Unlike Siree, I have a serious lack of winter clothes! I find winter too cold that I often opt for comfort rather than style (I know, the blasphemy!).
It’s still pretty cold in Sydney and during one of my winter hauls, I found these cute polkadot pants from Zara. Loving the vintage vibes, I bought them! Also on sale (and also from Zara) I found my new favourite blouse. The photos don’t show it that well, but it’s a really nice, casual-chic looking blouse and I absolutely love the tiny button detailing.
On a side note, this was the last shoot I did in my apartment! Two weekends ago I moved back home with the ‘rents for a myriad of different reasons – my apartment block was going to be knocked down at some point in the near future, my house mate was moving out and finding a new one is a tedious and terrible process and also, I’m going to France in a month and the prospect of paying rent while being on holiday with the possibility of not having a house mate – or a new one that I would know nothing about – wasn’t a pleasant one.
So here I am, feeling like I’ve taken a step back in life, but marching on full forward regardless.
Located in Burwood Park, The Picnic Burwood is the perfect place for a picnic at any time of the year! Whether you’re looking to grab a blanket and set up somewhere in the middle of the park, or enjoy the open-air cafe (kept perfectly warm in winter, might I add), The Picnic has everything you’re looking for in a beautiful and scrumptious breakfast, brunch, lunch and drinks!
Setting and Atmosphere
I love the way The Picnic is set up and decorated. The tables and chairs are so cute, reminiscent of white picked fences with splashes of colour from cushions, crockery and of course the vibrant presentation of food and drinks.
I was a bit worried coming here in the heart of winter, especially since it was a cold day, but The Picnic had it all sorted. The breeze was kept out under the cafe’s kiosk, heaters were set up to keep the place comfortably warm, and if you were still feeling an extra chill each table comes complete with blankets to keep you warm.
Lastly, in the morning we ate, the place turned over 300 customers during the time we were there, but you would have never have known it. With The picnic’s new app, crowds are effortlessly managed. Never did we once feel the place was overcrowded, too noisy or unpleasant, making this experience here a standout compared to other similar place like The Grounds of Alexandria.
Food
The best thing about The Picnic is the selection of unique options for breakfast and brunch, and I think I have discovered one of my all time favourite breakfasts after dining here – The Picnic’s Summer Eggs.
Now, this dish combined a few of my favourite things, cured meats with fruit (in this case pear) pecorino, truffle oil and quince labneh. As you can imagine, a little bit of everything in one mouthful was delightful and definitely my kind of breakfast.
CawfeeNot so French | Coco pop coated French toast with watermelon, dulce de leche, berry reduction, fresh berries, Persian fairy floss & pistachios – $18.50
Next, I was really surprised by the Not So French, French Toast. I was expecting this dish to be overly indulgent when the description read “Coco pop coated French Toast” but surprisingly, I loved this dish. It was decadent, but not too overly sweet which meant you could eat all of it. The watermelon was a great accompaniment to this dish because it helped to cut through the sweetness and add a little bit of freshness so the dish wasn’t so heavy. I wasn’t a fan of eating fairy floss first thing in the morning, but it helped make the dish look spectacular when it hit the table, so I’m glad it was there.
The Salmon Garden was a nice breakfast, but wasn’t a highlight. If you’re looking for a dish that’s simple in its flavours, this dish makes a good choice. One thing I did love was how generous they were with the salmon! I was all salmon-ed out by the end of eating this one! Overall, I was disappointed with in this dish because I was really looking forward to tasting the beetroot cured salon, but unfortunately I couldn’t quite taste the beetroot flavour in the salmon..
Oh – and one must do mention. Get the Red Velvet Cupcake Hot Chocolate. Don’t ask, just do. This hot chocolate was amazing from it’s looks to it’s taste. How can something be so incredibly decadent looking and yet so incredibly moreish. That’s right it was moreish! The hot chocolate was perfect in it’s taste – not too sweet or rich, so I could drink every last drop without feeling sick!
Red Velvet Cupcake Hot Chocolate | $12A close up on the goodness!
Service
The service at The Picnic Burwood was fantastic. This place has received some bad reviews in the past regarding it’s service, but one thing I love to see is when a business takes feedback on constructively and does something about it.
