Photo Diary: Night Noodle Market - Hyde Park

Pad Thai - Chat Thai - $13

Braised Pork and Double Cooked Pork - Wonderbao - 3 for $20

Phuc Khing Tasty- Messina - $9

-Anita
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Food: Roi Et, Mt. Pritchard

I think the quality of photos on this blog will fluctuate with accordance of equipment available to me to take snaps of food and things I find interesting. My phone is on the brink of death and I don't know how long it will last me.

Ok, this Thai place got new owners and opened 'Roi-Et Thai Kitchen'. Personally, I think this Thai place is doing a better job than the previous owners who weren't able to maintain regular patronage. Roi-Et actually attempted to send out menus to the local area. AND THEY DO DELIVERY. It neighbours Dominoes and Red Rooster, so they have hefty competition.

I quite like this place and I've had my fair share of Thai food. It's a little on the sweeter side of things but it doesn't bother someone like me who has a sweet tooth. If you really want to get every bang for a buck, then visit the restaurant during it's lunch special hours and selected dishes are only $8.50. (I'm guessing 1-3pm, Mon-Fri, I forgot to note it down). They also give really generous servings too.

There really isn't much to say about this dish because everyone has had chicken pad thai (if you haven't, what is wrong with you?) and it just ticks all your boxes for a standard pad thai.

The place is really quiet with hardly any patronage and there was a dead mosquito on our table but it doesn't really phase me. It is really an underrated place to have Thai food but I understand why this is. It's because there are so many other better Thai places around that aren't that expensive to go to and are quality authentic Thai.

- Helen

Food: Le Monde Cafe, Surry Hills

Wow, I have been slacking off with this blog so much. But with good reason! Uni just started again and I am now employed at a back-breaking fast food joint. I hope that the job is just a temporary fix for my money woes. Not only that, but I have also taken up an internship. A lot on my plate! But alas, the perks of working in the City, is the ability to visit cute restaurants.

Unfortunately, I'm back to using my broken iPhone 4s to take really poor quality photos subtly and discretely. Maybe I'll just knick a coupla' photos off the internet to compensate. Hehe, the lazy way.

This place is just a couple metres walk from Central Station. I don't know why I assumed it was a small cafe but it is quite moderately sized. It's not quite the "hipster" food place but the food is not mainstream.

Masala chai tea/latte
4

When I received this chai latte, I was so confused. I've only recently started drinking chai lattes (start of this year) and I will always order this or hot chocolate because I'm a really caffeine sensitive person and I haven't really acquired the taste for coffee. How juvenile. LOOK AT HOW MANY PARTS THERE ARE TO THE DRINK!! I prefered the simplicity of the foamy chai latte in a yellow mug at Felix (also in Surry Hills) I had last week. It came in a cute little teapot and the small metal jug was honey.
***side story: I was unsure as to what was in the metal jug and the overall drink itself that I smelt it and the waitress was like, "its honey" and gave me a funny look.***
Although it was more authentic in the brewery and taste, it was too overly spicy and watered down for my liking. Even if its technically supposed to be mainly spice tea with a side of milk. I would recommend this if you are into the authentic stuff, but if you're like me and used to the coffee-machine brewed version then steer clear.
Clearly, it was worth the $4 for the authenticity but I struggled to finish it off, offput by the spiciness.

open steak sandwich w/ sauteed onion and fennel, roasted cherry tomato, roquette, garlic aioli, brie cheese and toast
16

This was a really good sandwich even though it shouldn't be called a sandwich because its like a bruschetta on 'roids. I mean it in a good way! The beef is thinly sliced and perfectly cooked so it wasn't like I was sawing through a 500 year old tree. Tomatoes were so juicy. Fennel fresh. Brie ripe to delectableness. The flavours worked well and I would eat this again if it weren't for the fact it cost me over an hour of work to pay for. It's also worth noting that this is one of the dearer dishes available, their prices range from $8.50 to $16. 

Ah, I hate eating alone because I think nothing is more depressing. Le Monde Cafe is just fabulous for eating by yourself, with someone or with a group of people. It's an unintimidating cafe in the love streets of Surry Hills. Recommend a visit if you're in the area.

- Helen

Fashion: Surry up the Hills

Kudos to Helen for coming up with the punny title and photos!! 

I've always imagined Surry Hills to be equivalent to the likes of Newtown (that is, crawling with hipsters). And you know what? There actually weren't that many. Instead I've noticed that it's mainly the middle aged and their dogs. Speaking of dogs, if you're not looking at where you're going, there's a 95% chance that you'll step on poop. Which I almost did on countless occasions because I was either staring at fluffy dogs or the interlocking trees on the side of the road. 

Some parts of Surry Hills made me feel like I was walking down the streets of Brooklyn. Not that I've been there, but I've watched enough Gossip Girl to have a pretty good gist of what it's like...

