Guylian Twists - mixed selection

Taste

First of all, a confession. I've loved Guylian's seashells ever since I took that fateful bite as a child. I have to admit I haven't really tried any of their other products. So when I saw these, I knew I had to try them. There are 6 flavours in the mix:

• dark & white chocolate original praline - basically the seashells. They taste a bit sweeter than I like, I guess your tastebuds change as you grow older. Still, this is miles above any Cadbury or Nestle products.
• dark chocolate orange - absolutely divine. The orange smell combine beautifully with the dark chocolate.
• milk chocolate caramel-crisp - surprisingly good with a deep caramel flavour that's not too sweet. The crisps adds a different texture.
• dark chocolate cappuccino - great cocoa flavour thanks to the dark choc and a very smooth coffee taste
• dark and white chocolate strawberry - way too sweet. I am never a fan of the fake strawberry taste in chocolate. Strawberries have to be done very well, which usually only the high-end chocolates can achieve.
• milk chocolate truffle - very similar to their original sea shells, with a soft centre that's malty in taste. Quite good.

This is definitely a worthy product on the market.

Rating - 8

Look

Funky! The box is like the Cadbury favourites or Mar Celebration box, but it's in a "twisted" shape. The chocs come individually wrapped in those lolly-like foil, each distinguished by its colour. When you unwrap these babies, the chocs are all shaped like seahorses! Definitely a cut above the Cadbury and Mars.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

200g for $7.99. Cheap as chips and I'll be going back for more, after I've tried out all of their other products of course.

Rating - 1.5

Swiss Points - 12

Ingredients

Filling: sugar, vegetable fat, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, cocoa mass, hazelnuts, wheat gluten, malt, rice flour, coffee, strawberries, glucose syrup, concentrated raspberry juice, natural flavouring, salt, artifically flavoured with yoghurt, vanillin, soya lecithin cocoa based ingredients: chocolate min 49%, milk chocolate min 34%, white choc min 25% Milk solids: milk chocolate min 22%, white choc min 30%

Available At

Supermarkets, specialty stores.

Jindi Chive & Garlic Brie

Taste

Jindi is famous for their brie. I've tried their normal version and it was very good, so I was excited to find this variety on their repertoire. Alas, I was underwhelmed. Even though the brie was set to expire in 1 week's time according to the packaging, the brie was still not matured. The taste was therefore quite bland, and there was none of that creamy brie texture. I could see little specks of chives (at least I think they were chives and not mould) but I sure couldn't taste it. You can only taste garlic if the piece you are eating happen to contain garlic, there is no seeping of garlic, or chive, or onion or chilli flavour at all.

Now, I don't mind not having the chive and garlic flavour, I actually prefer my brie straight, but if I wanted that I would buy a straight brie! This one is misleading. I should know that not all cheeses are created equal. Even though the brie is award winning, the Camembert I've tried previously was nothing to write home about.

Rating - 6

Look

In the standard Jindi packaging. A portion of brie shrink-wrapped in clear plastic, with the green and gold label. Nothing to distinguish it from any other cheese, and the reseal value is not high at all. As mentioned, the cheese doesn't look attractive, with specks of dark brown or dark green.

Rating - 0.5

C-factor

Normally around $3 for 125g. Seems pretty cheap, but I'd rather get something with more bite.

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - 7

Ingredients

pasteurized cow's milk, starter cultures, onion, chives, garlic, chilli, salt, non animal rennet

Available At

Harris Farm Markets
Website

Blend Chicken Burger

Taste

This one came cooked to order, a soft white, lightly toasted hamburger roll sandwiched a big slice of chicken breast, with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, mayo and sweet chilli sauce. The mix of the ingredients delivered a satisfying hit. The chicken was succulent and the sauces mingled together with the fat of the chicken to give a gooey stream of heaven. You get a choice of having it without cheese, or with pineapple, or with cheese and pineapple. You can pick between chilli, tomato and puri-puri sauce. So just like Oporto but with more choices. I didn't try the chips, but Nic gave them the thumbs up too!

Rating - 7.5

Look

This arrived on a big plate with the chicken sticking out. It's never a pretty site eating hamburgers. I managed to just hold mine together, but I had the wonderful sauce and bits of lettuce and tomatoes falling all over the plate. What better way is there to eat a burger?

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

$5.10, $4.90 without the cheese, and another 30 cent I think for the pineapple. A cut above the average burger joint.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 10

Available At

Blend On St Johns
14 -20 St Johns Ave
Gordon
NSW 2072
Phone (02) 9499 7688

Pure & Natural Smoothies

Taste

There's no set menu as such, but you can have a custom-made smoothie with your any combination of the 4 ingredients. Being banana deprived, we based our choices around that theme. Thebanana and strawberry had 1/2 a banana in it (yes we were watching them intently). It could've benefited from a bit more, but the freshness of the smoothie was unmistakable. The banana really sang in this one. The banana, mango and apricot had more of a kick, not relying so much on bananas for its flavour. Tasting like the many variations of mango smoothies from Boost, only better. This is now 2nd in line of my favourite smoothie place after NZ Natural.

Rating - 8

Look

Cute packaging of some cartoon like fruits. Pretty standard really.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

I could only order the medium smoothie, which was $4.20. Better prices than at those juice bars around and definitely better quality.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 10.5

Available At

Pure & Natural
Website

Ichiban Boshi

What better place to catch up for a girly lunch than good old Ichiban. I'd been a fan of their food for awhile, but ever since they closed down their Strand Arcade shop, it's been a bit far to visit. So on another uneventful day at work, I hopped over to their Galleries Victoria location for an early lunch. I thought if I got there at 12pm on a Monday lunchtime, that would be ok. Too late! There's already a small crowd waiting for a table on this 2nd floor open space with about 50 seats. I followed the people in front of me and put my name on the waiting list. Their system works just like Ramen Kan, and is even more polished - with a column asking if you mind sharing a table as well as having a little number tear off that you hand to them when they call your number.

Despite the crowd though, turnover was quick, and before my buddy has even arrived, I was shown to a table.

Food

I wanted to order the Tonkotsu Ramen ($9.90), described on their menu as "thin noodles in a slow-cooked pork and sesame seed broth, topped with roast pork, seaweed and red ginger, rich in collagen, so I can compare it to the one at Ton Ton. As always, it wasn't available until 1.30pm (my buddy said that she'd NEVER managed to ever order it). So I quickly scanned the menu for another choice. Having tried all the basic ramens, as well as their Katsu-ju, Katsu curry and Karaage Cheese Curry before, I decided to try the Karaage Ramen - soy sauce soup topped with succulent deep-fried chicken ($9.90). I'd forgotten how huge their bowls are. My noodles were springy and al-dente. The chicken had a lovely coating and was satisfying. The soup base I thought was a bit salty (yes I know it was shoyu based but still, I was so thirsty afterwards!), and I would've liked a bit more of the bamboo shoot and corn to absorb and perhaps offset the saltiness of the soup. Shallots added just the right touch to the taste.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

They must like putting their shops in the middle of shopping centres. At the Strand, you get used to sitting squished together and sharing tables. Here, there are lots more space, and more smaller tables, although of course, you can still share. The colour scheme is mostly white, white plastic tables, white plastic chairs. The space is on the 2nd floor. You get a view of the shopping centre all around, and it's really like you are dining in the middle of people shopping as there's no walls or doors separating yourself with the shopping centre.

I was happy to see all manners of people dining here, but as always, it seems to be more popular with the Asians.

