XS Espresso @ Prestons

January 8, 2019January 11, 2019Leave a comment

The new XS Espresso store is in a large space in a shopping complex featuring a new Woolworths off the Camden Valley Way.

It is styled similarly to the other stores and an open coffee window for people ordering take aways.

The young girl front of house was lovely and took us to a table. It it was extremely busy and buzzing with diners so took a while to get our order taken and served. However the manager was extremely helpful and generous. On our visit, it was only a few weeks old so they’re understandably busy and learning the ropes.

The menu is pretty much the same as the other stores, known for their freak shakes, over the top sweet dishes like pancakes and waffles, and a number of burgers. Don’t come here if you’re worried about your waistline. It is certainly a place to indulge.

We shared three dishes between us: The New York, New York – normally 250 g sirloin, but they had run out so we got the lamb – with roasted chat potatoes, asparagus, tomato and sweet potatoes with chimichurri. A super big serving and all components were very tasty.

I’m always keen for a healthy dish and there was only a handful of this category, so we ordered one of them. The “Happy Bowl” was bright and colourful and filled with nourishing goodies like quinoa, mashed sweet potato, kale, beetroot hummus, boiled egg, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and radish. We added some chicken to it for the protein and polished this meal off quickly between us.

The other members of my party wanted a sweet option, and so opted for the absolutely beautiful ricotta hotcake. Extremely light and fluffy, it’s one of the better ones we’ve had. Topped with summer fruits and vanilla cream – we’d thoroughly recommend this.

They have Campos coffee, which we enjoyed, as well as smoothies and shakes. We tried the lovely banana smoothie and it was presented so nicely too.

You can’t visit XS Espresso without a freakshake. We opted for the XS Surprise / a Nutella and crunchie base, topped with fairy floss and a waffle cone, complete with a kinder surprise and covered with honeycomb and hundreds and thousands. Your family will go crazy for this! (And afterwards 😉

When you’re keen to indulge, pay XS Espresso a visit – it’s in a convenient location and very spacious. Enjoy!

XS Espresso

Shop 5/1975 Camden Valley Way, Prestons NSW 2170, Australia

Radley’s in the Met Centre

November 2, 2018November 2, 2018Leave a comment

Radley’s is a new bar and restaurant in the heart of the city, located in the Met Centre. It is a slick operation that is ready to cater to the masses. The set up is clean and modern, with an alfresco balcony and an outlook over the busy George St. Pop in for a coffee, they source their beans from coffee sensation Ona, the breakfast and lunch menu’s also look enticing. Visit at night to unwind after work, the menu is particularly geared for groups with some great value share platters.

The warm weather and daylight savings made it the perfect spot to enjoy a few after work beverages, with happy hour running from 4pm-7pm daily. The cocktail list loaded with classics; Manhattan’s, Cosmopolitan’s mojito’s and more. The wine list lined with quality, all wines rated higher than 90 points, there are a few quality beers on tap including the Panhead XPA and a variety of bottles to choose from.

A lot of thought has gone into this bar menu, it’s a very good drinking menu. There are plenty of great snacks to share including sweet potato fries, the finger lickin crispy Korean fried chicken, sweet potato fries, the haloumi fries are something special, as are the chips which they have perfected to a science.

For something more substantial there is the mac n cheese topped fried chicken and chipotle mayo to finish. This is unreal!

The sharing platters are great value $50 dollars to feed four, works out to $12.50 each. This platter includes the crazy good buttermilk fried chicken and Kim Chi sliders on a french milk bun, the prime rib tacos which are closer to burrito size, Radley’s perfectly cooked chips with chicken salt and nachos, loaded with cheese, guacamole, chuncky salsa and sour cream.

Having tuned their bar and restaurant skills in Singapore, they’re now bringing that experience to Sydney. Add this joint to your list of bar eats. Radley’s provides the ideal venue for a casual bite to eat and a few cheeky beverages.

