Super Sunny Sydney

The novelty of being able to hop over to Sydney for just a weekend still tickles me. I spent my weekend with my old law school buddy U and her bf F, soaking up the Sydney Sun and indulging in my every gastronomic whim. As we all know, the calories don't count when on holiday.

Literally, the best soy chai latte I've ever had in my life at Jones the Grocer. It tasted like gingerbread warmed up and whizzed up with frothy milk. Chai-gasm.

 

A traditional big breakfast made with deliciously fresh and organic ingredients!

I had a massive craving for bulgogi hotpot for dinner that night. 

Behold! And yes, I finished the whole goddamn thing.

And a strawberry tart. Because I'm a strawberry tart. With Jackson Pollock chocolate splatters.

 

I made an attempt to shop. I failed miserably, only picking a few unexciting items - but I did find this wrap around bracelet. Hardware-tastic?

Afternoon Tea at The Waiting Room

I had a visit from Miss Z over the weekend and we decided to treat ourselves to a decadent high tea at The Waiting Room located in the lobby of the Crown Melbourne.

The spread was delicious and extremely rich. The service was not impeccable, but warm and friendly. We were placed in the front of the bar, which was exposed to the prying eyes of anyone passing through the lobby, but I can only put this down to our being so attractive as to act as some sort of free advertising.

A picture of me....waiting.

 

 

Twenty & Six in North Melbourne

Good food, and Gorgeous company really need no explanation. 

Plus I'm lazy, and have a blogging backlog. 

This is my lovely lovely lovely gal pal R who is the only girl with an apetite for life to match mine.

This dish is called the HUNTER. Chorizo, two fat pieces of sour dough, a poached egg, field mushrooms, rosemary, parmesan, and punchy balsamic vinegar. R and I ordered the same and were practically licking the plate clean.

A breakfast that will set you up for a day of huntin', shootin' and fishin'!

Rating: 10/10

Madam SouSou

A decadent dinner at French Bistro Madam Sou Sou on Brunswick Street. K and I have been avid Offspring/Asher Keddie fans from the start so we were eager to dine at Madam Sou Sou which was featured in the show!

If you squint, you might believe yourself to be in a Paris themed cafe. Oh wait....







In all seriousness, Madam Sou Sou is a gorgeous dinner spot on bustling Brunswick Street.

Moodlighting, dark wood and walls of artistic nude paintings accompany rich, beautifully presented French cuisine.









The price is somewhat staggering, but worth it! Book early!

231 Brunswick Street
http://www.madamesousou.com.au/

Gingerboy

K and E have come over for the tennis. I am inundated with Besties from the Westie. We met up at Gingerboy on Crossley Place for dinner and drinks.














The verdict: overpriced, and uncomfortable. The staff were lovely, but the food did not come up to scratch considering the hefty $30 per head for a light snack. The food was mediocre. I've had far better, at far grungier restaurants. All smoke and mirrors and no grizzly murder at the end of it....yes, I realise that is a horrible analogy. I apologise profusely. Uncomfortable plastic stools made for an unsteady hour and a half!

But good company will never disappoint!

Dumplings and Such....

Friday night was a reunion of (some) besties from the westie. Made even better by mass amounts of dumplings from Shanghai St Dumplings (Cnr Little Bourke and Swanston). There is always a line, but it's worth the wait!








Full up with Asian-y goodness, we proceeded to the 'Asian Beer Cafe' in Melbourne Central where talk inevitably turned to boys, my lack of game, and vajazzling......

You know you are in good company when you can talk about Vaginas without blushing....

Eggs Benedict Challenge! Part 1

I fancy myself a connoisseur of Breakfast. To me, there is no better meal.  The bitter irony is that I often don't eat it because I'm don't get hungry until about 10am regardless of how early I wake up and by that time I'm well into my working day. It gives me great pleasure therefore, to linger over a delicious breakfast on a Saturday or Sunday morning when I don't have to worry about making it to work on time!

My breakfast of choice is Eggs Benedict. Perfectly poached eggs with gooey runny yolks, savoury ham and a toasty English muffin, with lashing of buttery golden hollandaise. I base my opinion of Brunch spots based on the standard of their Eggs Benedict. It's such a simple dish, but it can go so wrong. So far I have tried out 3 places, with varying success.

1. The Green Refectory, Brunswick 6/10

I found the cafe a little too hipster for my taste. There is a difference between rustic and just plain dirty. Our table number was....a computer. I fucking hate hipsters.

 It was crowded and the staff were indifferent. The food quality in general is decent, the serving portion generous and the price unbeatable ($10 from memory?). The muffin, ham and hollandaise were excellent, but the yolks were rock hard. DISAPPOINTING.