Rating - 1.5

Service

The sound of " Irrashaimases" rang throughout the joint, always a good sign. The staff here are all equipped with walkie-talkie headphones. We stopped one in our track and placed our order. Two glasses of water arrive without us having to ask (although they never top up). In due time, our noodles arrive. We go up to the counter to pay. Like I said, a very well-oiled machine.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Not the cheapest Japanese place around, but for the size of their meal, the nice setting, no wonder there's always a crowd waiting. Not only did we catch up on about 7 years of gossip, she wouldn't let me pay either. A pleasant way to spend Monday lunchtime.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 13.5

Info

Level 2,
The Galeries Victoria
500 George Street,
Sydney
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9262 7677
Website

Be Natural Muesli

Taste

Out of all the non-home made, not all-natural, basically run of the mill supermarket brand of muesli out there, this one is the best I've tasted. Hmmm, is that meant to be a complement? I mean, you can't compare a Rolls Royce with a Jazz can you? I tried the apple, date & almond swing and the mixed berry burst. For its class, I think it tastes wonderful. There's a bit more fruit, and more unusual fruit than the bland supermarket variety. There's a good balance between the different ingredients.

Rating Apple - 7, Mixed Berry - 7.5

Look

I love Be Natural's product packaging. It's so colourful it makes you happy and brightens up my morning. This comes in a handy resealable zip-locked bag, meaning less mess and more freshness.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

500g for around $4-5 I think. Worth it.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - Apple - 10.5, Mixed Berry - 11

Ingredients - Apple

cereals (65%) (rolled oats, rolled barley, rolled triticale), date, apple pieces, apricot, rice flour, preservatives, cranberry pieces, almonds (3.5%), sesame seeds (0.4%)

Ingredients - Mixed Berry

cereals (65%) (rolled oats, rolled barley, rolled triticale), cranberry pieces, blackberry flavoured sultanas, strawberry pieces, preservative, concentrated berry juice, flavour, currants, pepitas (4%), apple pieces, preservative

Available At

Supermarkets everywhere

Lindt Wafer

Taste

If you ask me, these are the best tasting of all the Lindt blocks available, or at least all the ones I've tried anyway. A thin layer of milk chocolate surrounds a crunchy wafer layer with hazelnut paste. The balance of chocolate to wafer to hazelnut is spot on.

Rating - 7.5

Look

Perhaps because it's cheaper, there's no foil wrapping? A blue and gold paper wrap around this block, with cardboard backing. Unlike the cardboard boxed Lindt blocks, it's best to finish in one hit.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

100g for $1.99 is on the lower end of the Lindt product range, but the quality and taste places it above their Excellence range and their Lindor range.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 10

Ingredients

sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, hazelnut (8%), wheat flour, cocoa mass, lactose, skimmed milk powder, vegetable fat, milk fat, emulsifier, cocoa powder, cream powder, malt extract, flavouring

Available At

Supermarkets, specialty stores

Lindt Fioretto Hazelnut

Taste

The Fioretto are available in a couple of flavours, but I only tried Hazelnut, which is fine by me as I do love Hazelnut. The shell is crunchy, encasing a sweet hazelnut paste. I would prefer a darker chocolate and a less sweet paste, but the hazelnut taste was great. Overall, a pretty good product, but I prefer Ferrero Rocher or Baci.

Rating - 6

Look

Individually wrapped in foil plus plastic, then placed in a plastic box with individual compartments. That must be where my money is going!

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

138g for $9.95, definitely cheaper than buying it individually at the shops, but I will probably look for something else at this price. I do think Lindt is actually a bit overpriced, but I maintain, it is still the best supermarket brand of choc available in Oz.... if only they sell those supermarket brand from Germany. Incidentally, a lot of the Lindt chocolates nowadays are made in Germany.

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - 8

Ingredients

sugar, cocoa (30% min), butter, hazelnut (12%), whole milk powder, cocoa mass, skimmed milk powder, crisp cereal, milk fat, emulsifier

Available At

Supermarkets, specialty stores

Boost Juice 2

Taste

I've mentioned Boost in previous postings, I think quite highly of their products, although it's not the best smoothie place out there. I'm sad to report though that the quality has gone down (or is it just because we're at the gold coast?). The Banana Buzz - banana, low fat milk or soy, TD4 vanilla yoghurt & ice (honey optional) is suffering from the lack of bananas. I'm not sure how many bananas they usually put in here and how much they've skimmed on since the price hikes, but I sure as hell can't taste even a trace of bananas. The balance of the ingredients were all off, with the result being a sugary, watery yoghurt drink.

The Raspberry Relief - raspberries, banana, mango nectar, TD4 mango yoghurt & ice flaired better, possibly because there is less reliant on banana. The combined flavour taste more like a normal Boost, however, I think there is still less Raspberry than usual. It has been about 6 months since my last smoothie, I've been sticking to the Hotties for winter, but the only way to try and see if it's the quality that's gone down or if it was Gold Coast. Stay tuned...

Rating - 5

Look

Like I said, I applaud Boost for their innovation and knowing their brand. They've positioned themselves well in the market, but I think they've now lost the "cool" to hold one of those green styrofoam cups, simply because there are way too many Boost stores around. On the one stretch on the Gold Coast, there were 3 shops, and I've been the same thing at many shopping centres or beachside locations.

Rating - 2

C-factor

$5.40 is way too steep for a smoothie, but that's the price everybody charges, so drink sparingly. Too much Boost is not good for you anyway.

Rating - 0

Swiss Points - 7

Ingredients

Available At

Boost Juice Bar
Website

Zenja

Food

I was sad to see that their specials board has disappeared, so I decided to continue my theme and try out the Eggs benedict - 3 free-range eggs served with smoked salmon and hollandaise on a romano roll ($11.90) - The eggs were cooked just right, but the hollandaise sauce was dry and not enough. The roll was toasted nicely, but there wasn't enough of it to soak up the egg and the salmon. The salmon was good quality and tasty though. I wasn't a fan of the uncooked spinach sitting on the base though. Slokky went with an old favourite, which he has ordered every single time we've eaten here, the Zenja Corn Fritters - fresh corn fritters with fried eggs, crispy bacon, asparagus, sour cream and toasted sourdough ($13.50). At least we know the corn fritters are excellent, with fresh sweet corn, smeared with sour cream, and combined with the bacon and fried eggs, almost heaven like. The asparagus though, was limp and overcooked. We were only given about 3 cm worth of it though, maybe they just wanted to put it on the menu. It was not worth the trouble.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

This place is almost always filled with shoppers, gym goers, people catching up. We snatched a seat between two couples, and could hear almost everything they said. There are also lots of kids here, including one who was having a baby cappuccino that was so cute. The kids are well behaved and seem to be enjoying themselves, like everyone else.

Everything is very casual, with plenty of very OLD mags (I hate that!) and 2 copies of the paper. On a cold day it's not so inviting, but on this particular Saturday, we were sheltered.

Rating - 2

Service

Pretty disappointing, as I have experienced much better service from them in the past. They didn't take our order for so long that we ended up going up to the counter to order. The two waiters seem to be run off their feet, delivering drinks and food, making the drinks, settling the bill, cleaning the tables. It took a long time to attract their attention. The waiter also tipped over the water at the table next door, causing them to get wet. They were really good-natured about it though and accepted the apologies, but still, their frantic antics unsettles me.

Rating - 2

C-factor

Well, it seems the price has gone up, but the service and quality down. Now the prices are pitched at the higher end of the breakfast market and I expect them to deliver.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 11

Info

5 George Street
North Strathfield
NSW 2037
Phone (02) 9746 9334

Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream

Taste

German Chocolate Cake -Swiss chocolate ice cream with coconut, walnut pieces, milk chocolate brownie bits and a caramel ribbon - was better than I expected. Big chunks of brownie bits, with small chunks of walnut and a sweet caramel flavour. There was enough chocolate taste to justify it being chocolate - which I might say for some chocolate ice-cream is not the case.

Espresso 'n' cream - A rich combination of extra strength lowfat Jamoca ice cream with chocolate flakes swirled together with creamy lowfat vanilla ice cream - probably my fault for ordering "low-fat', but I was more after the espresso taste and didn't read the low-fat bit until I looked this up on the web. It wasn't the ice-cream though, it was very creamy, but the fake espresso flavour that got me on this one.

