D’ough Espresso, World Square Sydney

Address: World Square, Shp 9.14/ 644 George St, Sydney NSW

Tel: (02) 9266 0395

* * *

D’ough is located on the bottom level of World Square Shopping Centre, towards the south end of Sydney.

One morning, MC and I decided to grab some breakky and wanted something that was:

a) quick;

b) cheap; and

c) close to my work and his uni.

We decided to give D’ough a try.

Atmosphere

For a Wednesday morning at about 8am it was pretty busy with workers lining up for their coffee fix.

The counter area was crowded with the people waiting for their takeaway orders, but the inside seating area was quiet and peaceful.

Service

We ordered at the counter and paid at the counter.

Our food was then brought out to us by a friendly staff member who was pleasant and smiley.

Food

I ordered a toasted blueberry bagel with cream cheese (and got a Boost juice to go with it from just outside).

MC ordered a toasted ham and cheese croissant with a hot chocolate.

The blueberry bagel tasted great but wasn’t toasted enough, while the ham and cheese croissant was a little burnt! Such a shame as the flavours of both were pretty good.

MC also enjoyed his hot choc (and I loved my Boost!).

Rating

I would rate my experience (out of 10):

• Service- 5
• Food-  5.5
• Ambience- 5.5

Sea Square, World Square Sydney CBD ($)

Address: World Square Shopping Centre, Cnr Liverpool and George Streets Sydney NSW

* * *

Most of my lovely readers will know that I can be pretty indecisive when it comes to making food choices.  What if I don’t like it? What if I change my mind? What if they take too long making it?

Well this particular occasion was no different.

MC and I popped in to Sea Square after walking around World Square for about 10 minutes, trying to decide what to have for lunch, but disagreeing with everything we saw on the way.

We both decided to try Sea Square because 1. I love grilled salmon and wanted a fresh salad, and 2. MC wanted chips. Sea Square seemed like the best compromise.

Atmosphere

The interior is pretty small and plain.  After all, this is a fast food joint!

Luckily though, there are some seats and the mirrors on the wall mean you can see what’s happening outside while you eat, so it isn’t too boring for single diners.

Service

Service was pretty poor. Although there wasn’t much involved in our dining experience, it would have been nice if the staff brought our food to the table, rather than calling it out from a metre away.

Food

I ordered the grilled salmon with choice of salad (I chose Greek), and sorghum (a type of barleyish rice).

I was surprised and pleased to find that there was a large piece of perfectly grilled fish, and plenty of fresh veggies.

The sorghum tasted pretty bland and was a bit out of place on the plate. Some garlic bread or a different type of salad would have been better.

Also, the feta in the Greek salad was a little slimy as it had soaked in the juices of the tomato and the dressing.

MC ordered the seafood plate with chips.

We asked for extra chicken salt on the chips (the best!).

Not a great seafood plate as there were only two of each item, and I would have liked to see a bigger piece of fish on the plate too, rather than 2 small fish cocktails. The batter on the fish was quite dense, but he calamari rings were large and tasty and the chips were crunchy and hot.

Cost

All up the meal cost $23.00.

Rating

I would rate my experience (out of 10):

• Service- 3
• Food-  5.5
• Ambience- 4

Sydney Fish Markets, Pyrmont

Address: Pyrmont Bridge, Pyrmont NSW

Tel: (02) 9004 1100

* * *

MC and I hit up the Sydney Fish Markets (my first time) a couple weeks ago on a beautiful sunny Sydney winter day.

It was a really pleasant experience, the only hiccup being looking for parking. Parking costs only $3 for a maximum of 2 hours. It took us about 5-10 minutes until we finally found a spot but I think early goers or late comers would find it easier, as we probably got there in the peak 11-12pm lunch rush period.

We enjoyed walking around and checking out the fresh fish specials, buying some prawns, crabs, and other fresh fish as we went.

There were all sorts of interesting fresh fish, including shark (see below).

We were also intrigued by the giant crabs in the tanks, which must have weighed about 20 kg each, although not as big as the ones we saw in Chinatown recently.

After a short walk around, we decided to grab some lunch. MC and I shared a huge seafood platter from Doyle’s.

We just got through but were stuffed full by the end of it!

