I really don’t visit Sydney often enough. But whenever I am there, I can trust a few friends to show me some of the best eating places. The following is a few of the must-go places, especially for first-timers to the city. Here is my guide to where to eat in Sydney.

Adriano Zumbo

If you follow MasterChef Australia, you would be familiar with Adriano Zumbo – who is probably the most well-known patissier in Australia. His followers love him for the unusual creations, while he also has his fair share of critics who do not understand what they are eating. I am a big fan of Zumbo and while there are hits and misses, I very much enjoy his desserts. The main patisserie at Balmain is slightly inaccessible, but trust me, it is worth the trip. Otherwise, you can go to his new shop at The Star to takeaway cakes and macarons.

296 Darling St
Balmain, NSW 2040, Australia
Mon to Sat: 8am – 6pm
Sun: 8am – 5pm

Shop 1, Cafe Court The Star/80 Pyrmont Street
Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9777 9000
Mon: 11am – 10pm
Tue to Thu: 11am – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 12am
Sun: 11am – 9pm

Bills

A trip to Sydney is not complete without a visit to one of Bill Granger’s restaurants. Having breakfast at Bills is one of the must-do things when you are in the city. Come here for his much-lauded ricotta hotcakes and scrambled eggs. You will not be disappointed.

For more recommendations, read my post on Sydney’s best brunch spots.

359 Crown Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9360 4762
Daily: 7am – 10pm

433 Liverpool Street
Darlinghurst NSW 2010, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9360 9631
Daily: 7am – 3pm

Bourke Street Bakery

Bourke Street Bakery is a neighbourhood joint where locals meet their friends for coffee; or drop by to grab some pastries for breakfast next day. My experience at Bourke Street Bakery was mind-blowing. Everything – lemon curd tart, croissant, chocolate tart, strawberry & vanilla brulee tart, flourless chocolate cake – that we had was so good.

For more recommendations, read my post on Sydney’s best desserts.

633 Bourke Street
Surry Hills, Sydney NSW 2010
Tel: +6 2 9699 1011
Mon to Fri: 7am – 6pm
Sat & Sun: 8am – 5pm

Chat Thai

The most famous Thai restaurant in Sydney, Chat Thai serves good Thai food at decent prices (by Sydney’s standard), and most importantly, they open till late night. If you are craving for Thai food when you are in Sydney, Chat Thai is your best bet.

20 Campbell Street
Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9211 1808
Daily: 10am – 2am

Gelato Messina

This is probably one of the most popular gelato shops in Sydney. Besides offering a variety of their signature flavours, the folks at Messina also constantly come up with new treats.

Shop 1/241 Victoria St,
Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Tel: +61 2 8354 1223
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 11.30pm

Harry’s Cafe de Wheels

Harry’s Cafe de Wheels is an Australian icon serving legendary pies and mushy peas, pasties and hot dogs. Definitely a must-visit when you are in Sydney.

730/742 George Street
Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9211 2506
Mon & Tue: 9am – 10pm
Wed & Thu: 9am – 1am
Fri & Sat: 10a – 4pm
Sun: 10am – 10pm

Hurricane’s Grill Steakhouse

Another Sydney institution. Hurricane’s Grill Steakhouse is where locals and tourists go for the famous Hurricane’s ribs. If ribs are not your thing, you can try their premium Australian steaks and burgers.

2-10 Darling Drive
Darling Harbour NSW 2000, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9211 2210
Daily: 12pm – 3pm, 5.30pm – 11pm

Kura Japanese

One of my favourite to-go places is Kura, a little hole-in-the-wall eatery at Haymarket that serves very decent Japanese food at affordable prices.

3/76 Ultimo Rd, Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9212 5661
Mon to Thu: 10.30am – 11.30pm
Fri & Sat: 10.30am – 12 midnight
Sun: 10.30am – 10.30pm

Madang Korean BBQ

Madang is a household name in Sydney. It is the hottest Korean BBQ joint in town, and the queue – usually at least an hour wait during peak hours – is the testimony of its popularity. There is no doubt that Madang has good Korean BBQ and tasty kimchi pancakes. Definitely one of the must-eat places in Sydney.

371A Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9264 7010
Daily: 11.30am – 12am

Mamak Malaysian Restaurant

Mamak is one of the most popular eateries in Sydney. It has affordable and authentic Malaysian food – think roti, nasi goreng and nasi lemak. You are probably thinking: why would anyone want to eat Malaysian food in Sydney? You need to know that Mamak dishes out tantalising Malaysian cuisine that you can otherwise hardly find in Sydney. If you have never been to Malaysia, or if you are working/studying in Sydney and miss this Asian genre, you have a new option now.

15 Goulburn Street
Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9211 1668
Sun to Thu: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
Fri: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 2am
Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 12 midnight

Ms G Restaurant

A cool and funky modern Asian restaurant which sprawls over four floors – the perfect place to hang out with your friends over cocktails and delicious food. I wish someone would open a restaurant that has a similar concept to Ms G in Singapore.

155 Victoria St, Potts Point NSW 2011, Australia
Tel: +61 2 8313 1000
Mon to Sat: 5pm – 11pm
Sun: 1pm – 10pm

Pancakes on the Rocks

Another institution in Sydney, Pancakes on the Rocks serves all kinds of pancakes. There are plenty of things to choose from the menu, and best of all, it opens 24 hours 7 days a week.

4 Hickson Rd, The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9247 6371
Daily: 24 Hours

Sydney Fish Market

Here, you can get the freshest seafood in town. Enjoy freshly shucked oysters and a scrumptious seafood platter alongside seagulls and giant pelicans on the wharf.

Bank Street
Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9004 1100

The Tea Cosy

A great spot for afternoon tea, The Tea Cosy is a lovely tea room where you can get terrific scones and enjoy a pot of tea.

33 George Street
The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: +61 2 9247 3233

This post is slightly late. I had wanted to share this in January, but I was so caught up with work and travelling last month that I did not have the chance to sit down and review my year of eating.

I had many exceptional meals last year, which makes it difficult to pick my ten favourite dining experiences. As I reflected back on the places that I have eaten at over the last 12 months, the meals that left an impression and came to mind were because of the company. The best meals are often not the ones at expensive and fanciful restaurants, but the ones that you share with good friends.

Here are the ten best meals that I had in 2012.

