Decadent Breakfasts Are the Best

Life is definitely too short to be worrying about rolled oats and bran for breakfast and whilst I appreciate the Heart Foundation  might have something to say about the effects of overindulgence, I think you should spoil yourself a little but often ;-)

Junior often goes for an early morning surf on a Saturday and heads home via Strawberry Cream Continental Patisserie in Darlinghurst to bring me one of my fave breakfast treats- a freshly baked croissant with ham, cheese and bechamel sauce.

As much as I delight in being treated to breakfast in bed, I don't recommend you attempt it with all the flaky pastry flying about. Not on the Egyptian cotton for crying out loud!

The fresh croissant is buttery and moist on the inside with layers of deliciously flaky pastry on the outside. The classic combination of the ham and cheese is perfectly matched with the thick, cheesy and velvety bechamel. Toasted under the grill it gives a fantastic texture contrast of the smooth and creamy bechamel with the crusty cheese and pastry. Heaven...

If you choose to dine in, be warned that the coffee is not that great and neither is the service. Whilst the authentic Gallic touch of only hiring native French girls may delight some of the males amongst us with Amélie fantasies, for the rest of us back here on Earth, it can be a little frustrating when their broken English gets in the way of a croissant reaching my mouth in a timely fashion. And my automatic reaction is almost always "No monsieur, I did not know that Petit Miam is 'IGH in calcium" and I almost always keep it to myself.

As a Savour Tooth it's not really my thing but if you are into Continental pastries and sweets, their selection will more than make up for the lack of coffee making skills. There is a solid selection in this tiny shop ranging from Tart Au Citron to Crème Brûlée and macarons.

Verdict: Oui to lovely take away delights. Non to a dine in experience to remember.

Strawberry Cream Continental Patisserie
336 Victoria Street
Darlinghurst NSW 2011
(02) 9356 3122

Summer if definitely a time to Rosé

With the beautiful weather upon us, I am looking forward to many a chilled glass of rosé whilst sitting outside, looking at the ocean. We are very lucky that Australia makes world class rosés especially our friends down in the Barossa Valley in South Australia. Did someone say road trip?!

In the spirit of celebrating my love of rosé, I thought I'd make a few recommendations. Would love to hear any of your faves too so feel free to comment.

Turkey Flat- Rosé (Barossa Valley, SA)
http://www.turkeyflat.com.au/

Of all the rosé drinkers around, most will agree that Turkey Flat's Rosé is up there with the best. This wine has complexity with sweet berry-liciousness and a lovely dry finish. It is a grown up rosé with many elements on the palate and would satisfy even the non-rosé drinkers amongst us. Made from Grenache, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Dolcetto, this wine is a beautiful bold reddy pink and oh so very drinkable.

I would recommend this refreshing wine to be enjoyed on its own or with light meals like salads, antipasto plates and perfect with seafood.

Verdict: When you find it on special, stock up and stock up good. You will be very popular if you bring this little gem along to dinner or a party with friends- that's if you can bear to share it!

Langmeil- Bella Rouge Rosé (Barossa Valley, SA)

http://www.langmeilwinery.com.au/

My Dad is the Mr Miyagi of Wine and my wine mentor. He has a freakishly good palate which amazes me constantly. Over the years he has introduced me to many different wines but this is definitely a stand out. I have such a soft spot for it that in some ways no rosé can compare.

Made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes this rosé is a gorgeous deep and velvety red colour and darker than most rosés. It is a fuller bodied rosé and I always get a 'kir royale' kinda feeling when I drink it.

Verdict: Yum num num num num. Online purchasing recommended.


Tin Shed- All Day Rosé (Barossa Valley, SA)
http://www.tinshedwines.com/



True to its name, you can drink this drop all day, everyday, 24 hours a day. I first discovered this drinkable gem when living in Manly and visited the Bavarian Bier Cafe one sunny Sunday afternoon. Since that day there has been some intense abuse of this wine by my friends and I.

