Roastville, Marrickville

An unplanned visit to Roastville. I was in the area with the Hubby and decided to give it a go since a friend recommended this place to me :) He said their coffee and benedict was good.

So went on a Saturday, the place was pretty hidden behind a high wall and the sign wasn't really clear ;P The interior was really exciting with all wooden chair and tables and they got a back area full of coffee sack, more like a warehouse kinda feel.

First, I ordered the Apple and mint smoothie which is really refreshing :)

Then we tried the mighty Fried Chicken and Kimchi Waffle with kewpie mayho, Sriracha sauce and Parmesan. The portion was huge and I think some people that loves kimchi will like it but some people like my Hubby wasn't a fan. I find it okay, the sriracha and the mayo somehow turn out to be a bit sweet to my palate. The waffle was good though!

$18

The second dish that we got is the Dirty Bird Benedict with Harissa Hollandaise and Sage biscuit. A unique combo I should say and again the dish was generously portioned :) I guess, I prefer the benedict more than the waffle :)

$17.90

Overall, it was a good cafe. I might come back to try their other menu cause both dishes that I ordered were pretty much similar - fried chicken ;P

Barista & Cook, Waterloo

Three weeks in a row I've visited this place to try out most of their menu! They have a different variety for breakfast and lunch. Went here the first time with the Hubby and we tried the Breakfast menu which blown the hubby away. He wasn't the type to do brunch or any breakfast but he specially told me that he would go to Barista for breakfast any day of the week!

The cafe is located in Waterloo where Hurricane Express used to be. The place has a very good lighting and very spacious. There could be wait during peak hours but the wait won't be too long considering the space :)

The first dish that we tried is the Charred Grilled Pork belly with Chilli egg, Crushed Edamame and Puffed Black Rice. I must tell ya, this dish right here is a no jokingly delicioussssss thing to eat to start your day! The pork was tremendously flavoursome and tender! The egg got a chilli kick to it and the edamame + the puffed rice add a nice texture to the overall dish! I highly recommend this oneeee :)

Char grilled Pork belly $19

The only dish that is available both in the breakfast and lunch menu is the Mac n Cheese Toastie served with house made Relish. Who would've thought to put mac n cheese in the middle of a crunchy thick toastie! It's damn delish ~~ I recommend sharing though cause eating the whole lot can be too much :)

Grilled Mac n Cheese Toastie $12.50

Lastly, got the Buckwheat Waffle with butterscotch pears, toasted poppy seeds, raspberries and creme fraiche ice cream. The waffles were crisp and it tasted pretty good for buckwheat waffle. Does not blow me away but worth a try :)

Buckwheat waffle $16

On the second visit, we tried the Corn Fritter with Avocado, Black bean salsa, Poached egg and a side of soft tortilla. We thought that the fritters were pretty good with the avocado and the salsa. We did leave the tortilla in the end cause the whole thing was just too heavy for breakkie....

$19.50

Now this one right here is another must get dish! no wonder it made the top on the menu. Smoked Trout Kedgeree - Spiced rice, Boiled egg, Citrus Yoghurt, Coriander.  Yum! That's all I can say!! The yummy food without any guilt! hihii ^^

$19.50

My other fave dish here is their Coconut Chia Pudding with Tapioca Pearl, Vanilla Peaches and Passionfruit. What a great COMBO! The flavours works perfectly well and that small jar is too precious to be shared! Legit.

Now aside from the breakkie menu, we did tried the Lunch menu once.
Their lunch menu is pretty simple, apart from the burgers and rolls, they offer a DIY plate. So basically you choose the protein and also the side of salads.

This one right here is their Southern Fried Chicken with Grilled Zucchini Salad

$19.50

And the other one that we ordered is the Crispy Pork belly Szechuan pepper with sweet potato salad.

$20.50

The verdict... My foodie troops and I preferred the Breakfast menu than the lunch. But we probably need to try the burgers/roll. We thought that the portion is pretty small considering the lunch menu and the price offered. The salad needs more dressing, the pork belly was great but the chicken tasted a bit bland ;P

Don't get me wrong, I still love Barista & Cook, I think they are a really great subs for Hurricane occupying the space and their Breakkie menu's a Champ ^^

Calabur Cafe & Diner, Bondi Junction

A recently opened cafe in Bondi Junction.. Asian inspired cuisine are served here in Calabur cafe and Diner. They are cafe by the day and serves alcohol by night :) The service here are superb. Everyone are very friendly.

The place may be a bit hard to notice at first glance since it is located somewhat like in a "basement" and who would've thought once u go down the stairs, this pretty little cafe serve yummy foods!

I went here with Ms.N and Mr.P. We tried 3 dishes here. 

First is the Mama's Egg Pudding. Calabur's signature ASian steamed egg pudding sprinkled with crispy bacon bits and served with a side of Uncle Ray's salad. IMO, the pudding is a bit bland and the texture is not as soft as I thought it would be. Maybe because I am benchmarking that with Japanese Chawanmushi. However, that Salad, it may look ordinary but the dressing are just amazing! Ms.N and I literally can't stop diggin to that small bowl of salad!!

$16

Next, we had the Granola Fruit Market. Fresh Berries and kiwis on a bed of Greek Yoghurt and a side of Honey. Well, there is nothing extraordinary in the dish, as healthy as it is, I always loved a good yoghurt with a crunch of those granola and freshness of the berries. On top of that, this dish looks soo pretty!

