Cuckoo Callay, Newtown

Spring time means brunch time! But let's be honest, wouldn't you brave the cold winter weather for a nice cosy brunch anyway? That's exactly what my sister and I did to try out the super easy to find Cuckoo Callay right next to Newtown station for a sisterly date.

We were welcomed warmly inside despite the rainy dreary weather outside by Ella, who brightly said it's still better than having it rain all day like it does back in England! The interior deco is incredibly kooky and I was incredibly intrigued by this clock so we just had to sit right underneath it. The place is decked out with mirrors to make the space seem a lot more spacious. An ingenious idea really.

Skim mocha, $4.00

One of the best mochas I've had for a while. A nice kick of chocolate but could still taste the coffee. Digging that thick layer of frothy goodness on top.

Salted caramel thickshake, $7.00

Being a little bit of an addict to salted caramel, this one had to be ordered. And damn was it good. My sister took a sip, and with widened eyes, she proceeded to hug the mug and not let me anywhere near it. It was definitely wonderfully sweet, and that's what we're all looking for in a thickshake, no? :D

The brunch spread

I really wasn't sure how we were going to finish it all - look at all the food!

#Hashtag browns, $17.00

How pretty does this dish look! There was a choice of bacon steak, smoked salmon or grilled haloumi and I couldn't go past some cheesy goodness. This one was a lot more enjoyable than other haloumi cheeses I've had where it squeaks against your teeth. Anyone else have that pet peeve? Makes me feel the same way as writing on a blackboard with chalk - not pleasant. But this one still had its bounce, but no squeakiness. Yay! A noticeable crunch sound was made as I cut into the massive hashbrown - a telltale sign that it's all about the crispy casing :D The lemon pepper avocado, pea puree, potato, haloumi and egg when eaten together was one tasty dish.

Pulled duck, $22.00

I always love trying duck cooked in different ways and whilst pulled pork is a common one to see around restaurant, pulled duck isn't. And look at the shear size of the mountain of duck! Duck a plenty! I loved the spices that seasoned this dish and the chill jam really gave it that subtle spicy kick that definitely won't be too much for even the biggest chilli-phobics out! That capsicum relish is something to rave about in itself though. My sister, who normally hates capsicum, said that whilst the pulled duck by itself was amazing, the capsicum relish made it even better.

That's the way the cookie crumbles, $11.00

At this point, we were both incredibly stuffed but Ibriham was much too kind and said that one of the chefs were already making us dessert. I suppose there's nothing to say at this point but "Onwards, soldier!" But I sure am glad I made extra stomach space for this because the brownie was super fudgey just the way I like it. And perfect with the vanilla icecream and crispy cookie crumble! Ella mentioned to us that it was a tradition she learnt growing up with her family where if you poured warm cream over, it provided a nice surface to put any toppings you wish over it.

Sometimes I do wish I wasn't quite as small and had more stomach space because both my sister and I were rolling out the door, filled to the brim with delicious food. Cuckoo Callay is definitely a welcome addition to the Newtown cafe scene. Despite the fact that Newtown is filled with coffee fiends, there seems to be a lack of fantastic cafes - not like the Surry Hills region! But Cuckoo Callay has definitely made it's mark. I know I'll definitely be making stops by for some coffee!

Crystal Noir and friend dined as guests thanks to Ibriham and Ella, owners of Cuckoo Callay. Opinions however, are entirely her own.

Cuckoo Callay
Newtown Train Station
Newtown, NSW, 2042
www.cuckoo-callay.com.au

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday: 6:00am - 4:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday: 8:00am - 3:00pm

Devon Cafe 2, Surry Hills

Having loved Devon Cafe so much the first time around, I went with a few of my uni girlfriends to do another brunch there because let's face it, nothing can beat breakfast foods, no? I've heard Devon Cafe to become very busy, but luckily for me, I've never had the issue of having to wait for a table. But that may have to do with the fact that we go during midweek.

Watermelon refresher, $8.00

Whilst I love watermelon juice, I was wary of the addition of mint as the addition of too much mint can often overpower other flavours, especially a delicate flavour like watermelon. But this was a good balance where I could taste just a subtle hit of mint and it went very well with the watermelon! I couldn't taste the apple, but I think it did make the juice sweeter. A refreshing start for what was to come.

Kaya toast, $12.50

My friends and I are all incredible suckers for anything related to coconut so all our eyes were immediately drawn to the coconut jam. The dish arrived with the coconut jam and butter oozing out, all sandwiched between two massively fat slabs of brioche. A dish like this could prove to be too rich with an excess amount of butter but it actually wasn't the case - simple and nothing short of delicious. The 63 degree eggs were poached to perfection and sat in a light soy sauce which we drizzled over our kaya toast to add a bit of saltiness to the sweetness.

