Vegan Dark Chocolate Cake (Recipe)

Ok, so I have been MIA since… October? Life kind of took over for awhile – the usual – work, studies, interviews, exams. And in between all that, I just wanted to eat and relax.

Alas, it is a new year! Happy 2016 to everyone and it’s definitely going to be a challenging year for me. I got my first job to start off my career, and it’s making me wonder if it’ll have as much time as I did when i was a student to be constantly try out new places to indulge in. Which always reminds me of that triangle where you can only pick 2 categories and not have all 3 at one time.

For Josh’s birthday in November, I was wondering what cake I’d bake for him and while I was procrastinating for final exams, I randomly decided to watch an episode of Nigella’s new show Simply Nigella. In that episode, she made the most indulging looking dark vegan chocolate cake I have laid my eyes on, and I rarely do chocolate cake at all. All in all, i have made this cake 4 times in various ways and garnishes, and they’ve all worked out perfectly moist and delish.

As it was an originally a vegan recipe, it called for coconut butter, which you can get from Harris Farm by the way, or any organic shop I suppose but I haven’t checked on that. But I have also used normal butter for the same amount required and worked just as well too!
And the soft dark sugar required can be bought from your regular baking section at Coles or Woolies under the CSR brand.

All the pictures shown have been taken at the various times I have made this cake.

The recipe makes only 1 layer. And don’t worry like I did if the mix looks really watery, it’s actually the key for it being so moist and light.

 

Recipe

Equipment needed: Saucepan/small pot, spring cake tin, baking paper, spatula

For the icing
75g Coconut Butter/Unsalted Butter
50g Soft Dark Brown Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon Coffee Powder (I used the Campos Superior Blend I had at home)
1 1/2 tablespoon Cocoa Powder
4 tablespoons Cold Water
150g Dark Chocolate (I used a 75% Cadbury baking chocolate), finely chopped

For the cake
225g Plain Flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 1/2 teaspoon Coffee Powder
75g Cocoa Powder
300g Soft Dark Brown Sugar
375g Hot Water, recently boiled from the kettle
75g Coconut Oil, when solid (If melted, 90mls)
1 1/2 teaspoon White Wine Vinegar

To decorate
Dried Rose Petals
Pistachios
Or… anything you feel like!

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C Fan.
2. For the icing, put all of the icing ingredients except the chopped chocolate into a saucepan. Bring to the boil, making sure everything’s dissolved. Then turn off the heat but leave the pan on the stove. Quickly add the finely chopped chocolate and swirl the pan so that it is all covered by the mixture. Then whisk until you have a darkly glossy icing, and leave to cool. Give the icing a stir with a spatula every now and again.
3. Line the bottom of your springform cake tin (you will need a good, leakproof one as this is a very wet batter) with baking paper.
4. In a large mixing bowl, put the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, coffee, and cocoa powder in a bowl and use a fork to mix till it becomes uniformed.
5. In another smaller bowl, mix together the sugar, water, coconut oil and vinegar until the coconut oil has melted, and stir into the dry ingredients. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes. Though, do check at the 25-minute mark to see if it is already done. When it’s ready, the cake will be coming away from the edges of the tin and a cake tester will come out clean.
6. Once the cake is cooked, transfer the tin to a wire rack and let the cake cool in its tin. Once completely cool remove from the tin.
7. Turn to your icing, and give it a good stir with a spatula to check it is at the right consistency. It needs to be runny enough to cover the cake, but thick enough to stay (mostly) on the top. So pour over the cake, and use a spatula to ease the icing to the edges, if needed. If you wish to decorate, now is the time to do it. In which case, sprinkle with rose petals and chopped pistachios or anything else that you want. Leave to stand to cool for the icing to set before slicing into the cake.

 

Let me know if you’ve tried this and how it worked out for you!

Melbourne Food Itinerary

After my last day of classes at university ever (or for now), a much needed vacation to Melbourne was needed. Josh and I really had one aim for Melbourne, and that was to eat. EAT. I made me think about how my family and I used to just take weekend trips up to Penang Island just to eat. We still do that by the way. And maybe Melbourne is our Penang.

We arrived Saturday bright and early to make full use of the day and was greeted with the most amazing weather Melbourne has ever graced us with. But because it wasn’t time to check in yet, we headed to Cumulus Inc after setting our bags in the lockers at YHA on Flinders. So, sit back and relax as I take you on the food journey we had.

Cumulus Inc

Upon entering, I gathered a really classy vibe from this restaurant. It was definitely more of a proper restaurant than a chilled cafe. Their baked eggs seemed to be a hit there so I decided to have a go. Their bread was one of the better breads I’ve been served along with baked eggs. The baked eggs itself was pretty alright. Their coffee was decent as well. After giving this a go after seeing all the writeup’s, I probably wouldn’t go back again.