Jamoca Almond Fudge - Our own Jamoca ice cream with a chocolate fudge ribbon and roasted almonds - was yum. I have no idea what Jamoca is, but it was nutty and chocolaty, with the almonds adding crunch.

Old Fashioned Butter Pecan - Butter Pecan ice cream with butter-roasted pecans - also great, with a caramel nutty flavour tieing together the ice-cream and the roasted pecans.

Conclusion - stick with the "American" flavours and you will be rewarded.

Rating - 7.5

Look

A happy image with white and pink being the theme. The shops have that kiddy look. They're not going for sophistication here.

Rating - 1

C-factor

$5.80 for a 2 scoops, the stupid guy working there didn't let me use my e-book voucher because 2 scoops is not a "regular" as it said on the coupon. There is no "regular" on the menu, only small or large, at other places like New Zealand natural, their "regular", which is defined on the menu, is actually 2 scoops. So screw him, he only works at an ice-cream parlour anyway. Their customer service points just went straight out the window, and this sort of experience people don't forget.

Rating - 0

Swiss Points - 8.5

Available At

Baskin Robbins
Website

Bahia Restaurant

Our last meal at the Gold Coast, and after a lot of deliberation, we made our way back to the classy Tedder Ave for an early dinner, before going to Conrads Jupiter to watch Tempo Rouge.

Food

Things got off to a great start with the complimentary amuse-bouche of seared beef fillet with beetroot and couscous salad. The beef was lightly seared, the beetroot and couscous taking a Morrocan slant and complimented the beef nicely.

As a reward for being the first people to dine there that night, we were given a pick of appetizers on the menu, and we chose the Toasted Turkish bread with a selection of Mediterranean dips ($12.90). We were surprised by the quality of the dips. The sundried tomato was sweet, the walnut & basil a little bitter, and cream cheese & mustard excellent. They were all home-made. There was plenty of fresh toasted Turkish bread available to wipe up the last of the dips, a great start.

Our mains were Twice cooked crispy duck served on chive and potato rosti, tempura bok choy with sweet chilli plum sauce ($32.90) - ok, everything on the plate was fried, which suited the potato and the duck beautifully. The meat was tender and tasty. I'm not a fan of fried bok choy though. The vegetable has too much water content to be able to handle tempura batter anyway. The pan seared snapper fillet on spring onion mash with brandied scallop sauce ($33.90) was cooked perfectly, the meat succulent and tender, and importantly, NOT OVERCOOKED. The skin was lightly fried and crispy. The spring onion added a little extra to the mash and matched nicely with a subtle scallop sauce.

Rating - 9

Atmosphere

Like most other restaurants on the strip, there is a large al-fresco section. In winter though, they are covered over, so it's like you're dining in a tent, with heaters interdispersed throughout. The restaurant is actually quite small, with a bar running along one side. One thing I have to comment on though, this place is REALLY DARK! We could hardly read the menu, let alone take any good pics. There are interesting looking oil burners with open flames on all the tables, which was an interesting touch, but I could see it as an occupational hazard as the tables are pretty close to each other.

Rating - 2

Service

Absolutely first rate. From the waiter who invited us in with her generous offer, to the prompt service and the automatic delivery of water. I have to mention time and time again, about how great service is on the Gold Coast. Friendliness and efficiency, Sydney could really learn a thing or two.

Rating - 4.5

C-factor

They really made us feel special, and the topping on the cake? Other than free entree, we also used the e-card, meaning our meal only cost us $34. We made sure we gave them a healthy tip to thank them for giving us such a great way to end our holidays.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 17.5

Info

Shop 3,
17 Tedder Avenue
Main Beach
QLD 4217
Phone (07) 5528 1444
Website

Madisons

Breakfast at a shopping centre. This place looked the most inviting, and with a menu that went beyond just "big breakfast", "pancakes" and "toast".

Food

I ordered the Eggs benedict - bacon, spinach, egg and hollandaise on Turkish toast ($14.85) and was very impressed. I know it's easy to get this wrong, but the eggs were cooked so that the yoke was still runny, and there was plenty of the tangy and yellow hollandaise sauce.

The grilled corn bread - with poached eggs, chicken, roma tomato, rocket and hollandaise ($14.85) was a little different. I am happy to report the corn bread was grainy and coarse, just the way I like my corn bread. The chicken was a bit flavourless, but it was grilled chicken breast afterall... After mixing it with more of that divine hollandaise, it still washed down well. The tomatoes were not very sweet at this time of year, but that's not the fault of the restaurant.

Rating - 8

Atmosphere

Even though this place is located inside a shopping centre, it certainly doesn't feel like it. Plenty of al fresco seating, next to a broadwalk, as well as booths inside, there was something for everyone. The vibe was relaxed, and with plenty of mags and newspapers provided, you could really linger all day. Their lunch menu looked good too!

Rating - 2

Service

It's pretty much self service. You order at the counter, pay, and take a number. You pour your own water, and the staff bring you your food. The people taking the order were friendly, and handled a crowd well. They were gracious with us using the e-book too, and we definitely asked before we bought, after that experience at Baskin Robins.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

Definitely not cheap for a self service breakfast place. But we were in the tourist area with great atmosphere, and the quantity was not bad, so ok.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 14.5

Info

The Oasis Shopping Centre
Broadbeach
QLD 4218
Phone (07) 5592 6933

Domani's

Choices, choices. What to eat on a Sunday night on the Gold Coast? This place came recommended from one brochure or another, and seeing we had no other information, dived in to have a try.

Food

I had an urge to eat seafood, as Gold Coast does this to you, so I ordered the Grilled Moreton bay bugs, mixed leaf salad, chilli lime dressing ($36.50). My last experience of Moreton Bay bugs was at the buffet at the Corn Exchange at the Four Points Sheraton. These though, were meatier, tastier, and lightly grilled, so they were still warm. The Asian style salad was excellent, with baby spinach leaves and other mixed salad, red capsicums and olives along the offering. The sauce was a little sweet and a little hot, complementing the flavours nicely. It was also extremely healthy.

To make sure we get in some fat, we also sampled their signature dish, Fettuccini Marinara - Handmade tomato & basil fettuccine, bug, crab meat, prawns, scallops, mussels, fish, calamari, baby octopus, garlic, shredded basil with white wine & olive oil or tomato napoli base ($36.50) - We went for the cream and were rewarded with a sauce with complexity and depth, capturing the essence of the seafood. The standout on the huge mixed plate was the prawns, fat and juicy.

I have to give a push to their innovative and tempting sounding dessert menu which was much more interesting than the others around, but alas, we were too full to attempt any.

Rating - 8

Atmosphere

This was one of the bigger restaurant on the strip, occupying a prime corner position. We were seated in a corner next to the bar. What was surprising though was that there were plasma TVs, thankfully with the sound turned down, in every corner. Still, even with the starched tablecloth and nice cutlery, the vibe was very casual, probably helped along by the relaxed but efficient attitude of the staff.

Rating - 3

Service

Spot on for the place. They poured the drinks on time, and had a chat to us about the dessert. They were very friendly and efficient.

Rating - 4

C-factor

We ended up paying $40 altogether thanks to the e-card. You certainly can't have a meal of this quality at this price in Sydney.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 16.5

Info

4/18 Tedder Avenue
Main Beach
QLD 4217
Phone (07) 5571 0091
Website

Paton's Exclusive Premium Quality Macadamia Royals

Taste

For those of you who don't know, Paton's is a famous "Australian" brand aimed at the tourist market. Indeed, their products are available at the airport and all the Duty Free outlets. So in the interest of research, I thought I'll see what the tourists are getting fed as "Australian chocolate".

