The Weston Eatery - Canley Vale - Sydney, Australia

Hello readers! 

Life has kept me busy these past few months and can you believe that half of the year is nearly over. Why is time going so fast? Apologies for the long hiatus but for now I will continue with the back log. There is just so much to eat with a never ending list of restaurants to try, but hey that’s what keeps me happy, eating good food with equally good company.

There has been a surge of openings in the south-west in the past year as the younger generation look to explore eating options outside of the widely available Asian cuisine. They are proving to be quite popular. 

The Weston Eatery is a relatively new kid on the block, having been open for close to half a year now. With its extreme close proximity to Canley Vale Station, it’s hard to miss. You’ll probably end up walking or driving past it. 

I’ve been here on two occasions in a span of two weeks, one time for breakfast and the other for brunch, just missing out on their 12pm lunch time offerings.

It’s never too early or late to be having a sweet dish. The ‘Matcha Hotcake Heaven ($16.00)’ is green, very green in colour. Two fluffy hotcakes which are thicker than the usual pancakes, are served with an assortment of fresh fruit including mango, kiwi and strawberries. It is covered with a rich white chocolate and green tea sauce with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on the side. This dish is available all day.

You are ‘The One ($14.00)’. No I kid. This is a toasted croissant with scrambled eggs, maple bacon and Canadian maple syrup. This is the chef’s suggested dish and it’s pretty good.

The ‘Cheese Toastie ($8.00)’ contains caramelised onion and Gruyere cheese in a sourdough bread that has been lightly grilled. This is different to the regular toasties and there is a lot more flavour due to the addition of the caramelised onion which gives it that additional kick.

‘Katsu Sando ($12.00)’ is a big sandwich filled with two huge pieces of panko crumbed chicken thighs, cabbage, sesame seeds, mayonnaise and tonkatsu sauce. The juicy pieces of chicken have been seasoned well.

The ‘Pulled Pork Sandwich ($12.00)’ is also fairly large in portion size filled with pulled pork, green apple, cabbage slaw, crunchy noodles and a chipotle mayonnaise. All encased within two sourdough slices of bread.

The ‘Mac Daddy ($16.00)’ doesn’t look like the typical sloppy mac and cheese. A much more refined version comprising of macaroni, bacon, a 63 degree egg and cheese sauce, garnished with parmesan cheese and chives. The egg is cooked perfectly and a slight tap with the fork allows the yolk to ooze into the mac and cheese.

A great cafe in the south west of Sydney that is easily accessible, providing decent food options at reasonable prices.

Where?

2/4 Canley Vale Rd

Canley Vale NSW 2166

Australia

Phone no: 02 8210 3812

Opening Hours

Monday – Thursday: 6am to 9pm

Friday – 6am to 10pm

Saturday - 8am to 3pm; 5:30pm to 10pm

Sunday - 8am to 3pm; 5:30pm to 9pm

Website

N/A – Check their Instagram for live updates

Devon Cafe - Surry Hills - Sydney, Australia

Devon Cafe is a casual eatery located in Surry Hills, only a short stroll from Central Station. It's a place that has had numerous rave reviews and a favourite among many. They are expanding their business and have recently relocated to Barangaroo after closing their popular cafe Devon on Danks in Waterloo.

We visited Devon Cafe on a winter weekend morning and it was packed. We anticipated a long wait time given the number of people standing outside but we managed to get a table in less than 15 minutes, only be squished together on a table meant for two when we were a party of three. Though, we didn't really mind.

From the outside, the cafe looks small but upon entering you'll be surprised as it goes all the way to the backyard.

There is plenty of natural light in the sun-drenched courtyard so I took more photos than I needed to.

Their menu changes seasonally and deviates from the usual dishes we see on typical brunch menus offering a fine dining twist to the traditional breakfast and lunch options. They pride themselves on using quality ingredients that are locally sourced or house made.

It was truffle season so that meant there were special offerings of dishes with truffles. Oh what a luxury!

The 'Ultimate Toastie ($33.00)' is an expensive dish but when you include truffles in anything, the price seems to skyrocket. This is for your mushroom lovers out there cause there was a whole load of mushrooms.