One of the things I liked about the Fish Markets was that you could get freshly shucked oysters, fresh cooked fish or cooked prawns, pop over to one of the delis and grab some cheeses, crackers, bread, tartare sauce and wine, and sit out on the grass outside to enjoy a picnic.

There were plenty of people out there doing just that, and it was a perfect day for it.

Summary

Overall, we had a great time at the Fish Markets and I will definitely be returning again for some fresh and cooked seafood, maybe next time with a picnic blanket!

Helm Bar, Darling Harbour ($$)

Address: Aquarium Wharf, 7 Wheat Road Darling Harbour NSW

Tel: (02) 9290 1571

Website: http://www.helmbar.com.au/

* * *

I was recently invited to Helm Bar’s menu launch and was allowed to bring some friends along.

I brought MDS, Wallace, MC, Dino, Daniel, SenoritaLay and MRyan.

MRyan Photography was the guest photographer for The Casual Food Blogger on the night and took some fabulous pics. Check out his webpage for more!

About the event

The event was a launch party for the menu, open only to Gold Members.  Becoming a Gold Member was free; all we had to do was sign up.

Some of the benefits include:

• Complimentary and priority entry to Helm Bar when your card is displayed
• Complimentary venue hire on your birthday, as well as a bottle of Champagne on the house
• 10% off all food and beverage, 7 days a week until 9pm
• Loyalty Points Program where you will receive points for every dollar spent. These points can be redeemed for food and beverage
• Receive regular updates of all Helm Bar’s exclusive events and members only specials

Atmosphere

 We arrived at the bar at 6.30pm after work, and MC, Daniel and I found a spot at the back area of the event.

The girls enjoying some drinks

The “function space” was sectioned off with a black tape but, unfortunately, it wasn’t really enclosed.  People from outside the sectioned off area came in, and those from inside went out to get more tables and chairs.  Not exactly ideal if you are having a function and are paying for food as other people can easily crash your party!

The atmosphere in general was pretty nice though . There is a great view of the Harbour with it’s bright lights, and the open layout makes it feel more spacious and cool. The venue had comfy seats lining the side of the bar, small stools and high bar tables scattered throughout.

The DJ was playing some great tunes and MDS, Wallace and I found ourselves bopping to the beats a couple of times through the night!

TCFB, Wallace, MDS, Dino, Daniel, MC and SenoritaLay

The only issue we had with the venue during the night was with people smoking next to us. Although one side of the bar was somewhat open, the blinds were pulled down and so you couldn’t really say it was outdoors. I would definitely have described it as “enclosed”. The guy who was smoking next to us made our clothes smell and made it a little harder to enjoy the night, and none of the staff members seemed to notice him smoking!

Service

Initially, service was pretty average.  This was because all the food was being taken to the front of the event and those of us at the back were missing out on some of the dishes.

I think there were maybe one or two dishes we missed out on, including chicken satay skewers.

After MRyan spoke to some of the staff members, they were really helpful and began serving some dishes to the back first. This meant MRyan could get some great pics, and we could actually try some of the dishes on the winter menu!

Despite the above hiccup, service overall was pretty good as the staff were very helpful, extremely friendly and pleasant.

Food

There was free wine tasting for those in the event, and MDS, Wallace and I tried about 2-3 different wines.

We also got free cocktails, including the Tom Collins – described on the website as “a classic: Tanqueray Gin mixed with fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup and soda to create that traditional lemonade taste”, and the Strawberry Woo Woo– described as “a British classic: Ketel One Vodka with Peach Liqueur, muddled strawberries and cranberry juice.”

Tom Collins, $12.00 and Strawberry Woo Woo, $14.00

However, it was the new food menu that I was interested in! 

All of the food was extremely well presented, and MDS and I loved the cute little bamboo style baskets the chicken and paella were served in.

We tried (please note these are only sample sizes and don’t reflect the true portions):

Cajun Style Seafood Paella – w/ chorizo sausage, mussels, calamari, prawns & cajun chicken (normally $26.00).

The paella was hot and slightly spicy, with large prawns and pieces of chicken. The rice was well-cooked and overall, the paella was really tasty.

Peking Duck pizza– peking duck, oyster mushrooms, green shallots,
hoi sin sauce, chilli oil, w/ fresh cucumber ribbon salad (normally $20.00).