These are one of the most famous of their brands, with whole macadamia nuts coated in crunchy toffee, then coated with milk chocolate. The macadamias themselves are good quality, the milk chocolate coating just the right thickness, but of course I would prefer dark. As far as milk chocolates go these were passable. I'm not sure if the toffee added anything at all.

Rating - 5

Look

Adding to the Australianess of the packaging. The box comes with individual compartments for each piece of chocolate. A big box for very little chocolate really, but at least all the pieces are in great condition.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

130g for $9.20, too expensive for an average product.

Rating - 0

Swiss Points - 6.5

Ingredients

milk chocolate (27% min cocoa mass), emulsifiers, choice Australian dry roasted macadamia nuts (min 17%), toffee

Available At

Department stores, specialty chocolate shops, tourist traps

Byron Bay Cookie Company - Triple Choc Fudge Cookies

Taste

I love Byron Bay Cookie Company cookies. They have a wonderful texture, and always use quality ingredients. These had a mix of white and dark chocolate, surrounded by a soft to bite chocolatey biscuits. They come in bite sized pieces and are seriously addictive.

Rating - 8

Look

Their packaging is distinctive, and I love the pastel colours they use to distinguish their biscuits. The font evokes that "Byron Bay" feeling too. Because I got the 200g pack, it comes in a handy and way too cute resealable and reusable tin that you can use to store any further biscuit purchases.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

200g for $14.95 at DJs. Yet another "boutique" brand that's sold in cafes and airports all around Australia. An indulgent item only, stick with the Tim Tams for everyday.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 11.5

Ingredients

wheat flour, white compound chocolate (18%), dark compound chocolate (18%), butter, sugar, eggs, dutch cocoa (3%), maize cornflour, flavouring, raising agent, salt

Available At

David Jones Food Hall
Website

Dairy Farmer Dairy Selection - Butterscotch Pudding

Taste

Dairy Farmers has come up with a whole lot of new products lately. This one is part of their Dairy Selection which includes puddings and cheesecakes.

This one is definitely the best of the pack, or maybe I just have a preference to butterscotch. Anyone, it almost taste as good as my home-made sticky date pudding. If I don't have time to make my own, this would definitely be my 2nd choice. The only thing I have to complain about, it was a touch too sweet.

Rating - 7.5

Look

Well, the packaging design is 2nd rate, but this came in a handy 100g cup,which is just the right amount for one. All you have to do is peel the foil covering, pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, and dig in. This time I heated it for 25 seconds and it was just right. The best thing is though, you don't even need to wash an extra plate.

Rating - 2

C-factor

I got this one on special at Coles, but the R.R.P is normally $3.99.

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - 10

Ingredients

Pudding (70%): Invert sugar syrup, wheat flour, water, breadcrumbs, sweetened condensed milk, butter, pecans (4.5%), golden syrup, humectant, emulsifier, mineral salts, egg white powder, vegetable gum, salt, flavours
Butterscotch sauce(30%): glucose, water, sugar, invert sugar syrup, sorbitol, buttermilk, butter, thickener, vegetable gum, flavours, emulsifier, food acid, mineral salt, colour

Available At

Coles
Website

Puddings on the Ritz Speculaas Cookies - Traditional Dutch Cinnamon

Taste

Hmmm, I've been craving cinnamon cookies for awhile, and these ones from Puddings on the Ritz were just the ticket. The cinnamon was not too overpowering, but enough to give it a kick, and distinguish it from all the other biscuits on the market. The biscuits were not too crunchy, and not too sweet, highlighting the aroma of the cinnamon. Each biscuit is pretty small, but that just made me eat more than a few in one hit!

Rating - 8

Look

Prettily packaged in a tallish cardboard box, this fits the look of the up-market brands of biscuits hitting the market. Inside, the biscuits are all in one plastic clear wrap, so the box was not much use anyway.

Rating - 2

C-factor

120g for $9.50, very steep, but I did buy these imported goodies at DJ's, so you can probably find them cheaper elsewhere. I wish there were some local brands or middle market brands doing things as nicely as these people though. In the meantime, I will continue to consume them sparingly.

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - 10.5

Ingredients

wheat flour, brown sugar, butter, eggs, almond meal, cinnamon (0.76%), cardamon (0.38%), cloves, nutmeg, ginger, bicarbonate soda, lemon rind, full cream milk, salt

Available At

David Jones Food Hall
Website

Oporto Regular Bondi Burger

Taste

Confession, I've never eaten a full Oporto burger before. Well, why would you go to a chain when there are so many choices available? Slokky is always raving on about Oportos though, so when we visited Pacific Fair, where the only choice available was fast food, we decided to give Oportos a go.

According to Slokky, they cook their burgers to order and only use fresh chicken breast. This sure ain't fast food though, we had to wait for about 10 mins for our burger. Fortunately, the chicken was more tasty than I thought, the chilli sauce helping it along. Still, given the choice, I would choose something else.

Rating - 6

Look

The bun (toasted) was very white and soft, with a sprinkle of sesame seed. The white chicken flesh smeared with chilli sauce, a sprinkling of shaved iceburg completed the picture. I think I must be out of practise with eating takeaway burgers, because I managed to scatter lettuce and sauce all over the wrapper, whereas Slokky handled his much better.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

I can't believe a burger costs $6! I think it really must've been a long time. I guess if you compare it to other food court food around, it's a fair price. Still, I would rather spend my $6 on something else.

Rating - 0

Swiss Points - 7.5

Available At

Oporto
Website

Bar Biscotti Coffee

Taste

We ordered a "normal" cappuccino and a skim cap. They use Caffe Molinari, and I have to report, consistency let them down. I have had coffees here in the past, and the quality can vary depending on who makes it. Today though, I was even more surprised at their level of inconsistency. The normal cap was pulled just right, the aroma sweet, and the coffee at the right temperature. The skim frothed up very nicely, but the espresso was bitter and the milk only lukewarm. I am my no means a coffee snob, (or maybe I am becoming one after Italy!), but in a city full of cafes, that is not acceptable.

Rating - 5.5

Look

I like the setting of this cafe, with contemporary furnishing, and of course, al fresco dining. Even if the weather is bad, there are huge windows that allow you to look outside. The cups are like the others.

Rating - 2

C-factor

Well, we're so used to city prices, I don't even blink over being charged $3 for a coffee, with some places on $3.50. I'm happy to report that the standard sized coffees are still only $2.50 here.

Rating - 1.5

Swiss Points - 9

Available At

Bar Biscotti
Building B, Tenancy 1,
24 George Street
North Strathfield,
NSW 2137
Phone (02) 9746 7333
Website

Copperpot Double Dip

Taste

I first tried the Cheese & Chives and Smoked Salmon. The Cheese and chives tasted of...well...cream cheese and chives, the texture was thickest. The smoked salmon had a strong salmon flavour, and was creamy. One of the better dips on the market.

I also tried the Zesty Eggplant and Green Olive. Surprisingly, the eggplant was fiery and tomatoey, very beautiful, and I love the salty tang of the creamy green olive.

Rating - Cheese - 7.5, Eggplant - 7.5

Look

I think this double dip thing is a pretty cool idea. The flavours don't exactly go together, so I would advice eating separately. The handy plastic lid help you seal what's leftover.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

At $3.59, Copperpot is pitched in the middle-high end of the market, but I think it's better than average, so give it a try.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 10

Available At

Coles
Website

Tasmanian Heritage True Blue

Taste

This blue from Tasmanian Heritage is a combination of brie and blue, and yes, as I have stated time and time again, my favourite combination. This brie was matured, meaning there was a melting creaminess to it. The blue flavour was milder than others.