It's a heavy dish and not for the faint hearted. You got melted cheese on top of a heap of mushrooms and two slices of crusty sourdough bread. Then there's the double serving of eggs on top with a generous shaving of truffles. A dish made for sharing as it could be too much for one.

'Breakfast with Sakuma's ($26.00)' is a top rated dish here and has made its rounds through Instagram and I now know why. Just look at the beauty of it.

The 63 degree egg is poached perfectly leaving a translucent texture. The miso grilled salmon is well seasoned and cooked to perfection. The meat is moist and falls off easily. While I'm not a salmon fan, I found the fish to be fresh and not fishy as some have previously commented.

'Crab Gone Chili ($25.00)' is my dish of choice. Angel hair pasta with blue spanner crab, garlic oil and a zesty herb crumb is deliciously tasty and wonderfully balanced. The specks of chilli gave it a nice flavour hit.

The words fries and truffle caught our attention. The Super Fries ($18.00)' were served with gruyere cheese, garlic, tasty cheese and truffle. Unfortunately this was disappointing. The chips were moderately warm and soggy. With the addition of two cheeses, it was saltier than expected.

Coffee here is brewed well. A strong cuppa is a great start to the day.

The matcha latte is smooth and rejuvenating.

A nice cafe offering something different from traditional breakfast and lunch menus. While I do find that it is over hyped, the food combinations worked well together.

Where?
76 Devonshire St
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Australia

Phone  no: 02 9211 8777

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday 7:00am - 4:00pm
Saturday - Sunday 8:00am - 3:30pm
Public Holidays 8:00am - 3:30pm

Website
www.devoncafe.com.au

Bills - Surry Hills - Sydney, Australia

Owned by celebrity chef Bill Granger, Bills has been on the top of my to go to places for a long time.  I've heard rave reviews about the fluffy ricotta pancakes. With my friend from Brisbane in town for the weekend it was a good chance to try out the cafe as she had a craving for pancakes. This is coming from someone who can eat chocolate and anything sweet all day long.

She never fails to bring the rain with her when she comes to Sydney. Every time she visits it rains heavily regardless of whether it is Summer or Winter. We always make a joke about it and this time was no exception.

It was a cold, wet and windy morning. We started at Central Station and walked up the steep hills of Surry Hills with our umbrellas held up high to combat the rain coming from all directions. Finally we reached our destination on Crown Street.

It was buzzing with patrons and thankfully we managed to grab a table straightaway, albeit the last non-sharing table. Its modern, warm and very relaxed inside.

We started off with the essential coffees to kick start the day.  Brewed with beans from Single Origin Roasters, the 'Latte ($4.10)' and 'Cappuccino($4.10)' were robust and smooth without the bitterness.

There are a number of items to choose from their breakfast menu, from the basic toasts and spreads to the more elaborate dishes such as the crisp fried rice. We chose to share two of their classic items.

The highly anticipated 'Ricotta Hotcakes ($22.00)' arrived looking amazingly thick and fluffy with a blob of honeycomb butter and a side of maple syrup. Generous slices of banana are hidden beneath the three hotcakes. Where out thou more butter? The butter to pancake ratio was lacking. There just wasn't enough for us butter lovers.

The inside of the hotcakes had hidden chunks of ricotta giving it a light and airy texture. Delicious and tasty hotcakes that weren't dense and had the right sweetness level.

The 'Corn Fritters ($23.00)' is another one of their signature dishes. An abundance of sweet and juicy corn kernels combined together in a light batter, is served with roast tomatoes, spinach and crispy bacon. We also added 'Avocado Salsa ($4.00)' which I would definitely recommend as the fritters could be dry on its own.

The service is attentive and prompt. Prices are on the expensive side for these simple dishes but they don't compromise on the quality of their ingredients. Breakfast is served till midday.

Where?
359 Crown St
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Australia

Phone no: 02 9360 4762

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday: 7am - 10pm
Saturday - Sunday: 7am - 10pm

Website
www.bills.com.au

Kam Wah Cafe 金華冰廳 - Mongkok - Kowloon, Hong Kong

Vouched by many as having the best polo bun in Hong Kong, Kam Wah Cafe has got a massive following for a reason. Also known as a 'bo lo bao' or 'pineapple bun', it doesn't contain any pineapple but resembles a pineapple epicarp.

