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

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

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

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

Circa Espresso - Parramatta - Sydney, Australia

It's been a few months since I last posted as life has kept me occupied or should I say I've been rather lazy. Sorry dear readers! Continuing on with the backlog of posts I've yet to go through, next up is Circa Espresso, now one of my favourite brunch places. I've been there twice and on both occasions the food has been consistently good.

Circa Espresso is situated between two buildings in what used to be a laneway, then a garage and then transformed into a fully operational cafe in the greater western suburb of Parramatta. It's located on the quieter side of the train station and away from the hustle and bustle.

Having attempted to go here a few times, I just didn't have any luck as it was either closed or another restaurant took precedence over it. It just wasn't meant to be as one would say. Then the day finally came but it was raining and from the photos we saw online it looked small inside, so once again we were about to cancel and change location. Luckily, my friend was persistent in going to have a look and thankfully we did. Seating is unavailable outside when it rains but once it clears it becomes available.

On our first visit we got a table inside within 15 minutes of waiting, which was much shorter than what we were expecting. The miserable weather  didn't stop customers from getting their coffee and breakfast as it was buzzing with patrons. However, on our second visit, the wait was close to an hour for a table inside. Be prepared to patiently wait on weekends as it's extremely popular.

From the outside it looks very small and narrow, but once you enter it's much bigger than it actually looks with more tables towards the back. Even though there is limited space, they've made use of it very well.

The rustic walls are lined with bricks and brightly painted murals, bringing back memories of the cafe culture in Melbourne.

The cheerful and bubbly waitress brings us to our tables right at the back, alongside shelves of books and encyclopedias, reminiscing to the days when we were younger. While the internal decor is quirky and fun, the lack of light makes photo taking slightly difficult but that's what creates the ambiance.

The menu is presented on pieces of paper on a clipboard, and from initial observation it looks impressive. There is a decent selection of home-style dishes from the basic breakfast items to the much more elaborate and unique, all of which are well-priced and affordable.

The 'Cappuccino (regular size)' is made using a blend of Little Marionette beans. The coffee is potent, robust and full bodied, and is ultra smooth on the palate.

On another visit, I opt for the large size cappuccino and wow it's huge for an additional 50 cents! Well worth the money as it's nearly twice the size of the regular and you'll surely get your full caffeine fix from that single cup.

The 'Baked Eggs' is made with sujuk, Danish feta, diced tomatoes and free range eggs with a hint of chilli, served in a pan. The side of crusty bread makes a good accompaniment for the perfectly cooked runny eggs. The hint of sourness from the juicy tomatoes and the saltiness from the creamy fetta balanced out well . Overall, I really liked the bold tomato based flavours and wish there was more of the bread for scooping up the sauce.

The 'Avocado Smash' looked sensational with shades of greens, reds and yellow from the assortment of vegetables. Suitable for those who prefer a lighter or less heavy breakfast as there isn't any meat. It's made with smashed creamy avocado, feta and lime juice, with a side of boiled eggs. It was fresh, tasty and popping with not only colour but also flavour.

'Baked Squid' appears to be a seasonal item as it wasn't on the menu the second time I was there. It's a shame cause it was very delicious. It resembled the baked eggs with a tomato base sauce but with the addition of chick peas and squid. A hearty and comforting dish that's perfect for this weather.

While seating is limited and the wait may be long, the quality ingredients and delicious food makes up for it. The service staff were welcoming and friendly making it even better. This cafe is definitely worth a visit. Hopefully I can try out one of their delectable desserts on display at the front soon.

Where?
21 Wentworth St
Parramatta NSW 2150
Australia

Phone no: 02 8896 6071

Opening Hour
Tuesday - Friday: 7:00am to 4:00pm
Saturday - Sunday: 8:00am to 3:00pm

Website
www.circaespresso.com.au