Mad Spuds Cafe, Surry Hills

If you love potatoes or are carb loading, Mad Spuds Cafe is the perfect place for you. They specialise in baked potatoes and potato skins with a variety or toppings but their breakfast and lunch menus also sound pretty delicious as well! 

We ordered two dishes to share. We started off with the Mad Spud Stack ($15). This heavenly tower consists of a crispy potato cake, haloumi cheese, avocado, roast onion, spud skins and sweet potato on top of mint yoghurt. The stack is absolutely vegan, absolutely gluten free and absolutely delicious! We were surprised how well the ingredients went together and how flavoursome it was. 10/10 

Mad Spud Stack ($15) 

We also ordered the Whacko Taco Baked Spuds. The dish came out with two gigantic baked potatoes servied with avocado and chilli salsa and beef and sour cream on the side. All potatoes also come with their speciality seven seed coleslaw. Although not as impressive as the Mad Spud Stack the Mexican flavours came together. 

Whacko Taco Baked Spud ($15)

Mad Spuds Cafe seems like it has something for everyone. The service was very friendly and we were lucky to be seated straight away during busy lunch time. Also loving their Mr Potato Head décor!

Mad Spuds Cafe
Address: 479 Crown Street Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Phone: 02 9698 8108
Opening times: 8am-5pm
Website: http://www.madspuds.com.au/

Low Fat Blueberry Pancakes using Greek Yoghurt

Ingredients

• 300g of no fat Greek Yoghurt (I used Chobani - you can even use the reduced fat as I found the no fat to be very sour) 
• 1 cup of plain flour 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 
• 1 tablespoon of natural sweetener 
• 1 cup of blueberries 
• Tip for gym goers: you can try substituting plain flour for blended oats or almond meal and  adding some unflavoured protein 

   

Method 

1. In a bowl, whisk the yoghurt, eggs and vanilla extract together in a bowl until well combined
2. Add the flour, baking powder and sweetener. 
• It's is probably best to sift the dry ingredients before hand. 
• You can also vary the amount of sweetener depending on your taste. The yoghurt I used was very sour
3. Add the blueberries and stir through.
4. Heat up a frypan with oil on medium heat.
5. Pour some batter onto the frypan (you may need to use a ring and spread out the batter for perfect round pancakes).
6. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on one side then flip over and cook for another 1-2 minutes until golden brown. 
7. If you're not carb conscious, top with some honey or maple syrup for added sweetness. 

Healthy Mushroom Pizza

Ingredients (serves 5) 

(portions and ingredients can be varied based on personal preference, completely up to your taste!)

• 5 Portobello Mushrooms 
• 5 Slices of Champagne 97% Fat Free Ham, diced
• 1 1/2 Tomatoes, diced 
• 1/2 Capsicum, diced 
• 10 olives, sliced 
• 1/2 onion diced  
• 1 clove of garlic crushed 
• Low fat shredded cheese 
• Pepper and salt to taste 

Method 

1. Preheat oven to approximately 200 degrees 
   
2. Heat up oil in saucepan on medium heat
3. Add the onions to the saucepan and allow to brown slightly 
4. Add tomatoes, capsicum and garlic to the saucepan and saute until the capsicum and tomatoes are fairly soft 
5. Add the ham and olives to the saucepan and mix through 
6. Cut the stems out of the portobello mushrooms 
7. Add the mixed ingredients from the saucepan into each mushroom
8. Top the mushrooms with grated cheese 
9. Place the mushrooms on a baking tray lined with baking paper
10. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes until the cheese melts and begins to brown slightly 
11. Garnish with rocket and parsely 

Beschico, Epping

This is just a quick post about one of the most awesome food discoveries I've had this year, Korean Fried Chicken (KFC). You haven't had fried chicken until you have Korean Fried Chicken. What makes it different from ordinary fried chicken is the fact that it is double fried. I know, it sounds like double the fat but actually the use of double frying renders the fat out of the skin making it super crunchy.

Beschico is located on a busy road opposite Epping train station however when we visited on the late afternoon it was empty. The restaurant kind of reminds me of a bistro with the furniture and they also have some lounge chairs at the front if you just wanted to just enjoy a drink.

Moving onto the chicken, we decided to go with a mix of the Chico Hot Drumettes and Original Chico Drumettes just because we thought they would be easier to eat. With my first bite, I was in love. You can definitely hear the crunch with every bite, I could've eaten the whole plate. I particularly enjoyed the glaze on the hot drumettes a bit more just because I do like a spicy hit.

We also ordered a chicken fried rice to share as an accompaniment, however I think the portions were for one person. We only managed to get a couple of bites each among the four of us, however I didn't particularly mind as it was nothing special .

Everyone should really go out and try this double fried wonder next time you're at a Korean Restaurant!



