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

Mr Crackles, Darlinghurst

"Crackling you say? That you can buy in cups? I am so there!!"

That was my reaction upon first hearing about Mr Crackles a few months prior. After all this time, I finally found myself there, eager to try their pork crackling.

The stop itself is merely a storefront with a few stools inside. We managed to get in right before a massive line started, with most getting takeaway. There are only eight seats in total after all.

Because of the small store, you'll probably have to run off elsewhere to eat your purchases :)

My friends and I got pretty excited by just looking at the crackling on display. Look at the huge curls of it just sitting there!

Crackles classic - pork & salad, $10.00 for a small

After meandering off to a nearby area to eat our goodies, we dug into our pork salad with gusto, savouring the satisfying crunch of the crackling. The pork meat hidden underneath was also deliciously tender. I was glad that the salad was pickled, really giving that extra zing and balancing out the meat which was surprisingly not that fatty.

Crackles classic roll, $10.00

My friends who ordered the roll were also extremely happy at the fresh bread and generous fillings!

Sweet potato wedges, $7.00

The sweet potato wedges were very addictive and moreish. I believe the sweetness makes these wedges easier to eat more of and the fact that sweet potato isn't as starchy as potato is, I found myself munching on these quite easily. It also came with a delicious spicy aioli on the side that offset the sweetness!

Chilli cheese fries, $8.50

Like nachos, but with fries instead of corn chips! I find this combination better, as I tend to become quite sad when the corn chips get soggy underneath the beef mince and cheese. Potato is soft already, so I don't mind it becoming softer while soaking in all the flavours from the sauce in the beef mince. The melted cheese on top was like the icing of a cupcake - it just makes things that much better!

The man-servings did get to us in the end, though we managed to finish everything despite it all! It was too yummy not to. So are you all fans of pork crackling? And do you prefer sweet potato or potato wedges?

Mr Crackles
155 Oxford St
Darlinghurst, Sydney, 2010
80682832
www.mrcrackles.com.au

Opening Hours
Monday - Wednesday: 11:00am - 8:00pm
Thursday: 11:00am - 9:00pm
Friday: 11:00 - 3:00am
Saturday: 12:00noon - 3:00am
Sunday: 12:00noon - 9:00pm