Kazbah, Balmain

Shortly before my first foodbloggers meet at Adriano Zumbo, I sneakily went into Balmain with friends for a long awaited breakfast. Trying to organise groups larger than four can sometimes be a little hectic for me - more people juggling even more commitments usually means I have to book people further in advance than I would like (like a hairdresser’s appointment:S). Luckily for me, I managed to round up a small crowd for a catch up breakfast at Kazbah on Darling. Writing PhDs, work, sport and sleep are no excuses when there is a delicious 9.30am breakfast to be eaten! 9.30am is a horrid time for breakfast on a Sunday by the way, had the food not been so good, I’m sure the table would have rapidly descended into bleary eyed anarchy… Next time, I’ll be booking earlier for a later time.

Moroccan Mint Tea

While coffee, tea and interestingly, sangria are available to quench the early morning thirst, I chose to start my morning with soothing Moroccan mint tea. Served in miniature Bodums, the earthy and obviously minty tasting tea left me rejuvenated and calm, a stark contrast to the peppy zing I get when having my usual skinny cappuccino.

Breakfast Tagine

Lamb mince, Sucuk, Feta, Spinach, Capsicum, Caramelised Onion, Tomato and Eggs, served with Lebanese bread and Turkish Toast

I had long ago decided I would head to Kazbah to take advantage of the Middle Eastern influence and start my day with a Breakfast Tagine. Herr Mouttard and JJW joined me and together we chose the carnivorous version. It’s a hearty dish, layered with finely ground mince at the bottom, followed by the succulent onion, capsicum, and finally crowned with 2 large eggs and tomato. Despite it’s appearance on the menu listing I couldn’t taste or see any feta in mine:S The flavour explosion from one of these is a must try for those in Sydney. The rich meat itself has a subtle spice which intensifies as you continue to eat it and the richness of the runny yolked eggs are delicately cut by the sweetness of the onions and capsicum combined with the acidity of the tomato. The small tagine belies the dish’s capacity to satisfy the most famished of stomachs. I simply could not finish mine. The boys, while sporting empty tagines, were also sporting bloated bellies lol.

Breakfast Tagine (Vegetarian Option)

Pumpkin, Feta, Spinach, Caramelised Onion, Tomato and Eggs, served with Lebanese bread and Turkish Toast

Sindel chose the vegetarian option, which is exactly the same as the meat eaters version except that the meat is substituted by large hunks of tender pumpkin. Again no sight of feta, whose saltiness would have been complimentary with the rest of it… As always, Sindel graciously shared her food with me (she’s awesome), so I had a few pieces of pumpkin:) I preferred the vegetarian version to the meat and would order it next time round.

Poached eggs with salmon and baked tomato and a side of hollandaise sauce

Madam Saucy opted for a more traditional breakfast, feeling the urge towards the familiar. Her generous slice of toasted Turkish bread was topped with two perfectly poached eggs, seemingly never ending layers of smoked salmon and two giant baked tomato halves, sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper. True to her name, she also ordered a side of Hollandaise sauce. Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo of said sauce, but it was possibly the best Hollandaise sauce we have ever had. Served in a small dish, it was very thick, creamy with pepper speckled through it. Despite the small serve and three ravenous girls eager for more creamy goodness, it remained unfinished at the end of our meal, a testament to its unctuous and decadent nature. I recommend getting this on the side if you decide to order, it’s so rich I imagine it might be too sickening if served with your eggs…

French Toast, Bacon, Caramelised Figs, Double Cream, Apple Cinnamon Syrup

LadyChulie chose this indulgent dish. It looked so beautiful and the portion was massive, with her slice of French toast easily the thickest piece of toast I have ever seen served, piled high with the sweet figs and syrup and topped with rashers of chunky bacon. It was delicious!! If I had wanted to sweet breakfast, this would have been it. I tried to help her finish it, but struggling with my own meal, it too, lay unfinished at the end of the meal.

Crayons

The tabletops are covered with paper and we are thoughtfully provided with a small cup of crayons for the creatively inclined. During the chatter that continued long after the eating had finished, I created a masterpiece fit for a day care centre with these fat crayons lol.