Doughboy Doughnuts

This was one of our must-go places when we wanted to make the trip down. Also because we couldn’t make it last year because we assumed they were opened everyday but weren’t. They’ve since relocated from QVM to Welcome To Thornbury temporarily while waiting for their new store to open. We got to the place at 12pm and it has just opened. A little out of the way but it seemed that we’ve stumbled upon a food truck haven. Junkyard/servo turned bar and food truck gathering offered a wide selection of food from the food trucks that arrived on what i assumed was a first-come-first-access to a spot basis as I saw a couple of other food trucks driving pass seeing as they were already full. We didn’t get to try any of them as we were full from before. The doughnuts itself was very fluffy in texture and not dense at all. Their variety of flavours were very interesting and great! I was definitely recommend this place as your to-go doughnut joint.

We had Maedaya that night but I’ll save that for a post on it’s own as it was the most spectacular Japanese food I’ve had in Australia so far. Even Josh said it was amazing, and he never says anything like that. So much so, we went back a second time on our last night.

On Sunday, we picked up our GoGet car to make a trip to the Mornington Peninsula. I did some research before going and found Port Phillip Estate to have insane reviews. This vineyard is a bit further up in Red Hill, about 25 minutes from Mornington town.

Port Phillip Estate

You could opt for either a two or three course menu for an affordable price. This was one of the rare times I experience a winery utilising seafood so much. It’s usually the usual poultry and garden grown things. I guess being close to waters had it’s perks. The was they presented their food was everything you’d expect when dining in a winery. You know they handled their seafood well as our entrees of scallops and ocean trout was made to perfection. Their desserts was a given a modern twist to very homey desserts. We had a slow baked Red Hill apple which was essentially sort of like an apple crumble. Really good. I would highly recommend this restaurant if you decide to make a trip to Mornington Peninsula.

The following day, we went back to try some of St Ali Coffee Roasters’ food after trying their coffee during the start of our day before driving to Mornington.

St Ali

Loving their coffee here. Super strong blend, just how we like it. Their milk frothing was done well too. I saw that they did a lot of egg dishes here so I had to take one of their egg dishes here. Their corn fritters also seemed to be their hit here so I decided to try that. The corn fritters were not dry and their flavours were good too. The eggs were done perfectly, evidently through the runny yolk.

Shortstop Doughnuts

This place gave a interesting variety of doughnuts. You’d get your traditional doughnut texture, a cake texture, and a cruller. We gave each texture ago and was very satisfied with the outcome. The doughnut texture was very flight and airy, while the cake texture wasn’t as cakey as you’d thing it would be. It was still light and crumbly without being dry. The cruller was something like an airy churro soaked in the choice of flavour. Super rich but super yummy. Not for the faint hearted. Their filter coffee was amazing as well.

Proud Mary

If you’re coming to Melbourne for the coffee like us, Proud Mary has got to be one of your stops. A lot of Sydney specialty brewers like Brewristas and Handcraft have been importing their beans lately too. We just went for the coffee and I had to get their geisha that was being offered that day. The geisha was hailed from Panama and it was light, fruity, and smooth. The other cup was Guatemalan caturra which was also fruit, smooth, but strong.

Jimmy Grants 

We made a quick stop for a snack at Jimmy Grants by George Colombaris. Being avid fans of Masterchef, we had to give it a go. Their souvlakis was full of flavour but found it too small for the price paid which was $11 each. But to be honest, Melbourne seemed to have way smaller portions than Sydney.

The Kettle Black 

What’s a trip to Melbourne without eating the famous ricotta hotcake from Kettle Black or Top Paddock. Which are, by the way, by the same people. Because we’ve tried Top Paddock during our trip last year, naturally, we went to Kettle Black. Nestled in between tall, modern office blocks was an old Victorian-esq building. Their food was amazing and so beautifully presented. It was like every Instagrammer’s dream; pretty food, great lighting, and a famous location. But this actually tasted great. I say that because every time i see multiple pictures within a week about the next hype, i decide to go and try it for myself but get disappointed most of the time! I am almost sure that people are just doing it because a) other people are or/and b)it just looks pretty for the gram or/and c) someone is being compensated to promote them.
The ricotta hotcake was less sweeter than the last time I had it, and also much thicker. So we weren’t able to finish it this time but the waitress commended us for our efforts. HAHA!

The Mussel Pot 

Just $12 for 1kg of fresh mussels, you’d get the freshest bowl of mussels at the Prahran Market. We had it with the coconut and chilli flavour and it was so flavourful. I’d so recommend this place if you’re in the Chapel St area doing some shopping. But we didn’t even come in here because we were shopping nearby, it’s been a point to visit the Prahran Market every time we are down to get the freshest homemade food items here from dips to pastas to the finest ingredients sourced from Australia and the rest of the world.

