Tag Archives: brunch

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, Sponsored

Greatly Terrific Food Outing: The Tiny Giant, Petersham

June 17, 2017 Talyssa 9 Comments

THE VERDICT

Setting & Atmosphere
Food
Service
Value For Money

3.8

OVERALL SUMMARY

Breakfast with a twist

You know what they say, good things come in small packages and The Tiny Giant is no exception. Yet what the cafe lacks in its physical size – there is nothing giant about it – it makes up for with its food. The breakfasts here aren’t for the faint hearted, packing a giant punch whether it be with interesting flavours or in sheer size – so ladies and gents, be sure to bring your giant appetite!

SETTING AND ATMOSPHERE

Considering the size of the cafe, I was wondering how the ‘Giant’ in the cafe’s name fit into the equation and upon arrival, it all became clear. The line of people waiting outside to get a seat was GIGANTIC and in hindsight, Saturday morning was probably not the best time to visit The Tiny Giant. Luckily, we had made a booking which meant we didn’t have to wait too long for a table.

Inside the cafe was busy, crowded and there was a wee bit of an uncomfortably tight squeeze getting in our chairs to sit at our table. It’s loud, bustling and quite chaotic, so if you’re looking for a peaceful breakfast getaway this is not it – instead try visiting on a weekday.

Apart from being really tiny, the cafe is quite nice with it’s white walls, industrial vibes and rustic finishings. To complete the look, the cafe is decorated with lush greenery and terracotta pots.

Food

Three words. ALL. DAY. BREAKFAST. #WINNING

The food at The Tiny Giant is beautifully decorated and visually striking. It was a gloomy Saturday, and wanting some vibrance and colour we naturally gravitated towards the “Famous Brioche Toast”. A mammoth sized sweet breakfast, you get a whopping four slices of thick brioche toast, topped with Persian pashamak and a generous scattering of fruit. Definitely a dish for two. The flavours were delicious, but the overall sweetness of the dish did get a bit overpowering after a while.

Needing something savoury on the palate, the “Pea Smash Parmesan” caught our eye. A unique breakfast dish, the saltiness of the prosciutto is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the peas and the burrata cheese adds a lovely creamy texture to the dish. Topped with a parmesan crisp, the dish is finished with some much needed crunchiness – I only wish we had a little more crisps!

Lastly, craving some homestyle cooking, we ordered the “Baked Hot Pot” and added some chorizo for some extra heat. While this dish was visually beautiful, it was unfortunately a little overcooked and dry – I would have loved to be able to dip that gorgeous piece of sourdough into the pot and soak up the aromatic stewed flavours.

Our Famous Brioche Toast – served with strawberries, mixed berries, canadian maple, salted caramel, mascarpone and Persian pashmak | $17.50

Pea Smash Parmesan – sourdough toast, burrata cheese, aged prosciutto, basil pesto, parmesan crisp and micro mint | $18.90

Baked Hotpot – slow cooked tomato sugo, common mushrooms, onion, danish feta & two free range eggs baked in an iron pan | $16.90 (added chorizo for an additional $4)

SERVICE

Staff are friendly but extremely preoccupied, likely due to the huge demand of crowds.

Value for money

The Tiny Giant is on the pricier end of brunch cafes with majority of the dishes costing upwards of $15. For some dishes, such as the Famous Brioche Toast, the pricing is fair considering the size of the dish, but I felt that the “Baked Hot Pot” wasn’t worth the price tag.

The Details

Where:

110 Audley St, Petersham, Sydney

Contact:

02 8065 4684

Opening Hours:

Mon – Fri: 6.30am – 3pm
Sat – Sun: 7.30am – 3pm

Find Them Here:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Please note that this was an invited event I attended on behalf of ningjaeats.

I’d love you know your favourite brunch spots – tell me in the comments below!

Australia Food Guide, Greatly Terrific Food Outing

Greatly Terrific Food Outing: The Picnic Burwood

August 9, 2016 Talyssa 2 Comments

THE VERDICT

Setting & Atmosphere
Food
Service
Value For Money

4.5

OVERALL SUMMARY

Try for a decadent brunch

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.

The Picnic Burwood — Summer Eggs | Dukkah poached eggs, jamon serrano, pear, shaved pecorino, drizzled with truffle oil & quince labneh on sourdough – ($19.50)

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!

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.