Bourke Street Bakery

When you are visiting Sydney, a visit to Bourke Street Bakery should be on the top of your list of things to do. It is a neighbourhood joint where locals meet their friends for coffee; or drop by to grab some pastries for breakfast. Everything that we had at Bourke Street Bakery was fantastic. In particular, the chocolate tart was the best that I have had in my life.

633 Bourke Street
Surry Hills, Sydney NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9699 1011

Black Coffee Lyrics

Black Coffee Lyrics is one of the best kept secrets in Gold Coast. It is not difficult to understand why it is so popular. The restaurant and cocktail bar is an “insider” spot for coffee and good food. It has a kick-ass vibe – artsy, cosy and very very cool. In short, the sort of underground cafe for those “in the know” to hang out.

I had a fabulous meal there, and I think you will love it too. This is definitely a must-visit place if you are in Gold Coast.

60/3131 Surfers Paradise Blvd
Level 2 Centre Arcade
Surfers Paradise QLD 4217, Australia
Tel: (07) 0218 9437

Club Street Social

There are many restaurants serving brunch, but most of them are only mediocre. Club Street Social – located at Gemmil Lane, a quiet corner off Club Street – is definitely not one of them. I am not afraid to say that it is one of the best, if not the best brunch place in town. Trust me, that is no small praise.

With great, affordable food and cocktails served in a classy environment, I have no doubt that Club Street Social is the new “IT” restaurant in Singapore. It already has plenty of fans, so plan a trip this weekend.

5 Gemmill Lane, off Club Street
Tel: +65 6225 5043

De Ji Dai Pai Dong

This meal at De Ji Dai Pai Dong in Sha Tin, Hong Kong is not fancy, nor is it particularly fantastic. What it is, however, is a simple, cheap and delicious meal. The roasted pigeons were terrific, and so were the other dishes that we had. If you ever find yourself in Hong Kong, you must have a meal at a local Dai Pai Dong.

Ditirambo Ristorante

My partner and I had our first meal in Rome at Ditirambo, and it was one of our favourite restaurants in the Eternal City. Upon stepping in, you see tables of Italian families and couples, you hear Italian ringing everywhere. Dining among the company of locals added to the experience. The menu presented a selection of good Italian food at very humble prices. I would definitely drop by Ditirambo every time I am in Rome.

Piazza della Cancelleria
74, 00186 Rome, Italy
Tel: +39 06 687 1626

Foodbar Dada

2012 will go down in history as the year of Spanish tapas. New tapas eateries are opening every month, and in Singapore, a city full of amazing restaurants, it really takes something outstanding to make me sit up and take notice.

I have been to Foodbar Dada a few times, and I have nothing but praise for them. They use fresh produce, well-seasoned with good quality olive oil, maldon sea salt, and expertly-cooked in Josper grill.

60 Robertson Quay
#01-12 Singapore
Tel: +65 6735 7738

Jaan Restaurant

One of the best meals that I had in 2011 was at Jaan Restaurant Swissotel. I am happy to tell you that it has also made it to this list for 2012. I went back to JAAN and I had a spectacular meal – Chef Julien Royer did it again. For me, Jaan is one of the best restaurants in Singapore.

2 Stamford Road
70F Swissotel The Stamford, Singapore
Tel: +65 6431 5670

Momofuku

The two meals that I had at Momofuku Ssam Bar and Momofuku Noodle Bar might not be the best I had in New York, but they were special as I am a big fan of David Chang and what he has done in the culinary world. I was really happy to be able to finally have the chance to eat at his restaurants. This alone is a reason substantial enough for me to include it as one of my best meals in 2012.

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave New York
Tel: +1 212 254 3500

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave New York
Tel: +1 212 777 7773

Mandarin Grill

Mandarin Grill is a 1 Michelin Star restaurant at Mandarin Oriental, one of the best hotels in Hong Kong. The lunch that I had there was amazing. A-m-a-z-i-n-g.

Having fun is an often over-looked part of fine dining. So it is really nice to know that the chefs at Mandarin Grill are enjoying playing with their food, and at the same time, we get to have fun while we eat. Case in point: the flower pot salad in the first photo of this post. I’d definitely recommend Mandarin Grill if you want to splurge on a good meal in Hong Kong.

5 Connaught Road, Central
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2522 0111

Trattoria Milanese

Trattoria Milanese is an institution in Milan. It is where locals and tourists enjoy good traditional Milanese cuisine in a fine dining setting. We sampled two of the classic dishes: the Risotto Alla Milanese, a saffron-flavoured risotto; and the Cotoletta, a fried breaded veal cutlet. Both dishes were terrific.

Via Santa Marta, 11, 20123 Milan, Italy
Tel:+39 02 8645 1991

Also read: my 10 Best Meals of 2011.

Living in Australia for almost two years made me realised how much I love Chinese cuisine. It is definitely not easy to find a place that serves good Chinese food in Sydney (at least not in the city). Well, to my surprise, Chefs Gallery offers pretty legit Chinese wonders and it’s located right in the heart of Sydney city.

Think cute piglet looking sesame bun for dessert or something different such as the fried man tou (fried buns) with condense milk dip. Chefs Gallery has some pretty creative minds in the kitchen.

Besides serving dishes with a modern touch – such as Roast Duck with lychee and chilli plum sauce and Fried Rice with diced roast duck and mandarin peel that adds that punch to the usual fried rice – it also offers a wide range of handmade noodles that would make you spoilt for choice.

Not many places offer dim sum at night, and this is also one of the reasons why I love Chefs Gallery. Apart from the usual bites, they have a good selection of tapas which ranges from Steamed Chicken and Shitake Mushroom Siew Mai with Scallop and Red Fish Roe to Fried Calamari Wontons in a special spicy sauce.

Are you drooling already?! The crowd usually comes in after 6pm, so it is advisable to make a reservation to skip the queue.

Chefs Gallery
12/501 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9267 8877

About the writer:
Just like that foodie friend of yours, Natalie is one who hunts down all the yummy food places and will want to order every single dish on the menu! Especially if it comes to dessert! With a strong passion for food and writing, she started a little writing space on Tumblr and her journey begins. You can read about Natalie’s adventures in Sydney here.

All I care about on a lazy Sunday morning is brunch. Really. Just by thinking about the warm cup of coffee and awesome scramble with toasts is enough to make me hungry. Being in Sydney for at least a year now, I’ve visited quite a few brunch places and there are just a few that I love to rave about!

The following is a list of 5 brunch places in Sydney that you must check out, and trust me on this, they are not your usual eggs and toast.