With generous portions and high quality food, we had such an enjoyable breakfast that morning. Service was brisk but efficient and if you can gather a group of 8 or more, you can get a breakfast degustation :) It’s slightly pricier than a standard café breakfast but I think the food justifies the price, value was not an issue for me. Bookings are recommended for breakfast, but strangely enough, despite being told they could not fit us in any later than 9.30am, we saw many empty tables during our time there… Nevertheless, a fabulous breakfast option in Sydney, I do recommend:D


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Kazbah on Darling

379 Darling Street

Balmain, NSW, 2041

Phone: (02) 9555 7067

Fax: (02) 9810 5355

Opening Hours:Breakfast - Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays - 9:00am - 3:00pm

Lunch - Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays- 12:00pm - 3:00pm

Dinner - Wednesday to Saturday - 6:30pm - Late
http://www.kazbah.com.au/

Serendipity Natural Ice Cream and Sorbet, Marrickville

Mission: Ice cream run. Destination: Serendipity!!! Person who got roped in: The considerate Herr Moutarde:)

So we’re off to Serendipity Natural Ice Cream and Sorbet, which is conveniently and dangerously close by. I first had a taste of Serendipity goodness at a dinner party held by my uncle (who is a fantastic chef), where he incorporated the Serendipity Coconut and Kaffir Lime sorbet into one of his magnificent dessert creations. I was instantly hooked.

Herr Moutarde and I have a tendency to throw portion control out the window when faced with things like ice cream, so we decided to buy only one little tub that day – and I was given the task of choosing that one special flavour. Well, I had difficulty narrowing down the multiple flavours and ended up getting two, the Fig, Honey and Pistachio (150ml), and Peanut Butter Disaster (500mL). Other flavours that made it on my (long) shortlist were Mangos and Cream, Super Fudge Brownie and the Strawberry and Cointreau sorbet.

Peanut Butter Disaster
Peanut butter ice cream with nutty praline and ripples of dark chocolate sauce

When I asked if this was any good, the girl in the store looked at me with a knowing glint in her eye and told me it was part of a new collection and that she herself, couldn’t get enough. Good sign lol. It’s delicious, with crispy praline pieces swirled through this creamy, gooey peanut butter icecream. Despite being the bigger tub, we finished this first (it went much too quickly for my liking lol). If you’re a fan of the peanut butter and chocolate combo, you have to try this:)

Fig, Honey and Pistachio

The taste of fig and honey was especially potent in this mix; I would have loved more pistachio, but overall still a tasty flavour combination.

Just in case…

The shop is located in an awkward place, since there really isn’t much else to do in the immediate area, but if you’re ever in the general Marrickville/Enmore/Newtown vicinity, it’s worth popping in to have a look. The staff wrap all purchased goods with a mound of paper so even if you’re driving a bit further to get home, melting shouldn’t be too much of a problem.


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Serendipity Natural Ice Cream and Sorbet
333-339 Enmore Rd

Marickville NSW 2204
Phone: (02) 9557 8986
Fax: (02) 9557 8990
Email: info@serendipityicecream.com.au
http://www.serendipityicecream.com.au/

Rosso Pomodoro Pizzeria, Balmain

While Dominos/Pizza Hut pizzas will always serve a purpose, I relish quality authentic takeaway pizza. Whilst enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon at JJW and Snow White’s house, Herr Moutarde and I realised we’d have to forgo dinner out plans :) We were due for an appearance at a housewarming party and there was simply no time - we’d spent most of it with relaxed drinks and conversation, some trashy pay tv (cue Exiled) and a cute little puppy called Pippie. Being out of our own little area, we decided to grab some takeaway pizza from Rosso Pomodoro, a perfect solution which meant we could continue being our social selves AND fit a meal in:)

After placing our order we quickly drove to get pizza! And who was to be the pizza mule? Me. Gracefully (as only I know how), I darted through the fat rain droplets, avoided a giant puddle/pothole (or did I…), and ended up in the doorway of Rosso Pomodoro, where I was greeted with a hearty “Ciao Bella!” I have to say, whilst I was only in the premises for a relatively short period of time, I was very taken with the staff. They were cheery and warm, with dreamy Italian accents and an enthusiasm I rarely see when popping in for some takeway.

