Tag Archives: coffee

Tea for Tu @ Northbridge

Posted in Coffee & Desserts, Food by

A quirky little find in the heart of Northbridge but away from the hustle and bustle of William Street, Tea for Tu is a good place for relaxing and chilling out with John Mayer music in the background while you’re alone with your thoughts or taking a break from the busyness of Northbridge.

The cafe is an extension of Tu, one of the specialty stores on William Street. Don’t expect too much as the cafe is small; 5 sets of mixed match tables and chairs and a couch upstairs or a few tables on the sidewalk. Tea for Tu does not have facilities (yet) to serve hot food so one would go there for the coffee and sweets.

Tea for Tu: sweets, coffee, teaThe pastries and macarons are from Choux Cafe, which is one of my favourite pastry shops in Perth, so double plus points for that.

At Tea for Tu size does not matter…it’s all about the ambiance.

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Sayers Sister @ Northbridge

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee & Desserts, Food by

There’s a cafe my family and I have been frequenting since the start of this year for our Sunday breakfast sessions. Food we eat for breakfast can either make or break our day…in my case anyway.

This new find is none other than my other favourite breakfast spot’s (Sayers @ Leederville) sister cafe; hence the name Sayers Sister. I personally find Sayers Sister to be better in terms of space and ambiance. Both cafes have a similar trend when it comes to their food.

What I love about this cafe – it’s very open, rustic, and charming. I particularly like the communal table in the middle of the cafe with jars of lollies.

Sayers Sister: communal table

In addition to just wanting to come sit in the cafe and enjoy a cuppa my family and I most definitely come here for the food too.

Some items in the menu change from time to time but our breakfast favourites include:

Corned beef hash, fried eggs, sour tomato dressing, parsley and red onion salad. Corned beef mixed through the potatoes made even more delicious by the tomato dressing.

Sayers Sister: corned beef hash

Baked omelette with spec. Lots of eggs, lots of spec. The omelette is always light and fluffy and quite light on the seasoning, which is good because the spec adds the saltiness.

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Potato rosti, bramley apple & thyme chutney, poached eggs, bacon & rocket leaf. Another potato dish that will leave you happy and full.

Sayers Sister: potato rosti

Saffron brioche french toast with gravilax. I haven’t had a 100% savoury kind of french toast before (the most I’ve had was french toast with a side of bacon) so this is a nice surprise. Brioche was buttery and the Gravilax added a nice depth to the lightness of the french toast.

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Spinach, ricotta, and pinenut crepe, poached egg, white wine sauce. Oh this one looks almost as healthy as can be. It can be quite a heavy and filling meal though from all the ricotta. The crepe itself has got a nice “bite” to it.

Sayers Sister: spinach and ricotta crepe

And who says you can’t have cake for breakfast? You totally can specially when the cakes look this good! So one morning I treated myself to a cake for breakfast and chose the passionfruit cheesecake. A good piece of cheesecake cures everything. The cheesecake was not too heavy on the cheese so eating the whole piece did not give me that sickening feeling.

Definitely do yourself a favour and go check this place out, tucked away from the main hub in Northbridge (but stay away from their mocha).
Sayers Sister on Urbanspoon

Melbourne edition: Babka Bakery Cafe

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee & Desserts, Food by

My ex-colleague swears by Babka Bakery (again on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy) so I knew I had to get some goodies from this place whatever it takes.

Babka is a very small cafe (cosy might be a more accurate description) that serves breakfast and lunch and sweets and that also sells specialty bread loaves, pies, and pastries. Not only that, they also have chutneys for sale. Go try the beetroot one.

Babka: bread trolley

Babka interior

Line is crazy long both for those eating in and for those just buying some bread. Luckily, a table for 2 usually doesn’t need much waiting time compared to big groups. We had our brunch here before heading off to a cider festival nearby – 3 thick slices french toast with a side of bacon.

Babka: french toast

The bread was nice but the french toast was dry and could do with more sugar on top. The bacon though was perfect and delicious. I know, it’s weird. Who doesn’t like bacon? But what makes bacon even more likeable is when it just just crisp enough without being dry and burnt.

I told Lily before we left that I needed to come back here to get some pastries before we fly back to Perth. I already received orders for some croissants from Auntie C, who raved about Babka the last time she visited Melbourne.

So I made it back to the bakery before they closed for the day and got myself a box full of pastries – almond croissants, escargot, and sweet danishes. A total of 11 pieces of pastries in the box.