The wine itself is a dark blush as a result of extended days in barrel. There is a combination of Grenache, Sangiovese, Mourvedre and Shiraz in this wine. There is a lolly like sweetness that can be on the sweet side for my palate but the wine itself is well rounded enough for the sweetness not to take over, with a nice clean finish. Not incredibly complex but a very pleasant drop to enjoy with almost anything food wise- red meat, chicken, fish or even a nice dessert.

Verdict: Good all rounder for all occasions

Going Down to Chinatown

Here is a back dated post from a few weeks back...

Being half Chinese and born in Hong Kong, my version of fast food normally comes in the form of a steaming hot bowl of noodles from Chinatown. There are some great little food courts in Chinatown and which one you chose depends on what you are craving. As I was craving a good laksa, Junior and I decided to head to one of my favourites, Sussex Centre Food Court for a quick bite to eat before a movie. Whilst there are many places in Sydney to get a great Laksa, I'd have to say the Happy Chef at Sussex Centre Food Court is a consistent deliverer of quality flavoursome Laksas and they have never let me down in the years I have been going there.

This particular instance, I chose the Spicy Beef, Tendon and Tripe Laksa. Offal tends to be poo poo'd by most Westerners but it's is a real treat when it's done right. The spicy beef is a slow braised brisket which melts in your mouth, with the soft yet firm texture of the tripe to balance out the bitey tendon. Mmmmmm...

Junior's new favourite noodle dish is a old fave of mine and my family's. I know it as Gohn Chow Ngau Hor but I think in English if you order Stir Fried Beef with Rice Noodle, you 'should' get the same thing. I say 'should' because I tend to order Chinese food in Cantonese as that's is the only way I can articulate what I am after. When translated into English it's all over the shop especially at Yum Cha... drives me nuts! The only thing you need to make sure is the type of Rice Noodle they give you- Hor Fun in the thick, flat rice noodle. Like many great Chinese dishes, this is super simple and satisfying and so easy to get wrong in the execution.

 

The noodles are skillfully tossed in a dark soy sauce so that it achieves a slight caramelisation just before getting burnt. Tender, thin slices of marinated beef are added to the noodles with onion, garlic chives, bean sprouts and topped with sesame seeds. Devour with some chilli paste and it is so so sooooo good. My Dad's version is always a crowd fave and I can assure you that if you snooze, you are sitting there with an empty bowl. It's that simple!

Satisfied with a belly full of oodles of noodles, we saw this on display in Sussex Centre. A GIANT mooncake. Mooncakes are part of the celebrations of the annual Moon Festival (also commonly known as Mid-Autumn Festival). Moon Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar (this year it was 3rd October 2009).

Mooncakes are typically round and about the size of your palm. Inside the pastry is a lotus seed paste encasing a salty duck egg yolk to represent the moon. The lotus seed paste is very sweet and I can assure you that the duck egg yolk is an acquired taste. One I have not managed to get my head around to be honest.

As you can see from the size of Junior's hand, the Mooncake was HUGE indeed!

Verdict: Definitely go to Happy Chef next time you are looking for a soothing, satisfying laksa and unless you can convince my Dad to fry you some noodles, then most of the wok noodle places in the food courts in Chinatown will do the Gohn Chow Ngau Hor justice!

Sussex Street Centre Food Court

401 Sussex Street

Haymarket NSW 2000

Breakfast of Champions

After a little hibernation over the past month, I owe this blog some much needed attention. Lucky I have some post ideas and photos banked up so time permitting I hope to get my blog on more regularly from now on.

As my weekend breakfasts with Junior are amongst my most favourite things, it seemed fitting to return to the world of blogging with what could potentially be our new favourite local breakfast joint. I had been meaning to give Forbes & Burton a whirl for quite some time now and I am glad I did.