Chargrilled Chicken Burger – marinated chicken breast fillet, tomato, lettuce, cheese, aioli & peri peri sauce (normally $12.00 or $18.00 with fries).

The chicken burgers had a delicious sweet chilli flavour to them and the chicken breasts were generous.

Thai Marinated Chicken Drummettes w/ lime aoli (normally $15.00).

The thai drumsticks were fantastic, with juicy pieces of chicken, cooked through (no pinkness) and full of flavour. The coconut milk on top and chilli pieces scattered over it added colour and creaminess.

and delicious Margarita pizzas (normally $18.00).

The pizzas were a decent size and had a good amount of toppings on them. They were served on a nice wooden board, hot out of the oven.

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the menu. It showed some great crowd -pleasing items such as pizza and chicken burgers, whilst delivering food with great flavour and depth, such as the paella and Thai drumsticks.

Overall a very interesting menu, and one that is adaptable to both meal -sized and canape-sized portions.

Rating:

Overall I would rate my experience (out of 10):

• Service- 6
• Food- 7.5
• Ambience- 7
• Value – 7

The Cook’s Garden, Turramurra ($)

Address: 272 Bobbin Head Rd  North Turramurra NSW

Tel: (02) 9144 5086

Website: http://www.thecooksgarden.com.au/

* * *

I had heard good things about this place and had been wanting to visit for some time.

Prowsey and I finally got the chance one Saturday afternoon as we headed up to North Turramurra to check it out.

Atmosphere

As it was the afternoon the atmosphere was pretty quiet and calm, really serene.

The interior is decorated with lots of wood panelling and neutral colours like whites and greens and you can see the little garden at the back which is a nice touch, but the front view of the street is quite boring.

The tables were nicely set up and as we were dining the waitress was preparing them up for dinner service.

The Cook’s Garden proved to be a good spot to have a chat as apart from Prowsey and I, there were only two other ladies at the restaurant.

Service

We stepped into the little chocolate and cake shop at the front of the restaurant and waited about 5 minutes before someone came to the front of the shop to greet us.

We decided to have a tea and cake each and ordered and paid at the front counter before taking our own seats by the window.

There really wasn’t much to the service. We didn’t have any amazing waiters or friendly smiles. We just ordered, our tea and cakes were brought out and that’s it.  As we were leaving however, a friendly gentleman at the front of the shop did thank us for coming and was quite nice but other than that it was a really average experience.

Food

Prowsey and I both ordered English Breakfast teas and Persian Polenta cakes.

The Persian Polenta cakes were delicious. They were moist and very orangey, had a lovely mini-sized presentation and were slightly sticky. Delicious.

Persian Orange Polenta Cake

While the tea was also tasty and quite nice, the cups they were served in were a little stained and chipped. Not very good presentation for a place which supposedly has a couple of Good Food Chef Hats!

English Breakfast Tea

Cost

The tea cost $4.00.

There are a variety of cakes available at the front of the restaurant.

Rating

I would rate my experience (out of 10):

• Service- 5.5
• Food-  7
• Ambience- 6.5

Guest Review: The Australian Youth Hotel – Angus and Bacon Cheeseburger

Address: 63 Bay St  Glebe NSW

Tel: (02) 9692 0414

Website: http://www.australianyouthhotel.com.au/

* * *

One of the final burger reviews in the Guest Blog series by Mike & Dave, this review    looks at Glebe’s Australian Youth Hotel.

Let us know what you think in the comments, below!

Mike’s Review

Following the completion of our five-burger challenge, we were informed by Dave that The Sydney Morning Herald’s Pub Food guide team had previously declared The Australian Youth Hotel’s ‘Angus and Bacon Cheeseburger’ as the best burger in Sydney. Naturally, we were inclined to check it out to see how it stacked up against the rest.

Thankfully, the burger lived up to its name. The beef, bacon and cheese melted in your mouth and was complimented nicely with tomato chutney which had sultanas in it – a great touch. I do like a bit of salad in my burger so it was nice to have tomato and lettuce thrown in but the flavours were still very powerful. It was this diversity and a superior bun that helped it to edge The Landmark Hotel’s ‘100% pure beef burger’.