Rating - 7.5

Look

They don't foil wrap this cheese, it's plastic wrapped. I won't go into the debate of which one is better here, since I finished this in no time at all anyway. The table is not that appealing and could do with some updating.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

230 g for $1.99 on special. This can definitely stand up to the King Island blues.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 10

Ingredients

milk, cultures, salt, rennet

Available At

Harris Farm Markets
Website

Icons Brasserie

Off to lunch with my buffet-crazy friend. His claim to fame? He once ate 9 whole lobsters at a lunch buffet and has tried almost every single buffet offered by 5-star hotels in the city. So when I was invited to lunch, I knew I was onto a good thing already.

Food

Well, this place was certainly very popular, as well as the usual retirees, there were table after table of work groups, however the food was always refilled, so there was no problems there. Here's what's available for lunch time

Cold Food:

• assorted bread and condiments
• make your own salad
• pumpkin and sultana salad
• Caesar salad
• spicy octopus salad
• antipasto
• Sydney Rock oyster
• king prawns
• smoked salmon
• avocado
• raw mussels in tomato sauce
• cooked fish, meat, chicken

Hot Food:

• potato and leek soup
• Asian greens
• fish curry and rice
• beef casserole and mash
• roast chicken
• roast pork
• grilled eggplant

Live Station:

• stir-fry combination with prawns, chicken, fish, octopus, vegetables and noodles in soy, ginger, satay, chilli sauce
• fresh-cooked pasta

Dessert:

• strawberry
• chocolate mousse
• baked cheesecake
• passionfruit cheesecake
• creme brulee
• passionfruit panna cotta
• jelly cup
• profiterole
• vanilla slice
• chocolate wafer slice
• egg custard
• apple crumble
• chocolate cake
• cream cake
• pear and walnut cake
• fruit salad
• assorted cheese with crackers and dried fruit
• assorted lollies

As usual, my dilemma was having to try everything! And as usual, I had to forgo my favourite bread section. I did manage to consume a few (ok, a lot) of oysters, and they tasted fresh. My recommendation? The Cold food (great salads!) and the desserts are excellent (especially that chocolate mousse, made using very good quality chocolate!), but give the hot food section a miss and hit the stir-fry station for your fill instead. The chefs there are quite skilled and can tailor a dish to your liking. The dessert selection is smaller than some, but luckily, everything there tasted really good. The panna cotta also comes recommended.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

The Sydney Harbour Marriot is pretty grand. High ceilings, great furnishings. The toilets are great, with Molton Brown hand lotion provided too! Icons is situated on the first level. The chairs are comfy, the table pretty large. My only gripe, the buffet area is pretty small and can get pretty crowded. Try to get there early or late to secure the good seats.

Rating - 2

Service

As expected, service level was what you would expect from a 5-star hotel. The staff were polite in offering us drinks and clearing away the plates. They weren't as anal as Cafe Mix in that they only sometimes refolded our napkins when we left our chairs.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

The buffet is normally $30 for Mon - Wed lunch. We got a special rate of course of only $15. It's pretty good value for $30 already, but for $15, you could almost eat here every day!

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 15

Info

Sydney Harbour Marriot Hotel
30 Pitt St
Sydney
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9259 7330

Witches Chase Cheese Company Misty Mountain Blue

Taste

Apart from the fetta, this is the best cheese to come out of Witches Chase. Those who frequent the blog know that I have a perchant for creamy blue, which is exactly what this cheese is. This one is less brie like, with a medium blue flavour. I actually enjoy this one because it is a bit closer to a blue than a blue brie, and the saltiness adds depth.

Rating - 7.5

Look

I don't think blue brie ever look pretty. This one comes vacuumed sealed, but once it's opened, it's pretty messy.

Rating - 1

C-factor

$3.60 for a little sliver. It's actually quite a good deal for an artisan cheese.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 9.5

Ingredients

pure jersey milk, cultures, non animal rennet

Available At

Witches Chase Cheese Company
93 Beacon Rd
North Tamborine
QLD 4272
Phone (07)5545 1696
Website

Don Shaved Salami - White Hungarian

Taste

Surprisingly good for Don, a "supermarket brand" of deli goods. Fine specks of fat interspersed on very thinly slices of, or "shaved", salami. This was mildly spicy with a slight smoky flavour. It was not overpowered by herb and spices, so I was impressed.

Rating - 7.5

Look

Well, it came all packaged and ready to go, so very handy to have around actually. The salami was quite red, with evenly distributed dots of white.

Rating - 2

C-factor

150 g for $1, another Coles special.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 10.5

Ingredients

meat including pork 93%, salt, acidity regulator, milk solids, lactose, spices and spice extract, maltodextrin, starter culture, antioxidant, flavour, dehydrated vegetable, sodium nitrate, preservative

Available At

Coles
Website

Farmland Strasbourg

Taste

Not one of my favourites. The sausage was too salty, too spicy, and generally not appealing. There is nothing interesting to report, except that I will have to remember not to buy this again!

Rating - 4

Look

Like a sausage! It came in one of those tub packs where you cut the packaging as well to get to the meat.

Rating - 0.5

C-factor

250g for 40 cents. I don't think I will buy it again even at this price.

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - 5

Ingredients

pork 76%, water, starch, salt, flour, sugar, mineral salts, spices and spice extract, hydrolysed vegetable protein, flavour enhancer.

Available At

Coles
Website

Waterthins Organic Fine Wafer Crackers

Taste

Somehow, I don't think "organic" wafer actually adds to the taste. In fact, I think these actually taste worst than the normal ones you can get. The wafers needed more salt and they didn't have as much crunch as the normal ones.

Rating - 5

Look

Maybe the packaging is trying to tell me something? The normal packaging is black, but the organic one is white, does this explain their lack in flavour? This comes in 2 separate plastic-wrapped portions so it was pretty handy.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

130g for $2.60, bought on special of course :)

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 7.5

Ingredients

organic wheat flour, water, canola oil, salt

Available At

Coles
Website

Japan Nolstagia Trip

Continuing on the theme of reminiscing about my trip, we paid a visit to old Chinatown. I have to say, it has been awhile, but not much has changed. There's still a bustle of people, teenagers dressed in the latest Asian fashions, grandmas and grandpas wondering about, talking to shopkeepers.

First stop was for lunch at Ramen Kan. After we satisfied our tummies, we started off by exploring good old Market City, which I have to report, I haven't been to for years! The old hangout Mamma's Kitchen eatery is gone, replaced by some bargain shopping space. The discount outlet floors have spread, and I happily spent an hour here wandering around. Luckily, they had nothing good on offer, so I left without a purchase.

We wandered to the old Prince Centre, the site of the Chinese Noodle Restaurant, which I had fond memories of visiting back in uni days. The Dumpling House next door was doing a roaring trade because of their $5 afternoon tea special. Onto the old Burlington, which was desserted, and the first of the Chinese Bakeries we were to set foot in today.

Finding nothing of interest, we wandered to where the action is, passing the Emprerers Garden BBQ House on the way. Onto bakery #2, Emperors Garden Bakery, for their famous cream puffs, $1 for 5 tiny pastries filled with some very sweet, artificial tasting custard. They were very hot and very hard to eat without getting custard all over your face. Only worth it once.

Further up Dixon St, we stumbled upon a new shop (to us anyway) next to the Y2K cafe (yet more fond memories), Montagne Bleue Patisserie. This place seems to be following the concept of the cute and special bread shop that's been springing up everywhere. I tried a Sticky Stick ($1) best described as a layer of chinese pastry, coated in sesame, surrounding an air pocket with a sticky substance. The taste was... strange, I would only eat this for the novelty value.

Onto Sussex St, and the good old Thai Kee where we picked up some ginger as well as a Porky I didn't see in Japan (previous it was too old and been discontinued?). The Milk Porky (80 cent) was cheap enough to buy just for the heck of it. We hit the next wave of Chinese bakeries, first up, Helen's, which looked the same as always, except that they have introduced some new stuff to their lineup too. We were looking forward to St Honore for their famous Cocktail bun (90 cent) - a sweet bun filled with a mixture of coconut, and other unrecognisable fillings. They do a roaring trade, so as a consequence, their bread are always fresh. We weren't disappointed with our buns, still warm from the oven, the bread was soft, the filling sweet and satisfying. Eating too much though makes you really full.