Breakfast with the Sakuma's, $24.50

Give me salmon all day, every day! They managed to get so much miso flavour into this grilled king salmon and it just flaked away as I dug my fork into it. I really have to give credit to Devon Cafe for their poached eggs - each and every one of them is cooked so impeccably that the yolk always bursts as soon as you prod it. And the smoked eel croquette? So wonderfully crunchy! The radish salad was an excellent addition (to break up the rich salmon and croquette) as was the kewpi mayonnaise because let's be honest, when is kewpi mayonnaise not welcome?

My second Asian cousin gone summery, $13.00

Are you all sensing a pattern here whenever my uni friends and I eat together? Yep, this was yet another coconut dish we ordered! We knew it was a winner as soon as it was spotted on the menu - tapioca, young coconut, fresh mango, chia seeds and freeze dried lychee. There was very little room for any possible error. What I absolutely loved about this dish was how light it was to eat. I felt like I was eating something incredibly healthy but that is probably not the case :P The freeze dried lychees were like nothing I've ever had before - the texture is almost reminiscent of a flaky cereal. Fresh mango and coconut really made us all feel like we were eating summer out of a bowl.

Once again, I had an exceptional meal here at Devon. I don't have any qualms with coming back again to try some of their freshly baked goods out front! They do change their menu often, so when I go back, it will probably once again be something new so that is something I'm looking forward to :D

Devon Cafe
76 Devonshire St
Surry Hills, NSW, 2010

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday: 6:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday - Sunday: 8:00am - 3:30pm

The Paramount Coffee Project, Surry Hills

There have been too many new cafes popping up all over the place as of late. One that I have been dying to visit for the crab po boy I've seen spamming my Instagram was Paramount Coffee Project. And that is exactly where we went after handing in our final studio portfolio for my bachelor degree. Yay - time to celebrate the good times!

Peanut butter & jelly milkshake, $8.00

Sigh, milkshakes on cafe menus these days are so expensive. But exxy it may be, the milkshake still tasted delicious! I couldn't discern much of the "jelly" but the peanut butter flavour was like a explosion in my mouth. Hooray for peanut butter! There's something so addicting about peanut butter, but I can never put my finger on why...

Crab po boy, $18.00

This is definitely a burger that I've not seen until as of late but boy was it tasty. The brioche was buttered and grilled so that it was slightly crispy. The crab itself was definitely not as oily as some deep-fried soft shelled crab and I didn't feel heavy eating it despite us ordering two deep-fried items. The coleslaw and ranch dressing definitely brightened up the burger providing an element of refreshing tang.

Double fried chicken, $16.00

Hooray for yet another deep-fried item! These boneless chicken pieces were tender and still juicy inside while retaining the nice crunchy batter. The hot sauce provided was nice enough, but I preferred it without as there were spices coating it anyway. My only complaint would be that the coleslaw was quite bitter.

Philly cheese steak, $17.00

I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but for some reason I had a Reuben sandwich pictured in my head. But it wasn't - it was like a cheeseburger only with crunchier bread and fancier ingredients! Yes to gruyere cheese and sourdough :D

Sweet waffle, $15.00

What was upsetting about this was that the waffle got soggy quick from the rapidly melting icecream, but it tasted amazing. Peanut butter icecream, dulce de leche and topped with a sprinkling of hazelnuts - how can it be disliked?

I loved the industrial atmosphere of Paramount Coffee Project. I must say that as an architect student, I was very impressed by the concrete table that was mounted in the centre. Concrete is absolutely beautiful! I would go back alone just for the concrete :P That combined with the awesome food, you have one pretty rad cafe.

The Paramount Coffee Project
80 Commonwealth St
Surry Hills, NSW, 2010

Opening Hours
Monday - Friday: 7:00am - 4:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 8:00am - 4:00pm

Devon Cafe, Surry Hills

Sorry for disappearing off the planet of my blog dear readers! My assessments are swamping me at the moment as I head towards the last stretch of my bachelor degree. Almost there! This post was dated a while back when S came back to Sydney from Cambridge for a lovely brunch catch up with us :D

Flat white, $3.50

Coffee was excellent. Smooth and easy to down. Bonus points for the pretty coffee art!

Bruschetta, $10.00

Oh my this bruschetta was delicious. The flavours were pretty darn spot on. The bread was very crisp, contrasting nicely with the wonderfully soft eggplant and smooth, creamy hummous. The labne provided a lovely subtle tang that just tickled your palette ever so lightly. Loved oven-baked chickpeas for that added crunch.

