Sunday, June 29, 2014

The Red Door Cafe - Leura

On a trip to Blue Mountains? How about taking a short stopover at the gorgeous little town called Leura. Grab a quick brekkie before you make your way to the riveting blue mountains.




The Red Door cafe is a great place to start your day with a fresh cup of coffee.



The food is good and well priced, however if you want to try something different, try from their specials menu listed on the blackboard.

We started off with the crispy fried eggs served with tomato relish and dukkah on a Turkish toast. Dukkah was a versatile mixture of roasted nuts, seeds and spices and when blended with the free-lowing egg yolk and sweet tomato relish, the end result was a great dish with amazing flavours bursting in your mouth.



The omelette was packed with prosciutto, potato, rosemary, marinated feta and radicchio. The toast was crisp and crunchy too.



Overall, a great place to enjoy your first meal of the day amongst a great mountain euphoria vibe.



The Red Door Cafe

134B Leura Mall
Leura NSW 2780

Tel No: +61 2 4784 1328


The Red Door Cafe on Urbanspoon

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Jonkanoo - Surry Hills

Draped in bright bonafide (reflecting Jamaica) colours of yellow, turquoise, blue and red is the new eatery in town, serving authentic Caribbean cuisine.  The laid back attitude, the Caribbean music in the background and the wooden and rustic furniture provide a causal vibe to the restaurant. The message from the guys is just to chill, relax and have intriguing conversations within your group while you enjoy authentic West Indian delicacies.




We arrive and order with a couple of cocktails. The cocktails were fruity, sweet and high on both rum and tequila. The names given to the cocktails, "Smarmy, Green 'n' Balmy" or "Where is the love" were bewildering and I was keen to understand the story behind them but never got to it ;)




Their menu is divided into 'Small Tings', 'Bigga Tings', 'Jerk Tings' and 'Side Tings'.We ordered from all.

The 'Yuca frita con rojo mojo cassava fries' were deep fried, golden brown, crispy and well cut. However it was the red sauce with the exuberating garlic and chilli flavour that caught our attention. Simply lip-smacking!



The 'Trini carnival doubles curried chana, peppa and mango' is a popular dish from Trinidad. Curried chickpeas are mixed with chunky pieces of mango and sandwiched between turmeric coloured deep-fried flour based bread. The dish tasted yummy and reminded me of street food back from India. The list flask of chilli oil further enhances the spiciness and deliciousness of the dish.



My favourite dish was the 'Accras lan mory (salted cod fritters)'. Dark brown from outside and fluffy from inside, this dish had a nice texture to it. The sweetness and tanginess from the lime aioli well balanced the saltiness from the fritters.



The 'Grilled king prawns' were perfectly cooked and was an exotic dish. However the rum based sauce lacked the kick for me. In my opinion a touch more lime could have done the trick.



The 'Jerk Chicken' was an equally alluring dish. The taste from allspice and scotch bonnet peppers played its role on my palate while the smokiness enhanced my senses. The tropical slaw and the coco breads were good accompaniments required and acted as palate cleansers.



The place is definitely worth your buck and visit.



Jonkanoo

583 Crown St
Surry Hills NSW 2010

Tel No: +61 2 9699 0019

Website for more info: Jonkanoo



Jonkanoo on Urbanspoon

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Cafe Bella - Kangaroo Valley

Kangaroo Valley does not have a lot of great restaurants to boast off, however Cafe Bella still manages to stand out for its sheer simplicity. Bookshelf lined walls and a string of fairy lights, both manage to attract your attention. You can easily say, they seem to specialize in Italian and Mediterranean cuisines.




To warm yourself up, start with their creamy potato, leek and cauliflower soup served with toasted garlic bread. Its a hearty soup brimming with flavour.



Meat eaters who would love to start with some crunch, try the spicy chorizo sausage and lamb fillo cigar served with a yogurt dipping sauce.



For risotto lovers, the risotto of slow cooked duck, spinach and shallot was surprisingly awesome. It had rich, intense and meaty flavours going for it. It is so good that you might end up asking for more.



They have a decent selection of pizzas so pick and choose to your taste.

