The Award Winning 'Spice I Am'

Move over, Chat Thai! For the longest time, I considered Chat Thai the best Thai place here in Sydney. I've been hearing Spice I Am from friends but I haven't taken it seriously as I'm not so familiar with it's location, Surry Hills. It's a lame reason, I know ha.ha.

The girls, my daughters, had a serious craving for something spicy and Asian since yesterday. After trying a few Thai places, we finally decided to try Spice I Am. It wasn't very far from the Central Station. An easy 10 minute walk.

The place is small. I guess branches in other locations are spacious. Anyhow, despite the number of people dining, the service wasn't slow. It was just a bit difficult to communicate with the wait staff as they are not very fluent in English.

We ordered Beef Salad, Pad Thai seafood and Crispy Pork Belly in chili jam and cherry tomatoes. I always order Pad Thai whenever I dine for the first time. So far, theirs is tastier than the others I have tried in the past. The shrimp was perfectly cooked. My eldest daughter is an expert in crispy pork bellies as it will always be her forever favourite. She always orders that wherever she can. According to Ariana, the pork belly is consistently crispy. In other places, there would always be pieces that are chewy. I tried it and Ariana was right; the pork was truly crispy. The sauce was nice as it has the right balance of sweetness and spiciness. The Beef Salad was flavourful albeit spicy. The taste of the lemon grass, coriander, tanginess of lime and chili slices blended perfectly. The servings were huge that we ended up eating the left overs for dinner ha.ha.

Oh, wait. I didn't quite like the drink I ordered. Rosella. I asked the wait staff what it was and all she said was that, it was sweet. Can't further describe. I think it's an acquired taste. It's slightly sour, sweet with a hint of salty taste. I googled and it is a tea from a flowering plant named Roselle. It's apparently a healthy drink which is good for lowering cholesterol, just what I needed.

Over-all, it was really good. No wonder, it has won several awards.

Average Bill Per Head: AUD 24

Major Cards Not Accepted. Cash only.

Beef Salad

Pad Thai

Crispy Pork Belly with Chilli Jam

Revisiting Blue Mountains

We first visited Blue Mountains in 2008. It was the year we first arrived here in Australia. Since it was the Easter long weekend and the weather was nice we decided to revisit some areas in Blue Mountains which we haven't been to like Leura. Oh! One day is not enough.  Anyway, we managed to have morning tea and lunch at Leura and enjoy the garden at Everglades.

It isn't difficult to go and visit this area as one can take a two hour train ride and either get off at Katoomba or Leura. We got into the hop on hop off bus for AUD25 to conveniently see other tourist spots. I find the place nice and quiet. I fell in love with Leura that I don't mind relocating in that area when I grow old.  Enjoy some of the photos!

Katoomba

The museum is under renovation but you can still enjoy their Devonshire Tea.

The scones are ordinary but what makes it special is the novelty of the place.

Everglades Garden. We lack time as it closes at 4PM and our hike was cut short when I got scared of the small snake.

The Candy Store at the Leura Mall.

(Left photo) Some interesting vintage stuff from this store. (Right photo) Homemade Fudge.

This shop also serves scones and tea.

Le Pain Quotidien

My children and I go for heavy breakfast, as we love discovering new breakfast places to visit. We don't mind waking up really early for a good breakfast. The branch of Le Pain Quotidien in The Rocks opened in November. It has other locations in Sydney but this one is quite historical as it used to be a police station. There are small dining rooms which used to be prison cells. The place is quaint and perfect for catching up with friends.

As for the food, it was good. Simple, yet nicely presented. Their hollandaise was perfect! We tried their brioche and sour cherry tart, and I must say, it tasted authentic. Coffee is served in a large cup here in Le Pain Quotidien; large enough to look like a soup bowl, ha. Ha. Also, it wasn't as expensive as we expected. Looking forward to visiting this place again.

Clockwise from top left: Outside Le Pain Quotidien, the room where we dined,
one of the former prison cells, and the hallway.

Poached eggs with hollandaise and ham (left)
As you can see, on the right is the coffee cup - or should I say bowl?

Scrambled eggs with organic bread, bacon and grilled tomato (left)
Belgian waffle with seasonal fruit (right)

Sabina says:
Frankly, this is one of the most tastiest places you can go to for breakfast. I've had a soft spot for waffles, and their Belgian waffles did not fail to disappoint! I had to share with my sister, so we had half of the two dishes above. Another thing I liked about the breakfast was their bread. Soft and chewy in the inside, and crunchy and toasted on the outside. We also bought a sour cherry and almond tart (I think that's what it's called), and it tasted divine.

Sweet Overload at Sydney Shangri-La

The girls and I tried the Wickedly Sweet Chocolate High Tea at Sydney Shangri-La Hotel which runs until May of next year. Oh well, it was really wicked ha.ha.ha. I think my sugar level increased by few units. It is definitely not for diabetics. We went for the high tea experience. The ambiance was cozy at the lobby lounge and as usual, service was good. I ordered something savoury that afternoon, Chicken Wrap, to off set the sugar in my system. The price is reasonable and serving is quite big.  

