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Australia Food Guide, Greatly Terrific Food Outing

Greatly Terrific Food Outing: Cuckoo Callay, Newtown

July 29, 2017 Talyssa 18 Comments

OVERALL SUMMARY

Setting & Atmosphere
Food
Service
Value For Money

4.4

Overall Summary

Ultimate Quirky-ness

In the midst of Newtown kitsch a coffee-cafe was born, striving for the perfect grub and coffee fix, their combo was second to none. With the perfect nook to cache, Ella and Ibby released their dreams to you, and so the tantalising of tastebuds began and the perfect coffee hit did too. Callooh Callay come eat today, like cabbages and kings!

Setting and Atmosphere

The heritage site of Newtown station provides the perfect facade for Cuckoo Callay to nest. Heavily inspired by Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky” (also the author of Alice in Wonderland), the quirkiness of this cafe begins with it’s interior.

Like the Queen of Hearts herself, Cuckoo Callay is lush and lavish decorated with royal blue button-backed seating, wooden tables and chairs and hot pink and gold trimmings – for some quirk, of course. It’s cosy, yet spacious and if you’re looking for a nice hit of sunlight, you’ll find comfortable seating outside.

FOOD

If the setting is anything to go by, the food at this cafe also brings it’s own quirky flair. Going cuckoo for bacon, this cafe specialises in creative bacon dishes with the goal to encourage Aussies to support local farmers who raise happy, healthy pigs.

And if you’re not a fan of bacon? Never fear, there are many bacon free and vegetarian options too.

Brunching at Cuckoo Callay is exciting, especially if the thought of unheard of flavour combinations gets you all giddy. My absolute favourite dish on the menu is the Sideways Shuffle. It’s different. Blue swimmer crab for breakfast, different. Every unique element of this dish compliments each other despite consisting of quirky flavour combinations. There’s the crab cake with corn and avocado salsa combined with crunchy watermelon and cucumber and lemon jelly. There’s also a slight kick of chilli somewhere in there too. All very different, all very unusual. And yet, it works. Excitingly well actually.

If your tastebuds prefer to play on the safe side, try the “Tribute to the Greatest Reuben.” This dish combines mouthwatering house made wagyu with gruyere cheese and Russian dressing, spiked with a cheeky kick of chilli. Ah-may-zing!

To wash it all down, you can’t go past the “Exotics” freshly squeezed juices. Perfect for an early morning, these juices have all the charm of a cocktail without the alcohol. Looking fantastic, they come in three delicious flavours – The NewZealander, One Night Stand and The Love Affair.

Cuckoo Callay - Exotic Freshly Squeezed Juices — Freshly Squeezed Juices – Exotics: From left to right The Newzealander: kiwi, apple, basil and lime. The Love Affair: strawberry, rose water, apple, mint and chia seeds. One Night Stand: passionfruit, raspberry, orange and chia seeds. | $8ea

Cuckoo Callay - The Sideways Shuffle — The Sideways Shuffle: Blue swimmer crab cake with corn & avocado salsa, watermelon, cucumber & lemon jelly with a 63° poached egg | $24

Cuckoo Callay - Tribute to the Greatest Reuben — Tribute to the Greatest Reuben: House-made wagyu corned beef, Gruyère cheese, Russian dressing and watercress on sourdough | $20

Service

Polite and prompt. One particular quality I have noticed at this cafe is that the food is served consistently throughout the entire cafe. I’ve also found food remains consistent on my repeat visits (i.e. dishes are served and taste the same).

Value For Money

The dishes here are definitely on the pricier side in comparison to most brunch places. In saying this, I love some of the dishes here so much that I have gone back and indulged more than once!

THE DETAILS

Where:

324A King St, Newtown NSW 2042

Contact:

(02) 9557 7006

Opening Hours:

Monday – Friday: 6am – 4pm
Saturday: 8am – 4pm
Sunday: 8am – 3pm

Find Them Here:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Australia Food Guide, Greatly Terrific Food Outing

Greatly Terrific Food Outing: Sonoma Bakery, Rose Bay

April 10, 2016 Talyssa 2 Comments

Enter through elegant glass doors and find yourself inside the local Rose Bay hot spot that is Sonoma Bakery. Here you’ll find feel-good food, great coffee and a sprinkle of happiness. Whether you’re looking to treat yourself for breakfast, a quick coffee or a loaf of your favourite sourdough, Sonoma has something that’ll tickle your tastebuds.

