Barcino Bar, 18-19 The Strand, Dee Why, NSW 2099

Barcino Bar

A small family run cafe, which is a favourite of mine that has amazing coffee and food with other frequent customers much like myself whom are always coming back from a surf or a walk on the beach, who just want to read the paper in the sun with a good coffee and fresh organic food. 

Also if you are keen to spoil yourself, their small treats such as coffee cakes and lemon tarts made by them on the day are highly recommended!

Being a well known customer they it makes for a really friendly and comfortable experience and even if you aren't a frequent customer you are treated like family. With amazing staff and location, on the whole makes for one of my favourite cafes. Can't go wrong with this place, Adam :)

The Boatshed, 11 Narrabeen Street, Narrabeen, NSW 2101

The Boatshed Cafe

Located right on Narrabeen lake, this cafe and restaurant (Limani Seafood Restaurant) is a fantastic location for anyone who loves good food, service and an amazing view. It is a well laid out cafe with laid back staff and vibe, and in addition right next door, you can hire out kayaks and pair-paddle boats if you wanted to enjoy the lake.

With the lake so close this makes for a perfect cafe on a day that is hot or cold, windy or quiet. Whatever the weather. There is a function room on the top floor for those who wish to have something a little more special.

The Boatshed also has takeaway, which for those who wish to walk the track around Narrabeen lake with a coffee this is the place for you.

It also has a bar and the food that is made freshly either on the day or when you order. The eggs benedict with salmon, on a english muffin with two hash browns on the side are to die for.

With amazing service and interesting and helpful staff the Boatshed is family friendly and you will always be pleased with what you ordered and leave you wanting to come back. Adam :)

The Beach Shed, South End of Dee Why Beach, Monash Parade, Dee Why, NSW 2099

The Beach Shed Cafe

After hearing the hype about a small well known family run cafe on the end of Dee Why beach I had to see it for myself. Not expecting much, and with such a small location I was doubtful about the cafe at first. Until experiencing it for myself this cafe has quickly become one of my favourites.

 As it is family run, you already feel at home with this small cafe and the 'beachy' vibe compliments the cafe well considering it is right on the beach.

They also sell bags of coffee and local art making it an amazing place to admire and maybe even inspire!

 The sounds of the waves and the salt in the air compliments the company and coffee.

With welcoming staff and amazing coffee its easy to see why the cafe is getting all the attention it is. It blew my mind having the beach right there as you enjoyed your food and or coffee. Definitely coming back here again, next time to spoil the family! Adam :)

Sandi's, 13-15 Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island, Queensland 4819

Sandi's

If you are looking for any holiday ideas then I highly recommend Magnetic Island, just off Townsville, tropical north Queensland. With a good setting and cheap food combos for the tourists (such as myself) Sandi's was a fantastic place for lunch. The staff were all locals and their company was enjoyable as they helped us make a decision for lunch.

With a rump steak and a beer of my choice for $20 along with chips and a salad for a side you can't go wrong!

Horseshoe Bay is easily accessible via ferry to Magnetic (Maggie) Island and then a 10 min bus ride to the bay. Which had along the strip, multiple clothing shops, a pub and my personal favourite a gelato bar!

With the water just across the strip, which was already around 24 degrees, it was such a good place to be. Shame that I wasn't there for long, but I would head there again in a heartbeat! Adam :)

The Bakehouse Adaminaby, Adaminaby, Snowy Mountains, New South Wales

Hi. From Japan and Sydney to the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales! My family visit Adaminaby several times a year and we have been buying our bread from The Bakehouse for many years. As well as being the town's bakery, The Bakehouse is also a popular place for coffee and meals, for locals and visitors alike. On our recent family holiday we stopped in for lunch at The Bakehouse (and bought bread too!).

The Bakehouse is typical of most country town bakery/cafes/milk bars that I have visited over the years.  There is a blackboard menu containing burgers, fish and chips, pies, milkshakes, and other take away style food, we ordered and paid at the counter and grabbed the last table - it was busy!