Hammer & Tong 412 

On our last day, we decided to give this place since so many people that have gone here have raved about it. Unfortunately, all the dishes that were raved about before just left the menu as it has been now changed to the next seasonal menu. However, the softshell crab burger was still available and that was good! A new addition was a chicken burger and that was even better IMO! So definitely get that one. BUT again, i think it was a bit too pricey at $17 just for a burger alone. It would have been much more worth it to have it come with a side of something.

Patricia Coffee Brewers 

OK, this one of the most amazing coffee places I have been to. Super friendly staff and amazing coffee to boot. Such an amazing end to the trip. Their fliters was very well done. My cold filter came with a super cool flask to be poured onto a giant block of ice. I also tried a latte from them to which they recommended which blend would suit better with soy milk. I think more baristas should do that if there was an option. I really wish Sydney had the coffee culture Melbourne has! That is one thing i will definitely miss from Melbourne. Also, their coffees are generally cheaper there too. Soy milk is only an additional 20 cents as supposed to 50 cents in Sydney. I could get used to their pricing if I moved there. And yes, we took away Shortstop to fly them back to Sydney too.

So, that was basically my food itinerary in Melbourne! I hope these would help you make some choices if you are planning a trip down. From everything listed, my must to-go places are definitely Shortstop, Patricia Coffee, Maedaya (stay tuned), The Kettle Black, The Mussel Pot, and Prahran Market. Port Phillip Estate if you’re going to Mornington Peninsula!

Fika Swedish Kitchen

The place was so cute, small and homey and that took me by surprise! A good, refreshing one at that. A place that could probably only sit 30 people at one given time and had a live singer at one corner to boot gave this place a much different vibe than the usual Aussie eateries. The atmosphere was dim in lighting to get that intimate feel surrounded with a lot of chatter that was going on around. The smell of coffee constantly surrounded the place as they had an area just for coffee as well. Looking to the back of the restaurant, was a semi-open kitchen that we could walk through to get to the back ran by just 5 people in total. One of the reasons I love going to new eateries with a big group of people is so I can fully judge a place on their food as we get to order an array of things. In conjunction with two birthdays and a graduation, we decided to take time off our busy lives and decided to live a little – I think most of us are at the phase of life where we ask each other what their line of work is instead of what are you studying at uni. That being said, I don’t think we’re all that happy to be grown ups. HAHA! To start, we decided to get four different starters to share between 12 people. We had a good mix ranging from meat, seafood, and vegetarian.

Green Apple Salad $14

The salad consisted of green apples, fennel, peas with sunflower seeds and house herb pesto. It was a very refreshing dish with a herby tang to it. It was a great mix of elements that were crunchy in texture.

Forest Mushrooms $17

Consisting of mushrooms with crispy bread, horseradish cream, and pea sprouts, it was one of the heartier dishes we had during the night. We absolutely loved the crispy bread that came with some of the starters and mains. SUPER crispy that could pair up with everything.

Doris’ Dumplings $20

I had my mind set on having to try this dish when I decided to come here. There were definitely mixed reviews on this dish around the table but I personally loved it. Being a huge fan of all kinds of dumplings and all. It was stuffed with pork and potato, cooked in burnt butter sauce and topped with the famous Swedish lingonberry jam. What made everyone have mixed reviews was about the thickness of the dumpling dough. It was at least a CM in thickness and in kind of a dense doughy texture. I thought the flavours were great and absolutely loved this.

Toast Skagen $18

In the jar, was a dip that consisted of prawns and mayo with dill and lemon. I definitely saw a dish like this sitting around Ikea before. Nevertheless, I am sure this was a much better and fresher version of it as no doubt that despite the creamy look, it had a refreshing feeling due to it being a cold dish and the fresh prawns it came with. With the mains, there were only five options to choose from. However, none of us decided to opt for the vegetarian option so here is my take on the meat and seafood.

Swedish Meatballs $20

Served with Fika’s iconic meatballs with potato mash, lingonberry jam, and gravy. A couple of us were really excited to try this having this been our first time trying a non-Ikea version and how it matched up. Super hearty and the meatballs were firm and had a great amount of flavour to it. I could eat their lingonberry jam with everything they had on the menu, it had a good amount of sweetness to it that didn’t over power.

Back Strap Stack $28

The veal was usually served with potato gratin but it was served with mash that night. And along with kale, chanterelle sauce, and redcurrant jelly. It was perfectly pink at medium rare.

Fond of Fish $26

According to Josh, it was once again a refreshing and light dish. The pan fried barramundi was cooked well and the skin could definitely be more crispier. The highlight was the salad of saffron and leak that was smooth and unexpected as it was initially thought that it wouldn’t go quite well. The portion sizing of the fish could be more consistent has some of us had two pieces.