Across the street, the old shop that used to sell Taiwanese lollies and dried meat jerky has expanded their business by hosting 2 franchaises in their front window. Colotako sells tataoki balls just like the ones from Japan. We ordered a mix of 2 ebi(pranws) and 2 tataoki(octopus) as part of the $8 deal, which also included a Jap pancake from hontou pancakes and a small pearl tea. The tataoki ball was sprinkled with bonito shavings and all manners of sauces. It tasted pretty much like other tataoki balls, except without the cherry blossom and park setting. I guess this is the next best thing to travelling to Japan for the same experience. You can buy them in packs of 4 for $4-5 or packs of 8 for $7-8.

We chose the green tea flavoured pancake, out of the possible red bean, chocolate, cheese and custard, and it was yummy! The dough was sweet, the filling satisfying. Yup, you can buy a pack of 3 pancakes for $5 as well. This was all washed down with our black sesame milk pearl tea drink, normally $4.50. This was also surprisingly good, one of the best pearl drinks I've had for ages, there's no artificial flavour taste, the sesame smelling divine.

By this time, as you can imagine, we were feeling pretty full, but on we trodded, to the newly opened Bread Story, the king of the new breed of bakeries. There were lots of people there oohing and aahing at the bread. We did the same, laughing at the names of the bread and the funny shape they were in, but we didn't buy anything as the prices were very very steep. Finally we made it to World Square to visit our beloved Bread Top and came away with a Taro loaf ($4.90). This one was not as good as the Pork Floss we tried earlier, but still pretty yum. My only complaint is that the taro flavour was not strong enough. After taste testing some dumplings at the Miracle Supermarket we agreed that our outing was over, and made our way to Town Hall for the journey home, our tummies full and our memories of Japan revisited.

Info

Market City
Cnr Hay & Thomas Sts
Haymarket
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9212 1388
Website

Emperors Garden Bakery
Dixon St Haymarket
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9211 2135

Montagne Bleue
45 Dixon St
Haymarket
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9212 0929

St Honore
427-429 Sussex St, Haymarket
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9281 1628

Colotako
406 Sussex St
Haymarket
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9411 3647

hontou Pancakes
406 Sussex St
Haymarket
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9411 3647

World Square
Cnr George, Liverpool, Pitt & Goulburn Streets,
Sydney
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 8669 6900
Website

Bread Top
World Square, Shop 9,
680 George St,
Sydney
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9264 1383
Website

Ramen Kan

There are a heap of Jap noodle houses offering Ramen and other Jap food at very reasonable prices around Chinatown, so we set out to try some. How to choose between the dozens that are out there? Word of mouth of course! We've heard great things about this place and were very eager to visit, and on this particular Saturday lunch, it seemed so did everyone else. They had a great system though, you sign up on a sheet at the front, and they call you once a table is available. The turnover is quick, and before we knew it, we were called to our table.

Food

A menu offering favourites like tonkatsu, noodles, sushi, fried rice and soba, we stuck to the basics. Considering their name has the word "Ramen" in it, I opted for the Unatama Udon (eel & egg) ($10.50) while Slokky chose the Ramen (miso) & Gyoza Set ($12.90).

Mine arrived in an average sized bowl, the clear soup had a complex flavour. The udon was a bit overcooked. The eel had a very fresh eel taste and the egg completed the picture. I was very impressed by the side salad, the dressing of soy, miso, and possibly mirin lifted it out of the ordinary.

The 3 gyoza on Slokky's tray were small and charred, but the filling was very tasty. Quality over quantity I say. The miso base was great, the noodles has more bite than at other places. The meat and egg tasted very similar to other joints. His salad had added pickles, which was just like the ones we tasted at all those department stores, and helped sooth the palate from the slightly spicy soup stock.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

You've gotta know where this place is to go there, as it's tucked away on the first floor of a building next to Oportos. Inside, there's a semi nautical/Japanese theme going. For the prices, this place is decorated very nicely. The most striking thing is the ropes hung from the ceiling, making the space distinguished. A Japanese screens separates the entrance to the small dining room of about 15 tables, of dark wood. There's a bar with interesting Japanese decorations.

The crowd is a mix of young Asians, Caucasians and their parents it seem. A place for everyone!

Surprisingly, they play music that sound very much like Canto pop, except the lyrics are all in English!

Rating - 2.5

Service

From what we can make out, the 4 to 5 waitstaff are all Japanese, very trendy, young and skinny. Hey, but that's not the most important thing right? I am happy to report they juggled the demands very well, bringing drinks, taking orders, delivering good, settling the bill with great efficiency. I was amazed that they gave everyone just the right time to pursue the menu and that the food arrived at a very good time. This is a well-oiled machine.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

Not exactly the cheapest place to eat ramen. Not exactly the tastiest place to eat ramen, but with the great service, the great space, I will def be coming back.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 14.5

Info

Level 1, 90 Hay St
Haymarket
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9211 6677

Nandos Quarter Chicken

Taste

What is it with Queensland food? Even Nandos here taste better than Sydney! The quarter chicken ($4.50) comes on a plate with a side salad, and a range of their Peri-peri sauces for you to choose from. Slokky ordered the lemon and herb - which didn't add much taste, and the Hot Peri-peri which was much stronger.

Rating - 6.5

Look

Orange! And depending on which sauce you added, yellow or red!

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

I don't think the prices are cheaper than Sydney, but the service here actually comes with a smile, and you eat with real cutlery. Def worth it.

Rating - 2

Swiss Points - 10

Available At

Nandos
Website

Coffee Club Cappuccino

Taste

We continued our experiment, and ordered 1 skim, and 1 normal cappuccino. The results - the skim had frothier milk, but it was only warm, and didn't have that nutty aroma that the normal one seem to have. This can't be down to the milk, that had to do with the espresso itself. Do baristas look down at people who drink skim? Is that why we kept getting skim coffees that are worst than their regular counterpart?

Rating - 5

Look

The Coffee Club here was situated in a prime tourist spot, right in the middle of Cavil Ave. But hey, we weren't here to admire the scenery, we wanted to hit the beach. We ended up leaving though 2 NWs before we got our drinks though.

The takeaway came with the obligatory lids, and also extra paper wrapping around the cup for easier holding a la Starbucks.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

We used the 2 for 1 coupon to get 2 medium coffees for $3.60. A bit expensive for some average tasting coffee, but in the middle of the tourist strip, very acceptable.

What was unacceptable though, was the >10 mins wait for our takeaway drinks!

Rating - 0

Swiss Points - 6.5

Available At

Coffee Club
Website

Witches Chase Cheese Company ABC Mango

Taste

It looks like there's a new champion in my quest to find the best tasting yoghurt around. We discovered this one accidentally on our visit to Witches Chase. They had a tasting of their honey flavoured yoghurt available. This was the smoothest, "cow"-like, of any yoghurt I've tasted. Looking at their ingredient list, I think I can say that fresh is best. The honey added a slight sweetness to accompany the yoghurt. What a find! Trouble is, I won't be able to eat "ordinary: yoghurt any longer, and I haven't been able to find a stockist in Sydney yet!

Rating - 8.5

Look

I didn't know it at the time, but the container this came in was excellent. Super strong and sealed very tightly, the reuse factor was great. This one had yellowish swirls of mango dispersed throughout.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

750g for $6, about the same price that you pay for deli-style yoghurts here. Too bad the airfare is not included though.

