Majestic Harvest - Petersham

From a cinema theater to a skating rink, this Petersham's 1912 iconic building is now called as Majestic Gourmet Grocers, a foodies paradise where you can find European-style gourmet grocer, a florist, and Majestic Harvest all in one place. 

Calabur Cafe by DAY and by NIGHT! - Bondi

If anyone asks me about brunch and/or dinner around Bondi Junction area, I usually tell them to try Calabur - the new kid on the block and the fact that it might not be really visible from the main road doesn't hinder their chances of being a hidden gem!

Inspired by Calabur plant in front of their house, 4 friends decided to open this lovely place - not that big but feel so homey and warm upon entering. Serving Western menu with Asian touch during the day and the other way round with additional bar at night, this place has embraced the "sous vide" cooking style - sort of like poaching the meat in its own juice in the plastic bag to get a precise succulent, noticeable juicier and definitely more tender meat. 

Winter at Cuckoo Callay - Newtown

Well, tell me how did you spend your last weekend? The weather was so wild all of a sudden with severe storms and heavy rain! But it didn't hinder me together with the homies, Isaac, Michael, and Natalie, from coming to Cuckoo Callay for their new menu. 

After a successful Bacon Festival with all-bacon-inspired menu following right after for 3 months, my anticipation has built up when I first heard about their WINTER MENU. So, without further ado let's talk more about their dishes~

Left of Field - Rhodes

Rhodes is having a major facelift with so many well built housing complex, the bridge and this new cafe called Left of Field! After looking at their menu, I think I get an idea why they named this place as it is - the food they offer is quite unusual especially in general Western Sydney area.

When Haven Does Egg Waffles - Surry Hills

I’ve been following Haven since the first day they opened and surprised me with their fusion yet creative dishes. And now here I am updating my post with so much Egg-citement as Haven recently introduced a new menu series!

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-

BACON FESTIVAL is back at CUCKOO CALLAY! - Newtown

Cuckoo Callay's BACON FESTIVAL is back! Having been success with last year's festival, this year Cuckoo brings it into a bigger scale that happened on last Saturday the 27th at Central Park, Chippendale together with other Sydney's favorites serving up their special bacon inspired dishes and of course, BACON BEER!

Vietnamese Through Parisian Lense at Grand Duk - CBD

Grand Duk firstly opened its door as a sleek bistro in the heart of the CBD serving modern Vietnamese dishes with a French twist. I heard at first the menu focuses more on the slow cooked dishes like its sibling, the Naked Duck, but then Amy Lee, the owner, has decided to launch a new all day menu with some seasonal specials alongside their signature Grand Duk coffee blend supplied by Toby's Estate.

Breakfast is the most important meal and if you don't have time to prepare your own - get this Trifle and refuel on your way to work. Layers of fruits and nutty muesli topped with natural yoghurt and fresh berries, this kind of breakfast is not only yummy but also healthy and definitely rich in antioxidants. 

One thing that shouldn't be missed when talking about Vietnamese food is this Goi Cuon aka Rice Paper Roll. Freshly rolled with the right proportion of meat, vermicelli, lettuce, and served with hoisin peanut dip - they are sold individually and you can choose to have it with Sichuan Duck (my fave!) or Tiger Prawn or 5 Spice Tofu or simply one each if you can't decide!

I rarely eat salad for breakfast but I guess this Breakfast Bowl might change the way I think and plan for my next meal. Served with poached eggs, green leaves, mashed avocado, mixed nuts and seeds, and Vietnamese daikon & carrot pickles - this light and refreshing combination is bursting with sweet and tangy taste as well as extra crunchy texture from the pickles and the nuts. 

5 SPICE TOFU SALAD - bean sprouts, pickles, enoki, snowpeas, water chestnuts, herbs, peanuts & sesame vinaigrette

I always have a soft spot for Vietnamese food in my heart more because I feel healthy knowing that they use mostly herbs and fresh vegetables (with less oil too) - like this 5 Spice Tofu Salad, the peanut and sesame vinaigrette gives extra tangy kick to the combination of fresh veggies and Vietnamese pickles. 