 For us double macchiato drinkers, the quality of the coffee is a crucial element to our brekkie reviews and the fine barista at Forbes & Burton did a fantastic job with the first coffee, however the second had a bit too much milk going on but at least made for a great pic!

Our food arrived very promptly even though the place was full which was a welcomed surprise as one becomes accustomed to having at least 2 coffees and read a whole section of the SMH for weekend brekkie at popular places. Another big tick.

As you can see the servings are generous and I can attest not at the expense of the quality. My scrambled eggs were perfectly cooked as was the wilte spinach and the Sonoma sourdough was divine (mmmmm... sourdough). The bacon was ever so slightly undercooked for my liking as I like it cooked just short of crunchy. Having said that, I managed to get MAJOR food envy when Junior's arrived.

How good can poached eggs with roasted mushrooms, bacon and sourdough toast be, I hear you ask. Damn good when the egg is cooked like this...

Verdict: I am on a mission to get all Eastside City dwellers to try this place at least once. It is definitely my new favourite. May well see you there this weekend. Lunch menu also looks divine so look forward to checking it out!

Forbes & Burton

252 Forbes Street (corner Burton Street)

Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Phone: (02) 9356 8788

www.forbesandburton.com.au

Grease is the Word

I would like to preface this post with a self imposed "I told you so". As a rare diner at McDonald's, I found myself strangely allured by promises of real Angus beef, how Maccas is so committed to making their burgers taste great and murmurs of how it tasted distinctly un-Maccas like... With hope in my heart and a desire to believe in the power of good over evil, Junior and I headed off to meet Angus in his new home of the Golden Arches.

Uh... how you say... er... FAIL!

I know, I know- I have already done the "I told you so's"- let's move on.

Working as a team, Junior and I ordered a Mighty Angus and a Grand Angus each to sample the flavours of both Angus cousins.

I foolishly opted for the Grand Angus, thinking that the "gourmet" salad would be a nice inclusion to my meal. The "gourmet" lettuce must've been running out the door this particular day, as it was replaced by the dependable but limp iceberg understudy. It was also disconcerting when I picked the burger up to take my first bite and grease trickled down my hand. All I could smell was that distinct Maccas fake cheese before I even took the first bite. Lo and behold, it was all I could taste for the remainder of the meal and for hours afterwards. Hmmmph!

It was only then did I recall my colleague Browny, telling me about the time he ate an unmelted piece of that orange plastic they call cheese at Maccas and not only was he nearly sick, he tried to eat raw onion in the hope that its pungency would overpower the evil cheese but alas, the evil cheese proved too powerful and it lingered for days.

Junior's Mighty Angus, sans anything green, avec caramelised onion was a marginally better effort but I suspect this was due to only having one slice of the cheesus vomitus whereas my Grand (and I do use these terms very loosely) was lucky enough to have two.

So kids what have we learnt from this experience? You can never trust Maccas for anything except a guaranteed greasy meal that will repeat on you for days to come.

I also learnt that I should know better than to fall for gimmicky marketing even if the top bun does fall on a cute and jaunty angle.

Grand? Mighty? Why yes, if these words precede DISAPPOINTMENT.

Bang Bang...

OK, I am the first to admit that I am not the most demure and shy person around the traps however, I wasn't brought up by a pack of wild wolves and therefore know how to behave when in a dining establishment. Yes, we have all experienced a time where we've had a few too many bubbles and started to laugh hysterically at nothing in particular but that usually happens on a weekend, with a crowd of equally drunk, loud and hysterical friends and in a venue where the general level of noise is an equaliser for the decibels exuding from your corner of the universe.

Try telling that to Miss Squawk-a-Lot and her band of very merry men and a camper than Christmas, David Brent doppelganger. Clearly a bunch of social misfits that individually would have no friends on Facebook therefore decided to band together, a la Revenge of the Nerds and rise against the cool kids by being uber loud and talking over each other with gusto.

I have enjoyed the ambience of Il Baretto a number of times and whilst it can get noisy from chatter, it usually is a din of conversation that is audible but not pronounced.