Before we get started, you might also want to check out my list of Sydney’s best dessert places.

Baffi & Mo

The must-haves at Baffi & Mo are their Baked Eggs and Buttermilk Pancakes. I can guarantee you that you will be mind blown once you bite into that soft triple layer of pancakes that sits nicely in a plate, topped with fresh berries, vanilla ice cream and most importantly, BUTTERSCOTCH sauce!

The other favourite is the Baked Eggs with toast! There are no words to describe how delicious the baked eggs are. It comes in a hot pan with some minced meat wrapped under the baked eggs topped with fresh toast. Bring your friends along so you can share, the portions are huge and you do not want to have either only!

94 Redfern Street
Redfern 2016
Tel: (02) 8065 3294

Jakyll & Hyde Coffee & Wine Bar

This place was a lovely surprise. I cannot believe that I’ve had actually walked past it countless of times without heading in. The atmosphere is peaceful and gives you a little Italian lane kind of mood. The breakfast menu is not extensive but it is different from the usual. I had the Dr Jakyll’s Eggs, which comprises scramble eggs with feta cheese on a toasted wholemeal sourdough and topped with tomato relish. The tomato relish gives your palate a refreshing tang that sets the scramble apart from the norm. Perfect place to go for a Sunday brunch!

333 Victoria Street
Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9360 5568

Clipper Café

One of the more popular brunch places among the university kids is Clipper Café, where they just love to take a break from all the books. The café’s interior is decorated with wooden furnishings, with cute little cactus on each table and vintage bicycles hanging off the walls.

This little café is known for their Panini sandwiches. Other must tries are their Baked Eggs with Mushrooms and Poached Eggs with Salmon, Avocado and Sourdough Toast! Do not forget to get a cup of their freshly brewed coffee to boost your energy!

16 Glebe Point Road
Glebe 2037
Tel: (04) 1180 0063

Le Monde Café

I’ve heard so much about Le Monde Café and their breakfast for a very long time now. Finally, I got my chance at stuffing myself with all the great brekkie items on the menu! Scrambles are always a safe choice. While, an adventurous appetite will not let you leave without trying the Ricotta Pancakes with Cinnamon Apple and Honeycomb topped with vanilla ice cream!

“Le Mon”, the way we call it, also serves some pretty legit coffee with their daily special blends for the caffeine lovers out there. Situated near Central Station, along the café filled Surry Hills, is where you will find this amazing brekkie place.

83 Foveaus Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9211 3568

Luxe Bakery

Can I just say that I am in love with their sourdough!!! This pretty café sits on a small lane along Newtown, where it usually gets packed with people during the breakfast and lunch hour. It does not have an extensive menu, but why go for quantity when you have quality.

As you can tell, I do like my scrambles and this place makes one of the best scramble eggs in town. It’s silky and buttery. You can choose your sides ranging from mushrooms, bacon, to cured ocean trout. It all comes with a slice of sourdough toast. Luxe is known for their sourdough and pastries, and apparently, it supplies sourdough to most of the cafes in Newtown. Apart from that, Luxe do have a lunch menu as well and always go for their Specials if you’re in the mood for something different!

195 Missenden Road
Newtown NSW 2042
Tel: (02) 8084 1775

About the writer:
Just like that foodie friend of yours, Natalie is one who hunts down all the yummy food places and will want to order every single dish on the menu! Especially if it comes to dessert! With a strong passion for food and writing, she started a little writing space on Tumblr and her journey begins. You can read about Natalie’s adventures in Sydney here.

I want to share a list of eating places in Sydney that left a deep impression on me, but before that, I would like to present a prelude – Bourke Street Bakery.

It is a neighbourhood joint where locals meet their friends for coffee; or drop by to grab some pastries for breakfast next day. My experience at Bourke Street Bakery was mind-blowing. Everything that we had was so good. Lemon curd tart, croissant, chocolate tart, strawberry and vanilla brulee tart, flourless chocolate cake – wow!!

When you are visiting Sydney, a visit to Bourke Street Bakery should be on the top of your list of things to do. I would hop on a plane just to eat here.

The bakery serves simple, honest and delicious baked goods like strawberry & vanilla brulee tart (A$5), lemon curd tart (A$4.50), raspberry & chocolate mousse tart (A$4.80) and carrot cake (A$4.50).

On my first visit, I had a croissant and chocolate tart. They were so good that I went back again the following day. The croissant was beautiful: buttery, flaky and it goes perfectly well with a cup of hot coffee, or taken away as an afternoon snack while you stroll around Surry Hills.

I am going out on a limb to say that the chocolate tart here is one of the best that I’ve ever tasted. From the first bite I sank my teeth into the sinfully good chocolate tart, I knew this was the one that I’ve been looking for.

During the second visit, we had the lemon curd tart (also one of the best I’ve had), flourless chocolate cake (A$4.5), and two tarts. Everything was perfect.

“We must come back again soon.” I overheard this as two customers were leaving the place. I think it sums up everything you need to know about Bourke Street Bakery. It is definitely one of the best dessert places in Sydney.

Bourke Street Bakery
633 Bourke Street
Surry Hills, Sydney NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9699 1011

I heard everyone has a separate stomach for desserts. At least, it’s true for all those with a sweet tooth like me. Some people say that Sydney is known for the awesome cafés and beaches. However, do you know there is quite a handful of amazing dessert places too?

Here is a list of my top 10 favourite dessert places in Sydney. While discovering Sydney, why not make it a sweet one too?

From cakes, to tarts, and pastries, and ice cream, we have it all covered!

The Grounds of Alexandria

Good Food Guide awarded the Best New Café of the Year 2012 to The Grounds of Alexandria. I did not know this fact until I witness the insane number of people waiting to get a seat when I arrived (and of course the award that was placed on top of the dessert display glass case).

While in line, we could not help but get started on the sweet bites available at the take away counter. After being offered a bite of the Lemon Curd Tart by my friend, I could not help but went to get another one! I can safely say it’s one of the best in Sydney. The filling of the tart is pudding-like that is lemony sweet. The lemon zest on top of the tart not only made it look pretty but also adds a hint of bitterness that blends out the sweetness. The Chocolate Tart has a crust like those of an egg tart, fluffy and flaky. You will be spoilt with choices at The Grounds. No doubt, this place is worth the wait!

