@hipster_hotspots found another great place on a never-ending list of new places I need to try! #Repost @hipster_hotspots (@get_repost) ・・・ NEW in Houston! 🙌🏼 The pretty coffee / milk tea / smoothie spot @teapressobarhtx Located on 18th this is probably going to be my new hangout to go to with my laptop and order this delish 🥥 milk tea with 🍓 boba . . #hipsterhotspot #hipsterhotspots #hipsterfoodies #hipsterfood #houstonfoodie #bestfoodhouston #grubclubhtx #myhouston #texasfoodie #houstonpulse #foodiesofinstagram #houstonfood #houstoncoffee #milktea #milktealover #houstonheights
Flood Street Carousel is a long-standing corner cafe that offers fantastic ambience and a family-friendly dining atmosphere. Located in Leichhardt, this cafe is conveniently close to the Marketplace. There’s plenty of parking about, the closest being the Flood Street Leichhardt Car Park.
The interior is spacious and haphazardly decorated in a chic way, with an eclectic mix of lounges and chairs. The tables had a checkerboard that could probably double up as an area for playing chess!
One of the prominent features is a large almost psychedelic but oddly calming image on the back wall, designed and done by a famous graffiti artist from the UK, Nicholas Goodden.
There are a variety of breakfast items available at the counter, including muffins and tarts, and takeaway coffee for the hasty diner. There are also a couple of bar stools if you want to have a seat while waiting.
The interior is incredibly family-friendly, with heaps of dolls and high backed chairs for all members of the family. It’s great because it promotes important family interaction time, with strategically positioned chairs.
Michael Jackson statue approves of the fresh bread on offer!
The symbolic carousel house right in the middle of the establishment! Great for kids to sit on.
Watermelon and Ginger Juice
Watermelon and ginger are contrasting flavours that blend sharp and sweet together. It was refreshing and healthy - perfect start for the day.
Latte
Excellent blend of coffee, with an even distribution of flavour throughout. In particular, I think the milk consisted of a good proportion, and actually didn’t require the addition of sugar for extra flavour - delightful!
Turkish Breakfast Panini with Rocket
Chorizo, egg and tomato relish
This was a really great dish for breakfast. The Turkish bread was super soft, unlike its normal stiffer texture. I think it worked with this type of ingredient because it helped in the absorption of the flavours of the tomato relish, which were plentiful. The egg and chorizo, a classic combination, was fused into a “patty” to be the main star of the dish. The bitterness of the rocket was hence offset by the flavoursome chorizo, rounding it out beautifully. The interior shot below shows how well the egg and chorizo was mixed in together: the yolk in the middle was still runny, which made it resemble a typical baked eggs dish sandwiched in bread.
Toasted Sandwich
Hectic shredded chicken sandwich with sliced apple, chorizo aioli and provolone
The chicken sandwich was truly hectic: a mishmash of several ingredients together to form a very concise yet flavoursome dish that packed bags of tastiness with every bite. The toasted sandwich, in contrast to the panini above, was firmer. The reason why it worked better was because it acted as a vice to contain all of the ingredients within, since the chicken is a much softer meat when done like this in comparison to chorizo. The use of sliced fresh green apple was very interesting, and worked wonderfully, introducing some much needed sweetness and balance to the dish. The chorizo aioli was a much subtler flavour, so this is good for people who would like a much lighter breakfast.
Overall:
Flood Street Carousel is a family-friendly, ambient and relaxing place to dine. It’s situated conveniently, with plenty of parking about, and the interior is very spacious, making for a very comfortable dining experience. The menu items are simple and represented incredible value for money, for its large but healthy portion sizes.
The food was fantastic and fresh. Using tried-and-true combinations of breakfast ingredients, but with subtle care taken with the type of elements used made the day for us. I think that for those who prefer a bigger hit of flavour, go for the panini, as the relish really introduces bags of flavour with every bite. For someone who prefers a subtler sandwich, you can’t go wrong with the chicken toastie. While it is also tasty and delicious, it is subtler in expression, with greater balance of sweetness.
LeeLoo and Slayer had brunch at Blacksmith recently. Slayer had a two hour incubation period for her experiment, making it perfect timing to grab a quick bite to eat in Surry Hills.
The first thing you notice when you enter this cafe is how true the designers have stuck to the theme of their namesake, Blacksmith. There’s a very rustic feel with the decor from the wooden tables, steel overhanging lanterns to the leather bound menus.