Beschico
Address: 41 Beecroft Road, Epping
Phone: 02 9869 8188
Website: http://beschico.com.au/Beschico/Index.html

Jasmins, Lakemba

Jasmins has to be my favourite Lebanese restaurant. At Jasmins you are guaranteed delicious and authentic Lebanese food and you will definitely be stuffed! I always go for the Mixed Plate so I get some of everything! The Mixed Plate consists of falafel, hommus, baba ghannouj, tabouli as well as your choice of meat. My favourite is the Standard Mixed Plate ($15) with kafta, shish kebab, chicken and kebbeh. So good, especially if you love variety!! The falafel is particularly a standout, it is crispy and crunchy on the outside but its contents are so light and fluffly. 

A side of chips is a must when you have lebanese food. All mains and mixed plates also come with complimentary plate of pickled salad, tempers, chillies, olives, tomatoes, onion and mint, basket of bread and of course, you can't forget the garlic sauce!!

Jasmins is my go-to Lebanese restaurant. I can always count on value for money, delicious food and fast service. However, be prepared to wait for a table on a busy Friday or Saturday night.

Jasmins 

Address: 30 Haldon Street, Lakemba 2195

Phone: 9740 3589

Opening times: 8.30am-9.30pm (Closed Friday between 1-2pm)

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

Temasek, Parramatta

I recently returned from travelling to Singapore and Malaysia a couple of weeks back and absolutely loved the food there!  To satisfy my withdrawal symptoms JHL and I visited Temasek for lunch. I have visited Temasek once before and I knew they have lunch specials on during weekdays between 11.30am-2.30pm (below).

There were so many options I wanted to try. We really wanted to try the Prawn Laksa and Beef Rendang here but I was going to make laksa later on in the week and JHL had beef rendang the day before. Instead I chose the Mee Goreng with chilli ($10.80) and JHL had the Satay Chicken and Rice ($11.00)

We were impressed with the serving sizes especially since it was a lunch special however JHL was underwhelemed with his dish.  It was a bit on the sweet side and not peanutty enough. It could've done with a few more veges in the dish as well.

Satay Chicken

I didn't mind the Mee Goreng and definitely tasted better with the hit of chilli. There was a generous serving of prawns in the dish but again, it could've done with some veges.

Mee Goreng 

I also ordered the Chendol Drink ($4.00) consisting of pandan jelly noodles, red been, palm sugar and coconut milk topped with shaved ice. I usually had it as a dessert in Singapore with durian (yum) but the it wasn't bad in a drink form either but could've done with more palm sugar.

Chendol Drink

The  food  came out fast but service wasn't too good; I'm not sure whether it was because it was lunch time and they wanted to quickly hustle people in and out. Although some aspects were lacking, I would definitely come back to Temasek just because I love Singaporen food and the lunch specials are generous and affordable.

 

Temasek 
Address: 71 George Street  Parramatta, NSW 2150
Phone: 02 9633 9926
Opening times: Tue-Sun 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10pm

Oliver Brown, Ryde

Oliver Brown is part of Top Ryde City Shopping Centre however it located on the outer part of the shopping centre next to the busy streets of Ryde. I stopped by in the middle of the day during my shopping break for my afternoon sugar fix.

Similar concept to Max Brenner, they had a variety of sweet indulgences such as Belgian waffles, churros, chocolate fondue, macarons, decadent cakes and a variety of hot and cold beverages. They pride themselves on being the best Belgian Chocolate Café and having the 'best' coffee.

Selection of cakes, desserts, macarons and chocolates 

I ordered the Fruitti Waffle which is served with strawberries, banana, vanilla ice cream and drizzled with melted chocolate ($11.50/$17.50 for one/two) with an OB Choc Banana Shake ($7.80).

It was not the best waffle I've had, it was actually quite soggy. It did not taste fresh and lacked the crunchy exterior and fluffy interior that a Belgian waffle is meant to have. I wasn't too impressed with the lack of fruit and icy, hard ice cream either.


The Choc Banana (right) wasn't too bad but I struggled to taste the banana flavour. It was definitely not worth $7.80.

Overall, Oliver Brown has not left me yearning to come back;  it might have been the time of day I visited as it wasn't that busy. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a good Belgian waffle, I would still recommend Max Brenner or Bay Vista in Brighton-Le-Sands over Oliver Brown.

The café has long opening hours so you can stop by for your morning coffee or for dessert at night after dinner or movies. It is good to see more chocolate cafes opening in outer Sydney but maybe next time I would give the waffles a miss and try their coffee or other decadent desserts. They also have branches in Rhodes Shopping Centre and Chatswood Westfield.