Radley’s

273 George Street Shop MG 23, Sydney NSW 2000

Where to enjoy Good Food Month out west? Parramatta Lanes

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018Leave a comment

In 5 years, this event has grown from a turn out of 6000 to 100,000 last year! We’re sure crowds would have been just as big, if not bigger. This year, Parramatta Lanes, organised by the City of Parramatta alchemises 8 lanes, carparks and spaces into a radiating light show and creative canvas for creatives.

Image credit: city of Parramatta

Boasting 45 food outlets, 6 bars and rooftop rollerskating rink, the four day event running from 9 to 12 October every night from 5pm provides a playground for the city’s creatives in a massive showcase of culinary comforts and performing arts prowess.

Explore the maze of laneways and immerse yourself in abstract art installations, groove to the sounds of DJs and live entertainment while snacking on the gourmet street foods, cocktails and craft beer on offer.

Image credit: @mattaparra

FOODIE LINE-UP BY LANEWAY

Aird Street:
Flipp Burgers, Espresso Warriors, Mr Black, Katerin Sabbath, Archie Rose Distilling Co.

St John’s Cathedral
Diego’s Donuts, Adora Handmade Chocolates, Good Food Union, Balls, Frencheese

Centenary Square
StroopBros, Nutie Donuts, Sacred Seed, Eat Art Truck, Happy As Larry, Sofrito, Braza, Churrascaria, Middle Eastern Street Food

Parramatta Mission Cafe
Daisy’s Milkbar Pop-up

Horwood Place
Superior Burger, Little Lagos, Lat-Dior African Eatery, Jamaican Delight, Uncle Kurt’s

The Rooftop Eat Street Carpark
Gelato Messina, Pimp My Donut, Butter Sydney, BL Burgers, Two Good Co., Mitch Orr pop-up, WatsOn Events Bar

Image credit: city of parramatta

Image credit: city of Parramatta

Roxy Carpark
Chilli & Grains, 2 Boys In Saris, O!momo, Chatkazz, Temasek Restaurant

Riverbank

Shiso Fine, Korean BBQ, Koi Dessert Bar, Kensington Street Chippendale, Duo Duo Ice Cream, Arisun Restaurant, Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart

Image credit: city of Parramatta

Dirrabarri Lane

The Nighthawk Diner, Sweethark Diner, 2 Smoking Barrels, Waroo Lamb, Torch Me Creme Brulee, Park Royal, The Carter Sydney

Erby Place
The Coffee Emporium Australia

University of New England
Callan Smith pop-up
A range of party spaces ranging from chilled to wild, the City of Parramatta’s commitment to sustainability couches the event with no single-use cups, plastic straws or drinking bottles throughout the festival

Image credit: city of Parramatta

The final night is on tonight, October 12, so make sure you get down there and don’t miss out.

Parramatta Lanes

hosted by City of Parramatta
Tuesday 9 October until Friday 12 October from 5pm

Download the map here:
http://parramattalanes.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/709601/Parramatta_Lanes_2018_-_Event_Map.pdf
Joseph Lloyd, Contributor

Burgers, fries and shakes @ Cheezy Burger

July 8, 2018July 8, 2018Leave a comment

This new cheezy burger joint is located conveniently at the BP in Narellan, so it is in a service station, but the burgers do not disappoint. Order from the counter, the burgers are out on the plate right in front of you.

We tried the Nutella Shake, super smooth and not overbearing and accompanied the burgers perfectly. It will certainly give you that dessert fix.

The Deep South chicken burger was came out packed with an enormous piece of fried chicken, generous helping of slaw and Cheezy’s homemade “el chapo” sauce. The chicken was moist as it could be and the burger was delicious.

The cheezy burger came out with a wagyu patty, double cheese, pickles, onions, mustard and tomato sauce. The patty was seasoned well, and cooked medium. It was tasty, but I’d love this with a slab of bacon! Will have to give the Murica burger a go next.

Pop in for a casual dining experience and some top notch burgers. Some cool guys running the place too. You get a hint at this with those hats 😉

https://www.facebook.com/CheezyBurgersAU

Cheezy Burgers

273 Camden Valley Way
2567 Narellan, New South Wales, Australia

Churrasco is perfect for meat lovers

May 20, 2018May 21, 2018Leave a comment

Churrasco Brazilian BBQ has been a staple in Coogee for a number of years, which is a feat in itself and a testament to this restaurant delivering quality food. Brazil is renowned around the world for their barbecuing ability and this is no different at Churrasco. Churrasco uses a few different techniques including a rotisserie over hot coals and a smoker.