Flying Jacob $24

This was definitely the highlight dish for me! The chicken was cooked so well with the skin being very well seasoned with herbs and spices. The best part of the dish was the accompaniments that came with it – bacon, sauteed kale, banana sauce, and crunchy peanuts. I thought this was an odd combo when reading it on the menu but it totally worked! Sweet and salty elements brought the chicken out and safe to say, it was a party in my mouth. Cake time! We went with the Kladdkaka which is the sticky chocolate cake pictured in the front, and the Princess Cake at the back which consisted of an airy sponge cake with pink marzipan, homemade berry jam, vanilla custard, and whipped cream. Absolutely LOVED  the chocolate cake, it was such a hit amongst everyone. It was really gooey but not like a mud cake or a brownie either. Such interesting texture. It was overall such a great dining experience. A very different one to the usual vibe that most restaurants have. Would highly recommend this to anyone who wants an intimate night out or a group of close friends to celebrate the occasion. The staff were really friendly, and for a place ran with only 5 people, service was efficient and the dishes came out all at once with good timing. They’re open for lunch and breakfast as well!

Overall rating: 8.5/10

Fika Swedish Kitchen
5b Market Lane MANLY 2095
www.fikaswedishkitchen.com.au

*Photography credits to Joshua Sim

Pink Salt

As Josh’s family starts arriving into Sydney in time for his graduation, his mum was first to arrive on Mother’s Day! We’ve settled on Pink Salt at Double Bay as it has been long on our list of places to try.
Nestled in the dainty suburb of Double Bay, it sat right next to the newly opened Intercontinental Double Bay. While many shops were closed, the restaurants and cafes surrounding us was bustling with the occasion that was Mother’s Day.
Pink Salt had came up with a set menu @ $65pp that kind of capsulated a typical Sunday roast – with more umph of course.

We arrived a tad bit early for our seating and was offered a place at the bar inside to wait for the first seating to leave. The bar features a very spacious seating facing the dining area and the entrance of the restaurant and is situated at the cosiest part of the restaurant on this cold and windy day.

I was absolutely loving the look and design of the restaurant. It was like being in a tree top house – the place was filled with greens and their glass windows was able to let the sunlight in which captured the tropical essence of the place. Another food photographer’s pleasures.

Single origin bread with sage butter

Fluffy and crunchy single origin bread with a sage butter to start with.

2014 Scarborough Rose, Hunter Valley, NSW

We’ve also decided to grab a bottle of a 2014 Scarborough Rose from the Hunter Valley region. Sweet and very light.

Entrees – 

Grilled haloumi, watermelon, pine nuts, vincotto

This was such a refreshing dish. The freshness of the watermelon, saltiness of the haloumi, nuttiness of the pine nuts and the bitterness of the dressing worked so well together. Great balance.

Zucchini flowers stuff with cream cheese

This is my first time trying zucchini flowers. I’ve been wanting to try them for awhile now and it definitely did not disappoint. The flowers was crunchy and fresh at the same time. The creamy cream cheese gave it the depth of flavour with the added saltiness from the cheese shavings and drizzled lemon juice.

Calamari with sriracha aioli

Very, very fresh calamari and amazing batter. The Sriracha aioli had a great balance of Sriracha in it. Would come back for more of these.

Mains – 

Roast leg of lamb with mint sauce, duck fat potatoes, glazed carrots

Lamb was tender and cooked perfectly. The highlight was definitely the duck fat potatoes, I would have to try cooking my potatoes this way now. The mint sauce was very well balanced.

Roast pork belly with duck fat potatoes, glazed carrot, gravy

Crispy skin was what I was looking for and they delivered.

Cauliflower gratin

Came with a side of cauliflower gratin. Flavours were good but I would have loved it to be crunchier in texture as it was too soft for me.

Desserts – 

Tonka bean pannacotta with maple gel and apricot ice cream

I actually ordered the chocolate delice but had Josh trade me for his panna cotta as I am usually not as fond of chocolate. Absolutely loved the panna cotta, it had that panna cotta dance going on when the plate was shaken. Well put together with the maple gel and a refreshing apricot ice cream.

Chocolate delice with salted caramel sauce, DC coffee ice cream

I’m not exactly one for chocolate as it’s always too heavy for me to handle after 2 bites. But for all those chocolate lovers out there, it was so rich and gooey. The salted caramel gave it a salty hint to it and the refreshing coffee ice cream to wash it down with.

We had a very good experience overall. The staff were very accommodating and friendly despite the super busy Mother’s Day. I will be back to try the rest of their food from their main menu as I’ve spotted some very amazingly sounding dishes already!

Overall rating: 7/10

Pink Salt
53 Cross Street DOUBLE BAY, NSW
www.pinksalt.com.au

Taste of Sydney 2015

I am back again at 2015’s Taste of Sydney together with Josh and Nic! I was already prepared to pay for our entrance tickets when I won 2 general entry passes from Jennifer of I Ate My Way Through‘s Instagram post – already an awesome start to the festival.

We’ve decided to make a round starting with Biota Dining as we’ve heard they took the top award of the festival, and also Otto Ristorante which was next door.