Babka: pastries

Top left: escargot. Flaky and full of sultanas. I know some bakeries sting on those little buggers but Babka’s escargots are loaded with them and they tasted like they’ve been rehydrated with some sort of alcohol…even better.

Top right and bottom left: rhubarb danish and apple danish. Not too sweet and out of the 3 types of pastries the danishes are the only ones I had to eat 2 of.

Bottom right: almond croissant. So good yet so sinful, like sinful enough to give you a heart attack. The whole thing is very delicious and I specially liked it because it doesn’t have the custard in the middle but rather just a concoction of almond meal.

A week of eating these pastries for breakfast made me feel like I was about to have a heart attack. As good as they were, they are in fact too greasy. Too greasy but they’ve got a hold on me; I couldn’t resist taking another bite even though I know I should stop eating butter.

Babka Bakery Café on Urbanspoon

Superstar Waffles @ Northbridge

Posted in Coffee & Desserts, Food by

After being in food heaven over in Sydney, I’m back to reality now. Back to enjoying Perth’s food scenes. So after much rescheduling for a waffle date Lily and I finally made our way to Superstar Waffles in Northbridge.

Who can resist waffles, right? The only places I have ever had waffles in Australia are at my house, Gelare, and Max Brenner, which, by the way, I had to travel all the way to Sydney or Melbourne for. But now that we’ve an awesome place for waffles, it’s probably time to sell my waffle iron. Superstar Waffles’ waffle prices ranges from $4 to $9.50. And they’ve also got a selection of hot and cold drinks to go with them.

Obviously this is now our new hang out place. We once had just the waffles for dinner but this is more a dessert kind of thing because it’s not enough to fill you up if eating it as a meal. The waffles are light and crunchy on the outside. Basically the same waffle base and they top with it a variety of “stuff”. Trust me, get a scoop of ice cream on the side…it makes the whole waffle experience so much better.

Some of the flavours we’ve had are (clockwise from top left): chocolate, banoffee, peanut butter mousse, and sweet milk.

What I really like about these waffles is that they are fresh and satisfying. The waffle shop being situated in a “little alley” doesn’t hurt either. Just about the cosiest place to chat and eat freshly made waffles.

Of course if all you want if something little they have waffle sticks too. It’s a bit messy to eat once you get to the middle part but this chocolate waffle stick is my best bet – just the right serving for me and it’s oozing with real chocolate sauce and peanuts.

My rating: 8.5/10
Superstar Waffles on Urbanspoon
www.facebook.com/superstarwaffles

Sydney Edition: Black Star Pastry

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I searched high and low for this little gem known as Black Star Pastry. Anyone who has been to Sydney knows just how confusing crossing the streets is! I am definitely spoilt by Perth’s quiet streets where crossing the street is as easy as 1-2-3. I took out my printout of the list of places to eat and confirmed that this pastry house is in the suburb of Newtown. Accessible by train! Hurrah! Train plus a little bit of crossing the street.

Go check out their website and you’ll immediately be enticed by the food/pastry photos they have on there. My original intent was really just to get some pastries to take home with me but the girl at the counter advised against it saying they would melt on the way and that she didn’t want me to come home to a deconstructed cake which I probably would not enjoy. Fair enough. That left me no choice but to eat cake for breakfast in addition to my other breakfast. Black Star Pastry sells both savoury and sweet food but of course I chose a fig and raspberry danish to go with my skinny latte.

The danish had a sweet and sour contrast from the fruits sitting atop a custard-filled  pastry. It was flaky and the custard was actually one of the few ones that I wouldn’t mind eating. Some are too eggy; some are too artificial. But Black Star’s was just right.

So after breakfast it was dessert time. I convinced mum to try their strawberry watermelon cake with rose cream (cake on the left) too. I did not want to feel guilty eating the whole thing by myself. Something unusual from my regular dessert picks but one that makes it to my favourites list.

The cake is light and the combination of strawberries, watermelon, and rose is fantastic. I usually find flower-flavoured sweets too floral and sickeningly sweet but this cake is neither. In fact, that layer of watermelon in between the cake layers makes it a refreshing kind of cake. The flavours worked really well together.

The cake on the right is an orange cake with Persian figs and quince. I was able to take this back to Perth due to the less amount of icing it had compared to the other cake. It was one of the last cakes I consumed and, given that I ate this 1 week after I bought it, the cake still held its shape and still tasted fresh. Strong orange flavoured almond meal cake with cream cheese frosting and pistachio slithers for crunch that goes really well with coffee.