Kam Wah Cafe are famous for their egg tarts and polo buns. Most customers takeaway but we opted to dine in.

It's busy and noisy in the early morning. We take a seat at a booth table right at the back as there are no more tables. The other option is sharing.

The 'Polo Bun (HKD 10.00)' is freshly baked and served straight from the oven with a thick slab of butter sandwiched between the bun. It was still warm when it arrived at the table, allowing the butter to melt slowly. The bread is soft, light and fluffy on the inside. This is nice contrast to the golden crust on the top which is wonderfully crispy without being too sweet. My favourite part!

The 'Coffee (HKD 17.00)' was nothing to rave about. It was rather bland and lacked that coffee hit .The old school cups suits the atmosphere of the cha chaan teng .

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My love for the 'Iced Lemon Tea (HKD 19.00)' started from this moment. It was like no iced lemon tea I've ever tasted. It wasn't overly sweet like those ones you find in the bottles and it actually had the taste of real lemons. So good.

Do give the polo bun a try and you won't be disappointed.

Where?
G/F, 47 Bute St
Prince Edward
Hong Kong

Phone no: +85 2 2392 6830

Opening Hours
7 Days a Week
6:30am - 12:00am

Website

N/A

Australia Dairy Company 澳洲牛奶公司 - Jordan - Kowloon, Hong Kong

If you ask someone who has been to Hong Kong on where to eat they would probably recommend the Australia Dairy Company. It's been mentioned in numerous guide books and there are a plethora of posts on the internet. People flock from far and wide to visit the famed cha chann teng, otherwise known as a tea restaurant serving traditional Hong Kong style food at affordable prices.

We were expecting very long queues that snaked around the front. To our surprise, there was no queue on a weekday morning after 8am. Customers do not linger around. They order, eat , pay and then leave.

The Australia Dairy Company has no association with Australian Diary. The owner use to work on a farm in Australia and that's where it got its name from.

Displays of milk and egg custard. One of their most popular items.

Fresh milk from a local dairy farm. 

It's partly chaotic inside giving it a lively buzz.

The staff here are notorious for their rude and nasty service, but I was surprised that they were fairly nice to us. We were taken to a vacant table and a hardcover English menu resembling a photo book was handed to us. Then we ordered and the waiter nodded his head and quickly disappeared to the kitchen. I've read that unless you spoke Cantonese you might have difficulty ordering so we prepared in advance in case we weren't given an English menu.

Ordering a set menu is much cheaper than ordering individual items. The breakfast set costs HKD 32, and includes either a coffee or milk tea, scrambled or fried eggs with buttered toast and a bowl of macaroni and ham in chicken soup. Now that's excellent value for money. The only problem is actually finishing the meal as the portion size is rather large for one.

We ordered one set meal containing a milk tea, scrambled eggs with buttered toast, and a ham and macaroni soup. It came out a few minutes after we ordered. Highly efficient and prompt service.

The thick slices of toast were slightly buttered just how I like it. The star of the dish was the scrambled eggs. Perfectly cooked eggs that were fluffy, moist and tasty. A simple yet satisfying dish.

I really liked the macaroni and ham soup. The macaroni was al-dente and the addition of the ham on the top gave it a nice balance with the slightly salty chicken soup. Comforting on a cold and rainy day.

The milk tea had a strong black tea flavour and was an acquired taste. I much prefer coffee over milk tea.

The fried eggs on a buttered toast was pretty decent too. For those who aren't too hungry or after a lighter meal the single toast option is better.

Was it worth trying out? Yes! While there are one of these types of restaurants on nearly every corner, what differentiates them from the rest if their scrambled eggs and the consistently good quality of their food.

Where?
47 Parkes St
Jordan, Kowloon
Hong Kong

MTR Jordan Exit C2

Phone no: +85 2 2730 1356

Opening Hours
Daily Except Thursday
7:30am - 11:00pm

Website
N/A