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