 I ordered the steak sandwich, my sister in law had a potato pie (homemade at the bakery with chunks of steak inside!) and Master 3 had chicken nuggets and a chocolate milkshake and we shared a huge bowl of chips!

                              

The food was delicious and reasonably priced, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. As it was a busy day the food took a bit longer to be served (well, long by the standards of an impatient, busy 3 year old) so we ordered our coffee and homemade carrot cake as take away and enjoyed some excellent coffee and moist yummy cake at the local playground - the cake didn't last long enough to get photographed! Sonia xo

Pendolino, 412-414 George St, Sydney

Hey guys! I got back from Japan and my cousin and I felt like some Italian food so we went to the City. We wanted to try out a restaurant that received great reviews. It was this little cosy and dimmed lighted Italian restaurant up in the Strand. The servers were attentive and punctual. Within 10 minutes, we received complimentary bread which consisted of a mixture of sourdough, bread sticks,  rustic white bread and rye bread and came with three types of olive oil described as robust, fruity and garlic flavoured. 20 minutes later, we received our main course.

Top right: Traditional Hand Made Ravioli with Spinach, Ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, Gruyere, Mozzarella, Burnt Butter and Sage

Bottom left: Fresh Made Chantarelle Pappardelle with Wild Mushroom Sauce, Truffled  organic egg yolk and salt

Bottom center: Warm Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding, Gold Leaf  

Bottom right: Nougat, Ligurian Honey and Almond Milk Semifreddo with Candied Almonds

Overall, it was a memorable experience and some of the best food I've ever had. Although, it was $170 for the complete meal (as seen above,) it was definitely worth it. 

Till next time. Alex :)

Milky Way Dessert Cafe, Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan

Hi guys! Here's another gem of a cafe we came across in Tokyo and yes, it is another themed restaurant. Living up to its name, the Milky Way Dessert Cafe is an outer-space and star constellation-themed and filled cafe. The menu mainly consisted of parfaits and other small desserts and shakes (yes, I do realise that most of the desserts we've tried have been parfaits but they were all delicious!)

Above is a chocolate ice cream parfait with liquid nitrogen.

It had such a cosy and relaxed ambiance and its desserts as you can see consist of elements such as liquid nitrogen to really demonstrate the full effect and theme of the cafe itself. 

A recurring theme we also found were the little star biscuits found with each of the desserts and tasted amazing. Above is a chocolate flavoured shake with a Milky Way Cafe twist. 

As you can see we also ordered strawberry flavoured parfaits which I think slightly beat the chocolate flavoured ones  (which tasted beautiful as well.)

...And that is our experience at the Milky Way Dessert Cafe! Till next time. Alex :) 

Cafe Est. Est., Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Cafe Est. Est. conveniently located near Shinjuku station was best the place to go to for my travel buddies and I who all possess a sweet tooth. There were so many delicious looking desserts on the menu, we couldn’t decide.  

As you can see above, they offer a wide range of delicious looking desserts.

  
However, we settled for three parfaits which were unexpectedly HUGE. Complete with multiple ice cream cones in each serving attached to scoops of ice cream which were then attached to layers of moist cake, whipped cream and finally doused in chocolate sauce at the very bottom...and I must not forget the chocolate flavoured Pocky sticks sticking out from the parfaits.

I had to put this photo on here as well. I think how we felt towards the desserts is summed up amazingly on my cousin's face! We couldn't wait to dig in!

...And that's it for today folks. I can't wait to post again! Till next time. Alex :)

Youeni Foodstore, 2/ 250 Old Northern Road and Cecil Avenue, Castle Hill.

After a recent refurbishment, and the addition of a Dan Murphy's outlet, in this part of Castle Hill's main street, Youeni Foodstore has been open for just over a year.  It offers a trendy, industrial style atmosphere, with an health conscious, organic, gluten free and vegetarian friendly menu. Incidentally, not my usual style!