I gave the Angus and Bacon Cheeseburger a 9.5/10. It’s got everything you need in a burger.

Dave’s Review

The Australia Youth Hotel in Glebe offers a dining environment like no other venue whose burgers we’ve reviewed. Within the white walls of the gloriously quaint old pub is a dining room, where the furnishings and table service are absolutely up to restaurant standard.

These features almost made us hesitate to say “3 burgers please”, as the classic pub burger seemed almost out of place in such an elegant setting. When it came out, however, all such hesitations were swept away.

The burger was incredible. A sensation on the tongue, with texture and flavour melding together in every harmonious mouthful.

Above and beyond expectation was the crowning feature – the relish. As it is usually tasty no matter how or where it comes, relish can be glossed over by burger creators, who spend more time and effort on the paddy.

The chefs within the Australia Youth Hotel, however, have gone to every effort to ensure that no aspect of this splendid burger has been overlooked. The juicy, succulent, sweet relish was as tasty as you could possibly imagine, and then, on top of that – raisins. I’m not saying that this is unique to the Australian Youth Hotel, but having previously sampled Sydney’s “top 5 burgers” without a hint of a sultana, they were a surprising and most welcome addition.

Now, unfortunately, I have to write that my burger had a faint taste of burnt bun to it, taking away slightly from the experience. Had it not been burnt (and I was assured that my colleague’s were cooked to perfection), I may well have given this a perfect score.

As it was, this burger had to get a 9 out of 10.

The guys also made a YouTube video review which you can find here.

DISCLAIMER:

This review is a guest review and reflects the reviewers’ own personal opinions on the product. The Casual Food Blogger accepts no responsibility for anything that is said in or caused by this review or anything contained in, caused by, or arising out of, the videos or photos contained in or referred to in this review. 

 

Le Pain Quotidien, Westfield Sydney, Sydney CBD ($)

Address: Westfield Sydney, Level 4, Corner of Pitt St and Market St, Sydney, NSW

Tel: (02) 8246 9213

Website: http://www.lepainquotidien.com.au/

* * *

Atmosphere

When you walk through the doors of Le Pain Quotidien, it’s like walking into a Parisian cafe. The soft browns, cute little wooden chairs and quaint jars and bottles on the counter make the place feel unique and artsy. You would never know that just beyond those doors is Westfield Sydney and the bustling Sydney streets!

It was mum’s first time at LPQ, but my second, and mum thought the place was quite adorable. We were there for breakfast and wanted to try out the coffee and some of the pastries on offer.

Service

As soon as we walked in the door we were greeted by a friendly “hello”. The girl who greeted us was welcoming and cheerful, especially considering that it was so early in the morning.

She took our order with a smile and her warmth made us feel comfortable and at ease.

Food

Mum decided to order a cappuccino and an almond croissant. The almond croissant was delicious, really soft and slightly warmed up. The sweet icing sugar and almond flavoured coating were divine and made the perfect breakky pastry to go with the strong coffee.

I went for walnut bread and a latte. Of course, I went for the chocolate spread (basically nutella), and it was fabulous! It wasn’t as sweet as nutella, but it was just as thick and smooth. LPQ sells the spreads and on that particular day it was $6.00 for a jar, not a bad deal!

Both coffees tasted nice and were served in relatively large round cups.

My walnut bread was a brown sort of rye bread with lots of yummy walnuts. The bread tasted like sourdough and was quite thin.

I ordered it toasted and was able to choose from a variety of spreads on the table including cherry jam, chocolate spread, apricot jam and white chocolate spread.

Cost

The walnut bread was $4.00 for two slices, with free spreads.

The coffees were $3.75 for a small.

I don’t know how much the almond croissant was exactly, but it was around the $4-6 range.

Rating

I would rate my experience (out of 10):

• Service- 7.5
• Food- 7.5
• Ambience- 7
• Value – 7

Guest Review: East Village- Wagyu Beef Burger

Address: 234 Palmer St Darlinghurst NSW

Tel: (02) 9331 5457

Website: http://www.theeastvillage.com.au/

* * *

One of the final burger reviews in the Guest Blog series by Mike & Dave, this review checks our the Wagyu Beef Burger at the East Village Hotel.

