ll find yourself passing by Ampersand cafe & bookstore. Make sure you step inside.

Downstairs, it looks like a familiar cafe, with indoor and outdoor seating, but make sure you head upstairs in one of the three levels and find a seat amongst the floor to ceiling bookshelves.

Set into three rooms, consisting of books aplenty, organised into their themes with comfortable seating, this is somewhere you could absolutely sit for hours. Order your food at the front, and it will be delivered to you as you immerse yourself in the books.

Whilst it is only a small menu, the food is interesting and they also have some daily salads, sandwiches and pastry goods.

A couple of options using black rice, we chose the brekky bowl with Bircher and sticky black rice with figs, cinnamon and fresh fruits. We really liked this as it was quite different to your normal Bircher.

French toast is an option, baked or poached eggs and smoked salmon is on the menu but we opted for a familiar favourite – the eggs Benedict with crispy bacon and creamy hollandaise.

We were hungry so we also shared one of the fresh Reuben Bagels. It was filled with a super flavoursome pastrami, cheese and sauerkraut and this was the winner on the day.

For those wanting lunch, there’s a burger, steak sandwich and even a black risotto or polenta chips.

Coffee is by Little Marionette and the mocha was a good drop, complete with Lindt chocolate. We also had a cold drip which we certainly enjoyed. Smoothies and teas are also available.

Pop in for a nice meal and a good read.

Izu Village

March 25, 2019March 26, 2019Leave a comment

Where to get your Japanese hot pot, Just off George St, not far from Town Hall, keep your eye out for the signs and make your way up the stairs to Izu Village.

It’s a spacious restaurant with wood tables complete with a modern hot pot stove in the centre. There’s also a number of Japanese themed booths with tiled roofs, to give you the feeling of streets of Kyoto.

We were visiting for the Japanese hot pot experience. For 90 minutes, we are treated to the full experience. The cost of this hot pot buffet is $68 pp. This includes fresh sashimi, which has some amazing scampi!

Diners then order from the menu, Sashimi can only be ordered once. We then selected a mix of sushi and really enjoyed this.

Then, select a broth for your hot pot. We thoroughly recommend the Sukiyaki a traditional Japanese broth, which is super flavoursome and served with a side of raw egg to dip your meat in. We also had porcini mushroom, there us plenty of variety, including chilli based broths if you like it spicy or tomato broths, if chilli is not your thing.

Fill yourself a bowl of veggies, noodles and tofu from the self-serve buffet and put the ingredients in the hot pot and let the cooking begin. We really enjoyed the wide range of mushrooms available for the dish.

There are plenty of quality cuts to choose from – wagyu chuck, wagyu shoulder, pork shoulder and lamb. The thin slices of quality meat only needs to short dip in their hot broth Jacuzzi, before being ready to eat. It is fool proof, anyone can do it.

There’s also a refillable drink station for your non alcoholic drinks, which is included, you may need all the refills of soft drink, Calpis and juices if you go for the spicy broth.

If you want alcohol you can order it at an extra cost, there’s sake, umeshu, Japanese whisky, beer and wine.

The staff were super efficient and helpful and food came out really fast. Japanese is our favourite cuisine and we really enjoyed our visit to Izu Village for the hot pot.

Inspiration Coffee, Bankstown

March 21, 2019March 25, 2019Leave a comment

Southwest Sydney coffee lovers can rejoice with the opening of Inspiration Coffee in Bankstown.

Single Origin is the bean of choice, providing a welcome injection of quality caffeine with the bonus option of cold drip coffee. With a gleaming La Marzocca espresso machine taking pride of place in a dedicated takeaway window, you know they are serious about servicing their customer’s coffee needs.

The quality extends beyond the bean with everything on the menu made fresh; this is no where more apparent than the freshly ground Wagyu in the beef burger, with a flavoursome patty served with egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, beetroot, caramelised onion and sauce.

There is plenty on the menu to surprise and delight; As well as the eight burgers, wraps and sandwiches in the aptly named “Hands On” section, there’s a comprehensive all-day breakfast menu as well as salads, pastas, and sweet and savoury waffles galore.

As well as the burger, we enjoyed a salad and sweet waffle. The Grilled Salmon Salad features a beautifully cooked piece of Tasmanian salmon served with two halves of a just-set boiled egg, lettuce, Spanish onion, cherry tomato, broccoli, olives and sprouts with a zesty dressing and topped with super crispy ribbons of sweet potato.

The blueberry waffle was presented with a variety of colourful, sliced fruit, with plump blueberries bursting with each mouthful.

Inspiration Coffee cafe sets a new standard in cafe dining in Bankstown, and its popularity will soon see extended weekend trading hours for those long, lazy Sunday brunches.

thewhereto

food | travel | lifestyle

Category: food