Brunching Joyously (Haven Cafe review)

I've never been to a cafe more than once than at Haven Joyously Tailoring Coffee in Surry Hills. Not only do I love spending a bright, sunny morning in Surry Hills with great company - the food is amazing and the staff are such sweethearts (I sound like someone's middle aged aunt right now). 

Black Sesame Egg Waffles
Source: http://havenspecialtycoffee.com.au/

I keep coming back for their fresh menu and this time we ordered the Matcha egg waffles, Morrocan Salmon with cous cous and Felafel Potato. I have absolutely zero guilt if it's MATCHA ice cream for breakfast! It's not common in Sydney to get egg waffles like these, especially when they feature in Taiwan and HK where my go to instafoodies travel! Ultimate disappointment at the overseas geotag until Haven saves the day!! Also shoutout to the salmon dish which was bursting with flavour and perfectly cooked (soft pink on the inside). Food never disappoints in flavour, innovation and aesthetics.

Source: Broadsheet

Source: Weekend Notes

What's a brunch at Haven without its unique brews! Would totally recommend the Dragon Oolong ice tea (great for the summer) or the nutty coffee brew. It features nutty and wine notes, minus the heavy alcoholic tang! 

Let's not forget the staff who know the coffee blends back to front and are always asking how your meal is going! They really go the extra mile and it's partly why I recommend this place all the time with friends! 

If you're planning the next catch up, give Haven a go! 

$$
Ambience 5/5
Fare $$
Service 5/5
Foodwise 5/5
Now back to the rinse repeat cycle of uni!
Don't forget to treat yourself..
MVPD

5 dessert spots for a late night (spontaneous?) cruise in Sydney

The mates you really need are the ones that will message you after 8 pm to pick you up for a cruise, dessert and chills. I mean, how else will you fuel your deep conversations till the early am? Real talk: they’ll also let you man the AUX cable!!

Source: Justdessertsau

Desserts are meant to be enjoyed in the ungodly hours encroaching midnight in my opinion. When having “sweet things at night [are supposed to] give you nightmares” said mum and dad in the youngin’ days when you totally allowed them to dress you in white Velcro runners.

Source: DreamsandSparkles

These places will not (I hope) let you down and if you’re anything like me I don’t usually settle for the ordinary. They’re also totally ‘parkable’ places so you don’t need to be a stunt driver squeezing into nooks and crannies.
 If you’re only here to get chocolate ice cream, by all means do but you’ll be dead to me (well that escalated fast).

Enjoy!1. Pagoto Gelato & Waffle House.
Note to self: always trust a place that actually calls itself a Waffle House. Pagoto has endless Greek inspired flavours complete with weird and wonderful names. You have your pastry and sweets infused in the ice cream and it’s amazing! Cue in friend so you can share flavours and get a wider taste! Don’t ask me what’s in it but I totally recommend: Mastiha and Cinnamon, Visino and Karidopita.

301 Victoria Rd, Marrickville

Source: Kindlyyours

Source: Local News P

2. Pie Tin (Thurs, Fri, Sat – close 10pm)
If you’re feeling really adventurous(and haven’t had dinner) have savoury pie  and a dessert pie to finish. Not many places can satisfy the “sweet pie craving” which is a nice change from the usual ice cream.  There are pies to satisfy you caramel, chocolate, nutty, lemony cravings (not necessarily all in the one pie of course!). Recommendation:  “Noelines” Triple Choc

1a Brown St, Newtown

Source: Goodfood

Source:Broadsheet

3. Cheeky Chocolate.
This definitely won’t let you down in the decadent dessert cakes department! You can totally order from the menu or come and pick your poison at the cakes counter! They also have this dimly lit, older century, clandestine interior going on so you can sit on velvet chairs! Recommendation: Newbie (you get the best of three worlds – salted caramel, dark & white choc mousse) and The Raspberry Choc Meringue Tart!

11 George Street, North Strathfield

Source: the girls who ate the world

Source: Not quite Nigella

4. Oliver Brown Belgian Chocolate Cafe.
Just get any menu item with their “crunchy balls”- I assure you that’s all you need!! Their waffles are also the bomb digitty. Crispy on the outside as it should be!
Recommendation: Crunchy Balls Hot Choc, Banana Split with crunchy balls (see a trend here :P)

Source: The Food Diary Syd

Source: Foodporn

5. Bay Vista Desserts
This one you definitely need a mate to help out because portions are very filling! You don’t want to cripple yourself with a dessert coma! Pop this one on the list if you’re down for an ocean drive and/or can’t decide what kind of dessert. Cakes, pancakes/waffles, scrolls, ice cream bowls and drinks dilemma sorted! Recommendation: “The Original” Mortal Sin (this title has never felt so real!)