Biota Dining: Smoked taramasalata with pickled lettuce and charcoal cracker (10 Crowns)

This was definitely one of the most interesting dishes at the festival as it wasn’t your usual meaty type dish which is what you’d usually get. The taramasalata had very good texture, it was creamy and smooth, and you could taste the subtle smokiness as well. The charcoal cracker gave an amazing addition on texture and presentation. All in all, the flavours all really worked together.

Biota Dining: Dipped Lamb Caramel Buns – soft lamb belly with hot lamb glaze (10 Crowns)

The buns were what you’d expect in a place like this, it was soft and fresh. I especially loved the addition of the extra pinch of salt that was drizzled onto the bun as they presented it to us.

Otto Ristorante: Oriecchiette “Bolognese” – ear shaped pasta, wagyu beef, pork, veal Sangiovese ragu (12 Crowns)

I can never pass up on a ragu so I’ve got to give this a go. While the sauce had all the textures and right consistency to it, it was not the usual bags-of-flavour ragu that I hoped it would be. However, it was overall a dish for comfort.

We were rather parched by this time as it was a pretty hot day. You’d think winter would have been nearing given the day that was yesterday. So, we decided to head on to the Bundaberg tent opposite.

Bundaberg rum mixed in with frozen coke

Opted for the frozen version of course! Quenched away we went on to our next stop.

PORTENO!

A Taste of Sydney crowd pleaser. They’ve got to be since they’re back again! And man, do they know their way around their meat.

Porteno: BBQ’d Porchetta with chilli, fennel, silverbeat, and truffle pecorino (20 Crowns)

Having been the only ICON dish we had for the day, it was easily in my top 3 dishes of the day. This dish being Josh and Nic’s number one. Crackling was spot on – they really couldn’t go wrong there, meat was so tender it was out of this world, the vege added that extra freshness to accompany the meat. A++!

I think this face says it all. 😀

Moving on to The Cut Bar and Grill, and Ananas Bar and Brasserie.

Ananas Bar and Brasserie: WA crispy scampi papillotes, sweet basil, sauce rouille (18 Crowns)

It was one of the few seafood dish that we really wanted to try (key word being ‘wanted’ because we would have loved to try the crayfish from Otto Ristorante). This reminded us of a much more flakey deep fried prawn wonton. The skin was so amazingly light to eat and the scampi was cooked to perfection.

The Cut Bar and Grill: Slow Braised Szechuan Beef Shortrib with BBQ Tamarind Sauce (12 Crowns)

This dish was my number one! Hands down! The ribs were so succulent with bags of flavour. Pretty sure I could’ve ate a plate of these with some rice and toufu. I even looked up the restaurant menu to see if they had it but to my disappointment, they did not. Here’s to hoping they’ll put it on soon after this festival.

Last but not least on the savoury side, we made an executive decision to go to Popolo instead of Bang as we were running out of crowns for the day (got to stick to the budget!) We were not disappointed!

Popolo: Purple Potato Gnocchi – mixed mushrooms, chilli, pinenuts, salted dried ricotta (12 Crowns)

One of the softest gnocchi’s we’ve had. As for me, anything with pinenuts sells me right away. The colour was really the interesting part of the dish which was what made us want to get it at first.

Time for desserts and other goodies we found after filling our bellies. We stopped by 4fourteen for their popsicle as it was one of my favourite desserts from last year.

4Fourteen: White chocolate and caramel popsicle with dark chocolate crumbs (6 Crowns)

The popsicle was consistent in comparison to last year’s, which is what you’d want to see. Again, love the saltiness of the crumbs to go along with the caramelly-ness. Well worth the 6 Crowns.

La Maison de Eclaire (6 for 18 Crowns)

I always love stopping by their store whenever I am in Bondi to get some of their eclairs. Josh loves eclairs and of all the ones he’s had around Sydney, this comes close to his perfect one. However, they only sold the mini ones. We much preferred the overall texture of their original sized ones.

We were also on a craze with a couple of coconuts out there. Seeing as it was a pretty hot day, it was only right to drink a couple of them to cool us down.

Coco Easy (5 Crowns each)

Their marketing strategy was cutting the tops of the coconut with lasers so that it could be easily opened after drinking to eat the flesh inside. I thought it was quite a brilliant idea but I would have loved the coconut flesh to be softer.

Next came the can version by Real Coconut Water. It was tasty, large portion and affordable. Had all the ticks in my book when it comes to buying coconuts.

Real Coconut Water (2 for $5)

Piccolo Me’s packaging of their Iced Nutella drink was too cute to pass out on. With my love for Nutella and coffee, I just had to get one to try that combination. It was a good balance of Nutella and coffee.

