The Butcher’s Block – for a brunch option in Barangaroo

December 6, 2018December 11, 2018Leave a comment

The Butcher’s Block have planted their culinary seed in many areas of Sydney including Wahroonga, South Hurstville, Parramatta and now with their new eatery located in Barangaroo. With an emphasis on seasonal, locally sourced organic ingredients, this is the place to get some nourishment. With a team of experienced Chefs and a magnitude of high end dining experiences, you will find this a culinary delight. The Butcher’s block team has to put multicultural elements into the menu, providing variety and excitement to the table.

There are many great places to grab a bite to eat in Barangaroo. But there are only a few places to visit for breakfast or Brunch. Butchers Block, with its new breakfast menu is the place to visit.

The Butchers Block use Allpress coffee and have a menu full of breakfast favourites. All menu items are prepared with the freshest of ingredients.

Dessert for breakfast, why not?

The Banoffee waffles were a crowd favourite. the waffles were perfect, nice and light topped with fresh bananas, a ridiculously good ginger butterscotch sauce, vanilla mascarpone and roasted almonds.

If you prefer a healthy start to your day, there is delicious Bircher, topped with a mix of seasonal berries, poached pears, pomegranate honey and a sprinkling of homemade granola.

Another healthy option is the smashed avo bruschetta which is also perfect if you are on the run.

The cornfritters are quality, nice and light and fluffy with plenty of flavour.

The Green Breakfast bowl is another popular breakfast option. This dish was super tasty with a crisp brown rice flavoured with a sweet teriyaki style sauce and served with a mix of BBQ vegetables including broccolini, zucchini, asparagus, add some more green with a generous portion of avocado. There is something satisfying about cutting in to a perfectly poached egg and watching the yolk ooze out over the breakfast bowl, working its magic, adding flavour as it floods with a tidal wave of yum.

The Butcher’s Block is the ideal setting to enjoy a meal in the heart of Barangaroo. This cafe restaurant is modern with a casual vibe. The service is relaxed and the food is great.

The Butcher’s Block

Shop 2/100 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo NSW 2000

Thank you to the venue and to Wasamedia for the invitation to dine.

The Galley @ Sydney Boathouse for harbour views and a great meal!

November 18, 2018November 18, 2018Leave a comment

When it’s a beautiful day, we can’t think of much better than enjoying a meal by the water.

We headed down to The Galley at Sydney Boathouse, right on Sydney Harbour marina situated between Rozelle and Glebe, and under the ANZAC Bridge. The nearby car park gives 1 hour free parking so it’s easy to pop by for brunch and lunch.

The cafe is a converted waiting hall / shipping container, with beautiful styling inside, nautically themed with blue striped cushions, decorative ropes and anchors.

Out on the deck are cane lounges giving wonderful venues of the marina. We could have happily sat here all day.

The brunch menu is on from 7am – 11:30 and then the lunch menu begins. We visited for brunch. The menu is approachable for families and you will find many crowd favourites like eggs Benedict, bacon and egg rolls, avo on toast and more.

One of our regular go to meals is a granola, so of course we ordered this. Their house made granola was lovely – nicely roasted and complete with almonds and served with , seasonal fruits (banana, blueberries, orange and strawberries) as well as yoghurt, and cold milk.

We also had two favourites from the hot menu, the Corn & zucchini fritters, avocado, haloumi, roast tomato, poached eggs and a generous serve of chilli Jam. These were beautifully light and fluffy.

The House made potato rosti was delicious and came with broccolini, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce.

The food here is great! We’re keen for a revisit to try their lunch menu, in particular for the udon salad which looked awesome.

Coffees come cafe of Campos beans and they also offer a 0.30c incentive for bringing a keep cup. We tried the delicious chai, brewed and served for you to strain and retain the flavour for longer.

We highly recommend popping down for a lovely day out and for the animal lovers amongst us, it is also dog friendly.

The Galley at Sydney Boathouse

2 Waterways Court
Rozelle
NSW 2039

Directions – James Craig Road off The Crescent and then right onto Waterways Court at the first roundabout

Mon to Fri – 7 am to 3pm

Sat & Sun – 7:30 am to 4 pm

https://thegalleycafe.com.au

Spring has sprung a new menu @ Auvers cafe Rhodes

October 27, 2018October 27, 2018Leave a comment

We are all excited when Spring turns the corner. Not only becuase there’s less rain (well sometimes), but because there’s beautiful flowers, and of course, new menus at our favourite cafes. Creative dishes with exotic cultural inspirations, there are plenty of options that are out of the box and a twist on your basic breakfast choices.