Ogre 'Happy Meal', $21.00

We couldn't resist ordering this sheerly because of the name. The ox tongue was seared to a tender, medium rare and simply melted in the mouth. Just look at those gorgeous grill marks on the exterior. Those potato hash bits were oh so moreish with the shattering crunchy outer giving way to the fluffy soft potato on the inside.

Citrus cured salmon, $18.50

Smoked salmon will always be a love of mine. The saltiness of the salmon was counteracted with the refreshingly sweet apple slices that were sliced paper-thin. Pieces of fennel were scattered around for that element of texture. The soft-boiled egg was gloriously sticky and oozed all over the split dill cream when cut. Delicious all put on top of the the slices of brioche!

Nobody kicked us out despite the fact we spent ages there sitting and chatting. The staff were extremely friendly :D There's nothing quite like catching up with girlfriends. Alas we didn't have stomach space to order some of the more dessert-y items on the menu but there's always next time - I foresee more visits back here!

Excelsior Jones, Ashfield

Early yesterday morning, my sister and I impulsively decided to head over to Excelsior Jones for breakfast before buying a few necessities in Ashfield. It's about time I headed over there! Excelsior Jones is located in the backstreets of Ashfield suburbia - an unassuming location for such a popular cafe which had won TimeOut Magazine's vote for Cafe of the Year 2013. Despite it being 11am on a Friday, the cafe was surprisingly buzzing with patrons who were chatting over coffee. I can imagine how busy it'd get for weekends!

Skim latte, $3.50

Yes I have been converted into a coffee person after my trip to Melbourne. How did that even happen? Too many cafes over there with all of them recommending coffee whilst we waited for our breakfasts! Excelsior Jones serve their coffees made from Five Senses coffee beans and my flat white was a damned good one with a smooth finish. No complaints here.

Eggs Benedict, $14.00

Onto the food which arrived together not too long after our order. Both my sister and I couldn't go past the eggs benedict. Who doesn't love a soft, gooey poached egg? The moment of truth arrived when we had to cut open the egg. Would it be perfectly runny or will it have been overcooked beyond repair? We breathed a sigh of relief as it was the latter. The hollandaise sauce was all sorts of amazing with the ham and English muffin with the oozy egg yolk providing a wonderful richness.

Pork hock has, $16.00

I was torn between the pork hock and smoked salmon hash but in the end, pork hock won out. And oh my god was this dish good! The potatoes had been fried so that the innards were still fluffy and the skin was crispy which made it very addictive. The addition of the herbs were very welcome, providing that extra pop of freshness on the palette. This dish is carb overload mind you! So many potatoes - it is one best shared :D

Excelsior Jones has been decked out with the foundations of being a good cafe and we left in high spirits after good coffee and delicious food. Situated in the suburb just over where I reside, I foresee plenty of starts to my days here in the near future. I will try the salmon hash next time as well as revisit for the lunch menu! Burgers, anyone?

Excelsior Jones
139A Queen Street, Ashfield, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9799 3240

Opening Hours
Tuesday - Friday: 7:30am-4:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 8:00am-4:00pm
Kitchen closed 3:00pm
Closed on Mondays

Vegan Oatmeal Banana & Craisin Muffins With Applesauce

I've been experimenting way too much with baking and muffins seem to be my new thing. They're easy to make so I have snacks enough to last me for the week at uni. You could easily freeze these too :) What really surprised me was the fact that these held together without any eggs!

These ones were even better than the sweet potato muffins I made last time! Which in comparison, had waaaay too much stevia... I should probably fix that recipe haha. The applesauce keeps these muffins moist and the banana gives it that tiny bit of banana flavour reminiscent of banana bread :) And cinnamon pairs so well with apples so I couldn't resist sprinkling some in. I love me a bit of spice! And the great news is they really don't need any added sugar. The riper your bananas, the sweeter your muffins will be - naturally! Well, the craisins have a fair bit of sugar but I took that into account when adding in stevia. I do love the sweet bursts from the craisins though. The best thing about these muffins are they are so easy to take on the go - just nuke them in the microwave for 20 seconds so that they are warm (and don't stick to the paper!) and you have yourself a yummy breakfast :)

Oatmeal Banana & Craisin Muffins With Applesauce
Makes 12

Ingredients

Dry
1 1/2 cups (200g) spelt flour (If you want to use whole wheat flour instead of spelt, remember 200g of spelt = 1 1/3 cup wheat flour)
3/4 cup (70g) rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp chia seeds

Wet
1/3 cup (90g) mashed very very ripe banana (the more spots the better!)
2/3 cup (190g) applesauce (I used Three Threes apple sauce which is sweetened)
1 tsp coconut oil
2 packets (4g) Natvia stevia
3/4 cup (200mL) oat milk (I used oat milk because of its thicker in consistency than normal milk. You could possibly use greek yogurt or maybe even skim/almond/soy milk but I can't vouch for the results)
2/3 cup craisins (or raisins, or any other fruit you like!)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C or 375F. Line 12-cup muffin tin with liners and coat the inside of them with cooking spray or oil.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and chia seeds - leave it aside.