Iced Hazelnut (6 Crowns)

I thought this year’s event was an overall success! Although a pretty pricy one at that, it was definitely a money saver to have like-minded foodie friends to tag along and share the dishes with. That’s definitely a huge tip to anyone who wants to go next year. Entering competitions for free tickets would not hurt the bank account either!

This month of March is going to be a huge food month for me. The first half has already started very well with March into Merivale: Just Desserts and Taste of Sydney, can’t wait for the next half of it which I will be updating on.

**Some pictures have been taken by Joshua Sim (Instagram @joshiespace) and Nicole Chin (Instagram @nickychin)

Top 3 coffee spots in KL

During my time in KL, I have had the time to check out some of the city’s best coffee places and I was pretty impressed at how much has changed in the past year! More and more speciality coffee shops are popping up in and around the city. So I’ve narrowed down my top 3 picks because life’s too short for bad coffee, right? So this is especially for you guys who are in KL with very limited time and in need of a cuppa, or even to my Malaysian readers.

1. VCR

Ethiopian Has Been coffee via Hario V60

Rwandan Has Been coffee via Chemex

Nestled in a old shop house turned modern-cosy cafe, lies a new star to the coffee scene of KL. The first picture features one of the best brews I’ve had coming from Ethiopia Has Been coffee beans, thanks to the recomendations of our lovely barista, Kenneth! (Be sure to give him a shout out when you’re there for the best service) Giving notes of blueberry and only blueberry. Yup! Blueberry city, population 1. The blueberry flavour that hits you is really spot on and I am really impressed with the way it infuses with the coffee done via V60. It’s not a regular flavour in the house but going back the second time was still in favour as the vibe and service of the place was so inviting. Of all the times, I’ve been there, the other one thing that stood out was the french toast which almost every table ordered. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to try it as I was too full on the local goods. A variety of cakes and a couple of meals from the kitchen are also featured in their menu.
Also note that this is the only cafe I have found that does the Syphon brew – which is rare in Sydney let alone Malaysia. Other than that, a highly recommended place for coffee!

VCR 
2 Jalan Galloway BUKIT BINTANG
http://www.vcr.my

2. PULP by Papa Palheta

Tucked away in the back of Bangsar’s bustling streets, is the sister cafe of Singapore’s Chye Seng Huat Hardware coffee store, Pulp. Although they’re not much on food, boy are they big on coffee! Welcomed with a long table filled with different coffee beans on roast for the day and up to tingle your nose buds, you’ll be greeted by one of their friendly baristas. There’ll be a board of what’s brewing for the day. The barista, Carmen, brewed us a mean cup of filtered coffee which was one of the smoothest blends, even for a filtered one. The atmosphere of the cafe boasts an industrial-like feel as it’s in the surroundings of old factories and office blocks alike – with wooden furniture and steel foundations of the building. Amazing to even just come by with your book or laptop and have a good coffee there to relax with.
Love the blend you’re having? Feel free to even pick up a bag!

PULP by Papa Palheta
29-01 Jalan Riong BANGSAR
http://www.facebook.com/PULPbyPapaPalheta 

3. Three Little Bird Coffee

The thing that really stood out with this cafe was the location. Situated in an eco-friendly building, there are wires of vine leaves everywhere as you enter the lobby, ponds with trickling water that gives the sensation of being in a forest, and these hole-in-the-ground lounge areas to sit in which adds to a brilliant chill vibe. This is a cafe that roasts their own coffee with their cupping room just behind their service area, so you can only expect good flavours from them – which really did not disappoint with the amount of dedication put into each cup. If they’ve impressed you on the different techniques they use to brew their coffee, you get the opportunity to check out the range of, mainly Hario, products they have on shelf with a not-so-hefty price tag. Definitely a great place to have a good cup of coffee along with some cakes and Malaysian-made ice cream, The Last Polka.

Three Little Birds Coffee
D7 Jalan Sentul KUALA LUMPUR 
http://www.threelittlebirdscoffee.com.my

So there you have it! And I think I might add the next one just as a novelty as I have been wanting to try a sizzling brownie for the longest time since my feed was filled with those sizzling green tea brownies from my friends at HK.

**ACME Bar and Coffee

Sizzling brownie

The name of the place really screams on the environment of the restaurant – bar and coffee. The menu is filled with a western-asian fusion, which is what you’d generally get at modern cafe/restaurant in Malaysia, and quite on the pricy side. But the one thing people definitely go there for is their sizzling brownie as picture above. When it arrived to the table, a brownie set on a hot plate was set in front of us, then the waiter pours the chocolate sauce on top of the ice cream and upon hitting the pan, aromas of the chocolate fills up the air with smoke. Was definitely at peak excitement by then! Because the brownie was just quite mediocre. HAH! The things we do for the novelty of it. In all honest though, it was on the fluffier side but I prefer brownies on the more denser and gooier side of things. The ice cream however was just heavenly, it definitely added that extra flavour and texture to the whole thing.

