Kindle Cafe & Catering

I must confess that I didn't know the existence of Kindle Cafe & Catering (Shop 10, 240 City Walk, Civic, tel: (02) 6169 6169) until a friend, who utterly loves this place, told me about it. You can't really physically see Kindle Cafe when you are walking past and you wouldn't know about it unless you take a detour upon seeing the blackboard sign, if you see it. You should definitely check Kindle Cafe out if you haven't done so and you will certainly be surprised when you find it. It's not your typical looking cafe but a very petite cafe which has vibrant coloured walls and beautiful comfy Victorian-styled couches. The walls are adorned with posters, you have foliage drapping on top of the blackboard specials and a Victorian lamp near the kitchen opening. Everything fits in so well that makes the whole place just nice and welcoming. The staff is very friendly and attentive...ohn, and i like how they serve water with slices of cucumber in it, very refreshing indeed.

Farmer's Daughter

I came across this newly added cafe in Yarralumla, Farmer's Daughter, when i read its review from a local magazine. 'Quite promising' - i thought, so i quickly looked through my schedule book to see when it was the next free weekend and scribbled 'Visit FM' down.

The day finally arrived and we went to Farmer's Daughter for brunch. It was a beautiful day but we ended up sitting inside because a table was just being vacated. The cafe is not big but it surely utilizes its space quite well with the kitchen and the coffee counter compacted at the back and the rest of the cafe, eating area of course. We sat down at a table bench, which was lovely adorned with some fresh white lilies, and were given a clipboard with the breakfast menu attached to it. It took us a while to choose but we ended up ordering the 'No Ordinary Soldiers', the 'Poached Eggs' and a lovely cup of Red African Hot Chocolate. 

 Cool and edgy bottle of water!

Early Doors Cafe

Gungahlin is a place that i have never really explored because of its distance from where i live. I haven't been to many restaurants or cafes around that area so it was quite exciting that i got to have a quick lunch at Early Doors Cafe before doing the rest of a photoshoot.

The cafe has a simplistic decor and big windows that allow plenty of light to come in, creating a nice and relaxed atmosphere. Near the counter is a lower shelf filled with magazines and books and above it, there is a nice selection of sweet treats for you to indulge. (They have Dream Cuisine macarons too!)

I started out with a freshly squeezed Strawberry & Orange juice combo and it was lovely! So delicious that i even make my own for breakfast every now and then. 

Looks ordinary but it was delicious.

Two Before Ten - Cafe & Coffee Roasters

Just before we headed to Londsdale Street Roasters (again) for afternoon tea, we decided to try a relatively new addition to the Canberra House, the Two Before Ten Cafe & Coffee Roasters. It has a simple and cozy atmosphere and the staff was quite attentive and friendly. What struck me most was the feature wall behind the coffee counter which had designs of strange (but cute?) creatures as well as the funky yellow urchin lights *check them out!

Lonsdale Street Roasters

For quite a while, Milk & Honey (M&H) had been my favorite place to go after lunches or dinners to just chillax and catch up with friends. I have to say that it didn't take long before Lonsdale Street Roasters (LSR) attained an equal standing in my heart. But since LSR doesn't open at night, M&H is still the place to go after dinners =)

There isn't much of a wow factor when you look from the outside of LSR (although i found the coffee-sack-cushions-on-empty-milk-crate seats quite cute) but when you step into that place, you feel like you are in a funky art gallery. Bright colours, striking patterned wallpapers, bicycles hanging off the walls and random 'hazard signs' stuck to the ceiling all come together surprisingly harmonious with the plain solid wooden tables in the cafe. I also quite liked the fact that they took the time to pick out interesting cushions to adorn the wall seatings, check them out!

Ona Coffee House

Although i am not a coffee drinker myself, I love going coffee houses. I love everything about them: the environment, the people, the aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans, the laboratory-like tools used in certain coffee and the smell of freshly prepared food.

At the moment i stepped into Ona Coffee House (68 Wollongong Street, Fsywick (02) 6162 3320), i loved it. The place's decor is simple but it has a few stand-outs such as the lovely clock with Roman numbers, the barista-to-be room, the display of fresh artisan bread by Brasserie Bread and the various awards that Ona has won (including one for latte art). If you are a coffee aficionado, you should try their siphon, pour over filter or cold drip from 'The Brewery' selection.

Bicicletta

*UPDATE: Bicicletta is back in business!