Mike’s Review

After the long anticipated “Return to East Village” we were finally able to sample the last of the five burgers on our list. Unfortunately, the burger’s fate was sealed as soon as I sunk my teeth into the bun.

Ironically enough, we postponed our review of this burger because they had run out of burger buns and I’ve got to say that it certainly wasn’t worth the wait. The bun seemed to be cold, stale and hard to chew. It didn’t match up with the soft meat patty, cheese and aioli. The tomato relish was also applied fairly lightly and absorbed into the bun so it hardly made an impact.

The flavours were all there, don’t get me wrong, but the bun spoiled it for me. It wasn’t quite as disappointing as the burger at Three Weeds so I’m going to give it a 7/10.

Dave’s Review

East Village Balmain was to be my first review, but for a cruel twist of fate which saw us awkwardly exit the premises after being informed that the kitchen had run out of buns.

A few months later, we were back, nervous, excited and most importantly, hungry. Somewhat ironically, it ended up in fact being the last burger we reviewed (of the initial 5).

I’ll dive straight in.

The burger was great. It presented well, with cheese and aioli blending in and oozing over the paddy, which was succulent and jammed full of flavour. The chips, delicious, and the salad was served as a side, which was a nice touch. Unfortunately, the burger was let down by the bun.

I’ll admit straight away that I generally prefer pre-warmed, toasted or charred buns, though, when fresh, an unaltered bun can sink in quite nicely to a warm paddy. With this particular bun, however, I wasn’t impressed. It was almost stale, and certainly detracted from the burger as a whole.

I would’ve loved to have given the burger a 9 or more based on flavour, however the bun really did bring it down to an 8.

The guys also made a YouTube video review which you can find here.

DISCLAIMER:

This review is a guest review and reflects the reviewers’ own personal opinions on the product. The Casual Food Blogger accepts no responsibility for anything that is said in or caused by this review or anything contained in, caused by, or arising out of, the videos or photos contained in or referred to in this review.

Product Review: The Australian Coffee Guide- Top 100- 2013

Name of Product: The Australian Coffee Guide- Top 100- 2013

Available at: http://www.australiancoffeeguide.bigcartel.com/

* * *

About the Guide

The Australian Coffee Guide is a little book which contains a list of 100 of the “best” coffee shops and cafes in Australia.

I asked founders IZAAC TRPESKI & MEGAN RULLIS a few questions about the guide and their coffee experiences.

1. What is The Australian Coffee Guide?

The Australian Coffee Guide is a list of Australia’s top 100 places to get a coffee. It’s an unbiased guide from a non-coffee company. It’s not ranked 1-100 but mores showcases the best of the best around Australia. Unlike other coffee guides that are city based, it’s a comprehensive guide to Australia best coffee, in major cities, towns and regional areas.

2. Why did you decide to compile the guide? 

We were inspired a New York coffee guide originally and realised there was a gap in the market. No one was doing Australia’s top 100. No one that we know is actually doing a top 100 in any country.So I think we claim being the very first.

Ohhhh and we love coffee.

3. What is your connection with, or relationship to, coffee- what makes you an expert in coffee?

Our connection with coffee is that it’s part of our daily life and routine. We constantly search for new and hidden places which always inspire to make the best drop. We appreciate what goes into a great coffee. It’s not always the coffee bean. It’s a combination of the machine and love the barista gives the coffee. We’ve undergone formal education at the Delano Coffee School to what goes into making a fantastic coffee.

4. What is your favourite type of coffee and why do you enjoy it? 

Megan loves a latte because if it’s made well it’s smooth and creamy and can really give me a great caffeine hit.

Izaac can’t go past either a traditional espresso if it’s made to perfection or a piccolo latte as he likes a strong hit and not an influx of milk to spoil the coffees flavour.

5. What is your favourite brand of coffee and why? 

We love many brands hence why our guide isn’t biased but to name a few we love Single Origin, All Press and Delano Coffee.

6. How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?

We try to limit it to no more than two.