New dishes on Auvers’ menu include:

Mushroom Valley Pudding – mushroom bread and butter pudding, lentils, cheese, almond and mushroom sauce
Heart Of Ocean – twice cooked salmon on a sourdough, pickle fennel and radish, vinegared yolk, lime caviar, nori and grape gazpacho
Ox Tail Spaghetti – with crispy kale, sea grape, angel hair chilli, mushroom and cheesy kombu butter.

We tried the new Soft Shell Crab Rice Burger, available for a limited time only. Created collaboratively with @chubbytraveller, it is made with – with crispy kale, roasted tomatoes, vinegared yolk, cripsy lotus and teriyaki bonito hollandaise sauce. The mix of Chinese, Japanese and western inspiration, makes for a super interesting and tasty dish.

We also had Auvers’ version of the traditional eggs Benedict with a buttery flaky toasted croissant and ham with pulled pork. Their Hollandaise sauce is a little different, with our well loved ponzu juice and a corn salsa. In addition to this dish, you will find Onsen eggs (slow cooked at 60 degrees).

The most loved dish was the Apple Crumble French Toast, served with chestnut, apple ricotta, black sesame crumble on a brioche bun with black sesame tuile. This is throroughly recommened for the sweet tooths out there.

Drinks wise we had a regular milk based coffee as well as hojicha latte, which is perfect for matcha lovers.

Tasteful trendy decor and a comfortable cafe with classic ambience makes for an enjoyable brunch setting.

Located in Rhodes, close to the shopping centre and public transport, so it’s easy for anyone to visit.

Auvers Cafe, Rhodes
2/42 Walker St, Rhodes Sydney
Phone: (02) 8040 2403
http://www.auverscafe.com.au

Family friendly @ The Beach House Maroubra

October 22, 2018October 22, 2018Leave a comment

The Beach house is located on the main strip (Marine Parade) at Maroubra Beach. It is a large cafe, with it’s decor fitting of the theme – with surf pics and boards adorning the walls and rustic furniture.

It has a casual and relaxed vibe and perfect for you to take the kids, with a play section out the back as well as some outdoor seating.

Offering brunch, lunch and dinner, you can visit anytime. There a bar at the front and also pizza and beer deals to get those crowds in.

We visited with friends who have kids for brunch on a weekday and it was good as whilst we sat and chatted, the kids amused themselves in the play area. Genius. We ordered some coffees, tea and babycinos as well as some food. The menu has a good mix of healthy and indulgent options to select from.

We went for a porridge (which isn’t on their online menu), but a dish we really enjoyed. Made with oats and topped with poached pears, it was super flavoursome and filling.

We also tried poached eggs with tomatoes and I ordered a side of spinach which was presented nicely on some really good, fresh bread!

Other options include an acai bowl, shakshuka, buttermilk pancakes and smashed avo to name a few.

Good for a casual meal in a relaxed environment.

Staff were efficient, hospitable and eager to help.

Beach House

198-202 Marine Parade, Maroubra Beach

Where to great brekkie in Bondi @ Parida

October 2, 2018October 3, 20181 Comment

Parida, Bondi Beach has a grand new menu. It is the perfect excuse to visit this beachside oasis. Located on Campbell parade, this cafe is a great spot to enjoy a beautiful brunch meal. Parida has has a cool and casual atmosphere with comfortable indoor and outside seating options. The decor is stylish with Moroccan tiles and bifold windows, apt for the trendy Bondi Beach location.

The new menu has fabulous takes on our brunch favourites, with some of the typical classics, healthy options and some exciting creations that will entice you. We were excited by this since we like cool brunch dishes that differ from the norm.

Very importantly, the coffee is pretty good, they use Gabriel beans for coffee which we do like. There are also some fresh made juices available, great for that spring health kick. The ‘Bondi juice’ is made of pineapple, apple carrot, lemon and ginger was a tasty refreshing blend. Parida also have a range of smoothies, teas, and if you are up for it wine and boozy drinks too. Can’t beat a weekend mimosa!