Sorry for the lack of post, but i am currently overseas and not having much time to update my blog. Sorry guys! Here is a quick post of one of the cafes that i visited before i departed to Hong Kong. 

Bicicletta (Unit 1/15 Edingburgh Ave, Acton (02) 6262 8683) is one of the latest additions to the chic and modern NewActon precinct. I was there for an early Saturday breakfast and had good feelings about it after checking their website and knowing where they were located. Bicicletta is a nicely decorated Italian cafe with both indoor or outdoor options. We sat outdoors so that we could enjoy a nice view of the precinct while having our breakfast.

We ordered Big Bicicletta Breakfast which had a choice of fried or scrambled eggs (we chose the latter) served with Italian sausage, bacon, mushrooms, sauteed spinach, roast tomato and asparagus; we also ordered Salmone which had smoked salmon served with fresh goats’ cheese, avocado puree and homemade pan brioche. Ohn, and we got an affogato too!

The service was alright and we were served the affogato not long after we have ordered. I am no expert in coffee but i didn't really like the so-called Bicicletta blend. It tasted bitter and sour at the same time - not exactly what i was expecting.

The breakfast dishes, however, took a while to come to our table. Both dishes tasted alright but wasn't impressed by the fact that most elements were already cold by the time we got them - especially the eggs and sausages. Big bicicletta breakfast was alright (apart from being cold-ish) and the asparagus and the spinach were my favorites.

 

I liked the Salmone more than the big breakfast and it was alright to have it cold. Most elements blended quite well together; the subtle sweetness from the brioche with the saltiness from the smoked salmon and the sourness from the capers. For me, a hint of goat's cheese was enough to complement the other elements.

In general, Bicicletta is a nice and relaxing place to go for breakfast. The waiter had a cool (perhaps) Italian accent and he was quite friendly too. The only negatives for me were the taste of the affogato and the issue with the big breakfast being served cold. Apart from that, not a bad cafe.

Debacle for breakfast

It was a nice and sunny day when we headed to Debacle (30 Lonsdale Street, Braddon (02) 6247 1314) for an early breakfast. Its decor is simple and rustic which makes the place quite cosy and laid back; the atmosphere is comfortable and welcoming which makes you want to come back. I guess it is also a very popular place amongst families with kids as i've never seen so many kids/toddlers in a cafe. They, too, seemed to be enjoying the food as much as the adults did.

On this particular occasion, we decided to order a Debacle Recovery Breakfast (Fried eggs on toasted sour dough, grilled tomato, baked beans, bacon, potato rosti, sausage, sauteed mushroom and a choice of coffee & tea) and Housemade Crepes with Braised Strawberry & Double Cream.

Debacle Recovery Breakfast was quite filling and the mushrooms in it were very juicy and delicious! I also liked the potato rosti which was quite different from what i expected; it looked more like an arancini and it went well with the saltiness from the bacon.



It's always nice to finish the breakfast on the sweet side and the crepes did not disappoint. The crepes were light and fluffy but not too sweet, which complemented well with the braised strawberries. The double cream, on the other hand, was a bit too heavy for my liking so i decided to not have it with the crepes.

The breakfast at Debacle's was good and satisfying and the crepes were my favourite. Their Smoked Salmon Rosti seemed to be a very popular dish and i might give that a try next time.

Artespresso for Breakfast

One of the things that i enjoy doing on a beautiful Saturday morning is to wake up late and have a beautiful brunch at a nice cafe. This time we headed to Artespresso (31 Giles Street, Kingston (02) 6295 8055) which is located in the nice and calm surrounds of Kingston. Artespresso features a trendy and modern decor and has balconies where you can choose to seat as well. The staff wasn't very attentive and took them a while to take our orders. 

We ordered a cup of Mocha and two breakfast dishes: Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict (poached eggs, hollandaise, English muffins and smoked salmon) and Arte's Big Breakfast (Poached, scrambled or fried eggs, sausages, bacon, confit tomato, spinach, sweet potato rosti, sourdough).

Gold Coast: Mme Grenouille

It was a great surprise to find the French Bakery Mme Grenouille (Meriton Building, Shop 1, 2669 Gold Coast Hwy, Broachbeach, (07)5538 3111) during my last visit to Gold Coast. It is one of those places that you don't expect to find until you've reach the status of a local, if you know what i mean. I came across it purely by chance, when i unconsciously glanced at a magazine where their colourful macarons were featured. It must have been the macarons, somehow we are connected.