Setting and Atmosphere

★★★★.5

Sonoma Bakery is a bold, open-spaced setting filled with a lively crowd. It’s slightly noisy and busy, but I found that the size of the place absorbs most of the noise, so you don’t have to shout over you friends when speaking. All in all, you get to enjoy the perks of a energetic atmosphere without having to compromise on good conversation!

The dominating colours of black and white suit the interior perfectly, and with matching black tables and crockery, the vibrancy and colours of the food really stand out on the table.

Food

★★★★

Sonoma Bakery French Toast — Morning Bun French Toast with Greek Yoghurt, Lemon Curd and Berries | $12

Sonoma Bakery - Scrambled Chili Eggs and Feta Tartine — Scrambled Chili Eggs and Feta Tartine | $16 – Also added Pancetta which is an additional cost.

Sonoma Bakery - Baked Eggs — Baked Eggs with Merguez Lamb, tomoto, chilli and potato served with Greek Yoghurt, herb salad and sumac

Sonoma Bakery - Hot smoked salmon Tartine — Hot smoked salmon, Avo, Kale and Poached Eggs Tartine | $18

Sonoma Bakery Tartine — Hot smoked salmon, Avo, Kale and Poached Eggs Tartine | $18

Sonoma Bakery - Hot Chocolate — Belgian Hot Chocolate | $5

Built upon humble beginnings, Sonoma is founded on a simple desire to make great bread. It is bread that Sonoma prides itself on and as a result it’s the hero in many of the dishes on their menu. I would definitely describe the food here as rustic, yet modern and homely with generous portion sizes – you won’t go leaving hungry. Each plate served up boasts excellence, care and detail – a quality Sonoma prides itself on back all the way back to it’s roots.

Everything made at Sonoma is created with fresh, wholesome ingredients. Sonoma’s signature flavours came out in every dish with my personal favourite being the Scrambled Chilli Eggs and Feta Tartine. This was a bold dish and the flavours explode in your mouth. There was a hit of chilli, texture from the crispy pancetta, saltiness from the feta cheese, silkiness from the scrambled eggs, sweetness from the roasted tomatoes and freshness topped off with spring onions and parsley. It was a winner dish that was a hit amongst all us bloggers (ningjaeats, phillxiaaaaa and willxia1).

Next, for the more health conscious, try your hand at the Chilli Smoked Salmon Tartine. It’s fresh and light flavours are jam-packed with super foods like kale, salmon, avo, eggs and seeds. What I would have liked to see on this dish would be some kind of lemon vinaigrette drizzled over the dish. I feel it needed something to help marry all the flavours together and balance the dryness of the dish.

For the sweet-tooths and dessert breakfast enthusiasts you can’t go past the French toast. Not being a sweet-tooth, the flavours on this dish packed a serious punch! It’s not your typical French toast, and I’m assuming this is because of the type of bread used. I also couldn’t really taste if it had been dipped in egg. Because of this I found this dish a little too “bready,” but the flavours will definitely satisfy the sweet-tooths.

Finally, I found the hot chocolate delicious and rich without being overly sweet.

An important thing to note is that not all Sonoma franchises have the same dishes. We found that some dishes that took our fancy on Sonoma’s Instagram account, were only available in other stores.

Service

★★★★★

Okay so this was an invited event, and naturally during invited events bloggers really do get VIP attentive service. But the guy who served us went over and above any kind of service I’ve ever seen. He knew the deal with bloggers, he knew, for example, to bring our drinks at the same time as our food so that our coffees don’t get cold and stay looking their best for the photos. So many times we go to cafes and the drinks come out way before the food ever does, so you’re left with cold drinks and destroyed coffee art.

Not only this, he gave us insight into the dishes that taste really great but don’t get as much love as they really should. He was very attentive to us and to our neighbouring tables.

Pricing and Value for Money

★★★.5

The portion sizes are fantastic and flavours are delish – although some dishes can be a bit of a miss, so choose wisely. Sonoma is on the pricey side of things, so I wouldn’t say I could make dining a regular thing, but I’ll definitely be returning when I deserve a treat!