I took Junior to Il Baretto for the first time last night as I knew he would love the Duck Ragu Papardelle and enjoy a nice romantic dinner out on a Thursday.

When we arrived, we were greeted by the friendly staff and seated straight away, on a lovely table near the back of the restaurant. Normally I enjoy a nice red with my Italian but the unseasonally balmy 25+ degrees and my selfish decision to have the Spaghetti alla Vongole led me to bring a Zilzie Rose 2006 along for the ride.

Everything was going along swimmingly until Miss Squawk-a-Lot and pals turned up, with their glass shattering guffaws. When the first thing they did was ask for a bottle opener for their Coronas by shouting at the waiter, in case he was hearing impaired, I gave Junior that knowing look of "Holy crap. If these bogans keep it up, I am going to stab the nearest one with my fork- after I finish my delicious meal for fear of ruining the experience (interestingly it would've been Campy David Brent)." He responded with an oft seen "Holy crap. Must eat quickly and leave before there is violence."

Anyway, Junior and I did our darndest to enjoy our dinner which was accompanied by a lovely rocket & parmesan salad, with fresh, peppery rocket leaves; crumbly, salty parmesan and dotted with slivers of sun-dried tomatoes. The rocket and dressing were divine but to be honest 2 shavings of parmesan is not enough for a $9.50 salad.

My Spaghetti alla Vongole has all the right flavours going on, onion, garlic and chilli coating the al dente pasta perfectly but the vongole were a little on the small side (I know they're supposed to be small but the size of a Tic Tac probably is a little too small) and to be honest, I did experience moments of grit. Overall the flavours were enjoyable so it wasn't a complete loss.

Junior's Duck Ragu on the other hand was rich and flavoursome, perfectly paired with the ribbons of papardelle. I am glad he chose that dish as his introduction to Il Baretto.

I would still recommend Il Baretto for the masses despite an overall disappointing experience as I have been there previously and really enjoyed myself. As for the menu, I would suggest sticking with the staple menu (with the exception of the Duck Ragu) to ensure the likelihood of a more consistent dining experience.

And as for Squawky and Friends, forget Il Baretto, just pass me a Beretta...

Il Baretto

496 Bourke Street

Surry Hills NSW 2010

(02) 9361 6163

An Unexpected (and Unwelcomed) Moroccan Party in my Mouth

I know that may seem like a rather absurd title with dodgy connetations but that is exactly what I got at Bourke Street Bakery.

Having excitedly read Good Living's review of the Top 3 Sausage Rolls (for more info see previous posts), I convinced Junior to join me in sampling the flaky pastry goodness, starting with Bourke Street Bakery in Marrickville.

As we had many an errand to run during the day, we weren't able to get their until early afternoon. I pretty much figured that the selection may be limited as a result but remained hopeful. I spotted the lead singer from Faker sitting on a table outside, talking rather animatedly to his coffee companion but what really struck me was the fact that he looked like he needed a really good wash. Perhaps that is a rock star thing...

Anyway as we entered, I noticed there were only a few pies and two kinds of sausage rolls left. I was keen to try the Lamb & Harissa as well as the Pork & Fennel on Random Pear's recommendation and that's exactly what they had so I took it as a sign. FYI- the ones with poppyseeds on top are the Lamb & Harissa.

Excitedly Junior and I tucked into the Lamb & Harissa ones and WHOA NELLY... All of a sudden we found guest ingredients exploding in our mouths and like people who gatecrash parties, ended up taking over the party and ruining it for everyone else.

HMMMMPH!

I just want to get it clear upfront that I don't expect for every single ingredient to be listed in a description when they are base flavours such as onion, garlic et al but this was pushing the friendship. Almonds and currants are exotic enough to warrant a mention and if anything to act as a warning for those like myself who do not enjoy currants of any kind... especially currants who jump out of sausage roll screaming SURPRISE with sparklers and party poppers. I am sure there are foodies who would fall over themselves at this Moroccan gem and rightfully so but I was not given the chance to choose. Miffed? You betcha!

