the presentation. the flavours. the textures. oh my!

The minute you walk (or drive) past Smalltown, you're absolutely in awe and can't help but to go in and explore. Opening in March 2014, Smalltown take great pride in their entire offering as well as the promotion of their suppliers: Inside Out Almond Milk, Sonoma Baked Goods and Single Origin Coffee. The interiors are inviting with a fun, relaxed and industrial-chic feel. There's something to smile about every-which way you look - whether it's the cute bunting, the hand-written notes or the gorgeous chalk illustrations...

Just reading the menu is enough to tantalise the palate, with so many delicious options to choose from. After a lot of nail-biting back-and-forth, we decided on the Big boy's bacon and egg roll with rocket, swiss cheese, caramelised onion, relish, aioli on a toasted bun and the Green pea bruschetta with mint, preserved lemon, confit garlic, danish feta and a poached egg on sourdough. The presentation. The flavours. The textures. Oh my!

I don't live near the Northern Beaches but I would go out of my way just to eat here again. They even offer free doggie biscuits if you come with your furry friend!

Cafe: Smalltown
Total price (for 2ppl): Food: $28.50, Beverages: $6.50
Hours: 7.30am - 3pm
Must order: Green pea bruschetta with the addition of a poached egg
Coffee: Single Origin Coffee

i found heaven

Ever since Colin Fassnidge appeared on MasterChef, I've been wanting to try either of his restaurants: Four In Hand or 4fourteen. I finally got to 4fourteen in Surry Hills last week for my birthday dinner, and it was everything I was expecting and more.

Opening in May 2011 and receiving a coveted chefs hat only a couple of months in, Fassnidge draws upon nose-to-tail cookery with local and sustainable produce; making the undesirable, desirable. The restaurant itself has warehouse inspired-charm, with incredibly friendly and helpful staff. The atmosphere, relaxed precision.

The seating is quite spacious, and they even have enough room for prams and high chairs if needed (which we needed on this occasion). The 4fourteen concept is all about sharing, so we ordered some nibbles - ham hock and cheese croquettes (highly recommended by the staff), and grilled spicy chorizo; some salads and starches - mixed grain salad, and the charred salt crust sweet potato with smoked potato mayonnaise; as well as a selection of the large share plates - spiced spanish mackerel, grilled bavette, and braised whole lamb shoulder.

The sweet potato was a crowd favourite, but the the lamb shoulder... WOW. Upon first bite, the entire table fell silent. Seriously the tastiest lamb I, if not the entire table, may have ever had. Hot tip: make sure you poor the jus over the lamb before eating it. Perfection!

The croquettes were nice and would definitely order those, as well as chorizo and bavette again. Give the mackarel a miss. Hardly anyone touched it and it just wasn't up to the same standard as the other dishes...

Now onto my favourite meal - how can you choose from the dessert menu presented to us? We decided to get the white chocolate sandwich and deconstructed snickers to share. They were beyond this world. The white chocolate sandwich... heaven! I may have to come back just to order another one of those. As one of my Instagram followers @jemima.southgate put it, "it's totally life changing". And I completely agree.

Restaurant: 4fourteen

Total price: Approx $365 (for 6ppl including a bottle of wine and beers)

Hours: Tue - Sat lunch 12pm - 3pm, dinner from 6pm; Sunday lunch 12pm-4pm

Must order: Braised whole lamb shoulder with fennel, peas, feta and mint (and if you're a sweet tooth, you MUST get the white chocolate sandwich)

on trend

Tucked away in a side street of Surry Hills lies the highly anticipated Reuben Hills. Not only does the menu look incredible (you can have a look-see online before you go), but it's the talk of the town for both brekkie-lovers and foodies on Instagram. Not to mention they were awarded the 2013 best boutique roaster by SMH Good Cafe Guide...

Industrial design meets shabby chic with exposed brick, a garage roller-door and a sneak peek into their entire coffee-making process. They even offer coffee cupping/tasting sessions every Friday morning at 10am! With specific attention to accessibility (for the coffee and the food), owners Nathan Borg and Russell Beard draw inspiration from their various coffee buying trips through Central and South America.

The food looks incredibly inviting, and I immediately regretted that I didn't come with more people (now I only had a couple of meals to taste test!). We decided on the soft baked eggs with chorizo, spinach, ranchero and rye and the blueberry sago with tapioca pearls, banana, agave syrup, almond milk and cacao nibs. Thumbs up for having the most hipster and on-trend brekkie! The dishes were well crafted with texture, presentation, ingredients and taste.

Previously blogs have mentioned they had an issue with the wait-staff and the amount of time they waited, but I had absolutely no complaints. They provided their recommendations, and waited on us really quickly. On that note, I'm totes going back to try their french toast (it looks phenomenal!), dogs breakfast and the really fucking great fried chicken. And their sweets. And their shakes. OK, we all need to go there to try everything on the menu... who's with me?

