Top 10 All-Time Favorite Eating Spots in Sydney!

Hello everyone!

Sorry I've been MIA these past few months! Things have changed recently and due to work and other commitments, we now find ourselves settling in Singapore, the Lion City! It was fun with all the new, interesting, as well as the cultural shock we have experienced here. One thing that surprised me more is the fact that I find myself using a "lah" and singlish here and there in less than 24 hours after landing! LOL! 

Also known as one of the best food cities in the world, I must admit I have started missing some of my favorites already! So, without further ado.. Here they are:

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. 

The Choc Pot HQube - Rosebery

Rejoice Eastern Suburbians! After opening their Chatswood and CBD stores, TCP has now opened a store in Rosebery! This venue is more spacious, provides ample natural light and somehow looks like a glass box with their kitchen also acts as the central especially to do the testing for the upcoming monthly specials.

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.

Petal Met Sugar - CBD [ Closed ]

If I told you a flower bloomed in a patisserie cafe, would you believe it? 

Elsa Li (ex The Observatory, Adriano Zumbo, and Merivale) together with Angela Wong have turned their dream into reality with this sleek all white tiny cafe called Petal Met Sugar, combining good pastries and desserts with fresh flowers - a few of my favorite things, on the ground floor of a new apartment in Woolloomooloo.

Stepping inside, the strong buttery fragrance floats in the air invites you to linger a little longer while admiring all colorful and beautiful flowers situated just next to the desserts cabinet.

From pretty finishing touches to lending an additional subtle flavours, this place's certainly proved that flowers aren't just for decoration. Currently they have 5 selections of sweets and will be offering more floral-influenced desserts once they have settled in a bit more.

Terrarium is simply a too pretty to be eaten masterpiece and definitely my favorite! This delicate and delightfully tangy panna cotta has both passion fruit and finger lime complementing each other in such positive harmony that it leaves you wanting for more. The cocoa nib soil, baby lemon balm and edible flowers add extra flavors and textures with the sweetness of the Callebaut 29.5% white chocolate balances out the overall tanginess.

Look at those Peach Oolong's luscious layers! The subtle and fragrant Lupicia Peach Oolong Tea brulee is gradually overtaken by the rich and tangy layers of yoghurt mousse and blood peach compote. It tastes almost like a smooth slice of peach yoghurt with extra sweetness from coconut macaron and coconut glaze. 

I always get excited everytime I see Eclair lies beautifully with its shiny glaze on a display cabinet. Filled with a deep amber coloured sour rhubarb jam and topped with vanilla bean creme patissiere and rhubarb chips, we unfortunately didn't really enjoy it very much as the choux pastry was quite dense for our liking.

Went here on another visit as we just couldn't get over it and ordered this breath-taking Chocolate Candy Bar! The base is a rich and creamy texture chocolate flourless sponge topped with burnt butter ganache and praline feuilletine. I love how the crispy feuilletine flakes adds a textural element to the fudgy ganache and the light and airy milk chocolate mousse makes it look extra luxurious! The addition of creme anglaise (only available if you dine in) gives you some extra fun as a drizzling sauce while enjoying this beauty.

Not just sweets, Petal Met Sugar also excelled in extraordinary croissant! Their light and flaky Vanilla Bean Croissant smells so highly fragrant with intense flavour and visually satisfying for being able to see the little black specks within the layers inside. 


Petal Met Sugar
Address:
Ground Floor, 68 Sir John Young Crescent, Woolloomooloo
Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Friday 7am - 3.30pm
Saturday 8am - 5pm
Closed on Sunday and Monday