Thankfully we heeded Random Pear's advice and shared the Pork & Fennel number (doubly thankful the sausage roll excursion ended on a good note). Great pastry and a delightful combination of sweet pork with aniseed notes from the fennel. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Would certainly return to try out more flavours and perhaps a pie as well but make sure you enquire about the ingredients in your baked good... Once bitten and all that...

Bourke Street Bakery

2 Mitchell Street

Marrickville NSW 2204

(02) 9569 3225

Eatability gets it right again

For what it's worth, I think www.eatability.com.au is a very reliable source of dining info and would highly recommend it to all lovers of food out there. Stuck for an idea as to where to have breakfast on Saturday morning, Junior and I decided to consult eatability and it led us on an adventure to Strangers With Candy.


Strangers With Candy is a quirky little cafe off the beaten track in East Redfern which got consistently great reviews for their food so I just had to give it a try. Admittedly, Junior was more trepidatious about the move but let's just say it was all worth it in the end.


Both of us started with the obligatory double macchiatos. They use Neoma Coffee which I have not had previously. It was well made and very drinkable but I found the actual roast was not strong enough for my personal taste.


The breakfast menu is very small compared to the broadsheet sized options you can get in many cafes these days however they obviously stick to what they know and do it damn well.


It was a difficult decision between the Bruschetta with San Marino Proscuitto and Beetroot Relish or the Smoked Salmon with Horseradish Cream and Eggplant Caviar but the latter won in the end.

Junior enjoyed the scrambled eggs with chorizo sausage and mushrooms on the side.

I would highly recommend the bruschetta option as it offers a nice alternative to the usual eggs and toast combos. I suspect that my salmon may have been wild salmon as opposed to farmed as it was really flavoursome and the texture was nice and firm. The horseradish cream had just the right amount of zing and the dish was balanced nicely with the rocket, capers and a lovely eggplant caviar. Altogether a very satisfying combination and the portion was generous enough to feel full but not overly full. Will definitely order that again but next time I definitely want to try one of the other bruschetta options.

Junior enjoyed his breakfast with the highlight being the baby button mushrooms which were left whole and sauteed with distinct rosemary and thyme (isn't there a song somewhere in that?!)- extremely more-ish indeed. His chorizo sausage was also fantastic but he found the scrambled eggs to be ever so slightly overcooked and not as fluffy as others he has previously tried. The toast options available were white, multi-grain or Turkish and whilst you may think I am biased towards sourdough (mmm sourdough), even Junior would've preferred it to the options available.

Verdict: All in all, the high quality produce and no fuss plating plus friendly service, lets good food do all the talking. Also worth checking out their lunch/dinner options.

Strangers With Candy
96 Kepos Street
East Redfern NSW 2016
(02)9698 6000
www.strangerswithcandy.com.au

Do you Wagyu?

I certainly do so last night we had a little crew head over to Rockpool Bar & Grill to see if their Wagyu Beef Burger really is the best burger in town. Simon Thomsen of SMH and I don't see eye to eye all the time but if Heston Blumenthal is a fan then that's good enough for me.

Rockpool Bar & Grill is in a beautiful art deco building with the restaurant featuring high ceilings and grand marble columns. The adjoining bar was all dark wood and glass with candles on the table to create a very nice ambience indeed. Pity the blasts of wind coming through the door were so cold.

So there we were with a great table with a view of the bar which has a gravity defying and rather impractical application of glass hangers.

We ordered a bottle of 2006 Bress Shiraz which was divine. Bress is a winery in Heathcote, Victoria which has received a coveted five star rating from James Halliday's 2010 Wine Companion. Surprisingly Bress also make their own cider which I would be very interested in trying. The 2006 shiraz has a delightful nose and I found to be very well rounded on the palate. It is packed with berry flavours and a hint of oak and spice. Yum!