The menu has good variety to suit all. Our pick of the meals was the “Baby Parida”, that was thankfully not so baby. This dish had us excited with a cheese and chorizo croquette showcasing a crisp panko like outer shell, gooey cheese inner with bits of chorizo thrown in the mix. It had a potato rosti, perfectly poached eggs with hollandaise sauce and toast, oh baby! Perfect for sharing!

The classics were also solid, the avo and feta smash which is a good version of this dish. It has a decent amount of avo and feta, served on a large slice of sourdough with heirloom tomatoes. Opting for the poached egg is a good idea and they were perfectly poached. The granola and yogurt, served with berries and passionfruit, a good choice if you are looking for a lighter meal.

Bondi beach and Campbell Parade can at times be a little hit and miss with all the tourist haunts. However, if you are looking at a good cafe to hit, pop into Parida. It is the perfect choice before or after the coast walk, a surf or just enjoying the serenity. A top weekend brunch spot, but any day suits as they’re open 7 days a week. All day breakfast is their specialty with fresh and simple ingredients and reasonably priced too.

We enjoyed our visit and will undoubtedly be back.

Parida, Bondi

Shop G08A, 180 – 186 Campbell Parade Bondi Beach NSW

61 280697910

Brunch in a terrace @ Paddock on Crown

June 11, 2018June 11, 2018Leave a comment

Have you seen all those pictures of stacked high fluffy pancakes dominating your Instagram feed, and hear them repeatedly calling your name!? Look no further – head to Paddock on Crown to check them out.

This cafe was taken on about 6 months ago and they’re doing amazing things. We met the lovely Chef Lester, who who you can see has a good relationship with locals! It’s in a beautiful little terrace house and you can sit on the front balcony, inside or on the back terrace. It’s quaint and homely.

There’s an amazing peacock painting on the inside wall too.

The menu has both indulgent and healthy options so we decided to try a few. The pancakes are what everyone is coming for! They are superb – we ordered an extra one and our came the perfect stack of fluffy pancakes with vanilla marscapone, raspberry coulis, whipped maple butter and fresh fruits. We added vanilla ice cream too! But if you prefer ube, that’s an option too. Worth coming just for these, if not more.

We ordered the corn fritters, which have the same consistency of the pancakes, served with spiced tomato and ginger chutney, roasted pumpkin, poached eggs and radish. A fresh and healthy dish. This one was found on the daily specials menu.

Also a fan of a baked eggs, we ordered this too. These were so warming on a cold winters day, filled with chorizo, potato and a delicious mildly spicy and flavoursome tomato sauce with a side of Turkish bread, tomatoes, mushroom, bacon and radish.

They use double roasters coffee,
so we had a latte, cappuccino and also a dirty chai. Coffees were great too.

The food here is so delicious, and presented nicely too. Service was fast and staff were super friendly. We felt very welcome.

Be sure to visit soon! We look forward to returning for the winter menu!

Casual cafe for a healthy brunch @ The Junction

June 11, 2018June 11, 2018Leave a comment

Conveniently located at the Plaza in Lane Cove, The Junction Coffee Co is a dog friendly cafe with outdoor seating and a substantial menu which you won’t have any trouble choosing from. A small space, but very popular.

It was formerly Pablo & Rusty’s which could be the reason they serve Pablo & Rusty’s Coffee as well as sell their beans.

Chef Daniel is extremely experienced, having works all over the world. He’s created a menu with a variety of dishes to suit all diners. They have a hugely instagrammable breakfast degustation, veggie board and French toast to name a few. Food is nutritious, well seasoned, tasty and nicely presented.

We shared two dishes, the smashed avo with tomato, dukkah, goats feta on ciabatta. So colourful and even healthy.

It was a cold weekend so we also shared the porridge with cinnamon, cashew nuts, seasonal fruit.

The coffee is good, using Pablo and Rusty’s beans. We had a mocha as well as a Daintree chai with soy milk + honey – Specialty of the house.

Staff were lovely and extremely accommodating. This will be sure to maintain popularity with the locals and visitors alike.

Café in the heart of Mortdale @Sugar Salt Espresso

May 24, 2018Leave a comment

Sugar Salt espresso is located in southern Sydney, close to the train station in Mortdale. In a suburb filled with an array of multicultural restaurants, yet this cafe is the only one of its kind. It’s the perfect place for a top coffee or a weekend brunch.