The restaurant itself is a large space perfect for a group or an intimate dining experience. Differing from many restaurants you instantly pass the cooking area as you walk in. Look to the left and you will see the rotisserie in action, and to the right the impressively large smoker. As you head into the dining area, the walls are covered in a collage of Brazilian pictures to set the mood. Then there are the staff members who have a Brazillian back ground, including the chefs and waitresses, helping to make for an authentic Brazilian barbeque experience.

Like most Brazilian BBQ places Churrasco, have a go/stop system, using a token on the table, where one side is green, and the other red. With the quality of the food hitting the table you will keep the green side up until you are bursting at the sides. All of the meat arriving at the table was mouthwatering good.

Much of the meat was cooked on the rotisserie served straight off the skewers which keeps it tender and juicy including chicken and beef. Although the meat was tasty enough on its own, the dipping sauces enhance the flavour and the green chilli beef was a favourite.

The pork belly is succulent and the crackling nice and crisp. The beef ribs were prepared in the large smoker and were full of flavour and fell to pieces at the sight of a fork.

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There are some non meat dishes including the tasty fried banana fritters, the cheese bread (cheese puffs) chips and a number of salads.

You will also need you reserve stomach for their desserts including the chocolate fondant and churros. We also hear of a legendary banoffee pie that may make a return and exciting tweaks to the churros.

Churasco’s is truly a carnivores dream, you will be in meat heaven. Well worth the $43 price for all you can eat. The experience is very enjoyable with staff members making you feel welcome and consistently at the table with different food to sample. Perfect for groups or those with a love of meat. Keep an eye out for their lunch menu too, there will be a range of burgers on offer for those in a hurry. Get into Churrasco for your meat fix.

Thank you to Ompty for the invitation to dine.

Churrasco

https://www.churrasco.com.au/

240 Coogee Bay Road, Coogee, Sydney

02 9665 6535

Super tasty chicken, burgers and more @ Il Pollo

May 12, 2018May 16, 2018Leave a comment

Il Pollo in Five Dock has the tag line “more than chicken” and that is certainly the case. They do do chicken and they do it very well, however there is more to this joint than just the chicken. This store is part owned by Rob, who we met on our visit and his Moroccan background is the inspiration behind his passion for food. Food is a way of life, he explained. His passion and enthusiasm are second to none. He loves his food, and local community, and the feeling is mutual.

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Rob is an ideas man and not only does he have great ideas, he has the passion to follow through. His range of burgers are reflective of this, we shared the range including Ollo, Pollo, New Yorker, Casablanca, Southern Belle, BLAT. They were all very good, but the Casablanca lamb burger was our favourite.

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The chilli sauce here is unreal, made with their own recipe. They also do Chilli-naise chips, which I think may be unique to Il Pollo. Chips smothered in mayo and topped with the Il Pollo chilli sauce, so good you will not want to share. This will now be on our mind as a constant for a cheat meal.

For something quick and exremely tasty, the Empanadas are highly recommended (Spicy chicken and chorizo; Spicy beef and mushroom; Chicken and mushroom; Beef and mushroom)

Then there is the chicken, so juicy and tender. With a range to choose from; Marinated chicken with smoky BBQ and chilli (new dish), Marinated Portuguese style chicken or Smoky BBQ chicken ribs will have you finger lickin. We were lucky to take some spare home and enjoyed it just as much the next day.

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They also have a salad bar for a healthy option. If you are clean eating, these salads are great to combo with some chicken. The salad line up includes Greek salad, Brown rice and quinoa salad with vinaigrette, Tabbouleh and a few other choices.

If you’re in Five Dock or Birkenhead stop by for a feed, there are plenty of great options and the food is quality. If Rob is around, say g’day and have a chat.