Gluten-free brownies. I shamelessly borrowed some photos from Black Star Pastry’s website because my own photos do not do justice to these sweets. The brownies are one of them. Brownies are my usual afternoon treat when I’m in the office so I brought this one to work with me. Rich, fudgey, and nutty – these are amazingly sinful but I didn’t regret eating them. More please, I’d say.

My only real issue with Black Star Pastry is their shop front. The place is very small and cramped and there are hardly any seats, let alone tables, for you to better enjoy what they have to offer.
Black Star Pastry on Urbanspoon

The Tuck Shop Cafe @ Northbridge

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Food, Modern Australian by

Pork belly or slow cooked beef cheek with mashed potatoes for breakfast? Yes that’s possible here at The Tuck Shop Cafe. I am used to having the most random food for breakfast so imagine my delight upon seeing the menu!

This cafe on Newcastle Street in Northbridge is always bustling with people. Any time after 9am there’s already a queue forming outside and people don’t seems to care that the weather was insanely cold for a bright sunny Sunday morning. Arriving at 9:30am at The Tuck Shop Cafe and waiting for another 30 minutes our breakfast turned into brunch.

What I love about this cafe is the friendliness and efficiency of the staff. Sure it’s always busy and they are always running around here and there but customers who are waiting outside are never forgotten. They try to accommodate everyone as quickly as possible while still mainting their composure in the midst of this dining mayhem.

The decor is also refreshing. Simple colours with wooden tables and some plants. Space is tight inside but efficient. There is also a wall right by the entrance where you can hang your coffee loyalty cards. But it begs the question: How do you reach for your card if someone is occupying the table directly below the board of cards?

What I love most is the food. Taste and quality are beyond your typical cafe standards. And when you come here for breakfast or lunch it’s all about being filled up to your heart and stomach’s content.

Upon seeing the words slow cooked beef cheek with red wine and mashed potatoes, I knew instantly what I wanted to eat. But then they also had pork belly and Morrocan meatballs and their famous meat pies. Tough choice. In the end the beef won and I had no regrets.

The beef cheek literally melts in your mouth. I was sceptical at first about just how tender this beef is going to be but the proof is in their pudding. Then eat that with creamy mashed potatoes and wilted spinach. Then sitting on top is a perfectly crisp bacon. Needless to say I was filled up way beyond my tummy’s capacity.

Other dishes people on the table had are…

Cheese Kransky with grain mustard potatoes, spinach, and fried egg. A hearty serving of potatoes with a giant cheesy Kransky. Uncle J needed a separate serve of toast to go with his food.

Chorizo, paprika potatoes, peppers and spanish onion, crispy pork belly, and fried egg. Chorizo I wasn’t a big fan of but the pork belly is to die for. Very crispy skin and the meat melts in your mouth too, just like the beef cheek. This is the perfect way to enjoy pork belly. If you are not used to eating something really heavy for breakfast be forewarned that this dish can be quite greasy for your first meal of the day.

Hash brown with slow cooked lamb, mushrooms, spinach and herbs, and poached egg. Lamb is not my first choice for meat but I can tell you that the flavours in that slow cooked lamb is sensational. It was bursting with so much flavour that for a split second I have completely forgotten why I do not like lamb. I asked my little cousin if he liked his dish and he say yes, it was very good. Two thumbs up. And this is coming from a little boy who doesn’t like eating meat.

Last but not least someone’s gotta try their meat pies. Auntie C had the chicken and leek pie and I took a beef, bacon, and cheddar cheese pie home. This is not your ordinary $4 pie. It’s one hell of a pie for about $12. It needs to bea eaten with a knife and fork. Personally, the pastry could’ve been thinner. It’s perfectly cooked outside but it was a bit doughy inside. The chicken and leek filling was creamy with real chicken pieces. One would really wonder how Auntie C managed to eat that whole thing!

I saved my beef pie for the next day’s dinner and it had a similar taste to the beef cheek. Beef is very chunky but the bacon I find overcooked.

As much as we loved this cafe and their food, one thing we collectively agree to fault is their coffee. They use Toby’s Estate beans. The coffee is very weak and it’s almost got no kick. While the milk was crafted nicely a stronger coffee to go with it would’ve been better.

My rating: 9/10

The Tuck Shop Cafe on Urbanspoon

Blend Cafe @ Melville

Posted in Food, Italian, Modern Australian by

Whoa. I realise it’s been a while since I last posted something food related. With working and all that studying 24 hours in a day is seriously not enough. But rest assured I have been eating out quite a lot too since I don’t have much time to cook a proper meal so I shall get the blog up and running again with more restaurant posts for the weeks to come.