Felt hat - The Iconic

Sunnies - Rayban Clubmasters

Striped blouse - Valleygirl

Sweater - Dotti

Paperbag Pant - Dotti (they only stock black now)

Jacket - Gas Jeans
Dress - Dotti
Purse - Princess Highway
Flats - Chinese markets

- Anita :)

Food: Rustic Pearl, Surry Hills

(finally busted out the SLR, yay!)

Let me begin by telling you how much I love the decor. I just have a thing for interior design, so I'm going to comment on the design of restaurants. Rustic Pearl, as its name suggests, features a rustic design. It's actually quite a small restaurant and so there tends to be a line. Luckily, my friends and I went around brunch time so we just beat the rush. And even though there were people waiting, the waiters didn't rush us or anything. They probably knew that these people would wait to dine there because I would.

LIKE OH EM GEE! I cannot fault this restaurant for anything but being so far away from where I live!

Avocado smoothie; topped w/pistachio
7

When it comes to avocado smoothies, I'm used to the ones with just avocado, a sugar (most of the time condensed milk), milk and occasionally, a scoop of ice cream. No, this is no ordinary basic bitch style smoothie. I didn't think it would be because it's SEVEN dollars, a lot for a drink. But I really love avocado and avocados aren't cheap. It was worth the money. Coming in a oval cup with a steel spoon straw (yes, there is a spoon at the end of the straw), it caught me off guard. You can distinctly taste the honey within the drink. Not what I'm used to, but I'll accept it. The pomegranate were sour bursts against the sweetness of the honey and pistachio gave it texture. I love the pistachio flavour in the smoothie but I prefer my smoothie smooth (just like me, ha!). 

Fresh drinking coconut; w/ fruit garnish
6.5

My friend got the coconut drink and I expected it to come in a glass, but nope.

Sucuk bruschetta w/ char grilled sucuk, melted buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomato, avocado, rocket, pomegranate molasses & soft boiled organic egg
17

Being the indecisive person that I am, I asked the waiter what I should get and he suggested this. Um, freaking delish'! Normally, I'm not a fan of large amounts of fresh tomato, but this has to be the exception. Egg was perf. Sucuk was perf. Cheese was perfectly melted. Balance of the dish was perf. I had to saw through the crust of the toast but I don't mind because it was so scrum-dilly-umptious! Initially, we thought the dressing was balsamic vinegar but it actually pomegranate molasses. Its a tangy syrup made from boiled down pomegranate juices. The best feature is the generous layer of avocado. I'm going to keep coming back for more!

pan fried free-range chicken breast salad w/ crispy bacon, chickpeas, char grilled zucchini, agresto, almond & spiced apricot dressing
18

Homemade mixed wild mushrom gnocchi w/ tomato, garlic, parsley & goat's cheese
18

We shared this dish and although it was perfectly fine, I prefer the gnocchi at Criniti's. I believe its just a matter of preference here. Its very flavoursome with tomato being the strongest flavour. The pasta was soft and wasn't quite pillowy but nevertheless, its a dish to enjoy with its assortment of mushrooms.

Smoked waygu omelette w/ buffalo mozzarella, spinach skordalia, bacon dust, tomato relish & toast
17

Overall, I love this place to bits and I am going to go back. They will probably end up taking all of my money. Well, the very little money I have left since the dishes range from 17/18 dollars and go up to 24. It's not cheap but its not expensive either, but definitely worth the money you pay. 

They also do note that there is a waiting time with ordering dishes because they are trying to assure quality and freshness. This isn't so much bother if you're catching up with friends and they do bring out drinks for you in the meantime. It will only be a problem if you're starving, in which case, you'd still wait. 

They offer gluten free alternatives for a surcharge of $1. If you read the menu, you can see that they offer quality for a reasonable price.

- Helen

Food: Twelve, Newtown

We picked this restaurant because of its outdoor diners and opened up front. It was inviting and we were hopeful.

As a group of 6, we needed a large table but their tables mostly accommodated for 2's and 4's. The booth seat of 4 would have worked just fine for the 6 of us but the owner of the restaurant (assumed that he was because he was interviewing a girl later on) wasn't willing to move. I am not sure if he wants his restaurant to succeed at all. I read reviews after (just to avoid bias) my visit and the general consensus reflected my experience.

I ordered a beef burger because the lady suggested it as a special. Being only $8, I thought, why not? Um, because the beef was dry and the sauce was lacking. I have never been so dissatisfied with a basic beef burger. The burger was more bread than beef and it just threw the whole balance of flavours off and was pretty plain tasting.

There is not much more than I can say about this substandard burger. I hope they are able to up their game because they do have a neatly designed restaurant in a prime location.

Beef burger; lettuce, tomato, Gruyere cheese, gherkins caramelised onions mayo & ketchup
8
w/ chips 13

- Helen

Fave: Kina Grannis

Kina Grannis is seriously the bomb diggity! I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I GOT TO MEET HER. SHE IS LITERAL PERFECTION.