Building 7A, No.2 Huntley Street
Alexandria, Sydney NSW 2015
Tel: (02) 9699 2225

Black Star Pastry

Tuck away in a small lane of Newtown is this little pastry café that serves pastries that have an interesting mix of flavours. The Strawberry & Watermelon Cake (AUD$6) is a local favourite; mine too. It’s a blend of fruity freshness from the watermelon and sweetness from the strawberries. I love how the watermelon adds that extra crunch to the cake. It’s a must try in Sydney.

If you are feeling ambitious, go for the Raspberry Crème Brulee tart. What really add that magic spark to this place is their little creative creations of sweet treats. You’ll definitely find something out of the norm at Black Star Pastry!

277 Australia Street
Newtown, Sydney NSW 2042
Tel: (02) 9557 8656

The French House

This French House is one of the many nice cafés in Waterloo, Sydney. What drew me to it were the French inspired exteriors with the metal floral designed seats and rich black velvet cushion ones inside. This is just the place where you will want to laze your day away catching up with some friends over a cup of latte and sweet treats.

I simply could not resist the Citron Tart when saw it. With the first bite, the tart simply melts away in my mouth. You get the buttery crust with the sweet citron filling and a zesty touch. Another one that I love is the Strawberry Cream Tart topped with loads of fresh strawberries. The list just goes on and on. If your love for tarts never ends, The French House is the place to go.

1 Danks Street
Waterloo, Sydney NSW 2017
Tel: (02) 8399 2770

Baroque Bistro Patisserie

When I step foot in this place, I was in awe. It’s such a beautiful patisserie that sits in the middle of The Rocks with an awesome view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It’s a nice place to go to just unwind with some desserts and tea.

I have to say Baroque has the best macarons in Sydney. The flavours are classic and sweet but not overpowering. It’s light and fluffy that melts in your mouth with every little bite. Some of my favourites include the Passionfruit, Pistachio and Sour Cream and Rosewater Macaron ($2.70 each).

Not to mention they have really yummy cakes as well that comes with a sorbet on the side. Definitely a great place to have an afternoon out with your girlfriends.

88 George Street (corner of Hickson Road)
The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9241 4811

The Sweet Spot Patisserie

This patisserie reminds me of the colours of Tiffany & Co. with delicate interior décor. More importantly, it’s packed with a wide variety of cakes and sweets.

One of my favourite got to be the Caprioska! Not only does it look pretty, it’s filled with a bag full of flavours. It’s a short cake with vanilla cream, and lychee in the middle, topped with some raspberries. Now, the magic is in the pink dome exterior. It’s crispy and cracks open when you push your dessert folk into it. Imagine all the textures, a crispy exterior with a soft mousse-like short cake in the middle filled with sweetness. I’m in heaven right now. If you love cakes, you’ll love this!

18 Perouse Road
Randwick, Sydney NSW 2031
Tel: (02) 9399 3344

The Tea Cozy

Who doesn’t love buttery scones and a pot of fragrant tea on a lazy Sunday afternoon? The Tea Cozy serves one of the best scones in town! Ranging from the classic flavours like Buttermilk (plain) to their daily specialty scones.

All scones come with your choice of jam and double thick cream. I love how you can always get the best of both worlds with the jams available. Both the classic flavours (Strawberry jam) and the adventurous ones like Pawpaw, Lime and Passionfruit jam. My favourite is definitely the Pear and Vanilla jam! Living up to its name, it brings in an amazing range of Irish teas. Some unique ones that I totally adore are the Crème Brulee tea and Green Tea with Strawberry!

33 George Street
The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9247 3233

Pancakes On The Rocks

Pancakes are huge in Australia. Anyone who first arrived in Sydney will definitely be directed to Pancakes On The Rocks. Some even said if you have not tried the pancakes here, you have not been to Sydney!

Obviously, I’ve a sweet tooth and my favourite is the Hot ‘N’ Troppo dessert pancake! It has two huge buttermilk pancakes topped with cream, chocolate ice cream, walnuts that add an extra crunch to the dessert and grilled bananas on the side for that fruity touch! Of course not forgetting the home made chocolate drizzle to complete this heart-warming plate. The Hot ‘N; Troppo is a sure winner among the many sweet pancakes on the Menu!

4 Hickson Road
The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9683 4322

Bourke Street Bakery

You know a place is special when it makes you sit up and take notice. Okay, maybe I am not getting the point across, let’s try this again. To use the word ‘special’, is an understatement. My experience at Bourke Street Bakery was mind-blowing. Everything that we had was so good. Lemon curd tart, croissant, chocolate tart, strawberry and vanilla brulee tart, flourless chocolate cake – wow!!

“We should definitely come back again.” I overheard this as two guests were leaving the bakery. I think it tells you everything you need to know about Bourke Street Bakery.

633 Bourke Street
Surry Hills, Sydney NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9699 1011

Chocolateria San Churro

It’s not easy to find good churros in Singapore. For those who don’t know, Churro is a Spanish Doughnut. When I first arrive in Sydney, everyone was talking about San Churro. The churros here got to be one of the better ones that I’ve had. It’s crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and topped with cinnamon sugar. It comes with San Churro Chocolate dips of white, milk, dark, hazelnut choc or caramel. If you like really sweet stuff, go for the white, and the dark is the perfect choice for bittersweet lovers.

At San Churro, apart from the churros, you will want to give their drinks a go, namely, Hot and Cold. It comes with a white chocolate ice cream in your classic hot chocolate. Something worth trying out in Sydney!

47 Glebe Point Road
Glebe, Sydney NSW 2037
Tel: (02) 9692 0119

Adriano Zumbo

If you are a Masterchef fan, you might have heard of Adriano Zumbo, the man behind this wonderful Adriano Zumbo Patisserie. Zumbo is known for the creative flavours of macarons and desserts. Think Pancake & Maple Syrup or Custard Crunch flavoured macarons. Doesn’t this make you want to get some?

I would like to point out that apart from the macarons, what I truly love is the Passionfruit Tart. It’s filled with the fragrance of passionfruit with every bite, sweet with a hint of sourness. The crust adds the crunch to the soft fillings of the tart. It is so addictive with each mouthful that you want to go back for more!

Shop 1 Café Court, The Star
80 Pyrmont Steet, Sydney NSW 2009
Tel: (02) 9777 9000

Messina

I know we have already listed the top 10 dessert places in Sydney, but here’s a bonus if you love ice cream. Messina – voted the best gelato in Australia by the Good Food Guide – is located along the streets of Darlinghurst and is constantly jam packed with people from evening onwards!