Who will give the Salt and Pepper Squid a miss when it's served straight out of the fryer, fried to a light and golden crunch? For me personally, the refreshing green papaya salad is actually the attention-stealer with its tangy, sweet, sour and spicy flavours although I usually can't live without this tender, nicely spiced and deep-fried glory!

Duck Meatballs Bahn Mi 

Sticky Master Stock Pork Belly (on the right)

Ginger Baked King Salmon

I'd say out of these three, my favorite is their Ginger Baked King Salmon! The salmon gives a very nice Asian flare with a hint of ginger and garlic. Every bite with the pho duck broth is so flakey, moist and flavourful that leaves me craving the more I eat it. The Duck Meatball is another interesting approach to the usual Bahn Mi, it is juicy and tender but unfortunately a bit too salty for my liking. Another everyone's favorite, the Sticky Pork Belly is slow-cooked till flavorful (definitely has strong lemongrass taste) and served Asian style with steamed brown rice on the side.

Grand Duk creates the humble Mango Pudding and Deep Fried Ice Cream into something extraordinary! At a glance, their Coconut Crumble Deep Fried Ice Cream looks like a crispy golden brown lamington with smooth vanila bean ice cream awaits within the hot crispy shell. Served chilled with the addition of ginger sago and kaffir lime caramel, the Mango Pudding has smooth and creamy texture with rich mango and gingery taste and a hint of citrusy fragrant.

Grand Duk

Address:

225 George Street, CBD

Opening Hours:

Monday - Friday 7am - 4.30pm

-Let's Nomnom dined as guest of Grand Duk. Thanks Amy for the warm service and hospitality. All opinions here are our own and independent-

10 William Street - Paddington

From the same team behind Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point, a storefront nestled in the boutique shopping strips in Paddington area has been converted into a small but compact bistro with impressive selection of wine list and interesting Italian touch on the menu. 

Cavalier Specialty Coffee - Crows Nest

Happy New Year people! First post in 2016 and I'll start with this quite-new cafe at the edge of Crows Nest and St Leonards. Cavalier Specialty Coffee has done a great job during their first month as they're also the People's choice runner up for Sydney's best cafe. 

Paddock - Surry Hills

Talking about Surry Hills means endless food and drink options especially on the buzziest and hippest Crown Street. Just recently opened around 3 weeks ago, Paddock has get you covered if you simply can't decide where to dine among the endless options.

Cre Asion - CBD

If you ask me what is my favourite cafe in Sydney? Cre Asion will be my first answer! A once a week visit has become a routine simply because I am a huge fan of matcha. Some people may dislike it for its bitter aftertaste but for me it's the bitter the better

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

Brainwave - CBD

Brainwave Cafe is a new addition to Ultimo area tucked down an alley off Harris Street serving modern Australian dishes with some twists from Thai and Vietnamese flavours.

Kansas City Shuffle - CBD

Located in the old Cadbury Chocolate factory in a hidden corner of The Rocks, Kansas City Shuffle (KCS) is a new addition brought by Ben Sweeten and Chef Kayne (ex-Proud Mary) serving American diner-style favourites with a twist as well as superfood dishes.

White Taro - Surry Hills

White Taro, a newly opened cafe in Surry Hills, is joining the list of some of the famous dining spots in the neighborhood with its range of Vietnamese-fusion menu. They serve an all day menu and I can say taro is definitely not their signature dish. LOL!

Blaq Piq - CBD

Blaq Piq has just recently opened but it has already been creating a buzz on social media lately. At first I thought they would open as a BBQ place with its name sounds like a black pig (plus their cute pig tail logo), but they turn out serving Asian-fusion brunch!

Burnt Orange - Chatswood

 

With its pastel-setting store in Mosman boasting superb food and also picturesque view, Burnt Orange has finally opened their second cafe in Chatswood area. 

The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar - Redfern

Redfern once again surprises me with its new addition on Abercrombie St and this recently opened place comes with the focus and promise of quality tea. Yes! You read it right! They are dedicated to only serve tea and its variations here. 

From the same people behind The Sydney Tea Festival as well as The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea business, Corrine Smith and Amara Jarratt, thought that this is the time to fulfill their original dream to open a tea bar and redefine people's thought about tea.