183 The Grand Parade, Brighton-Le-Sands

Source: Bay Vista

Source: Bay Vista

Go for your life
MVPD xox

Le Monde Cafe @ Surry Hills // Review

It's been a while since the last brunch but with the excuse to also see friends again - not sure if more excited for food or friends?! :P

Le Monde is a small cafe space where you and your friends can inhabit a corner by the cushions and talk for ages while the counter bustles with takeaway coffee and croissant orders. It's a nice mix!

It's nice and quiet during a weekday with the only sounds being nearby chatter and the grinding of the coffee. Natural light floods through the windows and along with some indoor lights, create a dim but well lit space for a sunny brunch! 

 

We ordered the Matcha pancakes ($16), Pulled pork ($18) and the Bacon Egg Roll Special ($10).

I'm a sucker for all things matcha so I loved the fluffiness of the pancakes with that slight bitterness of green tea! What totally completed the dish was that coffee expresso syrup. It was definitely one of the most delicious and different pancake flavour combinations I've had! Total winner! I now need this coffee syrup in my life!

 

And for the other dishes (on the Specials chalkboard), the pulled pork was just the right texture and softness but the bread was a little hard and a mission with the cutlery! Surprisingly the bacon and egg roll was pretty good for its price. The waiter took it out and it was so loaded!

Not sure if anything else on the menu will bring me back anytime soon since it doesn't have as many daring fusion choices as most modern cafes. But I still loved the oxymoronic quiet/bustling atmosphere on the two opposite sides of the cafe! They do a pretty good capucinno too!

Three word summary: Cosy, modern, detached
Ambience 4/5
Fare $-$$
Service 4/5
Foodwise 4/5

Have a fab summer
MVPD xx

The Eatery Review + Roaming Byron Bay // Review ~ Adventures

Splendour festival is hard work, especially when you give yourself 3 hours to wake, freshen up (so you don’t look like the zombie you woke up as) and roll up those pesky sleeping bags before getting stuck in traffic back to Byron!

 

A little birdie (a.k.a. local Byron gal) told us to hit up ‘The Eatery’ in our cafe search because apparently ‘Cafe Byron’s’ coffees weren’t on point.

So what a better way to refuel – the place was a cafe + bar + bistro (wow slaying) but we were here for the lunch. Afterwards was the time to explore all the surfy stores, boutiques and arcades peppering Jonson St (and the surrounding streets).

 

The order was a slider plate of smoked salmon, bacon and chorizo ($15) and two Coconut Chia Bowls ($11). I’m not one for sliders but the chorizo one was rather good. I thought it would be punch-to-your-throat spicy but no! The sausage was cut not too thick, the mayo was light and the thick grated carrot was a nice change of texture (a little fresh crunch).

 

For me, chia seeds need something special as they taste quite plane on their own. Sweetened with maple syrup was a bit basic I thought and would have much rather more stewed fruit and the sweet vanilla labneh to do that job. It was also topped with this “Magic dust” as they called it which was a sweet version of dukkah with goji berries. It wasn’t a stand out dish, even the dukkah was kind of lost in the stewed fruit and quickly lost its crunch. I feel that Aboutlife do better chia pudding (I’m sorry).

 

The magic dust also graced the banana smoothie which I think properly tasted like banana unlike other I’ve tried! No sneaky caramel flavour here!

 

 

So this was where we chilled (with our luggage too) to watch Byron locals do their thang listening to a really good singing busker across the road.

 

Sadly one major flaw was the service time (like how fresh can you get with all the elements of our dishes already premade). Even though we got seated and ordered immediately, ours and another fellow splendour table took ages to come out like the cookie monster ate our orders or something! L The staff were really lovely though but we were so hungry we had to inquire after our order. How they didn’t manage to notice two tables sitting around for ages - I don’t know.

 

Let’s not end on this bad note, the place had the atmosphere that I was needing at the time – lazy and quiet with bar tenders working softly away.

Three Word Summary: Relaxing, Lively, Local
Ambience 4/5
Fare $$
Service 2/5
Foodwise 3/5

MVPD

Xoxo

Devon Cafe Review

I don't know about you but when fellow brunchers post and snap about this mysterious 'Aphrodite's Bowl' from Devon Cafe in Surry Hills, something ignites in me - a curiosity (duh) and part that likes 'pretty things'.