It was a hot day when we went to Mme Grenouille, so i decided to order an ice coffee to start with while i chose my cakes and enjoyed its chic ambience. The cafe does feel like a small Parisian Boutique with interesting macaron-inspired prints on their walls and a display with a variety of beautiful cakes and sweets for you to choose from. I was certainly  spoiled for choice and it took me a while to choose something from it. I ended up ordering the Strawberry Charlotte - a soft sponge surrounded by finger biscuits and topped with fresh strawberries and a Black Forest - consisted of two different layers of mousse decorated with a chocolate spoon and macerated cherries.

Ice Coffee

The ice coffee tasted really good, it wasn't overly sweet (like in many places) and the ice coffee didn't taste as if it was made from commercialized coffee syrups. Judging by other customers' reaction, i think Mme Grenouille makes pretty decent coffee. Let me know what you think about their coffee if you've been there!

My first cake choice was the Strawberry Charlotte simply because i love strawberries and also because it was one of the cakes that was going fast. The sponge was soft and moist, the finger biscuits were good and the strawberries were deliciously fresh. All components came well together not only in taste but also in presentation.

Black Forest was my favorite in terms of presentation. That chocolate spoon holding a cherry alone was enough for me to order it. Yes, i am a sucker for pretty and gimmicky things. Looks aside, the chocolate mousse was light and silky smooth and the bottom layer of macerated cherries complemented it very well. I guess it's not just looks, afterall.

Black Forest - recommend it!

I certainly enjoyed my time at Mme Grenouille's for both the food and ambience. The staff was friendly and very helpful in helping me choose the cakes we had. I will definitely be back (when i can) to try their breakfast menu and other cakes. You might be asking me...where are the macarons? Don't worry, i didn't leave without them! I bought a few flavours including Hazelnut, Pistachio, Rum & Raisin and Coffee - the filling was good but i was a bit disappointed with the macaron shells for its coarse texture. Apart from that, all good!

Don't forget to pay Mme Grenouille a visit on your next trip to Gold Coast!

*I reckon their little logo featuring a frog with a crown is tres chic, no?

The Blue Olive + Harvest

Although i was away for only 5 weeks, being back to Canberra does feel a little bit different. It feels like my lifestyle has completely taken a 180 degree turn ever since i got back. While in Hong Kong, my days were usually filled with catch-ups, shoppings, lunches, dinners that probably made me busier than a CEO (maybe not!). I guess there were so many things to do and places that i wanted to go that made me feel that time wasn't on my side. Being back, life has become somewhat more relaxed and having long lunches and a chat over a cup of mocha is somehow possible. 

On the first week back, decided to catch up with J over lunch. Our initial plan was to go to a newly opened cafe called Harvest but after learning that it did not offer a lunch menu we decided to look for some lunch somewhere else. We stopped by The Blue Olive cafe (56 Alinga St, City), which is not far from Harvest, for lunch. I think it went through some minor renovations because i don't remember the cafe looking like that back in the uni days. I like how the walls are well decorated with some vintagey plates, stuck-on flowers, wooden birds and paintings. Everything comes together nicely bringing a cosy atmosphere to the cafe.

We decided to order some sandwiches because that's their specialty. There are like 25 - 30 types of sandwiches to choose from and we ended up ordering a Botticelli - Smoked Salmon, Capers, Cream Cheese, Avocado and Lettuce (with Handcut Sourdough ) and a Banksy - Chorizo, Spanish Onions, Roasted Capsicum, Roquette and Chilli Jam (with Handcut Seed & Grain Sourdough). I liked Botticelli for its classic combination and Banksy for its Spanish-ish flavours. My little whinge: I would have preferred the bread to be more fresh because some parts were a bit tough to eat.

Botticelli

Banksy

Overall, lunch was good and loved the whole atmosphere and cosiness of the cafe - yes, i am a sucker for nice decor =P. The day didn't end there, we went back to Harvest (40 Marcus Clarke St, City) for a cup of coffee...mocha, to be precise. Harvest is a lovely brown toned cafe with big windows and wooden settings. Harvest claims to offer the best coffee here in Canberra. True? I am no coffee expert to comment on this but please let me know what you think about the coffee if you've been there, my dear coffee lovers =) Ohn...and i also like how they have cute water bottles and even their own logo printed on the sugar packets.

Harvest's coffee counter

I've ordered a cup of Mocha which was smooth, had a good balance of flavours and a nice froth (which i love!). We didn't get any cakes or pastries because there weren't a big deal of them to choose from except from the commonly found banana bread, lamingtons and custard tarts (but i do hope that they will eventually bring out some awesome cakes!). Apart from that, Harvest is definitely a nice place to meet up with friends for a nice cath up over a cup of coffee or tea.