I did note a tone of disdain as the waitress put down our 'tap' water. Not cool.

So Random Pear and her pal Grinder (it was the quickest nickname I could find!), Junior and I all ordered the Wagyu Beef Burgers and Taxman decided on the Steak Sandwich. Luckily Random Pear asked if they came with chips or we would've been chip-less without the two bowls of chips on the side. Taxman did suggest a third bowl to which I was all for when Random Pear exercised a rare show of restraint and stuck to the two. Drats!

Much food talk ensued including debating the merits of gelato vs ice cream, smooth vs crunchy peanut butter and Grinder's upcoming one on one cooking session with Matt Moran. We also did decide that we need to do Friday lunch at Marque and Chef's Table at Aria very soon.

We were also lucky enough to see Neil Perry walk the floor a few times. I have eaten at a number of his restaurants over the years and have only seen him in the restaurant one other time.

Then they arrived...

And I had to giggle at the waitresses suggestion it was accompanied by a salad. This started a debate as to what constitutes a side salad... You be the judge.

The wagyu beef patty was topped with Gruyere cheese, bacon, tomato, pickles and chilli relish all on a brioche bun made on the premises with a sheen on top that gave it a familiar fast-food feel to it. It was indeed delicious. The Blackmore wagyu beef was the rightful star of the show and there was a distinct lack of conversation whilst we feasted.

Taxman's steak sandwich looked great. The steak cooked perfectly with salad on a sourdough baguette (mmm sourdough). Not normally a fan of chunky chips, these chips were deliciously crispy and golden and rather more-ish.

A good time was had by all and coffees were enjoyed with the Haigh's chocolate hearts I brought along as a special treat.

Here is another shot of the 'glass' bar taken by Junior complete with mood lighting.

Verdict: Definitely the best burger I have had thus far and would recommend you go try one for yourself. At $22 it's an affordable way to enjoy the ambience of this beautiful restaurant. I do think there though the pompous switch should be dimmed with the waitstaff in the bar. And for the record, tap water is highly acceptable.

Rockpool Bar & Grill
66 Hunter Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 8078 1900
http://www.rockpool.com.au/sydney/bar-and-grill/

ZUMBO ZUMBO ZUMBO

As a gastronome with a very savoury slant to my palate, it surprises even me, to have two posts out of four dedicated to sweets. This however was an almost spiritual experience...

Apologies for my crap photography not doing it justice but take my word for it that it was incredible.

Many of you may remember being introduced to the magic of Zumbo during Masterchef. Just seeing the contestants freak out over the task of remaking his croquembouche was TV at its best. The final four contestants had the daunting task of recreating his Chocolate Mousse Cake and after the show ended there was a ballot for 100 of these cakes made by Zumbo himself.

Random Pear, aka Food Blessed, managed to win cake no.3 and was kind enough to invite Junior and I over for the cutting ceremony. Random Pear's husband Taxman wasn't so sure he needed more food zealots in the house but he let us in the door anyway!

Random Pear and I commenced the ceremony by taking many many photos of each stage whilst ooh-ing and aah-ing the whole time. I did let slip that I took more photos of the cake than at their wedding and I am pretty sure Taxman and Junior just wanted to eat the damn cake already. Note: Where were the macaroons?

There were so many elements within the one cake and despite my non-sweet tooth, I had to have a piece of the magical cake. There was salted caramel, apples, blackberry, jaconde et al and all of them married so well together.

I believe one can attempt their own version by clicking recipe here but be warned, it is a big task.

Verdict: Zumbo is a genius and you should go visit him and you just may convert a fellow Savour Tooth like myself.

