Breakfast at Bird Cow Fish

Yesterday was one of those Saturdays that made me realised how grateful I am to be living in Sydney. I started the day by having an unusual yet deliciously unforgettable breakfast at Bird Cow Fish. It is located at Surry Hills, a vibrant suburb that offers unlimited dining experience.

Bird Cow Fish has been awarded One Hat Chef since 2007, it serves modern Australian cuisine and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A cozy restaurant with wooden floorboards and wooden tables & chairs.

Average service, with the two(2) wait staff mostly chatting to each other or joking around with the barista. They barely say anything to the customers, giving me the impression that they are only there to take orders and serve the food.

Brioche & crumb coated soft boiled egg with spanish onion, rocket, potato, bacon & chorizo $16.50

Service aside, I love the brioche & crumb coated soft boiled egg. The soft boiled egg was cut in half, with the egg yolk still slightly runny and the egg white soft & tender. The crunchy and light brioche crumb added a contrasting texture to the egg. The fresh spanish onion and spicy chorizo brought out the flavour of the whole dish without overpowering the egg.

Croque Madame; double smoked ham, Dijon mustard, Heidi Gruyere & a fried egg $10.50

 Croque Madame, similar to Croque Monsieur but with a fried egg inside or on top. After his lovely encounter with Croque Monsieur at Brasserie Bread beginning of this year, my husband has been on the hunt for it ever since. The Croque Madame didn't have enough gruyere to give it a melting chewy cheese texture and I can only taste a hint of the Dijon mustard. However it was toasted long enough for the bread to be very crunchy and without getting the ham & egg overcooked.

If you happen to visit Eveleigh Farmer's Market, you can get a good selection of Bird Cow Fish's breakfast which includes the Croque Madame. A must buy item is their Bircher Muesli(500gms) for $10.50 if you are a muesli lover like me.

Bird Cow Fish
Shops 4 & 5,
500 Crown Street
Surry Hills
T +61 2 9380 4090

Bills, Darlinghurst

After a long, tiring and endless week at work, all I want is a simple and hearty breakfast to start my weekend.

My husband & I finally decided to try Bills after years of living & calling Sydney 'our home'. Bills is located on a quite, trendy suburb Darlinghurst. It is a bright, open-space and stylish dining place; a place that feels like home to me.

We start by ordering the regular size Sunrise drink of orange juice, banana, yoghurt and berries to share. A refreshing drink that is rich in banana & berries flavour and just a hint of the orange juice.

We decided on the two(2) of Bills Classics breakfast: Scrambled organic eggs with sourdough toast $13.50 and Ricotta hotcakes, fresh banana and honeycomb butter $17.50.

The scrambled eggs look so ordinary yet the taste is extraordinary. I have never taste scrambled eggs so smooth, light and creamy until this morning. You only need a simple sourdough toast to go with this exceptional eggs.

Another one of Bills reputed breakfast, the ricotta hotcakes that is amazingly delicious. Soft & fluffy in texture and it comes with a generous serving of honeycomb butter & fresh banana. The hotcakes will not be complete without pouring some of the maple syrup that comes on the side.

Do try and get there early to secure yourself a table as it starts to get busy by 9am!

Bills

433 Liverpool Street

Darlinghurst NSW

2000 Australia 

T: (02) 9360 9631

0730 - 1500 Mon-Sat

0830 - 1500 Sun

Toasting My Way to a Splendid Weekend

Waking up to a refreshing and fulfilling breakfast at Toast Cafè kicks off my weekend to a great start. A place to relax and unwind, Toast Cafè welcomes you to a casual yet modern dining experience. I love the way the owner makes full use of the corner location by placing high ceiling windows; there is no better way of enjoying your Saturday breakfast by the cafe window on a warm and sunny autumn day. It makes you very reflective of Australia.

The Japanese bird cage of entrancing design captured my full attention as I entered the cafe. One of the friendly wait staff told me that the owner loves everything Japanese. 

My breakfast journey began when I saw the Specials board that was casually rested on one of the wooden chairs next to the entrance. I knew straightaway that the 'Japanese' Breaky was one not to be missed. Why should I settle for the usual poached eggs or big breakfast when this unique dish will take me to a whole new level?

Japanese Breakfast $14.50 (extra $4 for smoked salmon)

Organic scrambled eggs, brown rice, black sesame & soy dressing

Not everyone can handle the pungent Japanese wasabi for breakfast, but for me it is one of the essential condiments for a Japanese rice meal. The healthy, nutty & chewy brown rice is topped with creamy scrambled eggs and avocado. A handful of seaweed and a sprinkle of black sesame adds to the finishing touch, and not to forget the wasabi for a memorable fiery meal.

Mexican Breakfast $16.50

Organic scrambled eggs w jalapeños & coriander; wrapped in a tortilla w grilled tasty cheese, sour cream, avocado & fresh salsa

Yet another scrambled eggs dish, but with a fiery twist on its own. The eggs is scrambled with jalapeños and coriander, wrapped in a tortilla and grilled with tasty cheese on top to create a crispy texture. The sour cream and guacamole is probably too heavy for breakfast, but a Mexican dish will not be complete without these ingredients. Fortunately the dish comes with a freshly made salsa that gives the meal a light and refreshing touch. 

You can't help but feel satisfied leaving the cafe after a hearty meal and that picture of the barista laughing sums it all.

Croquembouche Pâtisserie

All about France!
Love their language, wine, butter, baguettes, pastries but little do I know about their country/history. I hope the French do not take any offense on such an ignorant person like me.

Croquembouche Pâtisserie, another French Pâtisserie at Botany Road, Banksmeadow. This cafe is smaller and more like the neighbourhood style cafe than Brasserie Bread. Nevertheless, you will find yourself lost in an abundant selection of savoury and sweet pastries.

