Jasmyne Tea

Three Ropes Espresso, Parramatta

If Circa Espresso and my old school canteen had made sweet, sweet love and had a baby, they would have named him Three Ropes and situated him in a tiny alley-way in Parramatta.

It doesn't look like much - the cafe is about 5 metres wide, and the side opens up in a sort of canteen situation, with cookies, cakes and biscuits in jars. People literally take a second look on the street because they can't believe there's a window in the alley that looks so inviting. The interior is decorated with mint condition (I assume) action figures, old army surplus equipment and exposed copper pipes.

They've only really been open for a couple of weeks, but already they're well known by the locals for their excellent coffee, friendly service, and decor that is some sort of eclectic industrial kitsch.

We were welcomed in by Andy, the guy who runs the place, and shown to a seat. Three Ropes doesn't have a huge selection in terms of food or beverages, but they know what they do and they do it well.

Cappuccino - $3.50

Ok, this cup right here? It contains THE finest cap I've ever had. It was smooth, it was robust, and it had the exact right amount of foam to qualify it for cappuccino-hood, which is so often lacking. I seriously cannot rave about it enough!

Flat White - $3.50

Stephen's flat white was much stronger in coffee flavour and quite bitter, but it was just what he was after.

Pork and Fennel Sausage Baguette - $8.00

We ordered two sandwiches, and mine was beautiful. The baguette was fresh and toasted, so that the crust was lovely and crisp, and it was filled with caramelised onion, wilted baby spinach, and a creamy spread that could have possible been creme fraiche. The sausage was amazing, filled with quality pork and sharp fennel.

Ham & Cheese Toasted Sandwich - $8.00

The gentleman at the table next to us was eating this sandwich, and it looked so good that Stephen ordered it too. It was big enough to function as a doorstop, buttered on each side and toasted, and filled with ham off the bone, cheese, baby spinach, and a delightful smear of some kind of sweet chutney that really just made this sandwich special.

Apricot Frangipane Tart - $3.50

The desserts were made over at Circa, and the minute Stephen heard "frangipane" he knew he had to have it. The shortcrust pastry cradled a thick frangipane paste and juicy, caramelised apricots.

Lamington - $3.50

This was the king of lamingtons - the sponge was butter-yellow and dense, covered in a thick chocolate sauce, and then served with a sprinkling of shredded coconut.

If you're in the Parramatta area, you OWE it to yourself to visit Three Ropes Espresso. The food is good and humble, the coffee is extraordinary, and the boys there make you feel like a local.

The New & Improved Circa Espresso, Parramatta

I never understood the term "new and improved". If something is improved, then there had to be something pre-existing to improve upon, and if it's new, then how can it already be improved?

But I digress.

I learned the hard way in the middle of January that Circa was closed for renovations until the end of the month - it's the second time I've gone and they were shut, damn and blast it! Still, about a week after it opened the doors again, Stephen and I went to meet his sister and his mum for lunch.

It's still small, and there are still lopsided tables outside on the sloping driveway that make it a bit hard to eat, but we were welcomed with the same friendliness as last time, and there was a lot more space as the cooking area has been moved to the back instead of along the side of the interior. We were provided with menus, which I hadn't seen before as previously all options were written on butcher paper and stuck on the wall.

Cold Drip Coffee - $6.00

This cold drip coffee had been prepared using Yama iced filtration, where coarsely ground single origin coffee beans had been soaked in cold water for 6 - 8 hours, then filtered and served over ice. The resulting coffee is easy on the palate, less bitter than its warmer incarnation, and notes of dark fruit and chocolate were observed.

Honey Soaked Chai - $4.50

I'm a big fan of the honey-soaked chai, which I always order with soy milk because I prefer the taste. It's sweet, warm, and comforting.

Chicken Breast Schnitzel Wrap - $9.00

Melissa ordered the schnitzel wrap, composed of succulent, juicy chunks of battered chicken, creamy avocado, house made aioli that gave a bit of a zing, crunchy cucumber and some mixed salad. The wrap itself was impressively thin, with just the perfect thickness to hold everything and remain intact.

Scrambled Egg Breakfast Wrap - $8

Rosie ordered a breakfast wrap of perfectly scrambled eggs topped with chilli jam for some heat and supported by a bed of baby spinach leaves. It was definitely a flavour combination I'm not used to, but I found myself quite liking it.