I’ll kick it off with Blend Cafe, a local neighbourhood cafe in Melville serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, home-cooked style. I say home-cooked because I find the food here to be unpretentious. It’s simple, fresh and tasty. I started coming here for those nighttime dessert cravings. They serve good coffee and one of the better tiramisus.

Left impressed with their coffee and sweets each time, my family and I finally made it for breakfast. It’s the usual breakfast menu with eggs and bacon, eggs hollandaise, muesli, etc but what really stood out for me was the baked beans. It’s not those canned baked beans for sure. I don’t even like baked beans but I found myself wanting more. The beans are cooked just right, not too hard but not mushy, and the taste was just divine – tangy with a hint of spiciness. The dish below is a potato cake with poached egg, hollandaise sauce and oozing lava of baked beans.

We enjoy coming to Blend so much that even my little cousin asked to have his birthday dinner here. And so we did. The cafe was pretty packed for a Monday night (but then again, this place is always packed) but we made reservations so we were seated straightaway. The dinner menu was not overly exhausting and nothing particularly special. Still, we were able to find something we like and something that suited everyone’s tastes.

Here’s a run down on what we had that night from the top, left to right -

* Gamberi - fettuccine with prawns in creamy tomato sauce; very fresh pasta with succulent prawns – you cant go wrong with that

* Copacobana pizza – with sausage, ham, pancetta and pepperoni; the boys loved it

* Salt and pepper calamari – served with an Asian style lime and fruit salsa as dipping sauce and I polished it off before anyone else could. It was very refreshing to contrast the heaviness of having deep fried squid

* Fettuccine alla vodka – pasta with chicken and spinach in creamy vodka rose sauce; very tasty pasta and tender chicken. Loved the sauce.

* Paella – finally a place where the paella rice is cooked just right. Serving a bit small to be shared but it was good nonetheless

* Prawns with rice – an item on the specials menu but was nothing really special about it. Rice used was the same as paella rice so it was basically a wet paella with prawns in tomato sauce

* Surf n Turf – scotch fillet steak with mushroom sauce and prawns. tThe mushroom sauce was good and steak was tender and tasty but it came short of a medium done steak.

Overall a gem in the suburb of Melville where you can have a great night out.

My rating: 8/10
Blend Cafe on Urbanspoon

www.blendcafepizza.com

Cafe 58 Espresso Bar @ Palmyra

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee & Desserts, Food, Modern Australian by

Right smack in the heart of Palmyra sits Cafe 58 Espresso Bar, truly a local cafe that seems to busy all the time. Palmyra is not included in the territorial lines where I’d consider myself a local but I will happily travel the 15 minute driving time to get to this cafe.

Most nights we come here for coffee and desserts. But, after much raving about the dinner menu, Auntie J took us there one night for a big family affair. We had reservations at 6:30pm; the cafe was dimly lit and the staff was just getting ready for the dinner rush. This I found strange, to be honest. I would have expected a cafe/restaurant to be fully ready and prepared if they take reservations for as early as 6:30. A few of us arrived first and were showed to our table but it took forever to be handed the menus. They seemed understaffed and everyone looked like they were on to something else other than minding the customers. There is a $25 2-course special on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and given it was a Wednesday night we were interested in knowing what the blackboard specials were. The blackboard was empty and we had to wait a good 15 minutes for the specials to be written on the board.

Three of us had the specials that came with an entree of a tasting plate of olives, chorizo and beetroot dip with 3 thinly sliced bread and a main of barramundi with mashed potatoes.

I am not a big fan of this kind of entree and this really just reinforced that. Nothing special except that it was a good start to fill the hunger and enough to keep us from going insane waiting for the mains.

An hour after we were seated, the mains finally appeared. This was really a ridiculous waiting for a cafe specially since we were among the first few tables to have ordered. Anyhow, the food did come and they were all devoured in 10 minutes because we were that hungry.

Here is the grilled barramundi with lemon butter and creamy mashed potatoes.

The fish was good, not too heavily seasoned and cooked perfectly. And that mashed potatoes were divine. Really one of the best mashed potatoes I have tasted. It was creamy, almost puree like, and seasoned just right.

Then we have the aglio olio pepperincino – al dente spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and parsley with a hint of anchovies and optional fresh cut chilli. This is a very tasty pasta dish. The only problem was that it was drenched in olive oil and I mean literally drenched. Given that K had this dish, she had to scoop out the pasta onto a plate. Otherwise she would’ve been drinking olive oil on the side too. A little cousin had the same pasta without the chilli but he was oblivious to the amount of olive oil. He probably thought it was sauce.