Cafe: Reuben Hills
Total price: Approx $40 (for 2ppl)
Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-4pm; Sun 7.30am-4pm
Must order: Blueberry sago
Coffee: their own specialty blend

finally got there

I've heard great things about Jamie's Italian and tried to go here for dinner a couple of times without booking, only to be told to wait up to an one hour for a table for two. At which point, I turn around and don't look back. If you're patient enough you can have drinks at the bar with your table buzzer in hand, but generally I'm too hungry to wait that long.

It seems that an early dinner works in your favour... third time lucky, we arrived at 6.30pm to find absolutely no queue, and a table for two in the middle of the restaurant.

Jaime's Italian was conceived over four years ago, and has since launched 30 restaurants around the world; with Sydney CBD opening early 2012 and forming part of the The Keystone Group. From the exterior it looks quite small, but don't be fooled. It has two stories and can house up to 200 patrons! The interiors are very Jamie Oliver - rustic, natural, precise, minimalist. The seating area does seem quite tight, but this seems to be an issue more for the waiters.

The menu has a vast selection of Italian dishes: antipasti, ravioli, pasta and risotto; all of which focus on using sustainable, seasonal and regional ingredients. The wine menu is extensive with a large range of Italian wines, but the 'Espresso Martini' and 'Blueberry & Basil Smash' caught our eye (I'd miss the later next time around).

We went with the waitresses recommendations and ordered the prawn linguine, buffalo ricotta ravioli and the one of the specials - Jamie's signature porchetta. The meals were delicious, fresh and cooked to perfection; however I felt they were on the smaller side... especially for some of the prices we paid. My favourite was the ravioli - perhaps because it was light, extremely tasty and melted in the mouth.

The dessert menu wasn't huge and I think it lacked a bit of creativity. The only dish that caught our eye was the 'Epic Brownie': warm fudge brownie with salted caramel ice-cream & caramelised amaretti popcorn (it was actually suppose to come with ameretto ice-cream, but the waitress suggested we try the salted caramel). The various textures worked, but the flavours just didn't gel all that well for me. Maybe we should have kept the ameretto ice-cream...? I guess it was only $10 though, and in restaurant standards that's really cheap.

  

Would I recommend it? Yes, although it's definitely not the top (or even middle) of my list. Would I line up? Absolutely not.

Restaurant: Jamie's Italian, Sydney
Total price: Approx $120 (for 2ppl including cocktails)
Hours: 11.30am - 11.00pm
Must order: Buffalo ricotta ravioli

new found love

Renowned for its artisan baked goods and incredible coffee, Luxe started in 2003 with a whole in the wall cafe in Westfield Bondi Junction. Fast forward 11 years and they now have a wholesale business, as well as five cafes - the most recent being Miranda Westfield which launched two weeks ago.

Perfectly situated in the affulent setction of the mall (its neighbours include Zimmermann, Willow and Sass & Bide!), Luxe is al fresco style dining with a private and/or share-table environment. Fun. Luxurious. Flavoursome. Just what this area needed...

Luxe cafe is a large, open space, and has a certain buzz about it that one can't help but stop and order something... anything... The menu has a cheeky personality with its choice of words, and the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful - only too happy to answer your questions or provide recommendations on food choice.

My husband and I ordered the obligatory strong piccolo and skim latte, and opted to share the Lobster Fettuccine with fennel, peas and saffron butter. I'm not quite sure how anyone could go past that dish on the menu... WOW. It was delicious! Lobster cooked to perfection, and the right amount of the flavour and remaining ingredients so as not to overpower. The coffees exceeded expectations - creamy and full-bodied. Quite possibly our new favourite coffee.

The meal and experience was absolutely divine, and 100% lived up to their values - "perfect coffee, fresh food, fine wine, and artisan baked goods, all made with love". Well done Luxe. We'll definitely be frequenting this area much more because of you... Next time, though, I'll definitely be trying the Lemon Meringue Tart!

Cafe: Luxe, Miranda
Total price: Approx $40 (1 x lunch, 2 x coffees)
Hours: Mon-Fri 9.30am-6pm; Sat 9am-6pm; Sun 10am-6pm
Must order: Lobster Fettuccine
Coffee: Luxe

summing up sydney's lower north shore in one cafe

If I could sum up Sydney's Lower North Shore in a cafe, this would be it. The Incinerator has old world art deco charm infused with modern interiors, style and standards. A heritage listed building, the cafe occupies the ground floor of the 1930's Walter Burley Griffin designed Willoughby Incinerator building.

Owner/manager Jonathan Slingo has done an incredible job in preserving the integrity of the building, its history and surrounds. Opening early 2014, The Incinerator draws upon the skills of Acme Design Studio (those clever people who designed the award winning The Grounds of Alexandria) and prides itself on the seasonal and sustainable menu.

The cafe is constantly buzzing, with people coming to dine in as well as ordering take-away. There's seating both inside and out (perfect for a summers day), however I was slightly confused as to whether we should wait to be seated - and it appeared the confusion was shared amongst their staff. Some told us to sit whilst others told us to wait. After a couple of minutes, we were soon asked to be seated...