100% sure I was eating Happiness in a bowl....

With the havoc of uni exams and assignments forcing you to compromise with quick dodgy mascara, el-DAG attires and cycling between the same three shoes.... the time had come to finally 'feel pretty' hehe. (Not endorsing that this bowl has supernatural powers capable of solving all our issues - I wish)

Disclaimer: The sis had not finished exams yet so was not allowed to celebrate despite it being a 'Government Politics' unit.

So us superior second years went and brunched in style. Devon is one of those cafes that kinda surprise you the way it looks cause all you see from other bloggers and Instagram is table + food + beverages. But we loved the seating at the back - very courtyard garden-y minus actual foliage.

The only non-food picture evidence of actual Devon interior
since we were waay too engrossed with snapshoting our food
(I mean hello, Aphrodite's own bowl was in front of me)!

We ordered two 'Naked Bruschetta' (didn't come with diced tomatoes for all you tomato lovers out there!). But the goats cheese was juuuuust right (I swear cafes always get it right here - never too salty!) and don't we all love roasted beetroots with avo? Also- shout out to the egg (always the egg) and thinly roasted slices of beetroot and radish (yum yum in my tum tum).

While there were other items on the menu - in this episode I was again  'girl on a mission'. In a nutshell (description totally not doing it justice here) it's a rice pudding garnished with rose petals, pistachio and crunchy honeycomb with a dollop of chia jam. I think rose water may come into the equation somewhere but my senses don't tingle as well as Spidey's.

Please excuse the bruschetta at the back looking
like a dark star :P

 The ratio of rice to actually pudding-ness (I'm sorry if I'm politically incorrect) was a little low for my liking if I think of rice pudding past times. But with this said, garnishes on point! They add the right chew and crunch (and at the right time too- magical?) so you can be assured you're not just having bby food. Tops to Devon on their chia jam too, went great with each pudding spoonful! So Aphrodite's Bowl did deliver and now I literally want a little elf or something preparing me this every morning for breakfast in bed as I catch up on the newest GoT.

"Naked Bruschetta" with hiding walnut bread
- Sorry for the dark photo :( 

I don't go to Surry Hills enough but it's always been the best!
We learned the hard way that Devon doesn't get cronuts delivered from its other store during weekdays. So we jumped on the first train to Brewtown and also learnt the hard way (again) that brewnuts go like (literally) 'hot cakes' with this chick before us ordering 'one of each' - what a cruel, cruel world!

Somehow we always end up in Newtown?! Coincidence? I think not! :)

Three Word Summary: Bright, Modern, Cronuts
Ambience 4/5
Fare $$
Service 5/5
Foodwise 4/5


Ciao for now!
MVPD xo

Suzy Spoon's Vego-fy Revolution

It may be hard to guess from my brunch choices but "I ain't no vego"! But in fact vegetarian choices at cafes and restaurants intrigue me to the point that I would choose it over the meaty menu counterparts (what can I say I'm pretty risk-ay and up for anything).

Hence like a loyal friend of a vego, I was happy to pay a visit to Suzy Spoon's Vegetarian Butcher because:

1. Looking at the menu brochure and seeing tempeh, seitan and "facon" made me very curious.
2. I would not hear the end of it from my friend about any other cafe.
3. It's another excuse to come to eat at Newtown.
4. I kinda wanted to meet Suzy and have a nice vego to vego-appreciator chat

Suzy's is on King Street (number 22-24 to be exact) but the countless time I've caught a bus down King I swear I have never EVER seen it! Turns out its a little farther from the restaurant hub of Thai Pothong I'm used to.

We came in on a weekday at 11 for brunch and we were the only customers for a little which kinda surprised me. At Suzy's you order at the counter and while we waited  we had a look at their extensive range of take home vego goodies including homemade tomato sauce ($10.50), sausage varieties ($12) and Vienna Style Schnitzels ($14). We also strolled over for a look at Suzy's own cookbook nearby the counter and it sure made going part vegetarian tempting! The interior is very clean and kinda minimalistic-semi-rustic, not adhering to a certain theme like other cafes but there was this cool antique scale on a wall window looking into the kitchen. I think we just missed out on the true atmosphere of Suzy's coming at a quiet time :( The way seating went, we felt you couldn't really hang for long, chatting during and a little after the meal as you could other cafes (food totally makes up for this). But we did also get served directly by the chef with a helping hand from the waiter!!