 

 

2. Cafe Republic, South Yarra 1/10

 

This was an impulse breakfast on the way to an appointment. I had some time to spare and I liked the look of the barista (ahem). The set out of the restaurant is definitely my style. Lots of dark wood, white walls and huge open windows. The Eggs Benedict however, a DISASTER. Firstly, it was served on brioche, not an English muffin. I don't understand the hype about Brioche. It's sweet, but the texture is kind of spongy without being soft. The eggs and ham were supermarket quality, and the hollandaise actually left me feeling nauseous. NEVER AGAIN.

 

3. Signature, North Melbourne 7/10

 

Best Eggs Benedict so far, but not quite there yet. The English muffin was toasted just right, the ham fresh and the eggs were free range/organic and perfectly poached! It was delicious...but not amazing.

 

 



Alas....the hunt continues.

Wish me Luck

Izakaya Den

Friends from Perth L and A came for the weekend.

We were originally going to have dinner at Chin Chin (Flinders Lane) but having been told there was an hour and a half wait (on a Monday night no less!), we decided to hop over to Izakaya Den.

It's impossible to find, which is half the fun and makes you feel inordinately cool - like you have the key to a special secret! It's a quiet, romantic, unique atmosphere with low lighting and a warm intimate feel despite the industrial chic decor. Definitely a perfect date spot or a place to bring people you want to impress!

It's Izakaya style, which means you can choose from a wide selection of sake and beers and enjoy freshly made before your eyes fusion Japanese tapas style food to go with your beverage of choice.

The speciality of the house is the Sweet Corn Kaki Age. I won't say too much, only that you MUST try it!

The other win for us was the mysterious Japanese Den Trifle. It is made of burnt sugar ice cream, green tea mouse, warm mochi (rice balls) and what we think was roasted rice. It was definitely delicious, but I think a Western palate or at least one that is no accustomed to Japanese flavours might find it a bit strange to taste.


Izakaya is a very special way of dining, and those looking for a cheap meal with large portions should not come here!

Between the three of us we had 7 dishes and 2 drinks, and it came out to just under $40 each. You go away with all of your taste buds utterly satisfied, but not stuffed beyond hope. Which is the way it should be!

Good Luck finding it! www.izakayaden.com.au

Cucina by Candlelight

Firstly apologies for crappy photos. There's only so much a camera phone can do.

Another pleasant dinner with M tonight, this time at Caffe e Cucina on Chapel St. It's an long running establishment that has seen the likes of David Beckham, and serves up Italian fare (obviously) in an intimate setting. Think candlelight, white tablecloths, and 'authentic' Italian waiters.

The first entree was a cheese stuffed zucchini flower battered and deepfried. Moreish and tender - I confess I had no idea that zucchinis had flowers but I'm sure glad they do!

 

Second entree was calamari and rocket salad with creamy house dressing. Drizzled liberally with lemon, it was in a word: amazeballs.

For mains, M went with the Tortiglioni al ragu siciliano which is cherry tomatoes, eggplant ragu and ricotta. I had the lamb loin and potato gratin. The lamb was nicely cooked and the sauce full of herbs but the potato gratin failed to inspire.

Dessert alas was also a slightly unfortunate affair. I all fairness we probably should've stuck to Italian classics like Tiramisu and Pannacotta but I was looking for something a bit different! M and I shared a chocolate mousse with spiced pears, and lemon scented cream filled profiterole drenched in cream.

 

Both were oddly spiced. The mousse was as good as anything one might whip up at home, and the aniseed taste of the pears wasn't for me. The lemon scented cream in the profiterole reminded me of lemon scented household cleaner. Not. Very. Good.

 

The service was polite, but not particularly snappy. There were three staff manning a small upstairs dining room so I would've expected them to be more attentive. They were however, very friendly and I could almost forgive them because of their rather charming accents. Almost.

 

As for prices, well you don't come here unless you're willing to spend about three times as much as a normal nice dinner but it's not exhorbitant. The music doesn't suit the mood of the restaurant (Stevie Wonder anyone?) and it's intimate (read: close proximity to your neighbours) but lacking privacy.

 

I'd rate it a cool 6/10.

 

It was good, but I've certainly enjoyed better for less but I think I would still return, stick to a main serving of the calamari and go around the corner to Ganache Chocolate for dessert.

 

PS. I have to make a shout out to my dining companion M's necklace. Bought in Soho, New York - it's totally badass as far as jewellery is concerned:

 

 

Find them at: 581 Chapel St, South Yarra

http://www.caffeecucina.com.au/menu