Trust me, during winter one would think that the business for any ice cream parlors would slow down, but this is not true for Messina. They have a wide variety of unique ice cream flavours and there is a favourite for everyone! Not to forget, they also have a wide range of sorbets for the fruity people!

241 Victoria Street
Darlinghurst, Sydney NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 8354 1223

About the writer:
Just like that foodie friend of yours, Natalie is one who hunts down all the yummy food places and will want to order every single dish on the menu! Especially if it comes to dessert! With a strong passion for food and writing, she started a little writing space on Tumblr and her journey begins. You can read about Natalie’s adventures in Sydney here.

My adventure in Australia is drawing to a close, but I will like to share one final post with you: Adriano Zumbo. This is the patisserie that has caught Sydney by storm, this is the bakery that has created many lovely creations each season – this is the place in Sydney that I wanted to go the most.

Cakes arrived at our small round table, plated nicely. I’ve no idea exactly how the name Google it, Real life ($7.9) came about. But I do know for a fact that it is banana passion-fruit creme tart, and it is not just a pretty face. The diguise of almond croquante within the midst of the creme was clever; it added a crunchy dimension and provided a slightly salty aftertaste to the tart.

First and foremost: banana passion-fruit creme, a pretty orange-yellow layer on top of the crispy tart, beautifully dressed by the presence of the fresh berries. Banana and passion-fruit provided a good balance with each other, on it’s own, passion-fruit taste slightly sourish, but the banana is like the key to the lock, just like how chocolate always works with hazelnut.

The fine balance meant that neither fruits were overbearing, and in this case, it was rather surprising that both the banana and passion-fruit maintained a subtle, yet distinct flavor.

Your frund in the frudge.. toasted ($7.90), turns out to be a quirky interpretation of sandwich with tomato and cheese, in the body of a cake. I’ve ordered it solely based on the crispy puff pastry; the toast mousse had one of the weirdest taste I ever came across, flanked with the addition of the tomato jelly and the melted cheese creameaux, with hints of black pepper; I’d give it full marks for the creative idea, but it was too much for me.

Most of the creations have cheeky and whimsical names, and the 5, 6, 7, 8 ($8) is no exception. The flavors practically exploded on my tongue, each portion was trying to out-do the other; the lemongrass pandan & vanilla creame legere was by far my favourite among the three components of the cake.

You can discover the robust lemongrass taste among the smoothing and fragrance pandan; to the right of it there’s a case of identity crisis with the pineapple palm sugar sous vide – Adriano did something to it, but I’ve totally no idea whatever that is.

Coriander creamaux completes the trio with a peanut stable base the the bottom. 5, 6, 7, 8 is a highly complex creation, it looks good with the three complimenting colors, and there’s an intense mixture of different taste and texture involve – you’d either love it, or get lost trying to follow each and every unique flavor.

I’m glad we left the Not too S-h-a-b-b-y ($7.9) for the last, it was again, a combination of many different individual flavor, blend in to make one wholesome cake. There was flourless biscuit, muscavado creme brulee plantation chocolate mousse, and chocolate malt creme legere; all of which did not make sense to me. Tasting the stuff, one struggles for words, memories came flashing back and I felt like a kid again; I remember the first time I tried nutella, the first time I put foie gras into my mouth – I know my life will never be the same again.

It took every bit of discipline I had not to moan and giggle and rave after my first bite. I’m in love with this cake, so in love, she’s the reason for my very existence.

I’m really happy that I went to Adriano Zumbo patisserie before I left, his bold yet unique creations are indeed worth the effort to travel all the way there, I think Adriano Zumbo really deserves the accolade he has earned so far.

The fact that the patisserie is out of town in Balmain, yet managed to garner so much support, tells you everything about the desserts. Adriano Zumbo – he’s a genius! Thank you Richard & Simon for bringing me here!

* * *

This is the last post of my Twelve days in Sydney. It is not exaggerating to say that I planned the itinerary based on food, and all these will not be possible without the awesome food blogs in Sydney. I had the pleasure of meeting 50 Sydney food bloggers at a Christmas party while I was there; Helen & Lorraine are practically food bibles of Sydney, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading Billy’s, Howard & crew and many other great food blogs that is impossible for me to list all of them here.

I’m not sure when I will be back again, but there’s something I’m certain of: Sydney is a great city, with real friendly folks, and good food. See you there!

Adriano Zumbo Patisserie
296 Darling St
Balmain, Sydney

I’ve a pleasant surprise when Billy asked me after our pigged-out, if I’m interested to visit him in Central coast, and when he mentioned sun, beach, and food – yes of course, I’ll love to!

It took me one and a half hours train ride from Central station to get to Terrigal; a major coastal suburb of Central coast, which is located north of Sydney. Upon arriving there, we went to a cafe patisserie, the fat goose for brunch.

We had no idea that the Grilled lamb fry ($21.50) was actually fried lamb’s liver, until the waitress clarified with us. It was served on creamy mashed potatoes with caramelized onions, and crispy bacon. Having tried pig liver, foie gras (goose liver), and duck pate (liver), I must say the lamb fry has an even gamier taste.

The wharfie ($16.50) had Toulouse sausages served on a seed mustard hush, topped with a gorgeous poached egg and covered with wild rockets. Pity there’s no hollandaise sauce though.

I’m sure, you have a different stomach for desserts, and I hope you will be salivating over the picture of the chocolate tart.

In the heart of Terrigal, there’s a rocky cliff called ‘the Skillion’ which provided an magnificent view of the long stretch of beaches. My dear, this is the place for our retirement in the future.

Sitting by the beach and watch the sun sets by the beautiful ocean, I knew this was going to be one of my best meals in Sydney. And it was. Like what Billy had told me, I’d go as far as saying this is one of the best fish & chips in Central coast!

I was very fortunate to be able to witness the cooking skill of Billy first-hand, he was preparing the Bo Ssam, a Korean cuisine where steamed pork is wrapped in lettuce leaf then accompanied by lots of condiments including kimchi, ssam sauce, for the Sydney Food Blogger picnic. And you wouldn’t know the dedication and effort put into making the dish unless you were there; he’d drizzled the sauce (oil released from the pork) over the meat on the hourly mark, the process repeats for six times , yes, it took six hours of roasting.