Let’s face it, this place is busy as heck, so it’s not wonder it was difficult for The Picnic to manage crowds. This is where The Picnic’s new app comes in. Once you arrive, your name is taken down and you go into a wait list. When your table is free, you will be sent an sms to notify you that your table awaits. The result, a non chaotic or overly loud dining experience!
As well as this the staff were really friendly, with our waiter recommending my favourite dish of the day – Summer Eggs.
Pricing and Value for Money
Okay, so each meal here is on the pricey side for brunch BUT, considering what you get, I believe it’s well worth it! Great for a brunch date with the girls.
The Details
Where: Burwood Rd & Park Ave, Burwood NSW 2134
Contact: (02) 9745 1034
Opening Hours:
Tues – Sun: 8am – 4pm
Please note: This was an invited event I attended with ningjaeats.
When it comes to cheesecake, everyone wants to know Uncle Tetsu’s secret. And while I can’t say I’ve found out the secret to that deliciously soft texture, I was able to make my way to today’s secret opening in Sydney!!
Courtesy of Ningjaeats, I was able to indulge in a full Uncle Tetsu experience, with an up close and personal tour of the cheesecake being made to meeting Uncle Tetsu himself!!
So I know you’re all wondering what about the taste? Well…It’s fantastic! It’s not the same as Australian cheesecake – so if you’re expecting that…stahp. Instead it’s super light, fluffy and mild in its flavour. It’s like a perfect little cloud in your mouth and because it’s not overly rich, it is incredibly moreish.
This week I had the pleasure of attending the regional final of the international Woolmark prize for Australia and New Zealand. For those who don’t know, this prize celebrates outstanding fashion talents from around the globe in a competition that challenges participants to test the boundaries of merino wool.
Of the talent present on the night, Australian labels Exinfinitas and macgraw took out the competition with their unique, innovative and forward thinking designs. Macgraw stole the show with a two-piece look that showcased a soft pink overcoat with hand embroidered merino wool flowers. Inspired by the Flannel Flower native to Sydney, the piece embodied the soft woolly feel of the flower.
Woolmark 2016 regional finalists for Australian/New Zealand
From luxury fashion to contemporary street wear, merino wool is soft on the skin and provides superior drape that follows the form of the wearer’s body – making it an ideal, trendy and not to mention warm must-have for winter. But if you’re not too sure where to start on the next wool piece for your closet, don’t worry! The Woolmark Company puts together a seasonal guide that curates the most inspirational emerging wool trends known as ‘The Wool Lab’. This year, The Wool Lab has identified 7 themes for 2016/17 Autumn/Winter that are inline with the latest fashion trends.
Here’s the scoop on two of my favourites below:
Swatches provided by The Wool Lab
Normdecor
Redefining elegance, Normdecor is about wearing structured but comfortable clothes with deluxe touches. This look takes inspiration from different fashion eras and cultures.
With it’s fresh new look and delicious new menu The Royal Leichhardt is redefining the pub scene with a sophisticated dining experience and menu. With it’s location right in the heart of Leichhardt, you’d expect the foodie competition to be pretty steep. And well…it is, but The Royal does a fantastic job of placing itself on par, if not better, than it’s competitors.
Setting and Atmosphere
First of all, I want everyone to remember that this place is a pub and for a pub I was absolutely blown away by the dining experience I received.
Upon entering, The Royal looks like your typical Aussie pub, until you walk upstairs. Here The Royal becomes to The Royal Botanical; a unique dining experience within a botanical themed interior. The Royal Botanical boasts 3 dining rooms perfect for intimate group settings – picture lush and vibrant interiors with royal greens, numerous plants, chandeliers and fresh bouquets of flowers.
If you’re looking to spend your lunch or evening drinks in the sunlight, step out onto the Botanical Terrace. Surrounded by 100 lush herbs and edible plants this was our location of choice to enjoy our delicious lunch!
Food
Compared to all pubs I’ve eaten at, The Royal blew them all out of the park. The food here is fantastic. It’s tasty, cooked to perfection and presented beautifully. I really appreciated the effort and thought that went into every dish.
Highlights for entree was the tomato and mushroom arancini. To this day, I have to say that these arancini balls were the best I’ve ever tried because it actually made me feel like I was eating more than just a ball of rice. It was crunchy, moist in the centre and full of flavour. Yum!
For main, I recommend the Southern Highlands Lamb Rack. This dish was fantastic and looked beautifully rustic when it arrived on the table. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the flavours on this dish really elevated it from being just a normal roast. This for me was the dish of the day.