Little Istanbul

By the time this post is up, i am no longer wrapped up in my thick and black coat but probably wearing a summer-ish dress and enjoying some awesome ice-cream (haven't had that yet! Just had some Thai food for dinner).

I managed to escape the cold and freezing Canberra for a month or so and i am currently enjoying my time in a place where people commonly call it the Shopping Heaven: HONG KONG! My aim is to do some a lot of shopping (hopefully) and to visit as many places as possible and eat all the goodies that are so unique to Hong Kong...and that will include Yum chas, pineapple buns, egg tarts, milk tea and many more! Can't wait~

Before i start posting about my adventures in Hong Kong (and China), here is how i spent my last day in Canberra. We went to Little Istanbul (shop 9b, Tuggeranong Hyperdome, ACT) for lunch and decided to go for the Sovereign Banquet - as it had a bit of everything.

It was a nice day so we sat outside - great for photos! The staff was polite and the service was good. The banquet started not long after we got our Iced Coffee which by the way, was surprisingly nice. It wasn't too sweet and it wasn't overloaded with some dodgy cream!

The banquet started with a selection of dips by the chef and some warm pide bread. We got the following dips: Pancar (beetroot), Havuc (carrot), Humus (chick peas) and Baba Ghanoush (eggplant). My favorite dip was the Havuc and i have to give credits to the Humus! I am not a big fan of Humus but this particular one did not taste 'commercialised' (like the previous ones that i had) and got me eating more than i normally would. We also got two Kabaks which are grated zucchini mixed with fresh herbs - crispy on the outside and nicely soft inside!

Dips and the Kabaks

Dips and the warm pide

Next up was the Chef's choice of pide plus salad. The pide was hot and nice; the filling was simple but delicious.I think we got the Istanbul Pide as it matched the description of such in the a la carte menu - finely minced meat, onions, parsley, capsicum & cheese.

Look at the cheeese!

Our last dish was the Sis Kebab (lamb pieces marinated, seasoned & grilled on a skewer) and Sis Tavuk (chicken pieces marinated, seasoned & grilled on a skewer) served with Pilav (fluffy white rice with pan-fried risoni). The chicken pieces were tender and juicy and to my surprise, i enjoyed the lamb skewer too! It didn't have a strong 'lamby' taste and the meat was tender and soft.

By the end of the banquet, we were very full but satisfied. Great place, great weather, great food, great service...what more can you ask for?

Pork Barrel Cafe

Pork Barrel Cafe during winter

Pork Barrel Cafe (King George Terrace, Parkes ACT) is located right opposite to the beautiful rose gardens of Parkes' Old Parliament House. The octagon-shaped cafe has windows all around it allowing customers to enjoy their meal while admiring the beautiful surrounds of Canberra in every season. The cafe also has some lovely paintings hanging around its walls which add a bit of colour to the simplistic decors of Pork Barrel Cafe. We decided to go there for our 'girly' lunch since it is a perfect place to have a nice and relaxing long chat!

Pork Barrel Cafe has a very cute logo!

The cafe offers a breakfast menu, a selection of pizzas, salads, sides and daily lunch specials. We decided to go for the pizza special (2-for-1 pizza lunch special on Mondays and Tuesdays) that they are having at the moment and we ended up ordering a medium Bombay Chicken Pizza (Hot and Spicy Tandoori with Spanish Onion and Raita) and a Pommodoro Pizza (Pancetta, Provolone and Semi Dried Tomatoes).

Bombay Chicken Pizza that comes with pappadums

Pommodoro Pizza

The pizzas were quite nice (though the pizza crust was a bit too thick to my liking) and i think we all agreed that the Bombay Chicken was more yummy (yummier?). It is, in fact, N's favorite pizza from Pork Barrel Cafe. For me, serving the Bombay Chicken Pizza with Raita and Pappadums was thumbs up. It feels like you are having Indian food when you dip a piece of pappadum into the tandoori and raita ^^. We were full and satisfied after finishing the pizzas and we had a great time chatting and admiring the beauty of Canberra's winter season.

It's probably my 3rd visit to Pork Barrel Cafe and i can't believe that I've never tried anything from their breakfast menu...definately going there for breakfast on my next visit! Should i go for the 'Rose Garden Recovery Breaky' or the classic 'Eggs Benedict'?

