Barista and Cook: When Balanced Diet means Salads and Fried Chicken! -Waterloo

The current Waterloo is not the same as the previous one I've ever seen. Lots of apartments are being built plus the upcoming Sydney Metro - Barista and Cook sets its foot at just the right time on the 23rd January serving clean and healthy seasonal menu with good coffee using Gypsie coffee bean.

This place is quite spacious with simple yet stylish interior and plenty of natural light. They make everything they can in house and use local produces to create a simple clean eating but still full of taste and definitely healthy. 

Fresh Juice: Refresher - Watermelon, Apple, Mint, Lime

Everyone loves bacon and egg but I won't deny Char Grilled Pork Belly and Chili Fried Eggs pair excites me more! Let's get real here.. The inside is tender with sweet and salty flavor and the charred crust on the outside simply deepens the aroma. Topped with perfectly cooked fried egg (yes with the egg yolk oozing out!), crushed edamame and puffed black rice, life can't be more delightful when you have this for breakfast right?

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata cheese, poached eggs, and herb toast

Smoked Trout Kedgeree - Spiced Rice, Boiled Eggs, Citrus Yoghurt, Corriander

If I need some clean eating in my life, this Heirloom Tomato Salad is exactly what I'm craving for. It takes only a few ingredients but this simple dish defines joy on a plate. Served with toasted herb bread, it's so DIY bruschetta-like if you want to enjoy it that way. Their Kedgeree is another dish to try - It's apparently a traditional British breakfast and has balance of flavors going on with combination of smoked trout, spiced rice, citrus yoghurt, corriander, lemon and boiled eggs! Every spoonful is so light, fresh and bursting with spice.

Roasted Broccoli Salad with Marinated Chickpeas, Toasted Almonds, Kale, Feta, Chili Flakes

Char Grilled Zucchini with Black Rice, Pickled Fennel, Radish and Pea Sprouts

Roasting or Char-grilling really brings the veggie flavor out! The Broccoli salad is just perfect if you prefer nutty and creamy salad as it has marinated chickpeas as well as toasted almonds and feta for extra creaminess. The Zucchini salad, on the other hand, has that sweet, fresh and tangy flavors with the combination of pickled fennel and radish! For sure, both salads are so delightful and perfect as light treats~

I hope you read till this part (especially if you are not into clean eating LOL~). As much as I love salads and light meals, I also need Cheese Burger and Chips in my life~ Well, that's what we call as balanced diet right? The beef patty is juicy and tender but their bacon jam steals my attention the most - sweet and savory deliciousness with the goodness of crispy bacon bits!

It's the fried chicken season and you can simply find it everywhere! Be it southern fried, korean style, taiwanese style - who doesn't love this crispy and so delicious on their own treats! A really great Southern Fried Chicken needs only two things from me - it has to has juicy and flavorful meat and a super crisp and crunchy crust - this place totally nails it! Served with chipotle mayo, it's an excellent sauce which added a tang, spicy, and nice extra layer of flavor. 

Grilled Mac 'n' Cheese Toastie with House Relish

Mac and Cheese as a toastie?! This should be included as one of the more amazing food on earth. This grilled sandwich is stuffed with creamy macaroni and melted cheese for double the gooey deliciousness. Pair it with salad so it's not considered as a cheat meal~

Coffee Ice Cream Slider 

Buckwheat Waffles

For sweet tooth, their Buckwheat Waffles are light and crisp with nice and soft texture on the inside. It has that nutty flavor which makes them more unique than the usual waffles. Served with butterscotch pear, raspberries, toasted poppy seeds, the creme fraiche ice cream is so smooth and creamy and exactly what you want it on top of your waffle. As for the Coffee Ice Cream Slider, the ice cream (they use Gypsie coffee) itself is nice and smooth but I personally find the brioche is a bit too dry and crumbly.

Barista and Cook

Address:

834 Bourke Street, Waterloo

Opening Hours:

6am - 4pm on weekdays and 8am - 3pm on weekends


-Let's Nomnom dined as guests of Barista and Cook. Thanks Barista and Cook for the warm service and hospitality. All opinions here are our own and independent-

Showbox Coffee Brewers - Manly

Yes, summer is here and there are no reasons not to hit beaches and of course stuff yourself with selections of good food from the well known coastal cafes. Showbox Coffee Brewers is one of them if you are in Manly and need something fresh, healthy but also unique in its own way.

The cafe itself is quite small and packed with retro tables you'd see in a diner. The all-day menu is varied towards wholefoods with unusual touches you can't find it in other places.

Poke Poke (pronounced pok-eh) is described as Hawaiian style salmon tartare or think of it as Hawaiian style sushi. It's basically fresh salmon sashimi cut into cubes, mixed with green onion, chili and other veggies on a bed of wild rice with soft egg and pickled ginger. This dish is light and served cold, but unfortunately they put too much shoyu sauce as it was too salty for my liking and the egg came medium boiled instead.

This newcomer on their seasonal menu is called Southern Debris. The slow-cooked pork is flavourful, tender on the inside and get that sort of caramelized brown on the outside. The sauce gives you the fresh Mexican flavour with its generous use of fresh herbs. Served on a lightly toasted sourdough with fried egg, corn salsa, and southern biscuit crumbs, they make a vibrant and delicious combination of earthy, sweet and savoury tste

There's always room for dessert and this Strawberry and Cream Sourdough Pudding plays its role perfectly as a dessert for breakfast! It has crisp edges with soft textural contrast in the centre. Served with creamy custard sauce and topped with strawberry slices and pistachio, you pretty much can't go wrong choosing this bread pudding!


Showbox Coffee Brewers
Address:
19 Whistler Street, Manly
Opening Hours:
Monday - Saturday 7am - 4pm and Sunday 8am - 4pm

Speedo's Cafe - Bondi Beach

With its prime location on the north side of the beach plus their social media sensation's colorful-yet-cute donuts and cronuts, it's not surprising to see Speedo's as a favourite meeting place for both locals and visitors. 

Let's Nomnom Top Healthy Eats in Sydney!

Yap! As much as I love to please my eyes and stuff my tummy with all the decadent foods we often see.. Sometimes all I really want is a healthy (and also yummy) meal especially during this winter season.. The colder it gets, the more I crave for comfort foods!

Healthy foods are not limited to mere salad bowls or raw fruits and not having desserts at all.. There is no need to eat bland and boring dishes since there are so many healthy eateries nowadays..

So, we've gathered the 12 best healthy eats in Sydney and here's what we've got for you..

Something For Jess - Chippendale

My friends know me very well.. They know I love eating veggies and fruits more than meats.. Hence, they recommended me this eclectic-but-homey spot called "Something for Jess"..