Adriano Zumbo Patissier

296 Darling Street

Balmain NSW 2041

(02) 9810 7318

http://adrianozumbo.com/patisserie.html

6 eggs a week might seem like a lot- PART TWO

Well as if Toby's on Saturday enough, I decided it was high time I took Simon Thomsen's word for it and check out Cafe Giulia. Junior and I zipped across to Chippendale in the beep beep Barina to see what all the fuss was about on Sunday. We arrived around 11am and the place was heaving with diners and people waiting for take-away. Ever the hawk-eye opportunist, I spotted a seat in the courtyard and left a trail of dust for Junior to find behind me as he looked away from the huge chalkboard menu behind the counter.

It was a glorious day so the outside table was a must! Junior once again had more scrambled eggs, this time with Turkish toast, tomatoes and a side of sausages. Typically you get charged about $5 in any other cafe for a side of snags and in return you get a couple of crusty chipolatas in a side plate but the folks at Cafe Giulia do not believe in small portions... or even regular portions for that matter. Their portions have been automatically upsized whether you like it or not. Anyway Junior got two huge sausages (all sniggering can stop now) which tasted like proper butchers sausages- meaty, full of flavour and not too greasy. Hurrah!

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to take photos (sorry!) as I was too busy tucking into my Chorizo and Parmesan Omelette. And speaking of eggs...

The eggs were delightfully fluffy but also had a nice caramelised crust with big chunks of chorizo through it. There was lashings of shaved parmagiana and just in case I was still hungry 2 slices of sourdough toast (mmmm sourdough) and a lovely leaf salad to finish off the representation of all five food groups.

I LOVE FOOD and whilst I have a very healthy appetite, I struggled to get through it. Junior finished off his glut of eggs with his usual aplomb and I managed half my omelette, one slice of sourdough (all together now- mmmm sourdough) and made a point of finishing the salad to counter balance the protein and carb injection.

I am all for man-sized portions if they can be finished but does anyone else hate wasting food? Someone should consider half portions as an option or I would recommend sharing with a friend. Unless your friend was Junior cos ain't no fool gonna git their dirty mitts on his eggs y'all.

Will definitely be back to sample more of the HUGE menu. There were great looking lunch dishes too and I was freely coveting other people's food as it arrived on the tables around us, much to Junior's dismay.

Verdict: I think Simon Thomsen loves man-sized portions.

Check it out:
Cafe Giulia
92 Abercrombie Street
Chippendale New South Wales 2008
(02) 9698 4424
www.cafegiulia.com

6 eggs a week might seem like a lot- PART ONE

But the National Heart Foundation has raised the recommended the maximum number of eggs consumed per person is 6 per week. FYI- I think Junior's weekend breakfasts combined went over that by a lot. Anyway, apparently the cholesterol count in eggs is not to blame for contributing to coronary heart disease, it's those wretched trans and saturated fats.

Now that the educational part is out of the way, we can focus on our mutual lustful, wanton yearning for food in its purest forms.

Breakfast- the most important meal of the weekend (let's face it- no one really has the time or the energy mid week to indulge)

Saturday we had brekkie at Toby's Estate in Woolloomooloo- a favourite of ours. Coffee always great and good simple food to get you going for the day. I must say though that their scrambled eggs is GIGANTIC. I always forget to ask exactly how many eggs they use but if I was a betting lass, I'd say 5 regular chook eggs or 1 emu egg.



 
With roast tomato, 2 rashers of bacon and delicious sourdough toast (mmmm... sourdough) and all for $11 it is a bargain! I went with the bacon and egg roll with hollandaise which I am usually very pleased with (what can hollandaise NOT make better?!) but on Saturday my sauce was somewhat lacking so it wasn't worth photographing. I shall give it one more chance though as they are usually delectable.
 
Junior and I did have a bet to see if he could finish it and well you can see my wallet started the weekend on a minus.

Verdict: Always a pleasure, never a chore. See you guys again next week. Do yourself a favour and go and visit the super chirpy waiters ASAP!

Toby's Estate Espresso Bar & Espresso School
129 Cathedral Street
Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
(02) 9358 1196
http://www.tobysestate.com.au/