The Details

Where: Shop 1, 779 New South Head Road
Rose Bay NSW 2029

Contact: (02) 9371 0635

Opening Hours:

Mon–Wed: 7am–5pm
Thurs–Sat: 7am–9pm
Sun: 7am–5pm

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Please note that this was an invited event courtesy of Ningjaeats

Australia Food Guide, Greatly Terrific Food Outing

GTFO – Greatly Terrific Food Outing: Coffee Trad3rs

January 11, 2016 Talyssa 2 Comments

If these photos haven’t peaked your interest to try Trad3rs, I’m not sure what will! Located in Top Ryde, Trad3rs are all about giving their customers a positive experience from their coffee, to their food, to their friendly waitstaff, to that cheeky drink you’re craving.

Setting and Atmosphere

★★★.5

Inside, this cafe is somewhat mix-matched in its style. The table setting however – AMAZING!! A bright, beautiful posy of flowers compliments the vibrant blue crockery against a dark mahogany table top backdrop. With this set up combined with our food and drinks, the tabletop was a burst of colour that was absolutely divine to dine amongst! My experience at the table alone bumped my rating for this section from a 2.5 star to a 3.5 star.

With that being said, the rest of the cafe seems to be a mix of vibes with parts of it’s interior design being similar to the cafe vibe I experienced in a lot of Korean cafes with pinned up polaroids and trinkets, to a sort of steampunk/industrial theme with the light fittings and other features, to an IKEA vibe with the plant hangings throughout the cafe. I definitely think the strong point of this cafe’s setting was displayed in their table decor and maybe this cafe would come together a lot more with a stripped back theme that focused around a dark backdrop accented with bursts of bright colours through it’s crockery, food displays and floral elements.

Food

★★★

Trad3rs - Egg, Chicken Chorizo, Bacon & Sourdough Bread — Egg, Chicken Chorizo, Bacon & Sourdough Bread | $15.90

Trad3rs - Hawaiian Burger — Hawaiian Burger | $13.90

Trad3rs - Apple and Cinnamon Pancake — Apple and Cinnamon Pancake | $13.90

What you’ll get at Trad3rs is good, simple food. The taste is good, the presentation is good and overall you’ll leave feeling full and happy. And while everything is good, it’s just not special or signature which is why this cafe didn’t score in the higher star ratings. If you’re looking for somewhere to rejuvenate and satisfy your stomach after a hard day of shopping, Trad3rs is a great place to come for some casual eats and a little R+R before heading home.

Service

★★★★.5

The service at Trad3rs is really friendly and easy going, instantly making you feel at ease. It was great to see the staff throughout the day seeking out and talking to every customer individually to make sure everything was okay with their order and experience. Our orders were taken shortly upon arrival and food was promptly served.

Pricing and Value for Money

★★★.5

With food here being simple but good, I found that prices are around $2-$3 dearer than other cafes you might go to and receive an equally good or even better meal.

The Details

Where: Shop G3025A, Top Ryde Shopping Centre, 129 Blaxland Road, Ryde NSW 2112

Contact: info@theCoffeeTraders.com.au | +61 (02) 9808 3313

Opening Hours: Sun – Monday, 7:00am – 8:30pm.

Website | Facebook

Australia Food Guide, Greatly Terrific Food Outing

GTFO: The Pool Cafe Maroubra

November 29, 2015 Talyssa Leave a comment

Renovated and refurbished, The Pool Cafe is back with a stunning new look, feel and menu. Opened May 2015 – that’s right so if you see bad reviews online that is pre ‘awesome reopen,’ – the pool cafe serves it’s guests an all day breakfast! Need I say more?

If that isn’t enough they also have an extensive lunch menu, serve quality and healthy food and drinks (without compromising on the taste might I add), all the while providing guests the ultimate ‘breakkie by the beach’ experience, with stunning views of the Maroubra rock pools.

Setting and Atmosphere

Rating: ★★★★★

I have to say that this cafe has been one of my favourite cafes to shoot and eat at – it is beautiful inside and out. The interiors are reminiscent of a ‘beach shabby shack’ vibe with modern finishings that are accented with a brilliant baby blue. Add this to the beautiful blue water view and you can’t help but want to sit and eat here all day. The view is gorgeous, the food is gorgeous and it’s not too noisy or crowded. A perfect cafe to go to if you’re looking for a quiet, relaxing, summers day.