Uncle J, then, had the chicken parmigiana. This is the lowest ranking dish of the night. It’s not that it wasn’t good. It just there wasn’t really anything special about it. Crumbed chicken breast topped with Napolitana sauce and an oozing amount of mozzarella cheese. The layer of cheese was too much for him so he scooped off some. Other than that, the chicken was juicy and the side of Napolitana pasta was good too.

To save the best for last, out of all the dishes we ordered, I thought that I had the best dish for the night – marinated chorizo chicken. It was a grilled whole chicken breast with spinach, baby potatoes, sliced chorizo and grilled prawns. The chicken was succulent and the prawns were smokey. The jus made the dish even better. I loved and savoured every bite.

Onto dessert. The staple that we always have here at Cafe 58 is the sticky date pudding. It was love at first bite so we have been getting this pudding every time we drop by for coffee. It is sweet, sticky, date-y and just the right size for sharing. Served warm with ice cream. The best part is that you can hardly taste the sodium bicarbonate (that is usually evident in other cafes’ sticky date products).

I was feeling adventurous that night too so I got myself a choc avalanche tart. Oh my. This tart is very sinful. It looked harmless at first but a very rich chocolate filling was waiting for me when I dived into it. I am a big fan of the filling but not the pastry. There is something about it that did not go well with the chocolate. I think it was that eggy taste. It was so rich I only ate half an took home the other half.

Overall, Cafe 58 gives a good dining experience with the occasional mishaps that cafes experience from time to time. Staff are very friendly but some needs to be more attentive. Looks like we’ve found another place we can pig out at.

My rating: 7/10

Cafe 58 Espresso Bar on Urbanspoon

Lemon Espresso @ Redcliffe

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee & Desserts, Food by

Finally a good enough cafe close to my office. While I do enjoy my usual drive up to Swan Valley with blasting music for some afternoon coffee and sweets I really do not mind having a cafe so closeby because it is so convenient that I can afford to go, drink/eat, and make it back in under 30 minutes.

Lemon Espresso has various spots in Perth – Cottesloe and Claremont at the top of my head. I haven’t been to either of those cafes because I I work in woop woop and by the time I get back to civilisation shops are already closed. So I am very happy to know that there’s actually a decent spot for coffee near the airport. One day while cruising along with my boss she showed me this cafe and told me how much she enjoyed sitting outside eating lunch during summer. After my 2-month long hiatus on coffee I’ve decided to give in to temptation and had a cuppa. Not only a cuppa but also a small belgian chocolate fudge brownie. Let’s face it, coffee is better with sweets and sweets are better with coffee. It cost me $5.80 for both and minimal fuel usage.

Lemon Espresso uses Five Senses coffee and this is one brand I like. It sits on top of my list for better coffee together with Fiori and Cimbalino. But of course other factors determine just how good a cup of coffee is. The barista at Lemon Espresso is good. Silky smooth latte that was of the perfect temperature. The standard latte is served in a smaller glass so the first sip was a bit strong. But after a bite of the brownie I have fallen in love with coffee all over again. The brownie is not as rich as the ones I usually get at Margaret River Chocolate Company (that usually gives me a sore throat coz it’s too rich) but is also enjoyable. Size is substantial for those trying to go on a diet like me but have relapsed. It’s big enough to be enjoyed with the smaller cup of coffee yet small enough so you don’t feel all too guilty for eating sweets when you should’ve been going to the gym.

Hot food is quite limited seeing as this cafe caters for busy business people. They have the usual grab and go sandwiches and paninis, sausage rolls and pies and homemade muffins. I had their chicken, avocado, sundried tomato and swiss cheese panini for breakfast the other day. Cost me $9.80 for a seemingly small panini but turned out to be very filling. I only ate half of it and took the rest home for my breakfast the next day. The turkish bread they use is insanely tasty!

Having this cafe in the airport area seemed strange at first because you would expect cafes in this area to either be nonexistent or mediocre. But Lemon Espresso brings a new breath of fresh air to the airport precinct so come along and hang out here if you’re headed over east and had time to spare. The cafe is open from 7am to 3pm though so if you are travelling domestically within those times this is something to consider.

It’s just at the entrance to the new hkew Alpha building so you get that cool airconditioning when seated inside after strolling under the blazing sun. Sitting outside is cool too because you are overlooking a water feature. An added bonus is that this location is not overly busy. You can have your own quiet time with the paper and magazine just like what I love to do to get a break from starring at the computer or you can talk about business without having that feeling that other patrons are prying on you because the cafe is spacious enough.