Smoked Ham Sambo - $8.00

Stephen ordered the ham sandwich, which featured smoked ham off the bone, beautiful vine-ripened tomato, some fresh basil and lots of melty cheese. The bread was some sort of multigrain, but very good quality.

Lasagna Special (price unknown)

My lasagna was a thing of beauty. The layers of pasta were thin and silky, perfectly supporting the rich mince and tomato sauce that alternated with the creamy bechamel sauce. Topped with cheese and accompanied by a side of rocket leaves, I was very impressed by this dish.

I'm one of many people who love Circa with a passion, and have taken an oath to take everyone I know there for a meal. The consistently lovely service, simple food made with quality ingredients, and passion for coffee will have me coming back again and again.

Circa Espresso

21 Wentworth St
Parramatta, NSW
2150

Circa Espresso, Parramatta

Nothing irks me more than suffering through a forty minute bus ride and two separate train trips to get to a restaurant, just to find it closed. This happened the first time I tried to visit Circa Espresso, leading to an incredibly mediocre meal at Liana's. At the time there hadn't been much information on the interwebs for this cafe, and I didn't know that it wasn't open on Sundays.

Circa has a sort of whimsical, eclectic charm that appealed to me. There are shelves full of mismatched books and comics, and a hat rack with cool berets and top-hats. The cafe is situated in an old loading bay, and the seating spreads out down the driveway. The walls are covered in graffiti murals, the kitchen is long and narrow, and the menus are located inside old-school novels. In a word? Cool.

We found seats inside, right next to the kitchen, and ordered our meals. Our drinks arrived first, and the tables were so small that they nearly took up the entire thing.

Chai Tea - $3.50

The Chai Tea came in an adorable little cast iron teapot, enough for 2 cups. The tea leaves had been soaked in honey, then infused with piping hot milk. INSANELY good.


Cappucino - $3.50

The cuppucino was made with Little Marionette beans, and was a quality brew. The cup was massive, and the coffee was robust and strong enough to make you pay attention, but not so strong that it made the mouth pucker.

Scrambled Eggs with Salmon - $9.00

The scrambled eggs were copious, and beautifully light and fluffy. They were perfectly seasoned, and served with a respectable amount of smoked salmon on a thick slab of bread.

French Toast with Poached Rhubarb & Labne - $8.00

The French toast was an impressive dish. The toast itself was a large slice, fried til crunchy on the outside and bordering on gooey on the inside. The poached rhubarb was tart and zingy, the labne countering it beautifully with its creamy texture and mild flavour. Pistachios added more of a Middle Eastern feel to this dish.

Baked Eggs with Sucuk, Danish Feta, Tomato & Chili - $8.00

I felt a bit smug when my dish came it - it was easily the most interesting and attractive dish on the table. The soft, baked eggs were accompanied by pieces of spicy Turkish sausage, dotted with chunks of smooth, creamy feta, and enhanced by baked cherry tomato halves. Topped with some herbs and a spicy tomato sauce, I was immensly happy.

Bacon and Egg Sandwich with Tomato Relish - $6.00

They were out of bacon for this dish, so they substituted with a salami of excellent quality. Along with fried eggs and a house-made tomato relish, this was all stacked on lovely, soft Turkish bread.

Although the place was hard to find, and isn't open on Sundays at the moment, I really enjoyed eating here, and look forward to doing so in the near future. With such superb food, prices, and atmosphere, let's just say that Circa is forgiven for these little issues. Even with so far for me to travel, it's worth the trip!

Circa Espresso

21 Wentworth St
Parramatta, NSW
2150

Hardware Societe, Melbourne CBD

Melbourne was not what I expected. When Roxy and I visited over the Labour long weekend, I'll admit I was expecting a city the size of Sydney but with all the idiosyncrasies of Melbourne that I've heard of, but I was dead wrong: Melbourne is a completely different place in terms of atmosphere, architecture, and culture, and is much smaller.

An example of Melbournesque eccentricities

During our stay, we walked all the main streets and most of the alleyways of Melbourne in an attempt to get to know this fair city. We also went searching for some iconic graffiti that Melbourne is so famous for.

I noticed the main theme of the streets of Melbourne is juxtaposition - there is often stark contrast between the old and the new, elegant and edgy, the barren and charming that completely works for this city. This also carries into many of the stores and restaurants here, and I found this true for the decor of Hardware Societe.