Our pizza’s were freshly cooked and ready to go:)

Diavola
Tomato, Italian mozzeralla, hot salami, capsicum

I’m usually apprehensive about the Diavola whenever I get pizza because many a time, I’ve been left numb in the mouth from excessively hot salami – before I even get full! But this one had been recommended strongly to us by Snow White and JJW, and for good reason, it’s delicious! The salami was fiery without being overpowering, while the capsicum was juicy and tender.

Funghi
Tomato, Italian mozzarella and fresh mushrooms

Gorgeous meaty mushrooms made for a satisfying vegetarian option. A fresh zing added by the scattered parsley on top.

Herr Moutarde is notoriously picky with his pizzas. Having enjoyed homestyle Italian pizzas for most of his life overseas, he’s still searching for the perfect pizza here in Sydney. He often laments at the thick doughey pizza bases, piled much too high with a myriad of mismatched toppings, which seem to be ubiquitous here, even in supposedly “authentic” pizzerias. Not this time. The bases were superbly thin and crispy (and not in the Dominos thin crust way) and the toppings were simple, fresh and minimal:) This coupled with some simple rules including - NO half & half, ONLY Italian mozzarellla and NO corkage if you dine in, and the big one - “NO ham & pineapple” was enough to coax the seal of approval from Herr Moutarde, the pizza purist.

We’re yet to eat in at this little gem in Balmain, but we’ve been told aside from the delicious pizza, they also do a fantastic antipasto plate. Will keep you posted on that one.

Rosso Pomodoro Pizzeria
Shop 90-91
24 Buchanan St
Balmain (White Bay)
Phone: (02) 9555 5924
http://www.rossopomodoro.com.au/

Adriano Zumbo Weekend

If you’re a reader of other Sydney food blogs you’ll realise this post is late(ish). 3 days may not be much in the real world, but it definitely is in the blogosphere lol.

I’ve just had a Balmain/bakery oriented weekend, starting with a breakfast on Saturday, which I’ll post later:), and a trip to Adriano Zumbo, followed on Sunday with…….Adriano Zumbo again, this time with fellow Sydney food bloggers.

SATURDAY

The new collection at Adriano Zumbo is aptly titled – “Please sir, can I have some more!” and is a spectacular array of mouth watering desserts. I hada quick looksee on Saturday morning to give myself a heads up (and also to satisfy a post breakfast sweet tooth lol). Sindel, Madam Saucy and I took quite a while trying to decide what we wanted.

What’s on offer

Mingled in with the newbies are some remnants from the previous collection, including the green Tuk Tuk Nothing.

Scrolling to the right…

I ID the Charles du Jour as a target for the foodblogger event, The intriguing baubles are enough to suck me in, I get a White Christmas/Wedding Cake vibe lol.

And right again…

I can see the successor to the Tuk Tuk Nothing, it’s pink (always a good sign with me), but has no description tag. I ask the lady behind the counter and she tells me she has no idea what it is either and is also waiting for a tag lol. The mystery!

I’ve been craving cheesecake for quite some time now, only to be greeted with old/dry looking cheesecake everywhere I turn. Awkward. But not here!!! I choose the Miss Marrple Cheesecake and carefully bring it home:)

Miss Marple Cheesecake
Orange cheesecake with orange strawberry compote, cream cheese crème legere with crepe and maple glaze.

Apologies but this is a (slightly) erroneous shot. For the “attention to detail” types out there, there are actually white chocolate slivers pieced on the ends like bookends, but I may have eaten them on the way home….

A gorgeous dessert - satisfied that craving quick smart.

Sindel chose the Chocolate Fondant, but we got to that before the camera could;)

Onto Sunday!

Firstly a big “Thank you!” to Reem for organising us:)

This is the first foodbloggers meet I’ve been to and I had a fabulous time. It’s great to be able to put faces to the names I’m so used to online. It’s a great crowd and quite a spectacle at times – cameras and desserts galore. Herr Moutarde graciously accompanied me and we had a decadent breakfast to start our Sunday:) Being me, I spent a fair bit time chatting which subsequently caused a drop in photo quality/quantity. This unfortunately means my snaps are incomplete for the entire collection. Not to worry! There were so many of us you’ll see pics all over the net!