New chicken burgers on the menu @ Ribs and Burgers

May 6, 2018May 8, 2018Leave a comment

Ribs & Burgers is a National and international restaurant doing it’s namesake, offering ribs and burgers, as well as wraps and sides. The restaurant chain has 16 locations in Australia, the UK and South Africa.

Not your typical burger chain, offering a huge range of burgers, ribs and sides, as well as soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. Ribs and Burgers is a large dine in restaurant, with the option of takeaway as well. They also do some home delivery through typical delivery platforms, as well as the Ribs and Burgers website itself,

We have been to Ribs and Burgers a few times as we are protein lovers and are always keen for some meat, so we were super keen to check out the newly launched chicken burger range “Southern Chicken Burger” & “Grilled Chicken B.L.A.T”.

The Southern Chicken Burger has a juicy fried chicken breast, and the sauce is approachable and not too spicy. Topped with some cheese and fresh salad on a sesame seed bun and you’ve got yourself a great burger for lunch or dinner.

The Chicken BLAT is a burger constructed with a sesame seed bun stacked with succulent grilled chicken breast, with bacon, lettuce and tomato. A classic burger with plenty of flavor.

We accompanied this with some crispy and flavoursome fries and sweet potato fries served with aioli. They also have a range of sauce on the table to choose from which is great for these loving variety and their sauce.

We also sampled a chicken wrap with salad and mayo, which we found super fresh and even healthy! This caught the eye of our neighbours dining, who ended up ordering the same thing!

We dined at the Ribs and burgers Eastgardens location, inside the Westfield Shopping centre. Easy to find a car park and they have plenty of seating. All of the locations have a similar and familiar fit out with a comfortable modern feel, tables and booths. Order at the counter, and they bring the food to you. Staff were absolutely lovely. There is a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy your feed. The meals are all made to order making for a consistent and quality meal.

see the website for more information at Ribs and Burgers

Burger Patch is new to the Burger scene!

March 18, 2018Leave a comment

We were genuinely so impressed by this tucked away burger joint in Chatswood. A top range of delicious burgers that I’m keen to go back and devour all over again. I’d love to be here during a lunchtime to see the rush as I’m sure it would be packed with customers!

The Korean psy’d chicken burger was incredible, the coating was packed with a crispy flavoursome coating. and the chicken was soft and tender inside. Although it was a special, we thoroughly suggest this if it’s on the menu when you visit. It was delicious.

We also had the wagyu, bacon and cheese which was cooked medium. Just as we like it. Soft and tender, with a patty full of flavor – the bacon was crispy and the burger wasn’t too excessive. We both grabbed singles and was enough to fill us, especially with sides (shake and fries).

We grabbed the chips with Burger Patch sauce (which tasted like Big Mac sauce!) and also a maple aioli. We also shared a strawberry cheesecake milkshake to top the meal off; and we are glad we did! Topped with whipped cream and a cookie, this is the perfect sweetness for your Meal.

The staff were all so helpful, and knew the menu well. Even had a chance to chat to the owners of the cafe and they were so friendly. They loved their burgers, and were happy to offer their suggestions.

And to top it off, the food was all at a reasonable cost! Would strongly recommend giving here a go!

Burger Patch

234/1 Katherine St, Chatswood NSW 2067

It’s an experience @ZePickle

December 19, 2017December 22, 20172 Comments

Ze Pickle has been around for approximately 2 Years. Close to central station, it is perfect to pop in after work or make it your weekend socialising venue. Not just a burger place, rather a restaurant that is all about the experience. Pop into the bar for a drink and enjoy a cocktail or two with loaded fries, hot wings, unique burgers and out of this world crazy desserts.

We revisited for the Uber Eats Insiders catch up and were greeted with some salted caramel espresso Martinis. This place had me at hello. A delicious drink in a coffee style cup, it is a must order.

We also tried the ‘SCHMOKED BACON OL FASHIONED’

made with plantation dark rum, chocolate bitters, gomme w/ flamed orange & stout smoked bacon whisky. This was outstanding!

The cocktail list has unique concoctions that fit well with this cool place.

Starting off to be shared were the nicely seasoned sweet potato fries and also the loaded potato fries topped with crumbs of bacon, cheese and chives and we polished these off pretty quickly.