Australia Food Guide, Greatly Terrific Food Outing

Greatly Terrific Food Outing: Bangbang Cafe, Surry Hills

May 9, 2016 Talyssa Leave a comment

Bangbang cafe is a chillax man-cave of a cafe located in the heart of Surry Hills. The staff are super casual, yet charming and pride themselves on their hearty meals, especially their gigantic burgers. In saying this girls, don’t completely rule this one out because of the man-cave vibe. They have some really unique dishes on their breakfast menu, more than I have seen in a lot of cafes recently, and their burgers are delish. Overall I was terribly impressed!

Setting and Atmosphere

★★★★.5

This place is hell chill. I really loved the vibes in this cafe. Although small, inside was super spacious and airy and I love how much sunlight streams through this cafe. Decor is filled with strong and bulky timber furnishings, black tiled counter tops and industrial lights, yet everything is super stylish that I found it super nice to dine at! Ladies, like a man that catches your eye down the street because he’s dressed amazingly, that’s the vibe this man-cave cafe will attract in you too.

Food

★★★★

Bangbang Cafe — French Toast with Chorizo – French toasted brioche with grilled chorizo, caramelised red onion jam, poached egg and a side of avo smash | $16.90

Overall, I really enjoyed the food at Bangbang cafe. I’ll start with the Turf & Turf & Turf burger because it was freaking amazing. First of all people, homemade sauces. And boy these sauces were damn good. The BBQ one in particular MADE this burger.

Somehow I managed to make my mouth big enough and get a little bit of everything in there at once. YUM. It was everything a burger should be in one mouthful. And it was seriously, man-sized. We’re talking gigantic, I don’t know how anyone could finish this whole burger and still be hungry. With its 3 different types of meat and double cheese, this burger is a serious feed that even the likes of Epic Meal Time would be satisfied with.

We also ordered the French Toast with Chorizo. This dish could have been great but it was unfortunately a little dry. I learnt from My Kitchen Rules that chorizo gets this way when it’s pan fried (a contestant on the show made the same mistake). I was also hoping for a little more of that onion jam. Over all a good dish, but something was missing.

Service

★★★★★

The staff here are super friendly and always down for a good chat. The thing I love most is that conversation doesn’t feel forced, strained or unnatural. You can also genuinely feel that they care about the food they put in front of you and want you to have an all-round a fab time.

Pricing and Value for Money

★★★

Okay, not gonna lie, Bangbang Cafe is expensive. Most dishes will set you back around $17 which to me is pretty pricey for brunch. In terms of burgers though, they are massive and indulgent, so you do get what you’re paying for.

The Details

Where: 113 Reservoir St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Contact: (02) 9281 0018

Opening Hours:

Mon–Thurs: 7:30AM – 3:30PM
Fri: 7:30am-3:30pm & 5pm – 9pm
Sat – Sun: 8am – 2pm

Facebook | Instagram

Please note that this was an invited event courtesy of Ningjaeats

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: Nook Urban Fresh Bar

January 24, 2016 Talyssa Leave a comment

Nook Urban Fresh Bar is an oasis bursting with colour, warmth, vibrance and life in the middle of an otherwise stoney CBD. Amongst the bustling traffic this cafe provides the perfect “nook” to escape from it all and rejuvenate with a hearty, organic feed.

Setting and Atmosphere

★★★★

Wow, this cafe is gorgeous! Everything comes together perfectly to create a farmhouse vibe that is cleverly contrasted with bright and colourful organic food displays. The natural woodwork compliments the aluminium and antique steel finishes that decorate the cafe. Everything about the atmosphere compliments the food and helps to created an overall wholesome and natural feel.

Food

★★★★.5

Nook Urban Fresh Bar — Sweeten Me Up | Lemon ricotta, honey caramelized fig and peach, smashed pistachio and fresh mint on organic fruit loaf

How best to describe the food at Nook Urban Fresh Bar? Natural, organic, fresh, homely, but on top of all that, indulgent. Every dish that hits the table is a piece of art, delicately constructed to look as good as it tastes. When my “Sweeten me Up” hit the table I knew that this would be the most beautiful breakfast dish I’d ever have. Another highlight of the breakfast was the chai tea latte. ninjaeats mentioned it was one of the best she’s ever had!

Service

★★★

The service here is your average order from the counter experience, so there’s not much involvement with the staff directly. Meals were a little slow to arrive to the table, however the place is very busy.

Pricing and Value for Money

★★★★.5

Great food at a great price. What more could you want?

The Details

Where: 4/83 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Contact: (02) 9299 5050

Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 7PM – 4PM

Facebook | Instagram

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!