The Naked Fig @ Swanbourne

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Food by

A semi-swanky restaurant situated in one the best spots on the beach that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner…now that’s my kind of restaurant. Two things I come to The Naked Fig for – the rampant swan smoothie and the view of the ocean. And really, that’s all I come here for.

Let me start by saying that this is one of the better spots along the Cottesloe shoreline, but I guess The Naked Fig is technically in the Swanbourne precinct, because it feels secluded yet busy enough inside. The restaurant is located in a no through road so once you get settled in you won’t be bothered by cars driving past. But the restaurant is also busy enough to bring life to it. Every time I come here it’s always full. And every time I plan on coming here I forget to make reservations. The wait’s usually half an hour and they direct you to the comfy couches in the waiting area overlooking the ocean. Man, if I come alone I really do not need a table. I can just sit on the couch whilst sipping on my smoothie.

The Naked Fig: eggs on fire

I sometimes find that there is no consistency with the way they prepare the food and drinks. The first few times that I was there it was all bliss. No complaints whatsoever and staff was very knowledgeable. However, the last time I was here, which was last Sunday, things seemed to be a bit off. I can almost swear that there was an item missing from the menu which I was keen on ordering. Something with salmon. Either that or I was in lalaland. So instead I settled for my usual eggs on fire breakfast consisting of poached eggs, bacon, potato cake, corn relish and an avocado. I wanted to try something new but I find that the other items are too common – eggs benedict, pancakes, muesli – so I always end up ordering this. I love how the corn relish complements the potato cake; it gives more flavour to the potatoes and makes it less dry. The bacon I had though was way too fatty. Sometimes it’s perfectly cooked and sometimes they just don’t get it right. I’ve tried the pancakes too but nothing special with them. Better than Dome pancakes but not the best. I still don’t get why there is a need to serve the pancakes with eggs. Bacon I can understand but not eggs. You can have the eggs however you want them but they came sitting atop the syrup drenched pancakes. Yikes. Looks unappetising at all because the scrambled eggs looked like a big mush so I’m glad that was not what I ordered.

The Naked Fig: pancakes

So while we were seated on the couch waiting for our table, it was a good for them to take our coffee orders while waiting. Well it was a good idea at first…until they got confused. The staff had to ask us 3 times while in the middle of our meal – what did we get, where was our table, blah blah blah. Obviously there wasn’t a system in place for orders like that. That was a bit annoying. The coffee is on the stronger and more acidic side. Not my taste.

Also had lunch here with L. I have a thing for steak sandwiches so I ordered just that upon seeing it on the menu. A big disappointment. It was as bland as can be. The ones I make at home are definitely better.

Going back to the smoothie that I love so much – rampant swan smoothie made with cherries, berries, pineapple and mango. What I love is the refreshing sweet and sour taste. But last Sunday there was a huge block of ice that was not blended with the drink. A block that big I don’t know how they could’ve missed. If it were me it’s either I take out the block of ice or put it back in the blender. I was a smoothie maker in my past life and I can tell you now that it’s really not that difficult. For the price they’re charging you’d think that they’d pay more attention to what they’re serving.

The Naked Fig: rampant swan smoothie

If it really were not for the view and that smoothie there’s pretty much nothing more to this place.

My rating: 6.5/10
The Naked Fig Cafe on Urbanspoon
www.thefig.com.au

Coffea Fine Espresso @ Applecross

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee & Desserts, Food by

My impracticality got the better of me yesterday so I ended up having breakfast in Applecross again. Having had good food in the various cafe along Ardross St previously, I ‘checked in’ to Coffea Fine Espresso next door to Cioccolato Espresso, for a change, expecting to have a good food to start my day. Oh boy, was I expecting too much.

Being in Applecross, I understand that the cost of food, among other things, can be really really really pricey. Usually, I’m happy to fork out a few extra dollars for those things that can be justified as having a higher-than-normal prices. For Coffea’s case, these extra dollars are certainly not worth it. Food is almost as expensive as Sensations en Ardross and certainly more expensive than Cioccolato Espresso but it just doesn’t compare.  I had the roasted mushroom, feta and onion jam omelette for $19.++. With that price I was expecting something tasty and beautifully presented. Instead I was given an almost overcooked peppery omelette loaded with mushrooms but hardly had any feta or onion jam sitting on top of 2 thin toasts that were over toasted and tasted a bit stale and that which took forever to be made. It was good that it had a lot of mushrooms but where is my onion jam??? This was the only thing that looked interesting on the menu and I am no longer interested in coming back.