Before the burgers came out, there was a hot wing challenge for the chance to get a famed padlock on the walls. Kurt and Warren from the Fat Couple gave this a whirl. Delicious sticky chicken wings were devoured and Warren smashed this challenge in a short time.

Then we got to sample a range of burgers, fried chicken, cheeseburger (with onions) as well as the Mac N Cheese. The patties sit inside Brioche style buns, salad and cheese and we’d recommend getting a few and trying them all amongst friends.

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Don’t fret, vegetarians, there’s plenty for you too. Mushroom burgers were on the cards tonight and they also had food for the vegan guests too.

By matter of default (or their keenness), the two stocky guys were “encouraged” into a burger eating contest of their behemoth burger. I couldn’t even hardly look at it, let alone it eat it, but Kurt and Dean Vee polished this off.

This was the ‘TRIPLE LOCO’ consisting of 3 pressed wagyu beef patties, triple jack cheese, triple maple bacon, pecan wood smoked brisket, health, zp sauce, smoked jalapeños, fried onion straws & mum’s slaw served between 2 grilled cheeze sandwiches! What a challenge! I’m sure they won’t need to eat for days.

When you think that’s the end of the night, their desserts come out. Food P*#N right there.

Thanks to Suzanna from Tailor Group and to Uber Eats and Ze Pickle for the invitation to dine.

Ze Pickle

@Burgers Anonymous, I have a problem!

August 26, 2017August 27, 20173 Comments

I have to confess, I have a problem…. I have a weakness, I love a good burger, it is insatiable, I cannot resist. To get my fix, I visited Burgers Anonymous who have just opened their second establishment, which is located in Balmain. They do make a great burger and it is worth hunting one down. Like its name sake, the location could be proclaimed a little anonymous. It can be found inside the William Wallace Hotel in the back streets of Balmain.

The pub where Burgers Anonymous is set up is an old school pub with the bar at the centre and a couple of pokies. It entertains the regulars with a few bar flies. The staff are friendly, pointing us in the right direction to the food counter situated in the back part of the pub. In contrast to the pub, Burgers Anonymous is newly set up with plenty of seating, with some neon lights and some electronic dart boards thrown in to light up the atmosphere.

Pull up a stump, grab a beer and get ready to chow down. It’s recommended to grab some starters. The loaded fries are insane and the onion rings and wings cannot be missed. We loved the maple glazed hot wings, the glaze on top of a crisp batter which gave a loud crunch as you bit in. We could have dined all night on these bad boys.

We were visiting a burger joint, so could not pass on a couple of burgers. With use of quality ground sirloin beef, making these burgers extra special. I was dining with one of our instafoodie mates Where_do_I_eat_pete, who ordered the Heisenburger. This burger double beef and cheese with lettuce, tomato, onion, crack bacon and B.A sauce, has now put Burgers Anonymous on Pete’s return list.

I was eyeing off the Chuck Norris XXL, being in the William Wallace Hotel, I summoned some Braveheart courage to conquer this beast of a burger. A delicious tower including double beef, double cheese, crack bacon, the crispy onion rings, lettuce and a delicious sticky hickory BBQ sauce, not done yet! This burger was topped with a ranch BBQ wing. I needed a plan of attack, nah not really. I just ripped in and damn this burger was tasty. During this battle, things got a little messy, half a box of napkins messy. A great burger, but bring your appetite and your A game.

A little out of the way, but worth the effort. Great burgers, wings and beer on tap. What more does one want?

Thanks to Burgers Anonymous for the invite.

thewhereto

food | travel | lifestyle

Tag: burgers

XS Espresso @ Prestons

Radley’s in the Met Centre

Where to enjoy Good Food Month out west? Parramatta Lanes

Burgers, fries and shakes @ Cheezy Burger

Churrasco is perfect for meat lovers

Super tasty chicken, burgers and more @ Il Pollo

New chicken burgers on the menu @ Ribs and Burgers

Burger Patch is new to the Burger scene!

It’s an experience @ZePickle

@Burgers Anonymous, I have a problem!