$14

The must order dish when u visited the cafe. Spaghetti Namtok Salad - Angel hair spaghetti served with fresh sous vide atlantic salmon tossed in tangy Thai dressing with a mixture of sweetness, sourness and a hint of spicy note. It's sooo scrumptious! One bite is all it takes. The only thing for me probably the angel hair pasta could be seasoned a bit as it is pretty bland. Even though we were discussing that if may be a bit bland so it won't clash much with the salmon taste. But I think some herbs or even garlic oil will even be better than plain pasta :)

Overall, we were really happy with the taste and the service here, But probably the portion need to be increased a bit more especially on the namtok salad ;p

Petal Met Sugar, Woolloomooloo

IF you love flowers and a sweet tooth, then Petal Met Sugar is the way to go.. A small dessert/florist shop in Woolloomooloo. :)

I don't usually like dessert rich in chocolate but this one is an exception! Chocolate Candy Bar is comprised of Chocolate flourless sponge, burnt butter ganache, praline feuletine crunch and sprayed milk chocolate mousse. All of the elements works perfectly together. This is probably my fave dessert there :)

Another unique flavour combination is Peach Oolong. Coconut mousse, Peach Oolong brulee, peach compote, coconut macaron and coconut glaze. I didn't fancy the flavour at the first bite, but it kinda make me wanna dig again and again ;P

Probably the prettiest white chocolate ball ever :) The Terranium ~~ Passion fruit and lime pannacotta, cocoa soils, edible flowers, lemon balm and the white chocolate is dusted with gold. It didn't only look pretty but it tasted soo good too ! the balance of the sweetness of the white choc, the tanginess of the pannacotta and the crunch texture of the soil. Perfect!

We were given a complimentary Dark chocolate with a dust of gold too! ^^

For more Info for their dessert, check out their website. They do cater for events like wedding, birthday parties, corporate, etc :)

Additional post ... Nearby PMS, there is this small bakery called Flour and Stone. And no joke, they got the bestttttt Lamington ever! The sponge are sooooo moist and the crisp of the coconut is nothing like u ever tasted in a usual lamington.

Haven, Surry Hills

Haven located in Central Station area has become popular recently with their egg waffle menu. I went here once before with my sis as they have an offer in Groupon. The foods here are asian fusion inspired and the place itself is really spacey, laid back and suitable for meeting or just hangin out with friends. They have a piano near the entrance and before they have an offer of a free coffee if you can play a song with it :) Which we did as my sis did 1 song there.

Below are the coffee that we received for free :) The coffee here is always serve with a side of raisin. Probably to sweetened the palate of the bitterness from the coffee.

With the Groupon offer, we got to choose 2 meals from their menus and 2 drinks. For the first dish, we got the Crispy Cauliflower with Poached egg which I think is no longer in the menu.

And their signature dish until today is their Pork Belly Kimcheese Burger. Five spiced Pork belly with Bocconcini cheese, Apple, Kale, Sesame Omellete, Radish and Milk Bun. Generous portion of the pork and also the combination of everything else is just perfect! I can eat this any time of the day!!

$20

On my second visit, went here before the queue to try their on-the-hype-on-insta Egg Waffle!

The first one is the Kimcheese Egg Waffle served with Vanilla bean ice cream and Kimchee. I seriously don't get the combination of the two. I don't mind eating the vanilla ice cream along with the kimchee egg waffle, but the kimchee at the bottom of the vanilla ice cream is just weird to me.  But that again just my opinion though cause Mr.P loves it. haha

$16.50

The second egg waffle that we got is the Green Tea Egg Waffle with red Beans. Nothing pretty special with this, but I love the waffle more since it's more crisp and eggy.

They offer 3 kindsof Egg waffle. The other one is the Nutella and Banana if i'm not mistaken. Should get that one too. Definitely be back to Haven as thhey alwqays have changing menu and as always, something to look forward to!

Flowerchild, Chatswood

Not so different with The Grounds Alexandria, the queue to this cafe is a no joke! Arrived here at 11Am and we finally got seated ard 1PM! Maybe also its because there were 8 of us, and the place wasn't as big.

The cafe itself is located inside Westfield Chatswood and the design is pretty! Feels like the garden is placed inside a shopping mall. With good lighting surrounding tables and they also has a takeaway counter for quick coffee and also some pastries :)

One of the must order dish in Flower Child is the French Toast! It's not only pretty but also tasty. Its fluffy and sweet and also have some freshness of the berries and crunch from the dark chocolate crumb, not to mention the Banana Mascarpone, yum!

French Toast $16

And I highly recommend this Banana and Blueberry smoothie to accompany your meals. ^^

$7

Another pretty dish is the Acai Bowl with Strawberries, Blueberries, Banana, Chia Seed, lmonds and shredded Coconut. I mustsay that the acai bowl is not as impressive as I thought it would be. IMO, the best acai bowl is still culture bean cafe "p

Acai Bowl $12

The dish below seems simple, but this is one of another highly recommended thing to order here! Bacon and Egg Burger ~~ Soft folded egg with chives, crispy bacon, Caramelised Miso Onion, Cheddar cheese & Chipotle Mayo. I think it may be a bit pricey considering the portion, but flavour speaks for itself. Sometimes simple things done right are just the best.

Bacon and Egg Burger $18

From the brunch menu, we ordered Crispy Skin Salmon with Avocado Puree, Orange, Chickpeas, Radish, Heirloom Carrot, Burnt Orange yoghurt and Wild Viola.

$23

Last is Flower Child Tabouleh with Haloumi, Squash, Zucchini, Quinoa, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Parsley, mint & Bulgarian Feta. A perfect vegetarian dish here..

$15