I fell in love with her five years ago when I first heard 'Valentine' on YouTube. Her covers are all so amazing and her harmonies are always on point.

Here is her Valentine music video:

Here is one of my favourite covers by her:



Let me tell you why I think she is literal perfection after having the privilege of meeting her.
1. She is genuinely sweet. When she talks, you just can't help but fall in love with her. She is so down to earth and funny too. She attempted to do an Australian accent and said that if she were Australian she wouldn't stop talking. Haha, just adorbs!
2. What you see if what you get. You know how you expect singers to be not as great as their polished recorded songs? Kina Grannis sounds fabulous recorded and live. You probably couldn't even tell the difference.
3. She is beautiful. She's beautiful on screen but even more beautiful in real life if that is even possible. I GOT TO HUG HER TOO - touched by the beautiful creature!!!!
4. Her cute insignias. I really love her old girl with the guitar logo and her new triangles logo. I wanted to get her elements necklace but it was $40 and I just didn't feel it was worth the money.
5. Her passion for music. She is chasing her dreams and that's inspiring. Like seriously, she spent a good amount of time doing the 'In Your Arms' jelly bean stop motion animation music video. Crrazzzyy dedication!
6. I just had to add that her and Jesse (her husband) are the cutest! Even though it doesn't really add to her perfection, I'm totally jealous that he married her.

And even though I might sound like a crazy obsessed fangirl, I feel like these are all valid and you will understand when you listen and meet her!

Now, some pictures of that momentous day!

Thank you Kina Grannis!

Also, her drummer has the coordination of a god because she was able to play the drums, tambourine and sing at the same time. I mean, if I had that kind of coordination, I'd be set for life.

- Helen

Food: Devon Cafe, Surry Hills

Upon recommendations to try out this place out, my friend and I ventured to Surry Hills. This cafe is only a 5 minute walk from Central Station which is such a blessing for anybody, like me, who thinks that getting to the CBD is a trek. The first world problems of living in the middle of nowhere. And let me tell you now, Sydney public transportation system is not your friend. It costs you a limb and a half to access this service and it's never on time. The woes!

Before I continue this post any further, I would like to apologise for the quality of photos on this blog thus far and in the future. I feel extremely uncomfortable spending a long time getting a photo of food with my phone, let alone whipping out my SLR. As a person who a photography enthusiast and refuses to "like" photos on facebook because of terrible lighting, I should take more of an effort to get better photos. I don't know how to discreetly take photos using an SLR. Hopefully, I will grow some balls and forget about people judging me. But for now, please forgive the quality. 

I am a very picky eater but I am trying to fix this by ordering meals that I don't normally go for. The problem with that is I don't have the money to get a meal that I do like if I really hate it, being a uni student and all. I try to play it safe as much as I can but for some reason, on this day, instead of opting the french toast with NUTELLA on it (anybody who know me, know I live for nutella), I go for this pot of tomato sauce. Let me just say this, I don't like tomatoes. Tomato sauce is alright. I don't know how you are supposed to eat the dish I ordered. Heck, I don't even remember what it is called. It was a pot of tomato sauce with two half-cooked eggs and bread on the side, put simply. This is on the breakfast menu by the way and I thought you really couldn't go wrong with breakfast food. Oh, I was wrong. So wrong. I struggled to finish this dish. I poked the egg yolk out but it just mixed with the tomato sauce. It was just tomato sauce. I don't understand the dish. I will never order it again. 

That all being said, there is nothing wrong with the dish, I just wasn't feeling eating a slice of bread drowned in tomato sauce mixed with egg yolk. Perhaps this is because I am accustomed to an Asian palate but this was definitely not for me. My biggest regret is not getting that french toast. I may return to Devon cafe to try that French toast out because quality-wise, the cafe is on point. 

The hot chocolate was foamy, creamy and perfect drinking temperature when I received it. Not too sweet and not too watery.

So, in all, I would definitely go to Devon Cafe, I just wouldn't go for this dish. I can't really give bad ratings to a cafe that has quality food that I just don't have the taste for.

Hot chocolate
4

Two chicks in Basque; baked eggs, piperade, pistou, sourdough toast
14.5
(with blood sausage 5)

Kaya toast; coconut jam, butter, light soy 63' eggs, brioche toast
12.5

I tried a bit of the coconut jam that my friend got with the Kaya toast and it was delish'. The rest of the dish I can't really comment on but we agreed that we just didn't have the taste palate for it.

The front of the cafe is small and so the back room, meant for storage, was opened up for seating. We weren't seated in the best place. Sharing a large table with backless stools with six other people between a garage door was opened and the fridge and produce. To me, the decor was a bit confusing. They had a flowers on the table and the golden accented signage which didn't really complement the blue, artificial graffiti walls and wired fences. I wouldn't say this is the most comfortable place to settle down and catch up with friends as my back started to ache from having no support.


If I do go back for the French toast one day, I will be sure to update you. Perhaps it will change my perspective of Devon Cafe.

- Helen