Searing hot sauteed mushrooms, crispy bacon, sunny side-up & golden brown toast for breakfast. This was in every way, the perfect breakfast anyone could ask for.

I had a great time in Terrigal, thank you Billy for inviting me to your house!

* * *

The Fat Goose
Shop 3, Killcare Road
Hardys Bay NSW 2257
Tel: 02 4360 1888

Haven Beach Cafe
The Haven
Terrigal NSW 2260
Telephone: (02) 4385 2061

The idea was to eat, eat, and eat, but plan b, or rather the lack of a proper plan, meant that we start at Plan B. We started off easy, but it was surely one of the best burgers that I’ve.

It took everything that I got to resist ordering another burger for myself, and missed out on all the stuff that was about to come – and so three hungry dude shared one burger.

Plan B by Becasse is famous for their wagyu beef burger, and at just ten bucks, you must try this burger! What is wagyu, anyway? When even the MacDonalds in Sydney sell Angus beef burgers, you probably think it’s not a big deal.

But the real wagyu burger, comes in the form of a thick beef patty, everything was kept simple; there’s no exotic ingredients like foie gras, nor were there redundant sauce – it was so good that you could feel the sauce gushing out! Interesting, beetroot was used, and it provided the contrast from the other burgers.

Plan B, 204 Clarance sheet, have you taken down the address?

It will be disappointing if one did not step into any pub/bar when in Australia. The folks here simply love (read: adore, head over heels, cannot do without) drinking. Be it a glass of the fine wines from the vineyard, or a pin of beer straight from the brewery, say cheers! There’s a strong drinking culture here; it’s not surprising to see people drinking during lunch time, or 3pm in the afternoon.

I was glad when Richard proposed that we make a trip to his favorite pub, Bavarian Bier Cafe for some beer to chill down the hot afternoon heat. Since I always have a sweet tooth, I went for the Mango, which had a smell consistency of the fruit. The taste however, did not have such a strong mango flavor.

No one in their right mind will pass on the chance to have German Sausages, and so we ordered a platter to share. There was a krunching sound when I bite the cracking roast pork, as with the German food that I visualize, it was hearty, tasty and definitely not enough.

‘Deep-fried sushi?’

Richard casually asked if we are keen to try it out, but I could sense the excitement in his seemingly-subtle-tone.

‘I don’t know, I’m not so sure.. about this’

And the next thing I know, we were standing in front of Kana Express kiosk. This is one place where most people wouldn’t have heard of, much less try the snacks here; an oblivious kiosk by the corner of a back alley.

The sushi was done Korean-style, and there’s other popular Korean snacks like spicy rice-cake, but our focus was on these two words: Deep-fried, & sushi.

As the guest, or so they said, I was entitled to the first bite. It was edible. I think one’s enjoyment of this sushi comes from the revelation of deep fried to the mind. On it’s own, the sushi tasted very tame, but the addition of the fiery hot chili sauce enhanced the flavor greatly.

I love summer. I really do.

Summer, is the perfect excuse for us to indulge with ice cream, and more ice cream. We dropped by Passionflower, a dessert cafe which exotic ice cream flavors. The choice of vanilla hazelnut & burnt caramel was made by me, the former was evidently the favorite, and I liked the nutty taste in the vanilla ice cream, while the latter had a strong burnt caramel taste.

Summer, is not summer, without ice cream.

I stole a glance at Krispy Kreme when we walked by the shop, and was immediately dragged in and convinced to have one (just one) of the original donut. This should be the definition of how a good donut taste like: glazed with a layer of sugar, yet not to the point of being cloyingly-sweet, there wasn’t any hint of oilyness that a poor donut will have. One, simply isn’t enough.

Our original plan was to have tonkatsu at a nearby Japanese restaurant, but it was closed by the time we got there, so we went to Harry’s instead. I’m sure, any reputable guidebook will list the pies & hotdog at Harry’s Cafe de Wheels as one of the must-try in Sydney. Tiger pie is particularly famous, but to be honest, I’m not very certain of it. Mashy and meaty, maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t really enjoy it.

On the other hand, we thoroughly enjoyed the hotdog, it was a shame that we only had one to share. I’d imagine one to hold the big sausage with both hands, and put the whole thing into the mouth!

While on the way to Max Brenner, we passed by Le Patissier and decided to stop here for some sweets instead. For a small place, they have quite an array of desserts to choose from. I wanted to try vanilla pastry cake but it wasn’t available that day, so we had the Lemon Ganache. The sourish lemon ganache provided a good counterbalance to the sweet chocolate layers, but the whole cake was too dry, and I’m not a big fan of kirsch that’s also present in the cake.

When the fork first sank into the Creme Brulee, we already came to the conclusion that it failed. And unsurprisingly, the surface of the dessert was not caramelized properly; it was either a leftover, or they had torched and caramelized too early. However, the custard underneath was actually quite decent, and there’s even vanilla beans used.

* * *
Just in case you are wondering again, yes, we ate all of these in one afternoon.

Plan B by Becasse
204 Clarence Street, Sydney 2000
Tel: 9283 3450

Bavarian Bier Cafe
24 York Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel: 02 8297 4111

Kana Express kiosk
Corner of Central Street

Passionflower
580 George Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Krispy Kreme
Queen Victoria Building
429 – 481 George Street,
Shop 95 – 97 Lower Ground Floor,
Sydney, NSW 2000

Harry’s Cafe De Wheel
Haymarket, NSW 2000
Next to Paddy Maguires Pub
Tel: (02) 9281 6292

Le Patissier
50 Clarence Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9299 0015

‘You must go to the Sydney Fish Market – they have the freshest seafood & oysters there!’, gushed one of my friend.

The fish market was around twenty minutes walk away from where I was staying, so I decided to take the lightrail instead.

It was fascinating to watch how the bus conductor collects money from passengers; he’d ask everyone where they are heading and proceed to issue tickets to them. The process continues at every stop, and every time he’d notice the new passengers and approach them. It’s almost absurd to think that this traditional way of collecting bus far is still being used in this era.

The calling of the sea gulls is the first sign of the fish market, and of course the strong fishy smell. I’m lying if I say I’m not there to do the tourist-thing; how can anyone miss out on the experience of visiting the fish market, slurping down a dozen of oysters and feasting on fresh sashimi?

Unfortunately I couldn’t see myself finishing half a dozen of oysters on my own, and somehow the whole place has a tourist sign stamped all over it, so I wasn’t very keen on trying the food there. Not especially when I see piles of pre-fried fresh (seemingly-not-very-fresh) waiting for the next sucker tourist to buy.