Embroidered eather bound menus
Iron table numbers
Bar
Iron-clad tissue box
Chamomile T2 Tea $4.50
The tea was served in an impressive looking and rather archaic kettle-like tin.
Interesting pouring action
Blacksmith Home Made Drink - The Energizer $8.00
Apple, Pineapple, Ginger & Mint
LeeLoo got this super refreshing Energizer drink. Very fresh and loved the addition of ginger.
Toasties on Sourdough $8.50
With Leg Ham, Melted Gruyere
This was a pretty glorified ham and cheese toastie. The presentation could be a bit more impressive but otherwise the flavours were on point.
Chorizo Eggs $19.00
With scrambled eggs, fennel seeds, asparagus, avocado, tomato salsa, red onion, chilli, coriander, sour cream & sourdough
LeeLoo opted for the massive chorizo eggs which was loaded with eggs, veggies and flavoursome chorizo. There was ample avocado and sour cream too.
Side of butter was provided although it was rather hard and difficult to spread
Also some tomato salsa
This tomato salsa added a kick of flavour and went beautifully with the chorizo.
Overall:
Blacksmith is definitely the place to visit if you’re after a blast to the Wild West past. The decor is very well thought out and loyal to the theme of the cafe’s namesake. Definitely order the tea to get that impressive kettle-like teapot. The chorizo eggs are a winner too.
It’s been a while since we had gone to brunch, so with our friend coming back from Queensland to visit, we used the opportunity to go to Orto Trading Co. Orto is located in one of the backstreets of Surry Hills. It’s very spacious, surprisingly, with both outdoor and indoor dining spaces. Due to its relatively open plan, it seems like a place that’s nicer to go to on a nice and sunny day.
Because of its floor-to-ceiling windows, there was lots of ample natural lighting, creating a perfect atmosphere for a relaxing brunch.
We do recommend having a reservation, just in case there aren’t enough tables for you, especially on weekends. It’s important to remember to arrive on time, and with your complete party, due to how busy it gets. The tables are massive though; easily able to fit all of our party of five, with plenty of space for our drinks and food.
We ordered a drink and an item from the menu each, and a polenta chips in the middle to share. Note that there is a daily special menu so keep an eye out for that.
Brioche Toast with Macerated Blood Orange and Strawberries
This was a massive portion of food. There’s no meat in here, for those concerned about the heaviness of brunch. Instead, it was replaced by naturally juicy and healthy fruit. The choice of blood orange, with its naturally citrus flavour, provided an excellent complement for the sweetness of strawberries. The brioche toast was thick, but light and airy, which allowed for the fruity flavours to seep in. Recommended for people who prefer a lighter meal.
Southern Fried Chicken Benni $18.00
Orto’s English Muffin, Hollandaise
This was an interesting combination of eggs benedict and southern fried chicken, where the benny is normally paired with bacon instead. There was a huge dollop of Hollandaise sauce, which, with its thickness, provided plenty to spread over the muffin. The chicken was fried to perfection, retaining its natural juiciness. The use of herbs and additional marinade was minimal for the chicken; it was unnecessary given how much sauce there was. It was a reasonably generous portion as well.
Hash 2.0 $16.00
Birkshire ham, tomato, avocado, rocket, lemon, asparagus, poached eggs
At first when this dish arrived, we were thinking: where’s the hash? It turns out that it was really the little cylinders that consisted of the hash portion. Underneath all of that were greens - lots of greens, and ham. As such, the hash wasn’t really the star of the dish. It may be that it needed to be wrapped in the ham, and accompanied by greens or something, but it was so deconstructed that it was hard to tell.
While its presentation was a bit haphazard, it was a very healthy rendition of the dish. Classically, a “hash brown” dish would immediately trigger thoughts of lots of oil and fried bits, but this consisted of more fresh ingredients that an ordinary salad as well. In particular, the use of asparagus and rocket were refreshing. This dish isn’t for those who want a dirty hash brown, but would be good to try for those who wish to try a different interpretation of hash.
Breaky Joe $16.00
Last night’s chilli beef, bacon, fried egg, brioche
When it arrived, again, there was a degree of surprise: it was actually a burger! The brioche was really, really soft. As an individual preference, I would have preferred a bit more of a “fibre-y” bun, but brioche is arguably a better breakfast bread. There was so much bacon in this - but in comparison, little beef; more beans, really, which may not necessarily be a bad thing. It was basically a breakfast in a bun. Don’t be fooled by the presence of chilli on top - it was actually very mild, and the tobacco on the side is for those who prefer a bit more spice. Very easy to eat dish.