Crispy bacon, red capsicum, black olive and chorizo sausage

Eggplant, sweet potato, feta, pine nuts and baby spinach


Desserts were just about average and the serve of vanilla ice-cream wasn't required. However, a meal is never complete without a bite of dessert so why not dig in your spoons into the reds, yellows, browns and creamy colours flowing on your plate?

Ginger and lime caramel custard served with orange salad

Chocolate and hazelnut cake served with a raspberry sauce and strawberries


Bookings Recommended!

Cafe Bella

151 Moss Vale Road
Kanagroo Valley NSW 2577

Tel No: +61 2 4465 1660



Cafe Bella on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Berry Sourdough Cafe - Berry

On a road-trip to Southern Highlands or just a casual visit to the picturesque towns of Kangaroo Valley or Berry, an artisan sourdough cafe and bakery awaits your visit with bated breath. You would be allured by the simplicity and warmth of this rustic barn like premises, popularly known as the Berry Sourdough Cafe.




The distinctive, pleasant smell of the bread being baked welcomes us. Once in, you will be enraptured by the selection of European style pastries, cakes, savoury treats and organic condiments on offer.






The lunch menu might be minuscule but each dish on that menu has sublime characteristics.

Green Wheat freekeh salad with roast pumpkin, beans, pistachios and sumac mascarpone was enticingly delicious. The superfood and healthy freekeh works well with the tart flavour of the sumac mascarpone, with the end result being a dish that has both texture and enriching flavours.



The salt cod croquettes with native pepperberry mayo and pickled vegetables salad were crispy from outside and fluffy from inside. The pepperberry mayo provided an added herbal dimension, particulary towards the end of the palate.



Locally smoked beef brisket pastrami on sourdough with tomatoes, provolone and romesco sauce was exquisite. The nut and red paper flavours from the romesco sauce blended extremely well with the smokiness of the beef brisket.



My favourite was the dish made up of king prawns, fish and mussels poached in bisque with tomato, fennel and potato. Pumped with different varieties of seafood, the soup was smooth, creamy and well seasoned. Pleasurable indeed!



The crunchy fries with mustard aioli were a good accompaniment.



I am just wondering if the lunch was so awesome, how good will be the breakfast?

Berry Sourdough Cafe

23 Prince Alfred St
Berry NSW 2535

Tel No: +61 2 4464 1617

Website for more info: Berry Sourdough Cafe
Berry Sourdough Cafe on Urbanspoon

Friday, June 6, 2014

Element 6 - West Ryde

Another morning, another cafe! The difference is the suburb and the setting. Based right in front of West Ryde station is this boutique cafe called Element 6. A nice cosy cafe with a rustic and industrial feel to it. What works for you, if you are a West Ryder, is the proximity to you.




If you are feeling lazy or want to take the pets on a ride, you don't have to pull an exhausting journey to the city or the now more famous Inner-West cafes. Element 6 is almost at your doorstep. Short queues and less waiting time, what more can you ask for?




Well you can ask about the food? To the lovers of fresh, healthy, organic food or simply vegetarians, this place has plenty to offer.

The smoothies, the iced coffees, the malted milkshakes or just a cup of your hot and soothing coffee, Element 6 does it really well and that too with a big smile.





For the admirers of the earthy salmon taste, try the 'Sassy Smoked Salmon' with philly remoulade, asparagus and perfectly poached eggs on rye toast.



For those who like their eggs baked, get ready to spice up your taste buds with Moroccan inspired flavours. It's quiet an indulgent dish when you know it's blessed with eggplant, salty haloumi, hearty chickpeas, zhough (chilli paste) and zaartar.



In the mood for something light that cleans up all the toxins from the previous nights unhealthy deep fried food? Or you simply looking for something fresh an healthy, then try the 'Orange and Avocado salad'. A great medley of tangy orange, avocado, shanklish, dates, almonds, mint and rocket.



If you need something regular but with a little bit of twist, try the 'E6'. Rosemary garlic mushrooms with poached eggs and served with haloumi, baby spinach and roasted tomato on the side.



Give your morning's a new beginning, start it at Element 6.

Element 6

65 Ryedale Rd
West Ryde NSW 2114

Tel No: +61 2 8021 2838

Website for more info: Element 6


Element 6 on Urbanspoon