It probably wasn’t the best idea to visit the fish market at 3pm, somewhere in between lunch and dinner. No, I had greater plans, for sure. I took the return journey on the lightrail and went to this out-of-this-decade place call Oceanic cafe.

The furnishings in Oceanic cafe exudes a nostalgic charm, it was akin like traveling back in time to the 70s-80s. ‘Hello, can I have a pork chop?’ ‘No, no more pork chops left, I have lamb chops, you want?’ The old lady whispered. It took a while for the food to come, and I had the fashionable white bread with a slab of room-temperature butter. It looked like just an ordinary white bread, but somehow it was so soft and it goes so well with the butter. Maybe I exaggerate, it is just (soft) white bread with (normal) butter after all.

The lamb chop was slightly smaller than what I’ve expected, but the layer of fats beside the lean meat provided the kick I was looking for. And there was the side dish of green peas, how often do you still get them nowadays? It’s always the typical Caesar salad, or the upmarket (but boring) wild rocket. There’s also wedges that lacked the crispy bite, and I liked the slightly sweet onion sauce on the lamb. It was appetizing – not too bad at all!

While walking around Chinatown, I stumbled upon Kura, a small in-the-hole Japanese dining & takeaway shop. There’s only 14 seats inside the place, most people just eat and leave. I went there twice, on the first occasion, I had the chicken katsu set ($9) which came with crispy fried chicken and delicious Japanese rice – the only rice that I’ve while in Sydney. Another perennial return saw me ordering the Katsu don ($9); hot fluffy eggs covered the soaked fried chicken. Comfort food, my dear, comfort food.

* * *

Sydney Fish Market
Pyrmont Bridge Rd
Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia

Oceanic cafe
312 Elizabeth Street,
Surry Hills, Sydney, NSW

Kura Japanese
3/76 Ultimo Rd
Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia
(02) 9212 5661

Central, Parramatta, Blacktown, Springwood . . . My thoughts drifted off as I read my book, and watched the station passed by. Soon, I lost count of them, and my eye lids became heavy as though she had sang a lullaby softly in my ears…

I hit the blue mountain next, an area known for her magnificent scenaries. It’s a very beautiful place; fantastic view up in the mountains, with the three sisters being the highlight.

There’s just something old fashion about Katoomba that seduces me, right from the start when I arrived on the train station, to the country-like signage and shops around; everything was so laid-back and time seemed to pause and slow down.

I stayed in a hostel called the Flying fox, it was quite unlike the other ones that I stayed in before. Here, everyone knows everyone as it is quite a small place, people come and go but most of them don’t really leave – they’d come back. Here, you have a bunch of friendly folks, it’s akin like having a mini United Nations; Germany, Canada, UK, Italy – people from all over the world staying under one roof.

Shall I tell you about the mountains, and the splendid view at the three sisters? No, the lonely planet or any other reputable guide will do a better job in educating you. I’m also sure you’d not want to listen to how I went on a four hour mountain hike with a German dude, wearing less than proper shoes and ended up having blisters all over my foot, and having the irritating flies (summer time) bugging me the whole afternoon. All you need to know: get yourself to Echo Point – the tip with the breathtaking view overlooking the three sisters.

One of the place in the town of Katoomba that serves burger is Greco’s. The shop is like a fast food restaurant, one of the room-mate told me they served pretty decent burgers at reasonable price.

It’s kind of sad that it took me until now to realize, a beef burger taste absolutely wicked with the addition of a slice of BBQ pineapple, the beef burger probably isn’t very appealing with the thin patty and flat buns, but when you up-sized it to the lot ($7), all’s good. The extra egg, bacon, pineapple added volume to the otherwise ordinary burger. Initially, I felt that the burger looked way too small, but it was only when I tried to put it into my mouth, and failed then I realized how big it was.

Further down the street, there’s a Chinese-operated takeaway shop that goes under the mundane name of Blue Mountain Seafood Fish & Chips. Surprisingly, their fish & chips ($7.5) are really quite good; the batter was crispy and not over oily – one of the better fish & chips that I’ve had. The next day I tried their beef burger ($5), but it was somewhat ordinary, I preferred the burger from Greco’s.

There’s also another small town in Blue Mountain where chocolate comes from. I should make myself clearer; Leura is a small town in Blue Mountain that is five minutes away from Katoomba, and they have a famous chocolateria, probably one of the finest in Sydney and her name is Jodie. If you are a chocolate lover, and you’ve spent some serious time researching about them, you will definitely know about her chocolates. I’m sure you probably heard of Adriano Zumbo when you Google for ‘desserts’ & ‘Sydney’, and Jodie actually beat Zumbo in a recent competition. I don’t really give a hoot to such competitions – whichever chocolate that I like, is the best chocolate.

I went to Jodie’s Josophan chocolate boutique first. Stepping into the shop, the lovely chocolate scent greets you, and all around, are chocolates, chocolates and more chocolates. Besides different type of chocolate blocks that has contain nuts like hazelnut, almond, macadamia nuts, their specialty chocolate comes in very unique flavor too. I got a box of four which contains peanut butter cup, hazelnut praline, Kahlua kisses, and hot chili.

Heading across the main street, I stumbled upon Jodie’s standalone cafe next. Hot chocolate, sweet desserts, and breakfast items – that’s Cafe Josophan for you. Chocolate is much more effective than therapy, and no appointment is required.

Their cake selections were actually smaller than I expected, with about five to six cakes available to choose from. I’ve the Mexican Chocolate Cake ($10.5) that came with a scoop of ice cream, it was essentially made from a recipe using 70% cocoa solids chocolate. As much as I like sweet stuff, another cake would be too much to handle, so I went for the house made Belgian waffles ($11.50 for 2 waffle). Sweet heavenly chocolate drizzled on the thin waffles, served with fresh cream, pretty much the breakfast I’ve in mind. But the waffle wasn’t warm and crispy enough. Pity. I’d love to go for the hot chocolate, and flourless chocolate torte if I ever re-visit again – talk about chocolate overdose.

Dining out in Australia is very costly, so I went to the butchery and got myself a steak and two sausages – for just $3.50. It was nearly dinner time then I realized I totally forgotten to marinate the steak. Oh boy, I hastily sprinkled some pepper, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon powder – whatever spices that seem edible.