Baked Eggs
This was baked eggs done correctly. It was smooth and runny, with the excellent consistency of fresh eggs. Very little of it was burnt, which was good. Interestingly, there were two types of sausage within, including the black “blood” sausage, which added an element of wild flavour to the overall taste. There were two slices of french toast on the side as well. The addition of butter was a bit much, as it doesn’t really make it go with the eggs, so removing it might be a good idea.
Truffled polenta chips $9.00
Buttermilk & blue cheese sauce
I’m not really a fan of polenta chips due to its soft, foam-like texture, but this one was quite tasty, especially with the cheese sauce. The flavour wasn’t too strong, so it’s good for those who don’t really like overly salty or savoury chips.
Pineapple, passionfruit, apple and lime juice $7.00
We also had a selection of drinks. There were a variety of fresh juices on offer, as well as some mixed drinks. Alcohol,, interestingly, was also served in the morning - not really something we go after, but you may like it. Blood orange made another appearance on this menu, and it was just as sharp and sweet. The smoothie was delicious, with lots of berry seeds that gave gratifying crunches with every sip.
Banana and Mixed Berry Smooth $7.00
Freshly squeeze blood orange juice
Chai Latte $3.40
Overall
Orto’s is worth a visit, especially if it’s a fine and sunny day. It’s very brunch-y, with its decor including fresh flowers and open plan producing a very refreshing atmosphere.
Its menu consisted of many different archetypical breakfast foods, but reimagined or deconstructed (such as the hash). It may not be for those who prefer their traditional renditions of these foods, but it’s worth having a look, as their flavours are fantastic and fresh. In particular, the baked eggs deserve a special mention. There’s always something for everyone. Its portion size is massive, but most of the items come easily divisible to share amongst a group.
Gourmet Gumbo has been to FireFly before and was very impressed, in fact #mindblown by her experience. This time round, there was an exciting new menu to sample because of an exciting new tool the FireFly chef had acquired - a cryovac machine for sous vide.
Service was excellent and the staff were very friendly and willing to explain the menu items as well as the wines.
The night kicked off with some fancy schmancy wine in snazzy looking FireFly wine glasses.
Pooley Cooinda Vale 2014 Tasmania
Cherry Ripe, Strawberry, hints of rhubarb, perfume of rose oil and woody spice. This wine was very elegant and had an intriguing musky flavour of oak.
Trofeo Estate 2013 Mornington
Red fruits, black cherries, pleasant vanilla and sweet spices. This wine had a much sharper taste.
Dead Mouse Shed 2014 Yarra Valley
Fresh and bright. Earthy, mushroomy & dense cheery fruit. This was similiar to the Pooley Cooinda Vale 2014 but had a lingering aftertaste.
Smoked Trout ‘Hand Held’ Salad with Citrus & Coconut Dressing
The citrus dressing cut through the smokiness of the trout. The crunchy bean sprouts and squid flakes added an excellent texture. The mint added a decided freshness.
Canadian Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree, Morcilla, Pickled Pear
There was a delicious contrast in textures in this dish. The solid pear, chewy scallop and smooth sausage just melted in your mouth. The sour pears were a nice contrast to the salty sausage. The scallop had the beautiful taste of the sea and the cauliflower sauce was beautifully creamy.
Pumpkin Tortellini - Beurre Noisette, Crisp Sage
The pumpkin was sweet, creamy and had a chew to the skin. The softness of the filling in the tortellini was bursting with flavour with a subtle addition of crunchy almonds.
The muted taste of haloumi complemented the sharp citrus taste of chickpea salad.
Crisped Pork Belly - Chilli Caramel, Asian Herb Salad
The pork belly was cooked to perfection. It was tender with a deliciously crispy skin. The bean sprouts and shallots added an oriental touch. The flavours were nicely balanced.
Roasted Lamb Rump - Crushed Minted Potato, Pea Puree
The pea puree was creamy and the crushed mint puree melted in our mouths. The lamb was cooked perfectly, pink in the middle, and had a adequately chewy texture.
Overall:
FireFly has acquired an exciting new gadget for sous vide and they’re not afraid to use it. The new menu items were amazing, especially the melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin tortellini. Truly incredible and creative dishes which are a must try at this trendy restaurant in Neutral Bay.