Attendees:

Reem: I am obsessed with food
Helen: Grab Your Fork
Suze: Chocolatesuze
Karen: Citrus and Candy (my new designated camera buddy lol)
Lorraine: NotQuiteNigella
Richard: Herecomesthefood
The team from Eatshowandtell (Howard, Linda, Teresa)
Simon: Simon Food Favourites

Plus a few others that popped in as I was leaving and sadly did not get to meet. So, where do you put a gaggle of snap happy food bloggers?? In the nearby Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat of course! This man is slowly but surely creating an empire. Luckily for the rest of us, Reem has managed to secure us a cosy little alcove in this place where we can rest, sample and photograph our desserts in peace:)

The Table

No doubt place to be: seating AND food:)

Charles du Jour
Tart pate sucree, vanilla ganache, vanilla crème Chantilly, vanilla water bursts, vanilla glacage.

Helen beat me to this beauty, and generously divided it up so we could have a bite, (foodbloggers are a generous breed). It really is as good as it looks.

Choccies!

Herr Moutarde and I couldn’t resist the mass of chocolates ordering counter. Guess who ate more?

PARIS – La Vie en Rose
Rose crème brulee, raspberry sorbet balls, fresh lychees, rose macarons served with a strawberry tapioca shake.

It became evident to me that the mass purchasing had led to the group with samples of nearly all available bakery treats. I graciously stepped forward to choose an offering from the café menu (my life is tough). The counter boy (Charles) at the bakery had recommended a dish with creamed rice and fruit salad, which sounded amazing but alas, I was told there was none left when I got back to the cafe:( I ended up choosing this beautiful concoction, named after one of my favourite cities. With scattered rose petals, it’s easily the prettiest thing in sight.

The studio

The sheer number of desserts led to a makeshift studio being set up at the nearby table, which was quickly swarmed by photohungry bloggers.

Past jobs
Kaffir lime and ginger pannacotta, black sticky rice pudding, exotic fruit jelly and palm sugar marscapone.


Framboise Millefeuille
Raspberry coulis and marscapone with caramelised puff pastry and biscuit jaconde.


Zumbo the Kid
Vegemite bavaroise, peanut butter crème legere, raspberry jelly, chocolate peanut glacage, peanut feullitine, flourless chocolate biscuit


Wheely Wildly Wendy
Fresh roasted peach in a tonka bean crème legere and sandwiched between two almond dacquoise disks and rolled in almond crumble.

Yum! I remember a few months ago, Daisy Moo and I split the green Tuk Tuk Nothing, much to her dismay - she’s not of a fan of coconut, which is beautifully laced through the green version of Zumbo’s wheel. I’ll be pestering her to share this with me next time we go;)

UZC
Biscuit macaron, sweet corn jelly, saffron bavaroise, vanilla brulee.

Another dessert I quite enjoyed was the rice pudding éclair that the lovely Suze brought along, a simple and lighter combination of rice pudding and cinnamon in an éclair form which I could easily have eaten all day. Sweet Karen brought along the cheesecake and Cassius, while Richard also gave me a bite of another café creation called It’s a Macaron and Not a Hamburger. Check out their blogs for photos:) So many things to try!!!!

The new collection will be available until the 22nd of May 2009, which gives us all plenty of time to try them all again, and again….and again:)

Adriano Zumbo Patissier
296 Darling St
Balmain, NSW, 2041

Open 7 days

Phone: (02) 9810 7318

Adriano Zumbo Café Chocolat
308 Darling St
Balmain, NSW, 2041
(inside Balmain Mall)

Open 7 days

Phone: (02) 9555 1199

Thai Pothong, Newtown

The household hasn’t been out for a collective dinner for too long. Following some thai food nostalgia moments (initiated by Sindel and mainly about Thai Pothong’s Four Season Tofu), we all make our way to Thai Pothong.

There are so many Thai places on King St, but Thai Pothong is in my top 3, for multiple reasons:

1. They can always take large last minute bookings because of their huge space
2. The food is yummy!
3. The waiters/waitresses/waitstaff are fabulous
4. We play the ‘serve ourselves rice game’ when we’re there lol. More about this later.