7. How do you “review” coffee- what do you look for? 

i. A good coffee must be made with freshly ground beans before they begin to oxidise in exposure to the air. The freshness will shape the freshness of the Crema. The best quality coffee is generally grade AA, meaning the beans are the largest size available. Typically, the larger the coffee bean, the better the taste.

ii. Coffee is science not art. The perfect extraction is difficult to achieve as you don’t want over extraction which results in bitter coffee or under extraction which results in a weak water like coffee. Extraction should be between 25-30 seconds.

iii. Smell the coffee. Good coffee beans release fragrant oils when roasted and have a high intensity coffee smell.  High quality coffee retains a strong aroma when freshly brewed.

iv. Quality of the milk will affect the consistency of the coffee. Texture is a big thing which affects the science of the bean. Milk has to be dense, silky and full-bodied. The milk will enhance or detract from the coffee depending on how well it is done. Common mistakes are overheating the milk, over or under aerating it and not grooming it enough

v. The pour of the milk needs to be considered and affects the presentation of the coffee. It needs to be done with finesse – carefully, floating the espresso to the surface to create a marbling effect.

vi. Try not to drown coffee in sugar. Sugar changes the composition of coffee and dampens bitterness- your tastebuds will therefore not be able to correctly interpret the composition of the bean.

8. Which is your favourite coffee venue from those listed in the book?

If we had to choose one it would be in Melbourne… we love St Ali.

9. Which is your favourite coffee venue in Sydney’s CBD?

Single origin Roasters

10. Did you visit every single venue in the book when compiling it?

Absolutely. 1000 coffees sampled over an 8 month pilgrimage and counting. 

 

Momo Brasserie, Sydney CBD ($)

Address: 65 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW

Tel: (02) 9233 8838

Website: http://www.momobrasserie.com.au/

* * *

Atmosphere

Momo Brasserie is located near the courts, at the top end of Hyde Park.

It’s about a 5 minute walk from Wynyard station and just around the corner from Martin Place station.

When we walked in, mum and I were greeted by a friendly waiter who asked us to choose a seat. We picked a window seat in the corner as the comfy lounges along the side of the wall are always the best!

The atmosphere inside is pretty calm and relaxed. The warm browns and soft lighting make it a relaxing place to enjoy a morning breakfast or afternoon tea.

I must admit I was a little reluctant to leave and head out into the chilly breeze!

Mum having a read of the menu

Service

Although I resented the fact that the lady who took my booking called me “hun” (pretty unprofessional when you don’t know the person!), I have to admit that the gentleman who served us was pretty nice.

He was helpful, took our orders efficiently and without error, didn’t let our empty plates sit in front of us for too long, and asked us if we wanted more tea or coffee when we had finished our cups.

They also refilled our water, a small thing that I find is quite often overlooked in many cafes around Sydney.

Me in the comfy wall seat 🙂

Food

Mum decided to go with the “Momo Breakfast”. The big brekky which came with a side of…well almost everything you could ask for with brekky except spinach and baked beans.

It included two eggs (which she ordered poached), a gourmet sausage, double-smoked bacon, grilled tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms and toasted sourdough, served with cute individual pats of butter.

Momo Breakfast, $16.00

Her breakfast was served with a generous amount of everything and she struggled to eat it all (although I expect my bro would have easily demolished this serving).

The eggs were poached quite well and were still quite runny in the middle which is perfect. It looked to us like they had been poached in Glad wrap as you could see the lines from where the wrap had been twisted.

One comment I would make about the breakfast was that the sourdough was a little too thin. There is nothing better than a piece of thick sourdough bread to soak up your eggs with, and I would have preferred a slightly bigger piece.

I decided to go for a less traditional brekky of poached eggs, prosciutto, grilled tomato and grilled haloumi cheese on toasted sourdough bread.

Haloumi and prosciutto brekky, $14.00

The haloumi was delicious and salty, one of my favourite cheeses and I have seen it appearing on more and more menus lately.

The eggs were again, poached very well.

The breakfast was enjoyable but it was a little small compared to the Momo Breakfast, and it wasn’t very colourful either. Some wilted baby spinach on the side would have been great!

For drinks mum ordered a latte….

Latte, $3.80

…and I ordered a Chai Tea.

 Chai Tea, $4.00

Cost

We used a Groupon voucher.

Rating:

Overall I would rate my experience (out of 10):

• Service- 7.5
• Food- 7.5
• Ambience- 7
• Value – 7