Food

Rating: ★★★★

Baked Eggs Shakshuka | The Pool Cafe Maroubra — Baked Eggs Shakshuka: Tomato, Mediterranean spices & toast | $14

Avocado Stack & Poached Egg | The Pool Cafe Maroubra — Avocado Stack & Poached Egg: Bacon, tomato, goats cheese and pesto | $14

The food here I guess best reflects a modern Aussie breakfast, with bits from around the world thrown in. Naturally it all together equals tasty so that’s all that matters. My dukkah toast was delicious with my baked eggs and gave the dish that extra oomph needed to class this baked eggs dish over others I’ve tasted. The avocado stack with poached egg, seems to be a well-earned crowd favourite, and it’s no wonder with all elements combining delightfully on the palate.

The only disappointment of the meal was the berry smoothie (the mango one was delicious!) it was just a bit on the bitter side – possibly because frozen berries were used – but a dollap of honey should fix that right up – so make sure to request it!

Service

Rating: ★★★★★

Although the place was busy, service was fast and pleasant! No complaints.

Pricing and Value for Money

Rating: ★★★★.5

Great value for money. Not too expensive. Delicious meals with good portion sizes.

The Details

Where: 94 Marine Parade, Maroubra NSW 2035

Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 7AM – 3PM

Australia Food Guide, Greatly Terrific Food Outing

GTFO: Gertrude & Petunias

October 13, 2015 Talyssa 1 Comment

Brunch. This trendy meal of the day has Sydney-siders constantly talking about the most vogue places to get your weekly dose. And well, they may be right, Foodcraft Espresso, Three Williams and Brewtown Newtown are brilliant! But I may have found a hidden gem in my neighbourhood that could trump the competition!

Welcome to the little corner cafe that is Gertrude & Petunias.

Setting and Atmosphere

Rating: ★★★★

Let your inner Marie Antoinette run free in this Rococo Haute Couture x Victorian Tea House cafe. Think intricate detail, elegance and glamour. Every aspect of this cafe adheres to the theme and you can’t help but feel a little upper class when you step inside.

Don’t be fooled by appearances though, the food is classic with a modern influence and the crowd a mixed bag of delightful elderly couples (sure to cheer up any day ;) ) to modern day hipsters (yes this also includes groups of skinny jeaned guys – you never would have guessed!)

Overall the cafe is small, cosy but not too overcrowded and most importantly, filled with a good bunch of people – the kind that aren’t too loud to ruin the experience.

Food

Rating: ★★★★★

I can’t fault the food I’ve had here. I’ve been on numerous occasions and every time, everything I have is absolutely delicious. Basically it’s good food with great flavour combinations. Browsing the menu, you’ll fall in love. Everything sounds divine.

My Recommended Dish To Try: Corn Cake Stack

Gertrude and Petunias — Corn Cake Stack: Bacon, Avocado and Tomato Salad, Poached Egg and Maple Syrup || $16

I can’t even begin to describe how perfect this dish is with its winner ingredient tying everything so perfectly together – maple syrup. Yes, avocado, bacon, tomato and corn stack explode with flavour once maple syrup is added. Don’t knock it til you try it. Think chicken waffles vibe, but healthy…er.

Egg Breakfast: Poached Egg, Avocado, Tomato and Ricotta served with Toast || $12

A standard breakfast. Great price.

Flakey Pastry, home made and well-seasoned filling. What more could you want from a pie?

Served in a gigantic tea cup, this mocha will satisfy your cravings. Not being a coffee fan myself, Gertrude and Petunia’s mocha has the perfect balance of chocolate and coffee. Rich and decadent.

Service

Rating: ★★★★

Fast, easy service. Gertrude and Petunia’s it was a pleasure!

Pricing and Value for Money

Rating: ★★★★

Compared to most brunch menus, Gertrude and Petunia’s is really reasonable with most dishes setting you back around $12. The portion size fills you up and the food is excellent quality.

The Details

Where: 61 Todman Avenue, Kensington, Sydney, NSW

Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 07:30–16:00 | Sat – Sun: 07:30 – 15:00

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