The restaurant was long and narrow and full of communal tables, but Roxy and I managed to snag a table to ourselves outside. Our waiter was very friendly and casual, which suited the vibe of the restaurant perfectly. We ordered, and in next to no time we had our food.

Liquorice Tea - $4.50

We started with a lovely pot of liquorice tea because Roxy was enamoured of the crocheted tea cosies. The tea had a lovely aniseed and mint flavour, and was quite strong. It came with a cute little cinnamon doughtnut on the side of the cup.

Baked Eggs with Brie, Slow Roasted Tomato and Sauce Verte - $14

When the waiter brought out my dish I grinned in glee - the cutest little black casserole dish was sitting there, waiting for me to open it up and unveil its treasures. Inside nestled two baked eggs with gooey yolks, decadently juicy roasted tomatoes, creamy little chunks of brie, and a lovely herby sauce. Three crispy slices of white bread were drizzled in garlic and herb olive oil and served on the side.

Bircher Muesli - $11

Roxy's Bircher Muesli was served with pears poached in a vanilla and rosewater syrup, and served with soft, juicy raspberries and crunchy macadamia nuts.

I loved my experience at Hardware Societe - it's definitely going to be something I think about when I think 'Melbourne'. The tables were miniscule and it was hard to fit all of our food on at once, but the chairs were comfortable, the food excellent and the service impeccable.

Hardware Societe

120 Hardware St
Melbourne, VIC
3000

Phone: 03 9078 5992

A Short Note on Quantum Cafe, Auburn

This is where I get my junk food fix. It's just a little cafe in an industrial complex across from my work, but there's something relaxing about getting out of the building, crossing the road, and eating in the sun. They make a good coffee, and the sandwiches are decent, but there's one thing they're famous for here:

Chicken Fillet Burger Combo (Chips and Drink) - $9.50

It's nothing special to look at - in fact it comes out a little messy - but the flavour! This is the best chicken burger I've had so far; the chicken is moist, succulent, has a crunchy, lightly crumbed exterior, and is served on a soft bun which they definitely don't make in house. The lettuce is really there for texture's sake, and it's always crispy and fresh, and the whole thing is finished with a creamy, eggy mayo which is insanely delicious. The chips are always cooked to order until wonderfully crisp, then lightly covered in a dusting of chicken salt, making them addictive.

This cafe is what makes work bearable. Knowing that I can always come here when the office is getting me down, and just taking my lunch hour blissfully by myself, with a kick-arse chicken burger in the sunshine, is a great relief from my stressful work environment.

It's the little things.

Quantum Cafe

7/9 Percy St
Auburn, NSW
2144

Phone: 9749 7416

Taronga Zoo, Mosman

I know what you're thinking: Taronga Zoo? What did you do, put a monkey on a spit?

No, my darlings, we left the animals intact (this time...), but humans gotta graze too, ya know? So I thought I'd check out what the folks at Taronga have to offer for those of the human persuasion.

I first came here for my 7th birthday, and I'll be honest, all I remember are the giraffes, ice cream, and this peacock that kept following me around for said ice cream. I then came back when I was 17 as a get together with some friends from work, and that time all the animals were having babies or getting their enclosures fixed, so I didn't see much. This visit, which was for my sister's 4th birthday, was a good opportunity to re-acquaint myself with Taronga.

The view from the Sky Safari

My Giraffe Friend

The Big-Ass Reticulated Python that freaked my sister out

After a couple of hours of sight-seeing, we had worked up a reasonable appetite, so we headed towards the Taronga Food Market to see what was available.

There are a few different stalls; Charco Pollo, which sold almost exclusively chicken (and had run out of chicken when we got there :s); A place simply called Bakery, which is pretty self-explanatory; Hot Wok, which sold mainly stir fried noodles, but was closed; and Taronga's, which seemed to only sell burgers and wraps. With these lackluster choices, we went with Taronga's, simply because we felt like hot food, and a croissant wasn't gonna to cut it.

When we got to the front of the line, the guy who served my dad and I was a bit incompetent - he wasn't sure about a lot of the items on the menu (and really, there were only about 6 items), and he forgot one of the burgers and two of the drinks in our order. Still, we eventually got what we paid for, and we sat down to eat.

