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

White Taro - Surry Hills - Sydney, Australia

I'm back! These two months have gone by very quickly and Christmas is just around the corner might I just add. Will be jetting off to China, specifically Shanghai and Beijing soon, so I hope to share some reviews in the coming months. I haven't been to either of those cities so I'm really looking forward to this trip.

Now that Daylight Savings has kicked in with the lovely Spring weather, hope you've all been getting out of the house and enjoying yourselves outdoors. I suddenly felt like eating chips, so here I am eating a bag of Calbee barbecue flavoured corn chips. Oh so tasty.

White Taro is a fusion Vietnamese cafe by day and restaurant by night serving South-East Asian inspired dishes. Located on the corner of Albion Street in the hip suburb of Surry Hills, it's a short walk from the train station and can be easily spotted. Having only been open for close to a year, it has generated quite an interest on social media. They've recently started dinner service, led by Angie Hong, the mother of top chef Dan Hong.

The interior is simple and cosy. There's is more seating at the back and in days of warmth and sunshine, it will be nice to sit at these tables basking in the sun.

Look at that crackling! 'Taro's Deconstructed Banh Mi ($19.00)' is not the usual banh mi you'll find at a Vietnamese bakery. They've added a modern spin to it and it is specially made with ingredients you wouldn't usually associate with a banh mi and DIY too. Crispy pork belly, pickles, kumquat butter, chicken orange pate and apple and date chutney, all beautifully presented on a wooden board with a freshly baked baguette. The combination of flavours worked well together.

'Chook in Broth ($15.00)' is deceptively big in size. The chicken is flamed grilled and placed on top of a bed of egg noodles with pickles, a gooey egg and mushrooms, in a light and hearty broth. The marinated chicken is wonderfully charred leaving it juicy and tender.

A side of 'Chips ($4.00)' is always a must. Unfortunately, I was down with the cold so my intake of hot chips was kept to a minimum. It could have been a bit crunchier but the side of aioli was a plus.

I ordered the 'Ice Coffee ($6.00)' for myself. I was asked whether I wanted it with ice-cream and I said just ice, much to my friend's disbelief. How could you have iced coffee without ice-cream? I succumbed to peer pressure and it tasted so good because of it, so lesson learnt, have it with ice-cream.

'Vietnamese Iced Coffee ($6.00)' is a much stronger version of the regular coffee. It packs a whole lot of punch and is traditionally made with condensed milk.

While prices are slightly higher than other cafes in the area, the food is worth a visit.

Where?
67 Albion Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010

Phone no: 02 9211 0108

Opening Hours
Monday - Closed
Tuesday - 7:00am to 4:00pm
Wednesday - Saturday: 7:00am to 10:00pm
Sunday: 7:00am to 4:00pm

Website
www.whitetaro.com.au

Gerrale Street Kitchen - Cronulla - Sydney, Australia

I'm taking a short break from my holiday posts as its been a while since I last posted about a local restaurant. I think it's about time I do and what better way to get back into it by blogging about a cafe in the Shire. The place I call home.

Gerrale Street Kitchen is a new kid on the block, located on you guessed it Gerrale Street in Cronulla. One street away from the sandy shores of the beach, it's follows the open kitchen concept and associates itself with LA dining trends. That is, the inspiration comes from the casual fine diners in LA.

The design and layout is simple, open and airy. There is plenty of natural light going around and definitely Instagram worthy. Best of all there is lots of seating (200 to be exact) and you don't have to queue on a weekend for breakfast most of the time. I'm too use to waiting over half an hour for a table at popular cafes in Sydney and sometimes leaving disappointed with the quality of the food.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their all day menu is not very extensive but there is a variety to choose from.

Having consumed a Vietnamese pork roll for breakfast, I decided a lighter lunch option would be preferable. The 'Warm Belgium Waffles ($15.00)' were delightfully presented. You may be thinking dessert for lunch? It does work and I really enjoyed the flavour combinations. Not just prettiness on a plate.

Wonderfully crispy waffles topped with whipped cinnamon ricotta, yuzu curd and raspberries. The fluffy ricotta balanced out the sweetness of the waffles and the yuzu curd gave it a zesty hit. Yummy!

The 'Fresh Canadian Stack ($15.90)' is made using brioche bread and then topped with smoked bacon, banana, maple, pecan crumble and mascarpone. The addition of bacon gives it a savoury component.

While it was nice and had good flavours, there was no wow factor unfortunately.

My friends and I particularly liked the 'Fresh House Blended Juices($7.00)'. The first one is a mix of watermelon, apple and mint. The second is a mix of orange, pineapple, mint and lemon. Both were refreshing.

How could one leave without having coffee? Not as strong as one would like but a decent cuppa.

If you live close by or don't mind the drive down, do give this place a try and see it for yourself. A bit too chilly for a swim at the beach but perfect for walks on warm and sunny days. The casual setting and nice ambience of the cafe is a plus. That woodfired pizza is calling me...to be back for dinner one day.

Where?
19-21 Gerrale St
Cronulla NSW 2230

Phone no: 02 9523 4111

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00am - 12:00pm
Saturday - Sunday
7:00am - 12:00pm

Website
www.gerralestkitchen.com.au