As per usual, I make a last minute booking (don’t want to wait on a Friday night) and we are seated in the back section - a great view of the amorous paintings lol.

Entrée time!

Miang Goong

As soon as our Thai Pothong plan was hatched, Herr Moutarde had declared he was having Miang Goong. These pretty little things are served on an edible Betal Leaf and contain a prawn, some crunchy toasted coconut, bits of red onion and sweet chilli jam, topped with a cashew nut and some caviar. They can be a bit messy to eat, but are sooo good! The combination of flavours and textures is lovely.

I love communal/sharing courses and the entrees at That Pothong are perfect for it.

Four Seasons/Three Flavours Tofu (Tao Hoo Se Rod)

This dish was always known as Four Seasons Tofu but when we went back, it had been renamed Three Flavours Tofu and had switched from the regular to specials menu. Things Change… Never mind…. Sindel ordered this without hesitation lol. The tofu is quickly fried – crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a sweetish, sour and slightly spicy red sauce drizzled on the top. had to have a piece!

Vegetable Curry Puffs (Garri Puff)

I am never one to turn down curry puffs. My standard “can’t decide what I want” drama for the night was that I couldn’t choose an entrée. The only thing that I felt strongly towards was the Four Seasons Tofu and I knew Sindel was already ordering that:) Daisy Moo offered me a way out – she wanted 2 entrees! I immediately took ownership of one – these curry puffs lol. They were fresh from the fryer (crispy!) and the filling was potato and veggies, served a clear vinegary/tangy sauce that had bits of cucumber and red onion in it. Yum!

Fish Cakes (Tod Mun Pla)

Daisy Moo ended up ordering these, which came with the same sauce as the curry puffs, except with added crushed peanuts.

BBQ Octopus (Plamoukyang)

Unlike indecisive me, Chocolate Queen knew she wanted octopus from the start. The octopus had a smokey flavour and the sauce that came with it was surprisingly hot (chilli, not temperature). Chocolate Queen preferred the other entrees to her own, but I found these quite good, and happily ate the rest lol.

Sindel is a vegetarian (seafood and eggs ok) so I was really glad with this range of entrees – it meant we could all share:)

Mains Time:

Snapper With Coconut Milk & Chilli Sauce (Pla Lad Prik)

Daisy Moo and Sindel shared this gorgeous fish. It was deep fried (hmmm another deep fried dish lol) and topped with a tasty sauce. The fish was tender and flavoursome and despite the bright colour, the sauce wasn’t overwhelming. I think I’m going to have this next time. I snuck in this shot before the efficient waitress could carve him/her up:)

Green Curry (Gang Keaw Warn)

Chocolate Queen had the Green curry, which is made with chicken. She thoroughly enjoyed it:) My favourite part about this curry is that they put in little baby eggplants. Like the other curries here, the sauce was thick and packed with flavour.

Herr Moutarde had Red Duck Curry, which despite only having a ‘mild’ chilli rating, set our mouths on fire lol. Lucky we all like spicy food. The duck was tender and although it really was devastatingly hot, I’d still order it again. I couldn’t get a decent shot of it though, the lighting conspired against me lol.

Panang Duck Curry (Gang Panang Red)

I chose the Panang Duck Curry. The sauce was thick, nutty and creamy!! I love this dish:D

At Thai Pothong, they serve you unlimited rice from ornamental looking, silver rice holders, which look like big trophies to me lol. They sit at the end of your table and the instant you reach for a rice refill – a waiter pops out of nowhere to serve you rice! Many a time, we’ve tried to serve ourselves, waiting until no waiters are in sight…but we Fail Every Time. A game we have never won…

Thai Pothong
294 King Street
Newtown, 2042, NSW
Phone: (02) 9550 6277
Fax: (02) 9519 8050
http://www.thaipothong.com.au/

Flying Fajita Sisters, Glebe

I’ve been looking forward to a weeknight dinner with my girls, and this time we decided to head to Flying Fajita Sisters in Glebe for a night of Mexican themed fun.

We went on a Tuesday night, which is $3 taco and tequila night, and it was quite full, so I do recommend you make a booking if Tuesday is your preferred night.