Oliver Brown
Address: Top Ryde City Shopping Centre, Cnr Of Devlin Street and Baxland Road
Phone: 02 9809 7007
Opening times: 7.30am-midnight (Monday-Friday, 8am-midnight (Saturday and Sunday)
Website: http://www.oliverbrown.com.au/

Reuben Hills, Surry Hills

Linus, Fi and I visited Reuben Hills last week for a girly catch up over brunch. Although located in one of the quiet streets of Surry Hills, this hip establishment was bustling with people. I've read a lot of other reviews about the long waits here but we were lucky enough to get a table right away and avoided the lunchtime rush which followed. 

I ordered the NOT reuben sandwich. This was probably one of the best sandwiches I've had. I loved the freshness of the coleslaw in combination with the subtleness of the horseradish cream on the crunchy rye bread. (The coriander pictured was my own addition from Linus' dish). The waygu salt brisket would've been perfect if it was cooked a little less to make it a bit more soft and tender but overall I didn't mind. 

NOT reuben sandwich salt brisket, pickled slaw, manchego & horseradish cream on rye ($16)

Linus ordered the Crab tacos with avocado, smoked tomato and rocket ($18). The tacos had a good mix of refreshing Mexican flavours however it somewhat overshadowed the subtlety of the crab.

Crab Tacos w avocado, sweet corn, smoked tomato & rocket ($18)

All of our eyes widened when Fi's Chorizo Grits was brought out. The mountain of a dish included baked chips, queso fesco, beans and avocado. The star of the dish was definitely the avocado whereas the beans were forgotton and buried under all the chips. The dish also could've done with bit more cheese.

Chorizo Grits w baked corn tortilla chips, queso fresco, beans & avo ($15)

Overall, we enjoyed the laidback and hippy atmosphere of Reuben Hills. The menu is quite interesting with a different mix of foods and beverages. It's a place you would come to, to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, only if you don't mind waiting for a table. 

Reuben Hills
Address: 61 Albion Street Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Phone: 02 9211 5556
Opening times: 7 days 7am-4pm (Sundays open at 8am)
Website: http://www.reubenhills.com.au/

Rosebud, Rozelle

Fi and I stopped by Rosebud to grab some lunch last week before our retail therapy at Birkenhead Point. The restaurant is located on a corner of the main but quiet street of Rozelle. We got excited that they served all day breakfast even though we both had already eaten breakfast! I love breakfast food! 

Their breakfast menu was extensive and I liked the sound of everything but I eventually decided upon the Shakshouka Baked Eggs with chorizo, spiced peppers, pebre salsa served with warm ciabatta ($17). You can never go wrong with baked eggs and chorizo! I've had similar dishes in the past but I loved the spiced peppers  and the salsa on top which gave it an extra punch. 

Fi ordered the Eggs Benedict on brioche with sautéed spinach and apple cider hollandaise with smoked salmon ($18). The only let down was that the yolk was set and didn't ooze out while cutting into the poached eggs.

All in all, we both didn't mind Rosebud. They seemed like they had a wide variety in the their menu even sweet treats like churros with dipping chocolate and waffles with maple syrup and mascarpone. 

Rosebud Restaurant and Bar 

Address: 654 Darling Street, Rozelle 2039 

Phone: 02 9555 8999 

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

Ippudō, Westfield Sydney

I know I'm late on jumping on the bandwagon but I finally found the time to make a visit to Ippudo last week before the annual City of Sydney Chinese New Year Parade. JHL has been raving about Ippudo for months and he orders it every week for lunch at work so I was expecting a lot for my first visit.

We had to order the famous Ippudo Pork Bun ($4). It was as heavenly as I expected but it ended too soon. The steamed bun was perfect with the spicy marinated braised pork and Japanese mayo. I could've of easily a few more if it was not for the price.

We both ordered the Akamaru Sinaji ramen ($16) which is similar to the original tonkotsu broth but enhanced with a special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil and served with noodles, pork belly, black mushroom and shallots. They give you the option of choosing which types of noodles you would like e.g. soft, normal, hard.  I chose the soft noodles whereas JHL always orders the hard noodles (I probably would go with the hard noodles next time). But now I understand why Ippudō ramen is so popular. The broth was tasty and the added miso paste and garlic oil just gave it the extra hit of flavour. However, the only let down was the lack of noodles and single piece of pork belly.

Overall, I enjoyed my first time at Ippudo. The restaurant was very modern, clean and decorated and suits all kinds of diners. There are larger tables for groups, communal tables and seats of individual diners. They also had excellent service, the food was pretty much instant and we were always attended to. For these reasons it might  justify the price however it's not a place you would come to if you were looking for value. 

Ippudō
Address: Level 5 Westfield Sydney 188 Pitt St, Sydney 2000
Phone: 9573 0011
Website: http://www.ippudo.com.au/
Opening times: 11am - 11pm