Finally for desert we ordered the Mille Feuille and it was gorgeous. As I’ve mentioned time and time again, I’m not a huge fan of ultra sweet things, and this desert catered to that perfectly. The pastry was wafer thin, there was a perfect balance between sweet and tart and the cream was feather light instead of being overly rich.
See below for a full list of food tried:
Tomato and Mushroom Arancini with lime aioli and parmesan | $13Peking Duck Spring Rolls with sweet chilli sauce | $13Salt & Pepper Squid with fresh herbs, chilli and lime mayonnaise | $14
Tasmanian Salmon Fillet marinated with green tea and sesame, steamed ginger rice and Asian carrot salad | $27
Southern Highlands Lamb Rack with mustard herb crust BBQ pumpkin and mash | $28Mille Feuille – layers of filo pastry, mixed berry, almond cream and vanilla bean ice cream | $14
Service
The service here was fantastic. Upon entry we were offered a cocktail, which was a nice touch. The manager/owner took us for a tour around the dining area and the facilities and told us about the history of the place and how it came to be, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Overall staff were very friendly and attentive.
Pricing and Value for Money
The pricing is very reasonable and portions are large (the lamb rack could have fed two people!).
Jurlique started with a dream; to connect people back to nature.
Unfortunately my first encounter wasn’t as profound as a sudden realisation to be connected back to nature. I received a sample of Jurlique’s Moisture Plus Moisturising Lotion with a makeup purchase I made. Because I have bad skin in general, usually moisturisers always feel thick and irritating on my skin, so I was surprised at how lightweight and hydrating the moisturiser felt! Impressed, it was only natural that I had to go back for more!
Jurlique is all about creating a pure and natural skin care range by combining the arts of alchemy, herbal medicine and homeopathy. Quite fittingly, in order to achieve such a dream, the creators sought the world for a place that was both pure and natural to grow their iconic ingredients and they found no better than Adelaide Hills in South Australia!
I set the store clerk a task to find me 3 products that would suit my horrible combination skin and here’s how it turned out!
Herbal Recovery Antioxidant Mask
I have combination skin in probably the worst way possible – it’s like from one extreme to another. My skin can range from super oily to extremely dry all at the same time. Jurlique’s herbal recovery antioxidant mask keeps my skin feeling hydrated and the antioxidant beads (which are quite fun to pop against your skin I might add) really helps to target the first signs of ageing.
Benefits:
+ Skin feels hydrated and looks radiant
+ Helps minimise effects of dehydration and dullness
+ Gently exfoliates for smoother and brighter skin
The Verdict:
★★★.5
My skin always feels and looks rejuvenated after using this mask. It also feels bouncy and my pores look smaller. Unfortunately, the effects don’t last for more than a day, so you need to use it approximately 3 times a week for upkeep.
Rose Moisture Plus Moisturising Lotion
Jurlique’s Rose Moisture Plus Moisturising Lotion is extremely lightweight, hydrating and protective. As a result skin is kept soft, soothed and balanced.
The Benefits:
+ Helps protect skin from environmental damage
+ Helps soften, soothe and rebalance dryness
+ Leaves skin hydrated and moisturised
The Verdict
★★★★
A sample of this product alone made me want to buy Jurlique products. This product provides hydration for my skin without irritation. Jurlique’s natural and lightweight feel on my inflamed skin is testament to the natural goodness of the products. It’s soothing, feels incredibly light on my skin and it smells really nice too! Waking up after using this product, my skin has a rejuvenated glow and doesn’t feel so inflamed. A word of caution though, if you have acne prone skin like me, use this product every second day or only at night.
Citrus Purifying Mist
The Citrus Purifying Mist is especially designed for those with oily skin (aka perfect for me!). To be used daily, this mist clarifies and purifies an oily complexion.
The Benefits
+ Energises and purifies skin
+ Leaves oily skin feeling refined and refreshed
+ Possesses antioxidant properties
The verdict
★★★
Out of the three products I bought from Jurlique, I liked this one the least. This product is designed for oily skin and while initially the product does provide relief, leaves your skin feeling fresh and has a great citrus scent, I felt that overall it made my skin more oily.
Run by two travel and lifestyle bloggers, The Hidden Thimble focus’ on creating truthful and in-depth travel guides, food & beauty reviews. Enjoy drool-worthy photography from around the world!