Sindel, H and I decided to kick start the night with a tequila shot – why not?! Madam Saucy passed on the booze; reason given - tiredness..

Lemon and salt served with our tequila

Since none of us had been here before, we were all eager to try the Mixed Platter to start.

Mixed Platter

(clockwise from top left) – Salsa, Queso Fundido, Pepian, Frijoles, Guacamole, Crema.

The salsa was lovely, sweet with a hint of spice. The Queso Fundido, full of hot melted cheese was a dream for the cheese lovers around the table. My favourite was the green Pepian, which is a Mexican pesto made with green chilli and pumpkin seeds. Frijoles is another way of saying ‘refried beans’ and as a dip, it was served covered with melted cheese. The guacamole and sour cream rounded off the platter which was served with a large mound of tortilla chips – totopas!

Mixed Totopas

Here they serve yellow and blue tortilla chips. I think the blue is more of a purple, and they really don’t taste any different to the regular yellow ones, but still it looks pretty on the plate:)

Frijole Enchiladas

Sindel ordered the Frijole Enchiladas, which were served with rice, and black beans with salad. We all had a taste of the beans after she had finished with the rest – yum!

$3 Tacos

H and Madam Saucy took advantage of the taco deal which provides your choice of taco, served with cheese. Madam Saucy ordered some extra guacamole for a side – reliably eager for condiments :D

Burrito

I chose the Achiote Pulled Pork burrito, which was fantastic! The tender pork was reddish in colour and was teamed up with sour cream, a tomato salsa type thing some cheese. It was all served with guacamole and a corn salad. The corn was really good, it had a tangy dressing and little bits of capsicum in it :)

Hot sauce anyone?

Sindel and I chose a few offerings from the massive wall of hot sauces. We managed to squeeze in a few drops of each before our mouths went on fire…

After the bill was settled, we pondered a trip down the road for a post dinner chocolate hit at Chocolateria San Churro, but our full stomachs yelled NO! Meanwhile, I was eyeing off the 7-eleven for Monaco Bars…

Flying Fajita Sisters
Flavours of Mexico
65 Glebe Point Rd
Glebe,NSW, 2037
Phone: (02) 9552 6522
Fax: (02) 9552 6855
http://www.flyingfajitasistas.com.au/

Kuleto's Cocktail Bar, Newtown

I’m certain I’m not alone when I say I LOVE Happy Hour at Kuleto’s Cocktail bar. Happy hour is now between 6.00 – 7.30pm every night except Saturday, when it’s between 6.00 – 7.00pm.

The cocktail range is fabulous, the location especially convenient if you’re a student at Sydney Uni (guilty over here) and the concept of “sharing is caring” is never more poignant as when your dear friend trades you her fruity concoction for your creamy glass of goodness .. Oh the variety!!!

I’ve recently had a spate of Kuleto’s Happy Hour encounters, so thought a post would be appropriate.

Round 1 – Getting a feel for the ground floor

Red Corvette (red), Mango Daiquiri (yellow), Devil in Disguise (pink) and Japanese Slipper (green)

Devil in Disguise is my favourite. It's a satisfying mix of strawberries, coffee liqueur, coconut and chocolate! I traded one of mine for one of Daisy Moo's Japanese Slippers. I'm not exactly sure what was in this green concoction but with the Midori, it was fresh and not too sweet, perfect and summery! Goldilocks and Lady S shared the Mango Daiquiri and Red corvette:) With strawberry liqueur, Frangelico, Midori and a ton of strawberries and ice, the sweet Red Corvette is a lovely non creamy contrast to my Devil in Disguise - I had a few sneaky sips while they weren't looking :D

Round 2 – We hit upstairs!
Honeycomb Delight (light yellow), Lotus Chill (pink), Peach Passion (bright yellow)

The Honeycomb Delight was simply gorgeous, with mango and butterscotch schnapps among other things. It was sweet, creamy and considering it was the first time we'd ever ordered it, it became the star of our night. The Lotus Chill blends lychee with cranberry - YUM! While the Peach Passion had a lovely dash of passionfruit on the bottom.

And you get the idea.

