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

Unknown Chapter - Christchurch Central - Christchurch, New Zealand.

New Zealand was never really on my bucket list as I believed it shared so much resemblance to Australia. My initial thoughts were why go to a country that was so alike when I could go overseas to another country for an entire different cultural experience. I was proved entirely wrong in this case and my speculation went out the window. That's what I love about travelling, it opens your eyes and mind.

Driving from Christchurch to Queenstown just showed how beautiful the country was and how everything looked like it came from a photo in a book. 

Touching down in Christchurch after a short 3 hour flight from Sydney, we made our way to our rental car provider. Travelling in the south islands of New Zealand  is best done via driving as public transport is not widely available and taking a tour every day is probably not viable. 

A short drive to the city centre and we were in Christchurch Central. After the major earthquake they had back in 2011, the city was left badly damaged and till today they are still rebuilding the city. I hear it’s very different to how it used to be back before the earthquake. This is the remains of the famous church. 

The town is relatively quiet on a weekend with not much people in sight. However, there are people around, just not as much as there are on weekdays. There is definitely no shortage of cafes and restaurants to choose from in this city though. 

Our first lunch in Christchurch was probably my favourite meal of the entire trip. The café was right behind the hotel, having only opened less than a few months ago. We didn’t want to go too far given it was already too late into the afternoon and was approaching dinner time.

Unknown Chapter is a coffee roaster who brews their coffee on site.  The space is airy and filled with plenty of natural light from the floor to ceilings glass windows.

Lunch service was closed so we decided to have a light meal from their display cabinets. 

The freshly baked goodies and desserts on display looked delicious but I held myself back and stuck with a savory option to save stomach space for dinner. 

The 'spicy sausage roll' was served on a plate with a small side salad and their own home made tomato relish. A huge sausage roll that was much bigger than the frozen ones I’m accustomed to. The layers of pastry were flaky and buttery. The meat was moist and well seasoned with a light spicy kick.  Just so delicious especially eaten with their tomato relish which was also one of the best I’ve tried out of this trip.

The ‘American sandwich’ containing corned beef, cheese and pickles encased in a toasted bread was pretty awesome too in terms of flavour and tastiness. 

As their coffee beans are freshly roasted on premises it does make a difference.  The 'cappuccino' is strong but smooth and packs a punch. It is much more bitter than the coffee we get back in Sydney and a cup will definitely wake you up.

A spacious and relaxing cafe in the CBD that’s not too crowded with a decent menu on offer for breakfast and lunch. If only we had so much time we could just sit there and watch the world go by. 

Where?

254 Saint Asaph St

Christchurch Central 8011

New Zealand

Phone no: 027 201 5996

Opening Hours

Daily

6:30am – 5:00pm

Website

www.unknownchaptercoffee.co.nz

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

Berry Sourdough Cafe - Berry - South Coast, Australia

The weather today was perfect for a day trip to the small town of Berry, located in the South Coast of NSW, an hour and a half drive from Sutherland. My best friends and I have wanted to go for some time now but have had to cancel due to the wet weather previously. I went on a family trip many years ago and really enjoyed the time there. It's nice going out of Sydney once in a while to just relax and unwind.

There a number of cafes and restaurants in Berry with good reviews to choose from. Our cafe of choice was the Berry Sourdough Cafe. We actually planned to have brunch there after perusing their menu online, only to have missed it by 20 minutes, leaving us a bit disappointed. Shy 10 minutes of 12pm, we waited for lunch service to start.

A lovely and cosy standalone cafe with a bakery in house, they pride themselves on using local produce and that's definitely something I highly regard. Support local business!

The pastries and breads on display looked delicious. If only we had more stomach space we would have had desserts too. We were saving ourselves for the cinnamon doughnuts from the famous Berry Doughnut van for later.

I guess it was a calling. Initially, I was going to order the chicken dish below, but changed my mind last minute. The 'Rigatoni ($20.00)' with Spanish pork sausage, roast fennel and sofrito was all sorts of amazing. On initial bite of the al dente pasta, the tomato based sauce was exploding with flavour from the aromatic ingredients used. I ate every last bit on the plate. Superb! It comes with dollops of mascarpone but I asked for it to be excluded.

From their specials board, The 'Roasted Chicken Maryland ($24.00)' is a simple and hearty home-style dish. The chicken was well seasoned and the chicken meat was moist. The side of kipfler potatoes, and the apple and cabbage is a refreshing accompaniment.

'Matcha Latte ($4.00)' is a surprising item on the menu. We didn't expect to see it in Berry. It had a decent amount of matcha powder in it and I really enjoyed the frothiness. Unfortunately the cinnamon powder on the top gave it a strange taste, more like a chai latte.

The 'Cappucino ($4.00)' here is a good cup of coffee. The beans are strong and punchy without giving the bitter aftertaste.

Service was great, the staff were really friendly and attentive. Most importantly, the food was excellent and the freshness of the ingredients used showed in their dishes . What more could one ask for?

*Credits to my best friend Anny for her sign photo. Do visit her blog at http://anythingandsomethings.blogspot.com.au/. It's an interesting read on her life and previous work secondments to Amsterdam and San Francisco.

Where?
23 Prince Alfred St
Berry NSW 2535
Australia

Phone no: 02 4464 1617

Opening Hours
Breakfast
Wednesday to Sunday: 8:00am - 11:30am
Lunch
Wednesday to Sunday: 12:00pm - 3:00pm

Website
www.berrysourdoughcafe.com.au