It simply brought back memories years ago when I worked at the pastry kitchen of  Shangri-La Makati for my apprenticeship. Next time, I guess I'll opt for the regular high tea offering as I felt very guilty after having that afternoon tea. Enjoy the snaps!

The Lobby Lounge at Shangri-La Sydney

Scones with Chocolate (Yes! it's real chocolate)

SNAG STAND Haute Dogs!

Sabina loves hot dog sandwich especially those from Ikea. There are only few choices of American Hot dogs in the supermarkets here. While trying to think of what to have for lunch few Sundays ago, we chanced upon Snag Stand. It is indeed the home of gourmet hot dogs. They have all sorts of hot dogs, check out the menu for it is quite extensive. Sabina tried the American Classic and Chilli Cheese Fries, which she finds quite spicy. The bread roll was soft, by the way. A must try!

Average bill per head: $12-18

Via Mare

Via Mare is one of the good Filipino restaurants in the Philippines. On our recent holiday, I made sure that my children had a chance to dine there. This is a late post, guys :(. Anyway, should you visit the country one day soon, make sure to visit Via Mare and try the adobo flakes, similar to pork floss, and other popular dishes such as Kare Kare (Ox Tail in Peanut Sauce), Pork Binagoongan (Deep Fried Pork in Sauteed Shrimp Paste) or Halo Halo for dessert. For the basic recipe of Adobo, please refer to my previous post.

The adobo flakes is the dehydrated version of pork adobo. I think the pork is shredded and deep fried or  I reckon dried in the oven. Best eaten with sunny side up egg, garlic fried rice and vinegar as dipping sauce. Guinumis, on the other hand, is a dessert drink made with coconut milk, sweetened with sugar syrup, tapioca pearls (sago) , flavored gelatin (gulaman) and toasted rice crispies (pinipig). Makes me wanna go home and eat!

Adobo Flakes 

Chicken Inasal (grilled chicken marinated in special blend of spices with annatto oil)

Guinumis

Ashfield Cafe for Malaysian Curry Puff

Ashfield Cafe is a typical eatery that you will find in a hawker centre in South East Asia. I love their Malaysian Curry Puff that it has become a ritual to buy few pieces every time I would go to Ashfield, which is about 30 mins. travel time by train from our place. It is conveniently located near the train station.

The pastry is flaky and the curry filling taste so good. It  reminded me of our empanadas in the Philippines.

I tried having lunch there also and the serving is big. Coconut rice, beef rendang, squid curry and fried chicken all in one plate. Yum and cheap, too.

Dulce Luna Viennoiserie

I managed to find this small, hole in the wall bakery in King Street named Dulce Luna Viennoiserie.

I love croissants due to the buttery flavour and the layers of pastry, which gives a really nice texture. However, Dulce Luna's croissants are different. It's like having a brioche. I guess, I'm more biased on rich tasting and soft breads, typical of Asian breads compared to crusty, chewy and dark colour crusted European breads.

There was a long queue outside the store but I patiently waited for the store hours was pretty limited, as far as my personal schedule is concerned. The small cafe reminded me of Paris while the croissants brought me back good food memories from my trip last year to Rome. The moment I bite it, there is a sense of lemon flavour that I can pick, same flavour that I have noticed when I had them in Italy. Yay! I bought half dozen and tried their empanadas (chorizo!). Really nice! Their coffee was also good. 

Something a Sydneysider shouldn't miss. And oh, I noticed that they are using the flour which the company that I work for manufacture.

Jamie's Italian Kitchen

We decided to have something fancy for lunch to celebrate my sister's birthday last month. We went to Jamie Oliver's restaurant at Pitt Street. We came around 12:30 PM to make sure we'll get seated quickly for we heard there's always a long queue.

We were greeted with a friendly staff and were impressed with the place, for it has a good ambiance. The food was almost impeccable, as well as the service, not to mention the good Italian looking wait staff ha.ha.. It is slightly pricey but you will definitely get what you paid for. A must try is their Porcetta, which they claim was cooked for 15 hours, the crackling skin and flavourful, tender meat was to die for and the truffle laced chips with grated parmesan was good.

I tried Risotto Milanese. The creamy saffron & parmesan risotto was cooked just right, al dente, and the roasted bone marrow was a winner. For AUD12.50 per serving, I wished they served two pieces of the courgette(zucchini) fritto ha.ha. I only had one.

For dessert, we had peach almond tart and Tiramisu. The tart was nice, the mint garnish brings a different twist. I find the Tiramisu ok. I wish the sponge was slightly thicker. It was so thin and with the sponge dunked in coffee, it's almost grainy and feels disintegrated when eaten. I could hardly feel the filling in between as the sponge's texture gets in the way. Oh well, generally, it was still good.