Acme Bar and Coffee
The Troika, Jalan Binjai KUALA LUMPUR
http://www.acmebarcoffee.com

I know that some would prefer a much more local post but I am going to say the same thing for every single picture, everything is AWESOME and AMAZING! If you follow me on Instagram, everything from Singapore – KL – Krabi – Phuket – Penang are all documented in pictures there, so feel free to move on there to salivate as I will be on my flight back to Sydney tomorrow. It has been too short of a trip back home this time round, I already miss it.

Road Tripping: Grandma’s Little Bakery (Collector, NSW)

Every time I make my way down south of the boarder to Canberra to visit family, it is a must to make our way to Grandma’s Little Bakery tucked in the middle of Fedra’s Olive Farm for their delicious signature shakshuka and moussaka. Right off the Federal Highway going at 110km/h, you’d definitely got to slow down as slow as possible to not miss the turn or else, all hope is lost. Finding a way to turn back will definitely put that extra milage on your car.

Upon turning into their gated entrance, you’ll be greeted with rows of different types of olives on the left and right. Make your way further up the gravel road and you’ll find yourself at their cafe.

You’ll notice that their food gives a range of homemade dishes inspired and created from real grandma’s and grandpa’s all over the world mainly from Mediterranean, North African, Greek, English, Irish, and Italian influences.

With a variety of shakshuka’s available in store, I opted for their spicy shakshuka ($17.50) this time round as supposed to their classic one. Accompanied with tzaziki & olive oil dip, and house-made Grandma’s Bread which is consistently soft and fresh every time I’ve rocked up. Although not as spicy as I would have expected it to be, I definitely enjoyed every last drop of the spicy sauce collecting it up with their bread.

Spicy Shakshuka ($17.50)

On the other side of the table, Grandma’s Fedra Moussaka ($15.50) was in order. The salad that came with it complimented the dish with freshness ready to cleanse the palate whenever. Perfect for a heavy dish like moussaka which was oh-so rich in flavour; everything a moussaka should be like.

Grandma’s Fedra Moussaka ($15.50)

Hoping to find my favourite crumble on their menu was a disappointment this time around as they were not doing it. However, they introduced me to their Grandma’s Traditional Apple Strudel ($8.90) with a side of their homemade gelato which comes in a variety of flavours. I told the waitress to surprise me and she came out with their Seeds Cookies Gelato which included a vanilla-cookie based gelato with different types of seeds in it. It was definitely one of the most unique gelato’s I have ever came across but was loving every bit of it.

Traditional Grandma’s Apple Strudel with homemade Seeds Cookies Gelato ($8.90)

They also offer a variety products packed and ready to go such as cookies, olive oils, dips, breads, pastries, and ice creams to name a few in their store inside. Which is amazing for when you’ve tasted something you loved while eating one of their dishes.

If you Sydney-siders haven’t already come across it, they have established a second store at Alexandria and soon-to-open at Roseberry. The store at Alexandria offers a similar menu and range of shelf products but a less farm-ish vibe in surroundings. So, for an authentic feel of Grandma’s Little Bakery, I would definitely recommend making your way 2 hours out of Sydney CBD to visit them in their olive farm when you feel in need of a country-side road trip.

Or if you’re coming from Canberra, it’s just a 40 minute drive. Just DON’T MISS THE TURNING!

Overall rating: 8.5/10
Pet friendly: Yes

Grandma’s Little Bakery (Collector, NSW)
5796 Federal Highway, Collector, NSW 

Grandma’s Little Bakery (Alexandria, NSW)
42 O’Riordan Street, Alexandria, NSW 

Pastizzi Cafe

Stepping away from the scene of trying to make it to every new find that is constantly popping up, this old Maltese cafe has been around for 8 years fitting into the far end of King Street in Newtown. Upon arrival, it doesn’t look like much on the outside but you definitely can’t miss the aroma of the buttery pastry of their famous pastizzi.

I have been visiting this cafe for awhile now just for a take away of a couple of their pastizzi’s and tiramisu but never for a dine-in. On those take-away occasions, I couldn’t help but feel so jealous of the massive plates of pasta that everyone is devouring into. Finally, today was the day as Josh and I celebrate yet another milestone in our relationship.

Entrance to Pastizzi Cafe

Variety of pastizzis

You’ll then be greeted with a variety of different pastizzi’s, both sweet and savoury and both equally as delicious. Also having to mention that they do sell frozen bags of a variety of pastizzi at $18/bag which I have bought and tried it at home myself for our house warming not too long ago. All it needed was 30 minutes in the oven and done! It was a huge hit at the party leaving everyone wanting it know where I got it from.

All their pastizzi are hand-rolled within their kitchen using ingredients that are locally sourced. Much like a puff pastry, their pastry is so buttery and flakey. So much goodness. It may just look like a humble pastry, but wait till you take a bite. One of their hugest hits and my personal favourite is the chili con carne flavour, raking in at just $2.50 a piece. You really can’t get any goodness at this kind of price tag anymore. Of course there are many other options including vegetarian options all for $2.50 a piece and their gourmet range at only $3.50 a piece.