I have driven past many times and it always seems busy. We came for breakfast and our first impression was all the people stopping in for takeaway coffees - another good sign!  The menu is creative and was surprisingly different to our favourite cafes.  This left hubby with the grumps, crying out where's the meat? As bacon was an add on to the meals, followed by his cry of....what is that alfalfa doing on my eggs?

 The cappuccinos were lovely and the food was delicious. I ordered the breakfast plate above and my husband had poached eggs, cooked to perfection.

While it was very different to the standard cafes in the area, I enjoyed the change. It may not be for everyone. The lunch menu looked yum though and I think I'll come back with a girlfriend, or maybe Mum, next time!

Crystal Palace Buffet, Tokyo Disneyland, Japan

Hey guys! During the mid-semester break I went to Japan with my cousins hence why I'll be adding a little twist to this blog in terms of food experiences and what some of the places I visited had to offer.

So the Crystal Palace's menu consists of an international mix with a very Japanese feel to it and an enormous selection of food and drinks. Everything was also clearly labelled and although it came off as pricey and had a 90 minute time limit to eat (which we  surprisingly found was more than enough to satisfy our hunger), it was nonetheless an enjoyable experience and one must also keep in mind the location of this place which is at Disneyland in Tokyo. 

 This is just a little glimpse of what they had to offer on the menu and the drinks they had available. 

The desserts were delicious as well. There was a variety of different cakes and pastries. (Please excuse the plate in the background. As you can see we thoroughly enjoyed the food!)  

Just a little extra something we had right before we left and found near the Crystal Palace Buffet. It's a Summer Special Strawberry Flavoured Shaved Ice (it was ABSOLUTELY refreshing and mouthwatering) 

...And that is the first of my many food adventures in Japan! I look forward to posting again soon! Till next time. Alex :)

Gatoni cafe, Upper Level, Castle Towers, Castle Hill

Gatoni is another frequent coffee and cake spot for my two best girlfriends and I. For over ten years we have enjoyed a multitude of coffees, teas and cakes and delicacies.  On the menu we always seem to return to the Choc Rock cake served with ice cream and that is what I came for today.  Hubby was occupied for a short window of time at the Apple store, and being one to make hay while the sun shines, I promptly headed up to Gatoni to hide away for 20 minutes...and eat cake.

It was a Sunday afternoon close to closing time and so service was a little delayed. The coffee was really great when it arrived.

The Choc Rock cake, with it's layers of crunchy hazelnut meringue layered with chocolate mousse and cream, did not disappoint. No surprises with the bill either, a fairly standard coffee and cake price of around $10. 

I texted the girls and they were jealous that I was here without them! Thanks for the memories Gatoni. Sonia xo

Sushi Bay, Castle Towers Piazza, Castle Hill

Yes, I know that Sushi Bay is not a cafe, however, it is a favourite lunch spot for my husband and I (particularly when we are alone!) and so it seemed fitting to sneak it in here in a cafe review blog. Sadly they didn't serve coffee - please forgive me!

Upon entering and being seated the wait staff and chefs and cooks exclaim the traditional greeting used in Japanese restaurants (which I looked up so I could add it here) is "irrasshaimase", which means, "please come in".  This adds to the sense of welcome and invites diners into their sushi experience. The moving sushi train is continually refilled during the busy Sunday lunch time, allowing for a large variety of choices.

I tend to stick with the same few familiar dishes including chicken and lettuce rolls and tuna and cucumber rolls (without avocado!).  My husband is a little more adventurous and will often enjoy the sashimi.

Today we both ordered the chilli prawns. They are spicy, sweet, crunchy and delicious, especially when made fresh to order.

Prices are based on the colour of each plate and is an affordable dining experience at around $20 each (including soft drinks)!

Yes we will be coming back, the next time we have a babysitter lined up! Sonia xo