Some staff were friendly whilst others appeared stressed. Regardless of their manner, the service was prompt and orders taken swiftly. We ordered  the bircher museli, "have it your way" eggs with avocado, and the tapioca with coconut yoghurt and fresh fruit. Special mention goes to The Grounds Roasters being used for their coffee. One of my faves! The tapioca was so simple yet so delicious, eggs were cooked to perfection, and unfortunately the bircher muesli (normally one of my favourite dishes) was just... bland. I actually didn't know where the muesli was - all I could taste was yoghurt, toasted nuts and blood orange juices. Not a fan.

Chef Adrian Borg has done a great job with the varied ingredients, presentation and textures, although one of the stand out features which doesn't happen often these days, is that Jonathan makes a point to personally go to each table and ask whether everything is OK. He's happy to take some time out to chat, about anything, and is extremely personable. He also talked us into a cronut and a red velvet lamington as a 'birthday cake'!

Cafe: The Incinerator
Total price: Approx. $60 (for 3ppl)
Hours: 7am-4pm
Must order: Tapioca, coconut yoghurt, strawberries, lychees and chia seeds
Coffee: The Grounds Roasters

middle eastern show-stopper

To me Middle Eastern means big and bold, yet intricate and detailed. For some reason I absolutely love love love their traditional interiors (lights, lanterns, use of bright colours) but I'm just not a huge fan of their food. Whether it's the intense flavours or the amount of oil that is used, the food just doesn't agree with my tastebuds. Never-the-less my girlfriends and I went to the highly acclaimed (accordingly to my friends and work colleagues) Kazbah in Balmain for dinner.

The restaurant is either child-friendly or encourages you to bring out your inner-child, with crayons provided (regardless of whether you're with children) for the paper table covers. The interiors and service are as expected - intricate, colourful and exotic with some show-stopping performances. Pouring the water was an art in itself. I wish I got a photo of it, but I'll just point you to another photo online so you can see what I mean. It's incredible and let me tell you, I was in awe.

For starters we ordered the dips and mixed bread (of course) and the grilled haloumi cheese (of course). You can never go wrong with these two dishes, right? And they didn't disappoint. We also ordered the clams with chilli, garlic and tomato sauce (yum!), and the ham and cheese grilled black truffle sandwich, which to be honest seemed a little odd to be sitting on a dinner menu!? Not quite sure why we ordered this - could have been the mention of 'truffle' - but needless to say, I wouldn't order that again.


We chose the lemon baharat chicken and lamb kafta shish kebabs, as well as the slow-cooked lamb shoulder for our mains. They were nice, nothing to write home about though. Especially for the price that we paid. Our sides included the fattoush salad and the Mediterranean potatoes twice-cooked with rosemary, capsicum and onion.

The Kazbah Bomb, which has it's own separate line and is bold on the menu, is one of the reasons why people come here. It is THE show-stopping dish, and one must order it (even if one doesn't like Turkish Delight). Not only does this dessert come with Turkish Delight ice-cream, sponge, soft meringue and blueberries; but it is doused with currant vodka and on flames when presented to your table. It's pretty incredible! We also ordered the scrumptious banana split with banana and chocolate macaroons, Chantilly cream, vanilla bean ice-cream and a salted toffee sauce.

Although my friends love it and I do recommend coming here for the experience itself, I personally won't be going back there in a hurry (unless it's for breakfast, which I'm willing to give it another try). It's just unfortunately not my cup of tea... Oh and on that note, if you like tea, finish the evening with 'Kasbah Love' - Carcade (Egyptian hibiscus), rose buds & cinnamon.

Restaurant: Kazbah Balmain
Total price: Approx. $300 (for 5ppl, including wine)
Hours: 8am-3pm;11.30am-3pm; 5.30pm-9.30pm; closed Mondays
Must order: Kazbah Bomb

raising the bar

Situated at the bottom of Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre, Jean Louis Joseph is the perfect breakfast or lunch spot, especially if you need a 'pick me up' after a day of shopping. The interiors are vast and open, fashionably simple with a stunning vertical garden. Orders are made at the till, and the staff are warm, fast and flawless with their service. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed (this is however, dependent on whether you have screaming kids seated near you!) - they even have a live jazz singer selling his CD's for $10 a pop.

 

Chef/owner Nick Whitehouse (whom also featured in MasterChef) focuses on combining rustic, simple dishes with classic, modern techniques. Completely raising the bar for its competitors, this is a grocer come cafe come deli, and has everything you ever need and more.

We ordered the poached eggs cooked at 65 degrees with smashed avo, and corn fritters. I've never had eggs cooked in this way before - they almost tasted too perfect. It was like it was a soft boiled egg with the texture of jelly. Incredible! The corn fritters are the best we've had to date.

So apart from the screaming kids... this is pretty much a 10 out of 10!

Cafe: Jean Louis Joseph
Total price: Approx. $40 (for 2ppl)
Hours: 7am-7pm
Must order: Poached eggs cooked at 65 degrees
Coffee: Allpress Carmelo