Rating - 1.5

Swiss Points - 12.5

Ingredients

pure milk live cultures, acidophilus-bifidus-casei, mango

Available At

Witches Chase Cheese Company
93 Beacon Rd
North Tamborine
QLD 4272
Phone (07)5545 1696
Website

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Taste

All spicy and sweet at the same time, the 3 different fillings, basil pesto, mascarpone, anchovies all adding a different dimension to the taste. The peppers were still slightly crunchy, the filling squishy, yum! My favourite filling was the anchovies, the slight saltiness adding contrast to the sweetness.

Rating - 7.5

Look

They look so cute, little peppers stuffed with 3 different colour stuffing, swimming in a glossy oil.

Rating - 2

C-factor

$35/kg is very steep. But it's still cheaper than buying it from Italy!

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - 10

Available At

Harris Farm Market
Website

Hershey's Miniature Chocolate Bars

Fresh from her stint overseas, Toni bought back a mixed bag of Hershey's for us to share.

Taste

The bag included a mix of:

• Milk chocolate
• Special Dark - mildly sweet chocolate
• mr Goodbar - peanuts in milk chocolate
• krackel - crisped rice in milk chocolate

As I've found with other Hershey's, their chocolates are too sweet for my liking. The best of the lot is, surprisingly, not the Special Dark, but the krackel. There's not much rice chocolate products on the market in Oz, but loads of dark choc ones, so if I eat Hershey's, I'll go for the krackel. The rice cuts the sweetness of the chocolate, and provides just the right texture.

Rating - 5.5

Look

They came individually wrapped in their distinctive Hershey's wrapper. The chocolates look pale, possibly reflecting the small amount of cocoa content.

Rating - 0.5

C-factor

Well, you can't get them easily in Oz, but I don't think this is something I'm really missing.

Rating - 0

Swiss Points - 6

Available At

Specialty chocolate shops or North America and Japan

Bistro Fax

I'd walked past this place many a times, and after reading very mixed review about this place, I wanted to find out for myself.

Food

We started off with some warm sourdough rolls served with butter. They were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Pleasant enough with that sourdough tang, but unadventurous.

Slokky's Slow cooked pork belly with mustard cabbage and lentils ($28.50) sounds exactly like that offered by other restaurants in town. It was a lot leaner than we thought though. It was still soft and moist however, and flavoursome. The crackling was certainly crunchy, in fact, it was really hard! The lentils swam in a rich broth.

And here's where my problem was. I ordered the Pappardelle with braised rabbit, peas and tarragon ($28.50) came with wide ribbon pasta with generous chunks of rabbits and fresh peas, swimming in a strong red wine and stock jus. I didn't get to enjoy the dish for very long though because I bit into a big lump of pasta all stuck together, with the inside not cooked through. This kind of thing is unacceptable even at home, let along at a restaurant charging high 20s prices. So for the first time in my life, I sent a dish back.

Their reaction was standard restaurant, we were offered free drinks. I got a lemon, lime and bitters (pretty average), and Slokky, for some strange reason, decided he didn't want free stuff, even though he always wants to drink Coke at other times. They also offered us more bread, at which we both declined. Finally I persuaded Slokky to take up his free drink offer for a cappuccino, which I really needed. I was glad I did because their Espresso di Manfredi brand was excellent and smooth, with non of that bitter taste.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

Typical hotel dining room. The space is split into 2 levels, with a semi-circular bar and a very high ceiling on the bottom level, and banquettes with spacious chairs and startched tablecloth on the upper level. The clientele at lunch time is the order corporate crowd, who all seem to enjoy a wine with their lunch and who seem to want to linger.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Well, I had a very strange lunch, made more so by the wait staff. From the outset, the attire and the atmosphere eluded to hotel restaurant standard. The staff showed you to your table and unfold your napkin. They offered us the wine list and a choice of water. Menus were delivered promptly and orders taken without any problems.

The food took awhile to arrive but we were enjoying the bread roll. We watched as one of the staff delivered the wrong order to the table.

Later on, after I sent my meal back, waiters came to offer me free drinks and bread, and were very apologetic. They managed the situation very well, and the head waiter personally delivered my replacement meal.

As soon as we finished eating though, they cleared our plates and bought us the bill without us even asking. That was a bit strange, but the restaurant wasn't full and they weren't attempting to to rush us out or anything. What if we'd wanted dessert or had an e-card? Maybe they operated on the cafe model, where you get the bill after you've been delivered your coffee. You can then linger for as long as you like. Who knows, all I know is that they had to recalculate once we gave them the e-card.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

Well, our meal came to $28.50 after we used the e-card. Of course our drinks were free. This place deserves extra mark for being the first restaurant where I've sent food back. (But not the first restaurant where I've got food for free, that honour belongs to Wagamama.)

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 13

Info

27 O'Connell Street
(Cnr Pitt Street)
Sydney
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 8214 0400
Website

The Polish Place

Food

By the time we made it here, it was close to 3pm. There are a variety of dishes on the menu, but all with a Polish take. I'm not sure how authentic everything is, but we decided to try the very traditional dishes. I ordered the Polish Bigos with Sausage ($19) (Traditional winter meal for sauerkraut lovers - prepared and cooked with different meats and herbs, served with a Polish smoked sausage. Mustard and Horseradish on the side, served with a bread roll and butter) - the sauerkraut was cooked in heavy stock. It wasn't as good as what I had in Germany, but pleasant enough. It was a good dish for winter and complemented the polish sausage (which was not as good as German or Italian sausage) well. The accompanying seed mustard and horseradish was excellent. The bread roll was a plain, soft, white roll, and uninteresting. Slokky went for the Meat & Herb Pierogi - Polish Dumplings ($19) (meat and herbs, wrapped in pastry and boiled, with fried bacon and onion) - which was like a Chinese wonton, except there's no soup inside the dumpling. The pastry was thicker than a wonton, but not gluggy. It was sprinkled with fried bacon pieces and accompanied by a pickle and onion salad.

We were too full to try the desserts or coffee, but lots of people were ordering them and they looked great! Overall, the food can be described as very homely. There's nothing fancy but I think it is very fitting for the surrounding.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

This place is very cute, and very kitsch. There are traditional Polish decorations all around, you can sit outside, which has a wonderful view of the hinterland, or inside, with its real wood-fire burning. You instantly feel at home. There is accommodation available as well.

Rating - 2

Service

You've got to give it to the Queenslander. The service wasn't very professional but there were very very friendly. The kitchen was closed when we went, but they accommodated our request. They also didn't flinch when Slokky knocked over their whole tipping jar when he was trying to pay.

Rating - 4.5

C-factor

I love this place. The prices aren't cheap but you go for the experience.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 14

Info

333 Main Western Road
Tamborine Mountain
QLD 4272
Phone (07) 5545 1603
Website

Infinity Sourdough

Taste

Those who know me will know that I looovve bread, especially sourdough. I can eat plain sourdough for a week. My latest find is the French Levain (mother/starter on French) Bread ($4.50) from Infinity. The outside has a charcoaled flavour, the inside has a "real" bread texture, none of that supermarket cardboard stuff. You can smell the intense aroma straight away. And just like good bread should be, it has a taste of its own.

I also tried the Olive Sourdough ($6.50). This one was even better, the salty sweetness of the fat juicy olives matched well with the slight nuttiness.

My new favourite is the Potato ($5.75), a purple-ish colour, with bits of walnuts adding crunch, a more crumbly texture,and that unmistakable sourdough taste.

Rating - French - 8, Olive - 9, Potato - 10

Look

The outside was a golden brown, the inside a very light brownish hue. No bleaching of any kind here.

The olive bread had just the right amount of olives, and was suitably darker.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

$4.50 might seem steep, but it compares favourably with other boutique breads and is actually excellent value for a huge loaf. Harris Farm only charged us $4 for the olive one too, bonus!