I’ve noticed there’s been a few new cocktails added to the list, I’ve been eyeing off the one with cherry brandy and cranberry juice – maybe next time :)

Kuleto’s Cocktail Bar
157 King St
Newtown NSW 2042
Phone: (02) 9519 6369
http://www.kuletos.com.au

Cooper's Arms Hotel, Newtown

Although I am not a fan of the ground floor of the Cooper’s Arms Hotel, I do appreciate the recent renovation to its top floor. With H finally returning from her backpacking adventures, it was up to her to choose the venue for our latest rendezvous. She suggested the top floor of the Cooper’s Arms, for a night of bar food and girly white wine. Sindel, Madam Saucy and I were more than happy to oblige :)

Flat bread and condiments

To start we decided to share some bread and dips. Some crispy, toasted flat bread arrived, accompanied by hommous, babaganoush, tzaziki along with some olives and feta cheese. I felt we could have used more bread (or a smaller plate!).

Fish and Chips Cooper's Arms style

Sindel and I weren’t particularly hungry (unusual I must admit), so decided to share a meal. Our battered barramundi and chips were fresh from the fryer! The batter was light and crispy, albeit a tad greasy and our chips were thick, crunchy on the outside and dense on the inside (the way I like them!)

Sindel and I commented on the fish:chip ratio. There was a very generous serve of fish - 3 fat chunks, however we ran out of chips very soon after we started eating lol. Now, I’ll never complain about getting too much fish ;)

Lamb Salad

H ordered the Mediterranean Lamb Salad. It was a colourful plate, full of fresh lettuce leaves and cherry tomatoes (a significant contributor to the recommended 5 servings of vegetables!), however H did lament at the lack of any form of dressing.

Madam Saucy on the other hand, had no complaints about her meal. She ordered the calamari rings, which were served with a tasty, thick creamy sauce, bean shoots and salad. She dove straight into her meal before I could take a photo! Although I did have a bite of a calamari ring and I can vouch for its tender deliciousness :D

We had an unexpected black out during the night, which added a creepy, mysterious vibe but overall we had a great time – the seats were comfy, it was well ventilated, and the bar was very forthcoming with wine!

Cooper’s Arms Hotel
221 King St,

Newtown, NSW, 2042
Phone: (02) 9550 3461

Pastizzi Café, Newtown

Not too long ago, the word ‘Pastizzi’ would have elicited quite a few puzzled looks. But now, thanks to the Pastizzi Café, Sydneysiders can enjoy a pastizzi with coffee, a pastizzi on the run or perhaps indulge in a pastizzi extravaganza meal.

Pastizzi originate from Maltese cuisine, where they’re usually filled with ricotta or a pea mixture and usually eaten as a snack.

I love pastizzi. I love biting through that golden, flaky pastry and hitting the tasty goodness inside…. And I love their versatility – sweet, savoury, vegetarian, snack, meal…

That being said, it’s probably not a great surprise that I do, in fact, love the Pastizzi Café and do pop in regularly, for a quick snack. Recently, Daisy Moo and I found ourselves buying a few to share after a looong morning of work.

Piping hot!

Chicken and mushroom

Not a flavour I usually get, but it is delicious. The chicken is tender and the mushrooms are juicy and full of flavour – yum!!!

Chilli Con Carne

One of my usual choices, it’s bursting with beef and beans and usually a decent hit of spice.

Empanada

My favourite hands down. The filling is a divine mixture of meat, carrot, sultanas and egg and although it took a few trips before I first ordered it, I’ve never looked back:)

Apple

I love that you can round off a mini meal of pastizzi with…..a sweet pastizzi lol. Apple is a nice one and the people serving always dramatically sprinkle them with icing sugar for you:)

Real fruit inside!

This is only a very small range of pastizzi flavours available; others include spinach and ricotta, salmon and dill, veggie curry, chocolate ricotta and cherry cheese.

Although it is indeed full of pastizzi, there are many other pleasures on offer at the Pastizzi Café. They’re open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a menu including ravioli, kannoli, mains and desserts such as tiramisu and cake. They also do a decent coffee:)

Pastizzi Café
523 King St
Newtown, NSW, 2042
Phone: (02) 9519 1063