The Chicken & Mushroom Crepe is not your ordinary savoury crepe. It comes with melted cheese! It is a very rich dish for breakfast, however every single bite is bursting with flavour.

And the Chicken Baguette...divine! The baguette is crispy - in itself its tasty and crunchy. The toasted chicken, tomato and melted swiss cheese filling completes the dish as a whole. 

My enjoyable breakfast was accompanied by this cute dog, how can I resist the look on her face...

Warning: do not leave empty handed after your breakfast/lunch! Ensure to treat yourself to at least one (or as many as you want to indulge) of the sweet pastries. I could not resist their delicate little treats! 

My love for desserts has always been towards the less sweet side, hence the Mango & Passion Mousse is my favourite. The mousse is so fine and soft, and the contrasting sweetness of the mango compliments the sourness of the passionfruit. As for the Milk Chocolate Mousse, initially I was a little bit skeptical. However, this cake was highly recommended by the staff. Surprisingly, the mousse is not as sweet as I anticipate it to be and the texture is very light.

Mango & Passion Mousse

Milk Chocolate Mousse

Tiramisu

The Tiramisu was a tricky one for me, I cannot decide whether to like or dislike it. The taste is quite bland, mild coffee flavour and the sponge is not as soft. Overall, it's very different to the traditional Italian tiramisu. My guess is: this is the French style tiramisu?

Well...

Bon Appétit !

Rosebud, Balmain

Yet another breakfast place that deserves to be in my blog!
I love Darling St, Balmain. Its so vibrant, colourful and love the fact that you can see so many people walking around with their dogs.
With the enormous selection of cafes along Darling St, my husband & I chose Rosebud for its location (situated at the corner) and the idea of sitting comfortably next to the window on a sunny Sunday morning. Such a great way to start my Sunday, or should I say...complete my weekend!

Lovin' Rosebud's interior!

French Toast $15

'Pan fried raisin brioche with sour cherries, mascarpone, toasted almonds and maple syrup'

This is no boring french toast I tell ya! Replacing the butter with mascarpone, oh yeah!! And the combination of sour cherries takes away the sweetness of the maple syrup. Gotta love this!

They made my soy latte just the way I want it to be, PERFECT!

Not to mention the friendly staff, instead of feeling uncomfortable/annoyed by my SLR, they happily chatted away with me.

Breakfast at Cumulus Inc., Melbourne

Yes, I am using this dessert blog to post my yummilicious and unique breakfast experience in Melbourne. I can't help but to share it with all of you.

Our Melbournian friend has kindly invited us to dine in one of Melbourne's chic restaurant. Cumulus Inc. opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We arrived early at 8.30am to avoid the morning rush and managed to secure ourselves a table. As soon as I stepped in, I fell in love with the place. There are five different configurations of seating; the main bar, the marble bar overlooking the open kitchen, a high & round communal table and the standard table with either bentwood chairs or banquette seating.

I ordered the Cumulus Inc. 'most talked' breakfast. Tom Cooper's smoked salmon, 65/65 egg, sorrel, apple and dill. So what's the deal with the 65/65 egg? Well, I am told that it's the perfect slow poached process, where the egg is poached in its shell at 65 degrees for 65 minutes. My verdict: soft and the yolk leaks out slowly as you cut through it with your knife. And I love the fact that they use sourdough bread!

Whereas my husband ordered the Turkish baked eggs, spiced tomato, dukkah, labne. I love the texture and aroma of the dukkah, so rich in flavour. Definitely a must try dish if you are looking for something out of the ordinary.

Check them out if you happen to be in Melbourne and do try to get there early!

My First Love of Pancakes at Brasserie Bread

I have finally found the best pancakes in Sydney! At Brasserie Bread, 1737 Botany Road, Banksmeadow 2019, you will find pancakes with a twist. It is one of the signature dishes, along with the Croque Monsieur, Mushroom & Ricotta, Bruschetta, and Garlic Bread.

Sourdough Pancakes

'Stack of Sourdough pancakes served with honeycomb cream and seasonal berries'

The pancakes were light and the sourdough taste was subtle. The honeycomb cream and berries added a finishing touch to the pancakes, without taking the distraction away from the pancakes itself.

Unfortunately the picture does not do justice at all as it was taken with my phone.

My husband had the Croque Monsieur. "A Croque Monsieur is a hot ham and cheese (typically gruyere) grilled sandwich. It originated in France in the early 1900's as a fast-food snack served in cafes and bars. More elaborate versions are coated in sauce such as Morney or Bechamel. The name is based on the verb croquer ("to crunch" or "to bite hungrily") and the word monsieur ("mister")."

"The Brasserie Bread Croque Monsieur uses crème fresh and Dijon mustard mixed into the melted gruyere cheese. The "crunch" is provided by Brasserie Bread's award winning organic Country Sourdough bread."

A light snack, but full of flavour. Complex in texture, with the crusty sourdough bread and soft filling inside. The subtle chewy melted cheese, thin layer of ham, bitter rocket, and crème & mustard mix all combined to perfection.

And how can I resist the temptation of the cake selection? 

Pineapple & Lime Eclair

'A delicious combination of tangy lime and sweet pineapple'

The pineapple filling was a winner, not overly sweet just the way I love my dessert to be.

Vanilla & Rhubarb Tart

'A delicious tart filled with sweet vanilla and baked rhubarb'

Now this is a very interesting tart. I have never come across tart so crunchy both the filling inside and the base outside. So refreshing!

Bring your kids along every Saturday for a free baking class. Two(2) classes every Saturday at 10am and 12pm, reservations are essential however its FREE. Call Brasserie Bread on 1300 966 845 or fill out the enquiry form.