Tosolini's - a small afternoon snack...

Went to Tosolini's for a quick catch-up with a friend and at the same time, an 'excuse' to have afternoon tea. We ordered a cappuccino and an Antipasto Misto ($24.50) to share - which consisted of cured meats, dips, marinated vegetables, seafood and bread.

The Antipasto was quite generous containing a variety of different things in it. It had a carrot dip, beetroot dip, smoked salmon, proscuitto, char-grilled chorizo, salt & pepper squid, octopus, marinated slices of eggplants, zucchinis and capsicum. Of course, it was accompanied by some bread. I quite enjoyed the marinated vegetables and also having the proscuitto with some bread and dip. Unfortunately the octopus wasn't fully cooked, so we had to exchange them for some more squid instead. The platter was quite filling and i didn't have to eat much for dinner!

Lastly, a photo of the Cappuccino...i quite like their 'Tosolini's' cup! It's cute~

Tilley's Devine Cafe Gallery

Tilley's Devine Cafe Gallery (Corner of Wattle Street & Brigalow Street, Lyneham Shops) first opened its doors in 1984 and has extended five times until they took over the whole block. Tilley's is a very inviting cafe which features elegant and dark red-ish wood fittings with several old-fashioned booths lining the walls. Tilley's offers a humble cafe menu and  every now and then, diners can enjoy live performances while savouring a selection from the tapas menu. The menu does have a few unusual items such as the Tofu & Eggplant Curry and Thai Fish Cakes but on this particular visit, we decided to go with the 'more-cafe' food.
I ordered the Opened Salmon Sandwich for lunch  which was alright but i was a bit disappointed that the portion wasn't as generous as the other dishes. The Caesar Salad (with their famous egg dressing), on the other hand, was big and very tasty and the garlic bread that came with it left me wanting more! My favourite dish was probably the Salt & Pepper Squid as it was nicely crumbled and subtly seasoned with some fresh chillies; it complemented well with the aioli too! I didn't get the chance to try the Fish & Chips but it looked beautifully beer battered and was served with a garden salad and New York fries.

Open Salmon Sandwich

Caesar Salad

Salt & Pepper Squid

Fish & Chips

Tilley's is definately a good place to have a relaxed and lazy weekend brunch!

The Smokehouse Cafe at Poacher's Pantry

Despite the fact that Canberra has been feeling like winter for the past few days, today was a beautiful day! The weather was warm (but not hot) and the sky was beautiful; a perfect day to go somewhere as nice and as relaxing like The Smokehouse Cafe @ Poacher's Pantry for lunch. Poacher's Pantry is only 25 minutes drive from Canberra's CBD and is a very enjoyable place to savour a range of delicious gourmet smoked meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. If you desire, you can order wines from Wily Trout Vineyard to accompany your meals. The surrounds of the cafe are very lovely, especially now as we are approaching autumn - small pond with carps, yellow-orangy trees and lavender with white butterflies.

It is recommended to make a booking to avoid any disappointment as they have been increasing popular for brunch or lunch on the weekends - i was so fortunate to have someone cancelling their booking today!
The Smokehouse Cafe boasts a simple and rustic decor with a few fireplaces. I love the fact that they have a small corner selling their own smoked goodies and another one selling gourmet vinegars, oils, jams, chocolate and mayonnaise! An interesting thing that i found out today was that Poacher's Pantry products have been used by chefs such as Stephanie Alexander, Andrew Blake and Tetsuya. Cool huh?

If you do have the opportunity to go to The Smokehouse Cafe, DO NOT leave without trying one (or all, if possible) of their platters - you have a choice of Meat, Seafood or Vegetable Platter. On this instance, we ordered the Seafood Platter (for two) which consisted of Smoked salmon, smoked cooked ocean trout, smoked prawns, some marinated vegetables, smoked garlic, dolmades, smoked tomatoes, (awesome) capers and four different dips served with bread & crackers.

We also ordered the Brandy cured smoked duck breast salad with oranges, honey macadamias, roasted red onion and a palm sugar vinaigrette. I really liked the combination of flavours in this dish and the smoked duck was very succulent and tender. *It was about time to have a nice duck dish! Finally!* The only tiny criticism, the vinaigrette was a bit oily for my liking. Apart from that...awesome!

I think it's my forth time there, and i have have to say that i've always enjoyed the good atmosphere and the food. Definately worth a visit and don't forget to buy some smoked goodies =)