3. In a medium bowl combine mashed banana, applesauce, melted coconut oil, stevia, and oat milk. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix! The batter will be slightly lumpy, and that’s okay! Gently fold in the craisins.

4. Bake muffins for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Muffins are best served warm. Pop them in the microwave for 20 seconds before eating for a tasty snack!

Tom n Tom's, Sydney CBD

Sydney's getting quite chilly fast, don't you all think? This cold weather has us all retreating to cafes for warming coffees and teas early in the morning. The first sip is always so warming! For something quick, easy and cheap, my friends and I took shelter in Tom n Toms Cafe on Bathurst.

Clockwise from top left hand corner: half honey butter toast + English Breakfast tea, $5.50 / bacon & egg roll / half garlic butter toast + rose flower tea, $5.50

Normally it costs $5.00 for the set but I paid the extra $0.50 for tea because I really am much more a tea person than coffee. This toast was pretty tasty. Though essentially it was just a toastie sandwich. Awesomely crispy and buttery on the outside, melty American cheese on the inside. There was a good sprinkling of parsley but what made this toast different was the drizzle of honey on top. I actually really liked this extra sweetness from the honey! There was nothing fancy going on here, just comfort food at its best on this cold (winter-feeling) morning. I was sad they were out of jasmine tea, but settled for the rose tea which had a nice subtle floral scent (not a fan when it's too overpowering).

K ordered the honey butter toast which had a generous lathering of butter between the two slices of bread. There was honey as well as a sweet caramel-like syrup drizzled on top.  Nothing like a sugar hit to start your morning!

M however prefers something savoury to begin her day with and went for the bacon and egg roll.

It was odd seeing the normally incredibly full cafe so empty early in the morning. Of course we have no complains about that - we got the cafe (almost) all to ourselves to chat. What's better than a quick breakfast catchup with your favourite girlfriends? :D

Tom n Toms
97-99 Bathurst St
Sydney, NSW, 2000

Super Healthy Spelt Banana Pancakes

Sometimes I feel like nothing but pancakes for breakfast. But often, there's quite a bit of sugar and butter that goes into it. But not these pancakes! This version is dairy, egg and wheat free! Generally, I do try to eat lactose, wheat, peanut, soy, and egg-white free as I am intolerant to these things and my body flares up when I eat too much of these along with processed foods. I definitely should not be only trying to avoid these, but eliminate them from my diet, however I think I am in love with a lot of these things just a little too much so I just try to minimise excess amounts in my diet.

These pancakes albeit are a bit a little bit dense and doughy like banana bread and they taste exactly like it after the maple syrup is poured on top! The pancakes themselves have no sugar added to them as we're using fantastic, 100% maple syrup, so what is the point of adding sugar to the batter? And not to mention the addition of sweet ripened banana as well! If you do like your actual pancakes a little bit sweeter, or if you don't like using any syrup afterwards, by all means add sugar to your batter to taste. But I'm telling you the maple syrup will make them awesome!

The only oil used in this recipe is when you grease the pan to prevent sticking so there really is no excuse to make these pancakes. Healthy pancakes for breakfast anyone?

Spelt Banana Pancakes
Serves 1 (6 pancakes)

Ingredients

Dry
3/4 cup (100g) spelt flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon chia seeds

Wet
1 medium, very ripe banana, peeled
1/2 cup oat milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Extra banana slices and maple syrup to serve

Method
1. Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until well incorporated

2. In a separate bowl, mash the banana with a fork until almost smooth. Add oat milk and vanilla extract and still with the fork until mixture is blended.

3. Pour the wet banana mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix gently with a rubber spatula until the batter is just incorporated. Do not overmix! Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes so that the chia seeds will bind the mixture together and the baking powder has time to develop.

4. Put a saucepan over medium heat until hot. To test if the pan is hot enough, flick a drop of water onto it and if it evaporates almost immediate, it is ready. Pour a tablespoon of rice bran oil and make sure the surface of the pan is evenly coated.