 

Suzy comes into her store everyday but wasn't there at the time which was kinda sad for me because she sounded like a pretty cool, worldly person! We ordered the Tempeh Burger ($12), Chilli Dog ($12) and Spoon's Big Breakfast ($18.50) and no complaints what so ever. Kudos to the menu - it was great at explaining what to expect in your order even though there were some new words to me.

The Tempeh Burger of mine really made me believe in a bright future as a vegetarian. The English muffin style bun was toasted just right on the inside, the tempeh itself had a likeable nutty flavour and the homemade mayo, caramelised onions and peanut sauce was just the creme dela creme finish to a great burger! The burger came with a skewer and it was still on the brink of toppling over but I had a ball taking it down and demolishing it with the cutlery! It was AMAZING, who needs a side of chips anyways! I managed a swipe at some of the Sunday Sausage from the Big Breakfast which so fragrant and tasty with the herbs infusion and the Smoked Chilli Sausage in the Dog still messed with my brain because it looked like the biggest, meatiest American hot dog ever (such an illusion)!

 

I was so full and satisfied after! The portion was big but you kinda powered through because of the mystical allure of the peanut satay sauce! I couldn't manage finishing the top bun though after removing the skewer and letting all hell loose. You also felt pretty good having eaten a product that supports Suzy's vision of cruelty free and meat free food. Bonus: tasty and not over processed!

Wow I'm still feeling good inside (plus no regrets having ordered a burger for brunch)! I'd go back for that burger anytime or maybe to try the Spoon Burger with its vegan homemade rosemary and garlic pattie!

Three Word Summary: Feel-good, innovative, original
Ambience 3.5/5
Fare $ !!
Foodwise 5/5

Blacksmith Catch Ups

I can finally say I've visited the Surry Hills cafe scene after weeks of seeing blog reviews, the top Sydney cafe lists and of course every second foodgram from fellow brunch bloggers!

We hit Blacksmiths cafe on Chalmers Street and got hooked up with a small window table, ordered then were left in peace to admire the industrial decor. The creative menu is defs worth a mention too! Nowadays who wants to order from a simple, ordinary piece of paper! One look to our right (we didn’t ‘See a Hollywood sign’ like Miley Cyrus) was a green view of Prince Alfred Park to watch the day go by!

There's just something about Surry Hills that's so close to the bustling city but at the same time so slow moving and relaxing!

 

We came during the late lunchtime when it was winding down and ordered the chicken baguette ($13.50) and tricolor quinoa ($16 - because who doesn't love quinoa)! The lunch menu touches all tastes but doesn't dally on one sort of dish which makes for great choice of dishes that are uniquely different. The most choice you have is your baguette!

 

The quinoa - no offense baguette-  looked PERFF in all its tricolour glory!! It did come out looking slightly less in the terms of the actual quinoa versus other ingredients than I expected as I've had the pleasure to acquaint myself with quinoa dishes of other eateries at slightly lower rates - a bit of a player I know :P . But it was fresh and still the perfect serving size leaving me full but not heavy with the sweet pomegranate, non OTT salty goats cheese and amazing date vinaigrette. This was one of the best quinoa combination of ingredients that I have tried so I was happy inside and out by the end of it! 

 

The baguette was glitzed up with fresh salad and homemade sauce so you weren't just having chicken in a bread roll. The chicken was succulent and easy to eat with cutlery without making a large scene (always a plus!)

Fresh, healthy and fulfilled was how we left! We will definitely come again, this time for the cakes which looked so good as we were checking out (not sure if we'll be leaving with that same healthy feeling the next time)! It makes for such a good catch up place for friends towards the late lunchtime so you can update on all the gossip and what not, talk animatedly for ages (the food won't go cold and hard on you) and also good exercise for the neck as you look around at the decor! (The toilets were pretty cool too :D )

Walking past the counter towards the back are some pretty authentic and practical touches to the industrial theme with the sacks of baker's flour and strange machines and contraptions (my guess is something Blacksmith related?). If we weren't talking we spent most of the time checking out the cool ceiling in a non-awkward way - there's such a nice contrast with the greenery, hanging pot plants and the tin lights. 

 

To Surry Hills..... doing it right since the 1790’s

Three Word Summary: Rustic, Authentic, Contemplative
Ambience 5/5
Fare $$
Service 5/5
Foodwise 4/5


MVPD