Droolworthworld was invited to XS Expresso for brunch. Nestled in Wetherill Park out in the western suburbs, XS Expresso is located in a great open air complex in which many other stores reside. The drive along The Horsley Drive was pleasant, and the parking was plentiful, even at the popular brunch time of 11am.
Plenty of scrumptious pastries on display
XS Expresso is easy to spot: the busiest cafe establishment in the area with people lining up outside waiting for tables and takeaway. There are quite a few seats inside, with the space used up economically to fit as many people as possible due to its popularity.
it didn’t take long for us to get a seat. We were near the door, but the traffic of guests wasn’t too disruptive. The waitresses were extremely nice and helpful, indicating to us their recommended dishes as it was our first time. As expected of a new and hip cafe, there are also items that are “not on the menu”, as you will see later, and are ordered upon recommendation and word-of-mouth.
An impressive counter with a beautiful organic touch
We ordered a couple of drinks and brunch items. Having seen that the portion size is really big, we just settled on those, as we didn't want to gorge ourselves too much and spoil the taste. As we waited for our food, we noticed that the turnover time was reasonably quick; as such, even though there were a lot of people waiting, it didn’t take long for them to get a seat.
Monster milkshake
This beastly creation was LeeLoo’s choice, as it contained delicious waffly bits inside, along with the rest of the decadent chocolate components (Oreo and Tim Tams). The addition of waffles was a really good as it cut back a lot of the sugary sweetness. The presentation was excellent, and although slightly intimidating at first, was found that it was actually very easy to drink slowly. There were plenty of other neat cosmetic additions, such as the drizzled chocolate and icing sugar on the platter it was served on, but we didn’t have any of that as it was more than enough sugar for us this early in the morning.
Superstar milkshake
This was the second behemoth we ordered. Instead of having waffles, Oreo and Tim Tams, this one had Kit Kat, Malteasers, M&Ms and a Caramello! This one was arguably the more flavoursome of the two, but beware: it’s not for the faint-hearted! This was really the definition of a decadent drink. We enjoyed both these drinks even though we don’t have much of a sweet tooth. Next time when we come, I think we will only order one of such drinks to share between the two of us, and save room for the mains...
Belgian stack pancakes
Chocolate ice cream and strawberries with Belgian chocolate
This was what LeeLoo ordered, as she was tempted by what she saw while we were waiting for our table. Although not conventionally a breakfast food, the pancakes, strawberry - and also banana bits - made it a very filling and healthy dessert. The addition of chocolate added bags of sweetness - a classic combination with strawberry and pancakes, which really shifted this from being a healthy breakfast, to a decadent brunch. The chocolate, fortunately, wasn’t too overpowering, and helped to bring out the natural sweetness of the fruity components, which were also plentiful.
Delicious Dean
Avocado, fresh cherry tomatoes on sourdough with goat’s cheese, proscuitto, basil, pesto and poached eggs
Tommy H wanted something more breakfast-y and savoury, having skipped breakfast in anticipation of this. When doing research, we heard about this particular dish, which contains some of his most favourite foods: avocado, fresh tomatoes, pesto and poached eggs, served on the most perfect breakfast brea, the glorious sourdough. To top it off, there was the king of breakfast meats: proscuitto, which he hadn’t eaten in a long time. The proscuitto was smooth and silky, and not too salty, which made it seem a lot healthier than its normal serving. The addition of all of those components made for a very filling, well-rounded and balanced breakfast dish: a combination of large and loaded portion size with healthy and delicious members of the food groups. Goat’s cheese may be a bit of a contentious addition, as some people may not like its flavour. However, it went well with the avocado and pesto today, with a sharp flavour that helped to complement the relative blandness of avocado. Overall, a very fresh serving of food which represented excellent value for money.
Overhead shot!
Overall:
Although it’s located far away from the places we usually visit, we would definitely go back to try some of their dishes. One of their strong points appears to be their variety of dishes; it would be interesting to see how different and unique each flavour is, which can be difficult to achieve if drawing from a pool of typical brunch-y components. However, so far, the savoury dish of Delicious Dean was a great representation of the ideal brunch - and on top of that, represented fantastic value for its large portion size. Their milkshakes are notorious for their size, sweetness and photogenic presentation. Although they contain a lot of different sugary components, interestingly, both of the milkshakes that we ordered had slightly different flavours, which goes back to what we originally said about presenting a variety of different dishes. Definitely worth a visit, whether you’re in the area of not.