5. Drop the batter by 2 tablespoons onto the pan, making sure there is ample space in between each pancake. Cook until a few bubbles form on top of each pancake and the underside is golden brown, about a couple of minutes. Slide your spatula underneath each pancake and flip it over. Cook for another couple of minutes so that the bottom is also golden brown.

6. Transfer the pancakes onto a serving plate, top with sliced bananas, maple syrup and serve!

Lightened up muesli

Summer is slowly coming back into our lives and that would mean lots of cold breakfasts like yogurt, fruit and cereal. What I love about having breakfasts like these is the fact that I could sprinkle some muesli on top to give it a wonderful crunch!

What I don't like about store bought muesli is the excess oil and that they can often be sickenly sweet. This crunchy version has been given a little makeover so that it is has no oil and is only lightly sweetened making it the perfect accompaniment to your breakfasts during summer without feeling like you're adding to your waistline! Especially since bikini season is coming up and I know we all want to look our best for that ;)

Before going into oven!

Lightened up muesli
Makes around 2 cups

Ingredients

Dry
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup peanuts (or any nuts of choice)
1 tbsp pepitas
1 tbsp sultanas
1 tbsp dried pineapple

Wet
1 heaped tbsp applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1 packet Natvia (3g) or sweetener of choice
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method
1. Preheat oven to 170C.

2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. If you want to add other dried fruits, do feel free to do so! Mix it up according to your taste buds. In a separate small bowl, mix together the wet ingredients except for the vanilla essence. Microwave on high for 30 seconds or until mixture is like a liquid. Stir the vanilla essence into the liquid mixture.

3. Add wet ingredients slowly to dry ingredients while mixing until everything is well incorporated. Spoon onto baking sheet.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Stir through the mixture halfway through to ensure even baking.

5. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before pouring into an air-tight jar. It should keep for about 1-2 months.

Hello Mr Ducky

Well don't you look tasty?

Cooked an egg inside bread on our toastie machine! I love this toastie, it's so useful.

I have to go to work later for a couple of hours. Don't get me wrong, I love my current job but it's just that I should be looking for a proper architectural job as I graduate next year already (eep!)... But no one wants an undergraduate :(

Poached eggs and sumo salad

I know sweet and savoury may not sit well with a lot of you, but growing up in an Asian family, there was always an abundance of foods with this combination! Though when I first heard of bacon and ham with maple syrup, I was very reluctant to try it. Really? Meat with maple syrup? Maple syrup if for eating with fluffy pancakes! But then one groggy morning, I was at Pancakes on the Rocks with my friends and I really felt like eating poached eggs. But the only poached egg they had on their menu came with hollandaise sauce and behold - ham and maple syrup. Hungry, I had thought, why not? The food had arrived swiftly and that's when I discovered this miracle combination. The oozing yolk combined with the ham and maple syrup was to die for - I was hooked. So the other morning, I was craving this and made my own version at home with a crumpet!

The yolk was perfectly gooey! Though I think I need to find a way to perfect the whites of the eggs when cooking... And yes, I am aware of the dodgy plate haha. I will buy perfectly beautiful chinaware and matching cutlery and plate sets when I move out!

On another happy note, I finished my last exam today so I have freedom for a month! I came out of my exam ravished and was craving Vietnamese rolls. But alas, Vietnamese rolls were not in the cards and were sold out when I went to the sushi store. So I settled for the next best thing. Well, what healthy choices do I have when I am roaming around in a food court?

Pumpkin and cous cous salad, $6.50 for a small

Damn you Sumo Salad, jacked up the prices!! Last time I went, prices were at $5.95 which I already thought of as dear. So this was incredibly expensive for such a small portion. But oh well, it filled me up enough so I wasn't hungry anymore. And it was delicious! So I can't complain... Must attempt to make this at home - I have some cous cous sitting around in my cupboard.

Now I can go back to doing all the things I was doing before my exam - without the guilt!

breakfast frittata in toast

This morning, I was craving a delicious breakfast. I had a lot of leftover vegetable fillings from my dad's sandwich shop that I definitely wanted to use so I somehow wanted to combine them together and what better way to bind things together than making an omelette? But I didn't have an egg ring so I made do with the crust of some wholemeal bread!

I suppose it doesn't really count as an omelette anymore... More like a frittata haha. I beat an egg with a dash of milk and parmesan cheese, poured it into my crust ring, and added in red onion, carrots, cucumber, mushrooms, and some chicken. This was cooked on low heat until the base was brown the flipped over to cook the other side. The end result? Delicious ;) Didn't even need to add salt because all the vegetables had their own flavours!

And nothing is better than some hot lemon honey tea on a cold winter's morning!