Rating - 1.5

Swiss Points - French - 12, Olive - 13, Potato - 14

Available At

225 Victoria St
Darlinghurst
NSW 2011
Phone (02) 9380 4320

Arthouse Hotel Attic Bar

I must be getting old, but I am finding that I don't enjoy going to bars with loud music, low lighting, and no way to chill out and talk. Yes, I know this place is filled with young, skinny and cool people and is THE place to be on a Sat nite (maybe that's why I don't belong!). One thing the Attic Bar is known for is its cocktail though, so I was kean to give it a try. My first choice of apple martini($16) was unavailable, so I went for a concubine($16). It was much more sour than I expected, and no better than the cocktails I could've got at the other bars.

The food was about average for a bar . The pepperoni pizza (16) was a bit too spicy, the chilli salt & pepper squid (12) was too hot, the selection of dips and olives with flat bread (12) didn't come with enough flat bread (a pet hate), hey but you're there to drink and not to eat right?

Their toilets are located 2 levels down, and fits into the strange category that a lot of the bars and restaurants seem to be heading towards. Conclusion? Go there if you're young, you want to be seen, and you don't mind shouting for conversation.

Info

275 Pitt Street
Sydney
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9284 1200
Website

King Island Lighthouse Blue Brie

Taste

Yes, I love King Island and this is one of my favourite products. The creaminess of brie combined with the bitey-ness of a blue. The brie was meltingly creamy, the blue has just the right hint of saltiness. I combined it with dried apricots, yum!

Rating - 8.5

Look

The packaging is not too great, but the cheese itself looks creamy and oozes out as you cut it.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

200g for $6.99 is a bit expensive.

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - 10.5

Ingredients

pasteurised milk, salt, mineral salt, enzyme, cultures

Available At

Supermarkets everywhere

Omni Blue Cafe

The best thing about the BA training I've just attended? The fabulous lunch we were treated to at Omni Blue.

Food

We were given a limited menu, where we could get a main plus a drink for $15 (paid for by work, of course). On day 1, I had the Mixed seafood platter with calamari, octopus, prawns and fish served with rice and salad (normally $18.90) - I was expecting a small fisherman's basket of low-quality seafood, so imagine my surprise when a huge plate loaded with fresh grilled seafood, (I got 3 juicy prawns, 2 pieces of fish, octopus and calamari) marinated with fresh herbs, a mound of chicken flavoured rice, and a huge mixed salad! The seafood was excellent, especially with a squeeze of the supplied lemon and lime. The rice was a bit dry, but there was no way I could've finished the plate so it was untouched anyway. The salad was very fresh, with a tangy vinaigrette dressing. The aioli was unnecessary since everything was already so flavoursome. I was very full and satisfied.

I was tempted to order the same thing again for Day 2 since it was so good, but in the interest of a rounded review, I ordered the Grilled fish of the day served with Chips and Salad (normally $16.90) - Well, the fish was the same as Day 1, but much more of it, so that was good. The chips, well, they were excellent, and def worth it. Not too thin and not too thick, they were actually fried golden on the outside, and the potato soft and mashy on the inside. These went great with the supplied aioli though. I ordered the standard juice, orange and pineapple ($3 each normally), and I can testify that they give you at least the semi-fresh stuff.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Omni Blue is really like an oasis of calm in the busy hub of Wynyard. Situated in the Met Centre, but tucked into a corner, the place was buzzy but not overly full. There are a few plasma screen showing Pay TV, but I don't think anyone was paying any attention. People were there in 2s or in small groups, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the excellent food.

Decor wise, it's the birch wood effect, with a semi open kitchen and bar. There are some banquette seating along the outside wall.

Rating - 2

Service

The staff were dressed in black, and very friendly. This could be due to the fact that they know the trainer very well though. They were efficient in taking our drink orders, delivering the food, and stopped off for some friendly chatter too.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Even if my meal wasn't free, I think this is a great place to go for a work lunch. The fact that the company was interesting and the meal was free was a bonus.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 14.5

Info

Shop G24-26, Met Centre,
Cnr George and Margaret Sts,
Sydney
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9252 0041

Beanbah Espresso

Off to Shan's b'day lunch at her favourite brekkie cafe. You might remember my musings about this place before, so I was looking forward to testing out their lunch menu.

Food

It's very typical cafe fare, with lots of combos of sandwiches, wraps, melts. What caught our interest was the Specials board. This shows the daily soup, pasta, meat specials. Shan and Slokky both opted for the Beef lasagna with salad ($12) - Which arrived with a very tomatoey layers of pasta (great quality!) filled with beef mince and very sweet tomatoes. This one was quite light on the bechamel sauce, which is a good thing, but the cheese topping was strong enough to lift the tomato sauce. The side salad was interesting and fresh. I ordered the Chicken and mushroom risotto ($12) - a very dark-coloured risotto (from the mushroom no doubt) arrived, topped by fresh herbs and cheese. It was flavoursome, but not quite to my liking. In terms of risotto, it's not quite well cooked, but then again I haven't experienced many great risottos at cafes. (Note to self: must stop ordering risottos at restaurants). I thought they could've been more generous with the mushrooms and the chicken also.

I've been to Beanbah a few times since, and they've changed their coffee brand from Grinders to Segafredo. I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but Slokky's Skim cappuccino ($3) was quite bitter. I think their coffee is actually getting worst, but Shan actually likes them like that, so maybe it's all a matter of preference.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

It's a small cafe, with only a few tables inside and a few more out (which you can't really use in winter as they have no outdoor heaters). You have to get very cozy with your neighbours. The cafe has a very relaxed vibe, decorated in white, with glass cabinets displaying the food, a help yourself drink fridge, and newspaper and magazines rack. The turnover is quite quick and there are always people stopping off for coffee.

Rating - 2.5

Service

In a city full of cafes, you can compete on a few different points, where Beanbah excels is in their service. When we arrived, there were no tables for 3, the staff went out of their way to make us feel comfortable while they tried to source a table for us. They gave us more time for the menu when needed, and enquired about how our meal was going. Shan is a winter regular (she's a huge fan of their porridge), and she told us how they remembered her preferences from last winter the first time she came in this winter, how she liked her coffee extra strong, and for it to arrive after she had finished her meal. I certainly felt special at this place, and that's the reason I would be going back.

Rating - 5

C-factor

In a city full of similar cafes, Beanbah is certainly cheaper than all the other cafes around Martin Place. Their prices are on par for what they offer, but too expensive, yet not that cheap. I think they certainly know their clientele.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 15

Info

Shop 1, 235 Macquarie St
Sydney
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9231 5555

Jalna Yoghurt

Taste

I used to love Jalna yoghurts before I discovered Attiki, Harris Farm and my few fave Dairy Farmers Deli-Style, but I have decided to revisit an old favourite. The first one off the rank was the Premium Vanilla Cream. The yoghurt smelled quite divine, and had none of the fake vanilla taste I was expecting. The texture was smoother and creamier than the other Jalnas, so all in all very pleasing. This is definitely one of their better products. The other one of note is the Biodynamic one which I also like, but stay away from the Fat-Free and the Coffee flavoured ones.

I decided to revisit the Fat-Free products again since it has been a long time. I'm still not a fan of their Natural Fat Free in the green tub. Oh there's nothing wrong with it, just that there are better products out there. The Fat-Free BerryFruits was slightly better than the natural, the berry not too sweet, but I'm still not happy about that watery and non silky texture.

Rating - Vanilla Cream - 7, BerryFruits - 6

Look

They're one of the first to have "tub set" yoghurts, giving it a very special selling point. I'm not sure how being set in a tub actually improves a yoghurt, but there you go. One thing though, it is quite hard to get the yoghurt out of the small opening.

Rating - 1

C-factor

500g tube for around $3. I've had better.

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - Vanilla Cream - 8.5, BerryFruits - 7.5

Ingredients

BerryFruit
skim milk, skim milk solids, fruit juice concentrate, fruit puree (3%), natural colour, natural falvour, live cultures

Available At

Supermarkets everywhere