I would love to come back and try the other menu entrees and pasta. As usual, we went home with happy bellies.

Our average bill per head: AUD35

Chips with truffle Oil & Parmesan (middle); Shake Me salad for kids

(L-R) Risotto Milanese ,Courgette Fritto, Buffalo Ricotta Ravioli

Bowl Bar Oiden

Sydney has a reputation of being expensive. I will not disagree but as long as you know when and where to buy your stuff, sometimes you'll get good deals. Trust me on this ha.ha.ha.

My sister recommended this small Japanese restaurant in the city. If you're on a tight budget, this place is perfect. Cheap yet it taste good. Check out their menu.

Our average bill per head, you won't believe it : AUD9.00

Stewed Beef Salad (Left Bowl, 2nd row from top);
Teriyaki Chicken (Right bowl, 2nd row)

Pork Katsu

Grill'd Healthy Burgers

Yesterday, before catching the Wizard of Oz at Riverside Theatre, we decided to have dinner. We had no specific cuisine in mind and so we decided to play it by ear. While walking, we came across Grill'd. We checked the menu and since, Sabina loves burgers while Ariana wants to have something light for dinner,we ended up there.

They serve a wide range of burgers (chicken, beef, lamb, veggie and kiddie treats) and a few side orders of chips and salads. The Moroccan lamb burger was good! I had it in panini bread while Sabina had simply grill'd beef and of course, the diet conscious one, had Caesar's Salad with grilled chicken. The salad was served with sunny side up egg and it was surprisingly nice. It gave a rich taste.

Simply Grill'd Beef

Moroccan Lamb Burger

Caesar's Salad

It was also good to know that the company has a great sense of social responsibility. The Local Matters is how it is called. Upon ordering, we were given three bottle tops and we can choose which community group we want to support by dropping the bottle top into the respective jars. The group that got the highest number of bottle tops will be given a cash donation. It is done on a monthly basis. Isn't that nice?

Our average bill: AUD16.50.

Blissful Brekkie at Bon Bon

I received a canister of hot chocolate drink mix for Christmas from my friend, Carol. It was from Bon Bon. I've been to the chocolate store before but I didn't know that there was a cafe downstairs. For our next breakfast adventure, we woke up a little bit early last Sunday to try their breakfast offering.

We were stunned by the nice rustic ambiance of the cafe. Reminded me of our cafe in the Philippines, Northern Brew. We were greeted by the Barista and soon the friendly staff approached us. The girls had a cold chocolate drink while I tried the hot dark chocolate with a hint of Habanero chili. Wow! I love the kick of chili at the end. It lingers. 

What did we order? Sabina had a croissant filled with smoked ham, Gouda and sliced roma tomato. They take pride in claiming that the croissant is traditionally made with 120 layers. Indeed, it was flaky, light and buttery. I had slightly toasted rye bread with poached eggs, haloumi, cherry tomatoes, avocado and arugula. It was awesome!  Ariana, on the other hand, had Belgian waffle topped with berry compote, mascarpone and pistachio nuts. I'll let her tell you what she thinks about her food. I guess, she was the least happiest among the three of us, ha ha.

Ariana says:
I do have to agree with my mum when she says I was the least happiest. Overall, I'd give my breakfast item a 7/10. The toppings were, for the lack of a better term, fantabulous. The creaminess of the mascarpone, in addition to the toasted pistachio nuts, compliment the tartness of the berry compote. I did however struggle to find the Belgian waffle itself. It absorbed most of the compote and ended up being soggy - and unidentifiable if I do say so myself. But hey, you get free chocolate afterwards so it's all good! 

Overall, it was a lovely breakfast. The ambiance, food & service were nearly perfect. After paying our bill, we were given three tiny boxes which we could take to the chocolate shop upstairs for free chocolate of our choice.I had white chocolate filled with  champagne flavoured ganache. I think the girls went for the coffee filled ones.We'll definitely visit back soon.

Average Bill per head: AUD17

Guylian at Darling Quarter

As of date, Guylian at Darling Quarter is one of our happy places. We love having our breakfast there and the park in front of the cafe spells fun especially for my girls. So, coming here is like hitting two birds with one stone. They always order their fluffy pancakes with strawberries topped with chocolate sauce while I like the bacon, spinach & mushroom. Chocolate based drinks taste good, too. The cafe has nice ambiance and relaxing atmosphere. We recently visited the place, this time with my husband, and they are quite consistent with their good service.

Their pastries?Hhhmmmm. Not that bad but I'll still go for La Renaissance or Becasse for French pastries. Each time I visit a pastry shop for the first time, I make sure that I order a slice of L'Opera or an eclair,  the classics. It would somehow be my basis of rating their pastries ha.ha. Theirs is so-so. 

Check out Darling Quarter http://www.darlingquarter.com/ .
Average Bill per head: AUD20