Chili Con Carne pastizzi ($2.50)

Inside the Chili Con Carne pastizzi

As for the mains, they are also very decently priced going from $13-$22 a plate. We opted to try the classical dishes today to see how they really par on that. Mind you, if you’re not one for huge portions like me, you’d want to invite a few more people to dine with you here. The more the merrier!

I initially wanted to take on their spaghetti marinara but not being in the mood for anything other than prawns, I went for their spagehtti crab and prawns instead which has the same sauce base. I was pleasantly shocked to find a generous amount of prawns and crab meat on this dish! It was more than enough to give me a food coma half way through. The napolitana sauce was very well balanced in terms of the amounts of chili and tomato that was used.

Spaghetti Crab & Prawns with chilli and napolitana sauce ($22)

The second of the mains was spaghetti carbonara with eggs, bacon and parmasan. Being newly lactose intolerant, I tried hard to not order it, so instead, I lured Josh into ordering it so I could try it too. When you think carbonara, you immediately think creamy as hell. But not this one, it was not at all creamy but much more like an olive oil base. Very refreshing to the palate and not overpowering with creaminess. I have not had a carbonara like this before, not one where I could even clearly see the bits of the eggs as well.

Spaghetti Carbonara with bacon, eggs & parmesan ($16)

As we sat there trying to finish our pastas, we thought hard if we should order some sweet pastizzis. And yes, yes we should. We had to go back to our old favourite which is the chocolate & ricotta. This time, for the sake of trying something new, we took the apple & cinnamon as well. No regrets there.

Chocolate & ricotta and apple & cinnamon ($2.50 each)

Inside the chocolate & ricotta and apple & cinnamon

We both left with a happy stomach and looking forward to our next visit. Very much an all-rounder cafe, opening during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also well equipped with indoor and outdoor seatings to please any kind of weather and for when we bring Olie the pug along with us.

Overall rating: 8.5/10
Pet friendly: Yes

Pastizzi Cafe
523 King Street, Newtown NSW

West Juliett

After nearly a year of bugging by some friends and mostly by my boyfriend/food partner-in-crime, I have decided to start my long term hobby of food blogging. While I’ve only stuck to Instagram, doing lengthy descriptions there are just not favoured. So i’ve come here to answer the main question i always get, “Is it worth going? How was it?” in my own humble opinion.

I also love cook and bake in times of stress or just because so this is where I will be posting my own recipes and the ones I have tried and got the tick of approval for taste.

Without further ado, after having the need to justify the start of my food blogging adventures, my first review: West Juliett.

West Juliett definitely does not shy away from portion sizing as you can tell from the picture, almost to the point of not being able to continue our Saturday brunching mission at The Grumpy Barista for a cronut or two, so that offer still stands (any takers?). While their choice of dishes and flavouring are not anything to be shouting about, they make it up with their coffee. Remembering the distinctive taste of their cold drip with the not so overpoweringly bitterness and the hints of citrus and honey, makes me want to come back for more.

Cold drip ($3.50)

If there is anything on the plate that is worth shouting about, it’s their bread. They serve them just how I take it, super crunchy crust and oh-so-fluffy and soft on the inside. Paired up with their butter and an add-on serve of avocado, perfect!

Eggs on toast ($9.90) with add-on’s of avocado and pork & fennel sausages ($3.90 each)

Josh opted for their salmon on toast which according to him was fresh and complemented the creamy-ness of the yoghurt. However, too much yoghurt was placed on had almost drowned the entire dish.

Here is where I confess that I am not one for fish. Any kind. Yup. I hear the gasping already. Must have been the childhood trauma of being fed too much steam fish with soy, or the fact that a bone got lodged in my throat once. Either way. Shell fish? Yes, please.

Soft scrambled eggs with cured salmon, sorrel, yoghurt, fennel on toast ($15.90)

With the slightest mentioning of West Juliett, I am sure that the attention is immediately drawn to the thought of their pink salt chocolate chip cookie and man, did it live up to that expectation. We were not disappointed.

Pink salt chocolate chip cookie ($3.50)

Lastly, one component of my reviews to any cafes I will be adding is, how pet friendly their cafe is! Still being a new owner of Olie the pug comes with its consequences of not being able to go to many places without having to worry about if he’ll be ok home alone or whether someone could take care of him. Luckily, more and more outdoor seating is available for when I decide to bring him along. You’ll definitely spot him before spotting me.

I’ll be doing overall ratings based on their current menu + flavour + coffee/juice + service + atmosphere + price, and of course, pet friendliness!

Overall rating: 7/10
Pet friendly: Yes

West Juliett
30 Llewellyn Street, Marrickville NSW 2204