We visited on Mother’s Day and naturally this meant it was super busy! We sat outside, but well looked after by the wait staff. The cafe had a lovely surprise, giving all the mums dining there a flower! How sweet. They also had ‘Mum’ donuts which made it a special day for the mums there. They had even arranged another special surprise for a mother, when her son returned from the army to deliver her coffee!

Despite the fact it was totally packed out, the food did not come with a long wait. The chef was extremely efficient and food came out quickly and beautifully presented.

It was a super cold and rainy day so we got some warming dishes. The eggs Benedict with truffle hollandiase sauce, and your choice of ham, bacon or salmon (we chose ham), and some asparagus and greens, it was a lovely combination of flavours.

We also had the smashed avo with poached eggs, pomegranate and the sliced almonds were a nice touch.

We enjoyed our visit and appreciate the good service and hospitality.

https://www.sugarsalt.com.au/

Sugar Salt

34 Pitt St, Mortdale NSW Australia

(02) 9570 6347

A Turkish breakfast platter @Anatolia, Clemton Park

March 9, 2018March 10, 20181 Comment

You can find yourselves an authentic Turkish breakfast at Anatolia restaurant! We suggest you go for the breakfast platte! It is well worth travelling to Clemton Park for this. Anatonlia can be found in Clemton Park Shopping village which is a new development with a range of stores, eateries and apartments. It’s not far from the city. The restaurant is situated in an open piazza style area with gardens, so even though you’re in a shopping village, it has a lovely outlook.

The restaurant has a modern fit out, with and extremely large ornate chandelier that is beautiful and just has to be seen. It is a large open restaurant with decorative cushions, so surround yourself and feel as though you are in Turkey in a tea/coffee house.

This place does not just do your regular Turkish fare of pide and kebabs, it is a sophisticated dining venue with some quality food on offer. They are also open for breakfast. Make sure you bring your appetite if you are tackling the breakfast platter like we did. The platter is a mixture of sweet and savoury, including an amazing bread basket filled with different types of Turkish breads and pastries made fresh daily.

The bread comes in handy, whether using it to mop up the delicious sauce from the menemen eggs with stewed tomato and onion or topping it with the eggs sucuk (turkish sausage). Maybe also add some kasar (a stringy turkish mozzarella) and pastrima (cured beef) to the crackers that come with the platter. For some freshness try the tomato, cucumber, olives. For some sweetness, smear the sesame pastry with the jams, halva or honey.

To finish off (if you can fit any more in!) have some of the fruit salad, dried fruit and nuts. The breakfast platter is awesome, we absolutely loved it and it’s the perfect option to enjoy over a catch up with family and friends.

Make sure you try the lovely Turkish tea or coffee and let the food settle. The platter at Anatolia will leave you content, maybe even a little sleepy after the sheer volume of food, and you’ll have to loosen the belt a notch or two.

Thanks so much to Anatolia for their hospitality and to Huddle Group for organising the invitation to dine.

Anatolia

In Clemton Park Shopping Village

16/5 Mackinder Street, Campsie NSW 2194

A lovely brunch spot @Little Collins

December 16, 2017December 22, 2017Leave a comment

It’s not often we get over to the North Shore, despite that we’d like to. It’s always a trek from the East on a busy weekend, so we came here on the first day of holidays mid week. Greeted but the lovely manager and hospitable staff, their casual and friendly attitude makes you comfortable here.

It’s a beautiful little cafe, undercover, yet an open seating plan, receiving the daily sun, it’s beautiful and stylish fit out is welcoming and in perfect fit with the trendy Freshwater area.

They have an all day brunch menu with some extra additions at lunch, making any time great to visit.

We were ready for our morning coffee and pleased to see they use Campos beans. We ordered a latte and cappuccino but there’s plenty of juices and smoothies if that takes your fancy too.

The menu has a range of healthy items and fresh flavours and a touch of the sea too.

We shared three dishes on this visit – both healthy, savoury and sweet.

From the healthy menu we had the nourish bowl: rocket and quinoa salad that also had asparagus, pumpkin and beetroot.

The chilli scrambled eggs we probably the best we’ve had. A slice of sourdough topped with creamy scrambled eggs, with chorizo and chilli, topped with paprika and micro herbs.

Another standout was the hotcake – cooked in a deep dish, the pancake was topped with berry compote, fresh fruit and cream. Add maple syrup and demolish this dish! It was absolutely divine.