Coffea Fine Espresso: roasted mushroom, feta, onion jam omelette

Coffea makes their own sweets – muffins, slices, cakes, etc – and you can see them baking in-house. The waft coming out of the oven is sensational – which was why I was sucked into stepping into this cafe in the first place. So after the mediocre omelette I had I decided to give their sweets a go. The person baking was certainly the unfriendliest having told me off for asking when the other muffins would be coming out of the oven. Wow, sorry for wanting to help your business by buying more muffins than I actually need. I ended up getting a 2×2 inches-sized brownie for $4. This is the fudgiest brownie I have ever eaten. It was very rich and full of walnuts but with the richness of the chocolate it really did not need as much sugar. The extra sugar just ruined it for me. Tried their orange and almond cake as well (for $6.50), which was very moist and tasty but, again, too sweet.

Might I suggest going next door. You’d get a lot more for the lesser amount you’d pay.

My rating: 6//10

Cioccolato Espresso @ Applecross

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee & Desserts, Food by

Some days I just get into my crazy spending mood. Though I know I should be saving up for a spending spree in September, I convinced myself that spending on food is okay…so long as it’s not fine dining. Today’s excuse for spending was muesli. Sick of having muesli (yet again) for breakfast at home I ventured out to the Applecross area again hoping to have a good breakfast. There is something about the cafe strip in Ardross St that just makes my day happier. It’s like I’m in a different world with all the shabby chic cafes, specialty stores and, of course, The Good Grocer.

I do love my Brookfarm’s muesli with milk, yoghurt and fresh fruits but I’ve been having the same thing for about 2 weeks now I’m bound to go insane. I needed something different and I am craving for savoury things these days. I tried to stay away from Sensations en Ardross (because I’m still waiting for pay day) so today’s cafe was Cioccolato Espresso. I was careful enough to check the prices first and they were reasonable enough so I decided to have breakfast there. The breakfast menu had nothing over $20 and coffee was about $4.10. I’ve never been to Cioccolato before so I really didn’t know what to expect of their food and the serving size. The menu was simple featuring simple and basic ingredients with, what I’d call, a creative twist. It’s not the usual bacon and eggs on toast but rather something like mashed avocados on toast with something something.

I had the roasted mushroom bruschetta with beetroot mash – 2 things I love in one plate, I can’t go wrong with that, can I? Very earthy flavours I must say. This was a pleasant surprise. I was half expecting to be served button mushrooms with toast with a side of beetroots but what I was given was very well presented and it also had a little balsamic glaze. I’m a sucker for balsamic glaze. I wouldn’t say that this was a very big breakfast. I was not left hungry but there was still room for dessert. I may just try making this at home (it looks simple enough!) Their coffee isn’t too bad either – smooth and at the just temparature for me. Overall, I had a good breakfast for under $19.

Cioccolato Espresso: roasted mushroom bruschetta with beetroot mash

Cioccolato Espresso is one of the smaller cafes on the strip (size wise). There were about 5 tables inside that can sit 3 people and 2-3 tables outside. The biggest table they had was one that could sit 6 people. Though small it may be it has a very good ambiance nonetheless. It is very modern looking yet it still feels homey. Staff is very friendly and almost everyone who goes there are regulars. The barista knew almost everyone who walked in after me and even the customers know each other. It was like there was a small Cioccolato community gathering this morning (or every morning, I would assume). The cafe has recently expanded its counter bench so now they could have more muffins and other sweets on display. The regular customers noticed this and they all loved it. Wow, the things I learn from my 40 minutes in Cioccolato.

If there’s one thing that annoyed me it was the glare of the sun. The sun was slowly rising when I got there and it was just reflecting on everything in the cafe! Good thing it’s winter.

My rating: 8/10
Cioccolato Espresso on Urbanspoon

Sensations en Ardross @ Applecross

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Coffee & Desserts, Food by

Great start on a wet Tuesday morning, I finally managed to go to Sensations en Ardross (the correct cafe this time – my cafe confusion in previous post) in Applecross. I woke up a little earlier today to ensure I had time to check out google maps and locate the cafe. It’s funny how I still manage to get lost around the area I’ve been coming to for the past 5 years!

