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

weekend escape with seafood to match

If you're looking for a luxury weekend getting away with meals to match, look no further than Rick Stein at Bannisters. Located in the sleepy town of Mollymook (approx 3.5hrs drive from Sydney), Bannisters is located on south coast with incredible panoramic views over the Pacific Ocean.

The interiors and staff exude a sophisticated, yet relaxed atmosphere, with a friendly, small-coastal-town approach to their suited table service. We sat right next to the window, and marveled at the menu in front of us, both al a carte and the wine list.

For my entree I ordered the seared scallops with serrano ham, sherry vinegar and parsley, and we also shared the various types of oysters for the table - Broadwateer Oysters from Pembula and Merimbula; Ewan McAsh's Clyde River Rock Oysters, and Tuross Rock Oysters; freshly shucked served with eschallot vinegar. Both dishes were delectable.

The main was a hard choice for all - so many choices! However I opted for their signature dish, the Bannisters Fish Pie (salmon, blue-eye trevalla, barramundi, scallops, mushrooms and prawns in a creamy fish veloute sauce with truffle, gratinated with breadcrumbs and parmesan). I must admit, when all the other dishes came out I have huge food envy. The very flat and small looking pie was was competing with the Bouillabaisse, Indonesian Seafood Curry and the Crispy Skin Barramundi...

The Fish Pie was the best I have tasted, and certainly didn't fill me like a main meal normally would. Lucky the other mains were quite large, and I my favourite meal of the day. The Seafood curry (with flake, squid and king prawns, served with green bean, fresh coconut salad and steamed rice was mouth-wateringly incredible. The flavours, the seafood, the presentation - I think I fell in love.

On to my other favourite meal - dessert. Another tricky choice, but I opted for the Valrhona Chocolate Mousse with chantily cream and salted caramel. I think it was the meer mention of 'salted caramel', seems to get me every time! It didn't disappoint, but my eye was all over the chocolate fondant as well, and I still wonder whether I should have ordered that (my other weakness is coconut ice cream)...

So much confusion over the food on offer, but this can only be a good thing. It's a breath-taking location, with a very friendly atmosphere, and teamed with incredible local and fresh seafood. The price is great for the calibre and experience. So if you're looking for a weekend away, make sure you check out Mollymook, Bannisters and of course Rick Stein's seafood restaurant.

Restaurant: Rick Stein at Bannisters
Total price: Approx $500 (for 4ppl)
Hours: Lunch Wed-Sun 12.30pm-2pm; Dinner Wed-Thu &Sun 6pm-8.30pm, Fr-Sat 6pm-9.15pm
Must order: Indonesian seafood curry

a local favourite

A small cafe, hidden in the back streets of St Leonards, Wooden Whisk is a short walk from the crowds on Crows Nests' Willoghby Road. With it's top five tips on the latest health crazes, the ever-changing specials board, or their on-the-ball, accommodating and smiley staff; it's no wonder Wooden Whisk is a crowd (and our local) favourite.

The interiors are the ultimate in industrial chic - featuring exposed brick and Herringbone wall tiles. There's plenty of seating both outdoor and indoor, with bench seating around the walls and a large share-table in the centre.

We've been there on numerous occasions, and with their focus on the heartier meals unfortunately the Bircher Muesli is not worthy of writing home about - or ordering again. The stand-out brekkie though, is by far the The Breakfast Grazing Board, which features goats cheese, avocado, double smoked bacon, poached egg, tomato chutney, cherry tomato, basil with boulot white sourdough. Large serving, hearty and full of flavours.

The lunch menu centres around sandwiches - hand on heart the Asian Pulled Pork is the best I've tried. It's packed with pulled pork, cucumber, spring onion, aioli, cabbage & mint slaw, and a side of fries. It's a very large meal (the image is shown is only half), so if you're like me and tend to have smaller lunches, order this for two!

Cafe: Wooden Whisk
Total price: Approx $40 (for 2pp)
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-4pm; Sat 7.30am-3pm
Must order: Asian pulled pork sandwich
Coffee: Specially selected from Single Origin Coffee

lunch, dinner or weekend retreat

Jonah's is one of those places everyone always talks about... Stunning views. Sumptuous food. Sophisticated atmosphere.

Offering contemporary Australian cuisine with breathtaking views over the Pacific Ocean, this restaurant is everything attached to it's name and much, much more. As soon as you walk in you're mesmerised by the view.

The formal waitstaff are quick to greet you, and escort you to your table. Try and book a booth - they are by far the best seats in the house, especially for spotting the celebrities who are dining!

Executive Chef Peter Ridland focuses on fresh, seasonal produce with an emphasis on seafood. The wine list is very extensive with 5,000 bottles to choose from, featuring the best from Australia and around the world.

The a la carte menu took our eye (degustation prices start from $170pp + $70pp matching wines). For my entree I ordered North Atlantic Scallops sautéed with Ibérico jamón, spiced rock melon cloud, puffed quinoa and melon dressing. So light, so tasty!

I couldn't go past the Western Australian Cone Bay Barramundi for my main - roasted and served with sautéed wild mushroom, pancetta, cauliflower purée, cavolo nero and forestière sauce. The fish was cooked perfectly, however this meal - especially the sauce - was a little heavy for me.

Apart from the incredible view, the dessert menu was by far my highlight. I can't go past anything on the menu that mentions coconut or rhubarb... My husband ordered the chocolate and rosemary delice with coconut sorbet. It was rich, but the sorbet created the perfect balance.

I ordered the rhubarb and vanilla soufflé with green apple sorbet and crème anglaise. Upon presenting the dish, the waitstaff pour the crème anglaise into the oh-so fluffy souffle. And the sorbet, again, the perfect accompaniment.

The desserts. were. divine.

Maintaining a chef's hat for the past 7 years, Jonah's is the complete package. Next time however, I would make an entire weekend of it. This beautiful ocean retreat belongs to the Relais & Chateaux Group and offers seaplane transfers. For something special or just because...

Restaurant: Jonah's

Total price: Approx. $700 (for 4ppl incl. wine)

Hours: Dinner from 6pm

Must order: Rhubarb and vanilla soufflé

the best french toast... ever!

Such a quaint cafe, ideally situated in the backstreets of The Rocks in Sydney. The Fine Food Store offers organic food, cheeses and nic-nacks to takeaway, and also has a sit-down menu with locally sourced coffee from QLD.

I've been here a few times now, each time is as much the same as the other. The coffee is amazing, presentation great and atmosphere laid back and relaxed.

I'm a HUGE bircher muesli fan, so of course I had to try it. Although the presentation is there, it's very difficult to eat and the Bircher a little too sweet for me - it had been soaked in incredibly sweet apple juice. And there is one thing I absolutely cannot stand... It frustrates me more than anything that a gorgeous little cafe uses frozen berries in its meals. Needless to say, I'll never be ordering the Bircher from here again.

If you order the roasted muesli (which is really yummy), ask for milk. All other meals were great. No complaints on the poached egg front - they were cooked perfectly. The absolute standout meal? The brioche French toast. Absolutely insane!! The textures, flavours and the presentation are absolutely to die for. It's definitely worth coming just to experience this.

  

Cafe: Fine Food Store

Total price: Approx $100 (for 5ppl)

Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm; Sat-Sun 7.30am-4.30pm

Must order: Brioche French toast

Coffee: Specialty coffee, special blend