Proceeding to barbecuing the meats, it was pretty exciting (and smokey) to watch the meat changed from red to light brown, and then a darker shade of brown. It was trial and error since I did not know how long to cook the steak, but it was easy peasy with the sausages as I waited for them to turn slightly charred on the outside.

Even the steak was slightly overcooked, it was still damn awesome. The two sausages were glorious too, you could see the glittering of oil on the surfaces, and they tasted so, so good! Under the influence of beer, and sitting in the backyard with a breeze blowing gently – this simple dinner suddenly became one of my best meals.

* * *

Greco’s
55 Katoomba Street
Katoomba NSW 2780
Tel: 02 4782 3689

Blue Mountains Seafood Fish & Chips
191 Katoomba Street
Katoomba NSW 2780
Tel: 02 4782 2964

Cafe Josophan’s
187a The Mall
Leura NSW
Tel: 02 4784 3833

The sparkling mascato had that bubbly taste on the first instance it touches the tongue, i’ll like to call it the happy wine. There’s always the saying that white goes well with seafood while you have red for your meat, but it really depends on your own preference – the wine you like is the best wine.

There was three wine boutiques that we went to in Hunter Valley; Wollombi wines, Mount View estate, and Savannah. Even though I have not been a big vineyard before, but I like the personal and homely vibe that the smaller boutique exudes.

A simple damper sandwich can actually taste so good when you are sitting on a bench that overlooks the whole vineyard, with a glass of wine in hand.

And as for myself, I tend to favor white over red because there’s a sharp aftertaste of the latter that is spicy and hits the palate, or maybe it’s like what they say: you always start off with white and as you mature and grow older, then will you slowly appreciate red wine.

Now I’m not going to pretend I’m a wine connoisseur and have a lot of knowledge on wine, on the contrary I know hardly anything about them. During the wine tasting, I enjoyed most of the whites, especially the late harvest ones; they have a fragrant smell and sweeter aftertaste. Desserts wine are particularly a big hit for me, I love the sweet and charming taste, and it will definitely be perfect to end a meal with dessert and wine.

Wollombi Wine
25 Charlton Street (off Wollombi road)
Wollombi 2325

Mount View estate
502 Mount View road
Mount view NSW 2325
Tel: (02) 4990 3307

Savannah
Lot 211 Mount View road, Mount View
Tel: (02) 4990 6326

I wanted an adventure, and I wanted something different. Not those dressed-up-to-the-nines fancy dinners in the best restaurants – those are not really my type. There are other factors that will make a great meal, and I was determined to have a memorable time there.

In the twelve days that I was in Australia, you’d not believe the amount of food that went into my stomach; I refused to stand on the weighing scale now – I probably gained an additional five kilos, everyday it was food, more food, and even more food. Besides stuffing myself full with everything that I can grab, and enjoying the magnificent scenaries there, I got to talk with  a lot of backpackers while staying in hostels, and also met up with the amazing Sydney food bloggers – they are definitely the highlights of my trip.

Sydneysiders love Bills, and I love the Sydneysiders for the way they enjoy their breakfast. Bills is a cafe opened by the famous chef Bill Granger, the concept is easy – serve the most gorgeous scrambled eggs and tasty ricotta pancakes in a simple cafe, and voila, you get all the people coming in for breakfast.

‘You have to try the eggs while you are in Australia’, gushed one of my friend a while ago when I told her I’m going to Sydney. Sydneysiders really love their breakfast, on a normal weekday there’s so many places serving brunch. Because of the differences in culture, you can hardly find much places in Singapore that do that but here, you’d thought that the people do not need to work and it seems like they do not have to work when I saw so many of them slowly enjoying a laid-back & causal breakfast at 10am where most people are supposed to be in the office, working.

There was however, no Eggs Benedict at Bills, so I had their popular Scrambled eggs on sour dough ($16) – and it was good! The one sprig of leave in the middle somehow seemed to make the eggs glowed with radiance, and there’s the just-right consistency in the texture and taste of the eggs. The butter slides off the toasted golden-brown sour dough easily, and the scrambled eggs just goes so well with the toast. The portion would probably deceive your mind that you need to order something else as add-ons, but by the time I was done, my stomach was so full that I couldn’t possibly eat anything else, well, maybe except for the delicious-looking ricotta pancakes that everybody is craving about.

‘Come to Sydney for fine restaurants and go to Melbourne to experience the cafe culture.’ I’m not entirely sure on that statement, since there’s dozens of wonderful cafes just in the surry hill/balmain area. One of them is Cafe Nookie at Cleveland street. Technically speaking it is not a cafe since there’s no seats for dining in, customers take away the self-brew coffee from the good hands of owner Ben. Cafe Nookie is more like a coffee-in-the-hole kind of place, and it’s definitely the smallest cafe in Sydney, pretty cool eh?

I walk through the streets of Surry Hills and my heart fluttered with a sort of feeling that I couldn’t quite describe – I’m so in love with this place. There’s plenty of trendy fashionable boutiques, and chic cafes just around every corner. The whole place is so quaint and dainty that it doesn’t seem to be in the city area.

Cafe Ish is exactly like how I will like a cafe to be, white walls with sunlight coming through the windows, serving nice coffee and comfort food. Howard & Teresa brought me here for lunch, and we took some time glancing through the menu before deciding to order Eggs Benedict, Emu damper, & Soft shell crab omelette.

I think the reason why we can embrace cafes freely rather than fine dining restaurants is because deep down inside everyone of us, most people have a dream to open a cafe, someday. A small-ish, causal chic cafe which serves comfort food, a place where people return and chill out all day, a place almost like their own home. It is not difficult to see why Cafe Giulia is immensely popular with the locals, they serve a wide array of food that includes eggs, salad, pasta, sandwich, burgers; comfort food with a reasonable price range. Coffee is another hallmark of a good cafe. Here, they keep it simple to mocha, and ice coffee, with an impressive selection of fresh fruit juices.

This is the first part of my Twelve days in Sydney series, to be continued . . .

Bills
359 Crown Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Tel: (02) 9360 4762

Cafe Giulia
92 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9698 4424
Tuesday to Friday 6.30am – 4.00pm
Saturday and Sunday 8.00am – 3.00pm

Cafe Ish
83 Campbell Street
Surry Hills

Cafe Nookie
268B Cleveland Street, Surry Hills
Tel: 04 0135 6072
Monday – Friday: 7:00 am – 4:00 pm