I fell in love with this gourmet cafe as soon as I walked in. The ambiance was definitely top notch with a rustic European feel and I could just sit there the whole day reading magazines while sipping my coffee. The breakfast menu was not too bad – few choices but enough variety. I ordered the “Breakfast Burger” with 2 fried eggs. bacon, spinach and mushrooms sandwiched between the softest bagel I have ever eaten. I’m not entirely sure if it was a bagel but it was round with a hole in the middle so I assumed it was a bagel. No, it was defintely not a doughnut. My burger also came with a balsamic glaze that went well with the burger but was too little. Then I reluctantly washed it all down with a cup of flat white that tasted bitter and burnt.

As I’ve said, I was off to a great start – found the cafe easily, loved the ambiance at first sight. Then I almost fainted when the staff told me the how much I owed them – a whopping $27.20 for a breakfast for 1!! I was still a little too drowsy from my lack of sleep the night before so I managed to skip the part of the menu where the prices are printed so I suppose that was a little stupid on my part. Just assuming that coffee is $4.90, that leaves $22.30 for my breakfast burger, which I think is seriously overpriced no matter how much I enjoyed and thought how lovely it was. The portion was not that big either. Yes it was filling but, being the super slow eater that I am, if I can finish the meal in half an hour then it’s definitely not that big of a portion size. The cafe being in an upscale suburb, their prices are definitely upscale too.

Don’t get me wrong though. I wouldn’t mind dining here again but only after I’ve saved up for a bit and had extra cash to spare. This is definitely not something I am willing to fit into my weekly routine otherwise I’ll be penniless by the end of the month. It is better suited for those “one in while” occassions for the impovershed working mass like me or for the upscale people living in the upscale vicinity of Sensations en Ardross.

My rating: 7/10
Sensations En Ardross on Urbanspoon

Theobroma Chocolate Lounge @ Karawara

Posted in Coffee & Desserts, Food by

…and yet another chocolate lounge in Perth. I’ve bought coupons for Theobroma Chocolate Lounge a few months ago even though I have never heard of this place back then. Seven dollars for waffles and hot chocolate seemed like an awesome deal so at the spur of the moment I bought 3 coupons. Now I wish I had been less selfish and bought only 1.

Located amongst the many shops in the newly renovated Waterford Plaza, the chocolate lounge’s ambiance is really good. Modern interior and tucked away near the parking lot so it’s quiet. It was actually very quiet for a Saturday night. I was expecting long queues and dirty tables when we got there but this wasn’t the case. They’ve only opened in February 2011 apparently and another chocolate lounge is opening soon in Freo I’ve been told. I presented my voucher to the staff, took a seat and waited for my waffles. They didn’t take long to come out and they looked absolutely delicious.

Two pieces of sweet waffles almost drenched in chocolate with strawberries and ice cream. Honestly, they only looked delicious. Once you take a bite there’s really nothing special about them. The waffles were too sweet and they tasted like the waffles I normally make at home, which are not the best. The chocolate sauce did not have enough chocolate richness to it. It’s probably milk chocolate judging by the colour but all I could taste was sugar of some form. The only good bit? The strawberries – big pieces and very sweet.

Theobroma Chocolate Lounge: waffles

The waffles came with a huge mug of hot chocolate that is kept warm by a warmer underneath. You can choose what kind of hot chocolate you wanted – milk, white, dark – or mocha made with milk, white or dark chocolate. I opted for the dark chocolate. It was big enough to be shared so I gave some to Auntie C. This one, too, is a disappointment.

Theobroma Chocolate Lounge: hot chocolate

Chocolate is not rich enough and it’s sort of like a chocolatier type of Milo. Quite frankly, the hot chocolate I make at home is better. The only fun parts were drinking it from a big mug and licking the chocolate drippings (if you trust the mug is clean) and also the fact that the drink stays warm.

The chocolate lounge also serves savoury food like quiche, frittata, rolls and wraps. Just how good they are I wouldn’t know and I wouldn’t bother trying. As with any other so-called chocolatiers, they also have hand crafted chocolates that sell for $1.90 each. The range is not as wide as Koko Black or Chocolateria San Churro. At first glance the chocolates looked really pretty but when I walked over to the counter to have a good look I was quickly turned off by the bright colours on some of the chocolates. Some had bright green and bright yellow and they looked very artificial. I am not a fan of bright artificial colours on food so it’s safe to say that I wouldn’t bother trying any of those chocolates either.

Theobroma Chocolate Lounge: chocolates

Maybe I have expected too much but looks can be deceiving and if it weren’t for my remaining coupons I would not really make the effort to drive all the way there just for something so average.

My rating: 5/10
Theobroma Chocolate Lounge on Urbanspoon
www.theobromachocolatelounge.com.au