Chicken Nuggets and Chips - $10.20

Of course my sister had chicken nuggets - what self-respecting 4 year old wouldn't milk their birthday for all it's worth? There were six crispy nuggets, and although they were a bit oily, they were definitely tasty. The chips were chunky, but quite crunchy as well - the only downside being that they were a tad cold.

Chicken Wrap Combo - $14.20

In a bid to consume some vegetables, I had the chicken wrap combo with water. The wrap was quite nice, thin and a little bit salty, like a tortilla almost. The salad was fresh and the chicken crumbed and tender. Again, the chips were chunky and crunchy, and completely ruined my good intentions. Mmmmm.

Beef Burger Combo - $14.20

The beef burger had a juicy pattie of meat, fresh salads and beetroot. There was also mayo, which didn't really go with the burger in my opinion, and the bun was crusty and thick. Served with chips and a drink.

What we felt like after eating

Dining at Taronga Zoo seems limited to cafe's and fast food. Luckily, the fast food seems decent enough, but it's such a shame there isn't something more upscale - imagine fine dining, eating fresh seafood or roasted venison and spatchcock whilst overlooking the zoo and the cityscape!

Entry to Taronga Zoo:
$37.40 Adult
$31.50 Concession
$18.70 Child

 

Taronga Zoo

Bradley's Head Rd,
Mosman, NSW
2088

Phone: (02) 9969 2777

http://www.taronga.org.au/

The Beautiful Bounty of Berrima

I'm SO SO lucky to have such a great relationship with my almost-in-laws Rosie and George. I often hear horror stories about mothers-in-law constantly criticising, and fathers-in-law being crude and awkward and inappropriate, and am so relieved that Stephen's parents are nothing like that when it comes to me. I was especially nervous when Stephen first introduced me to them, thinking that they would probably find me too odd or loud or young (I had just turned 17), but they took all that into their stride and accepted me straight away, and now we have an awesome rapport.

[Mind you, it took a whole lot longer for my parents to accept Stephen, and I'm pretty sure Stephen was way more nervous when my dad rocked up the driveway first time they met, blasting this song at full volume - my dad is evil!]

Stephen's parents took me to Berrima a couple of weeks ago because I've been wanting to go for ages, and Stephen would never get off his arse and take me (I don't drive, k?). It's halfway between Sydney and the black hole that is Canberra, and about an hour and a half from where I live. When we coast into this sleepy little town, we find parking just off the Old Hume Highway, strap on the boots that are made for walking, and start exploring this village.

The Little Hand Stirred Jam Shop was our first stop, and when I entered, a very uncouth "Holy S**t!" escaped me, much to the delight of the shop owners.

This place is AMAZING. The decor sort of reminds me of an apothacry, except instead of eye of newt and tongue of dog, there are jars of delicious jams, honeys and chutneys lining the walls.

There were other stores to explore, and we were still trying to get through all the jam that we bought at Bilpin, so I only bought some Tasmanian Prickly Box honey (insert inappropriate joke here), a honey and ginger spread, truffle infused evo oil, and a couple of varieties of Fernleigh Australian Gourmet Coffee that Stephen and I have been searching for since trying it a couple of years ago. Score!

Our next stop was to Mrs. Oldbuck's Pantry, a store that boasts over 100 types of tea and 200 types of preserves (and I'm starting to feel like all people do here is eat jam and scones and drink tea and coffee...).

As I eyed the various teapots with rabid covetousness, Rosie bought a few samples of their chai tea mixes for Stephen, including Dheli, Punjabi and Marsala. Instead of buying more tea, I visited the other section of the shop that sells preserves, honey, and other products that come in jars:

I hadn't planned on buying anything for the afore-mentioned reason, but something extraordinary caught my eye: Watermelon Jam. Seriously! Of course I had to own a jar.

With all the walking we had done so far we were ravenous, so we stopped at The Gumnut Patisserie for some of their famous pies.

The inside of the cafe was a bit dark and gloomy, but then again the weather wasn't too crash hot. We found a table right up the front, but it hadn't been cleared from the previous diners (and wasn't cleared until our orders came later). We looked over the menu board and chose a pie and coffee each, then waited for them to be brought to us.

Agreed!

Steak and Kidney Pie

George had the steak and kidney pie. Although the pie looked a tad burned on the top, the crust was flaky and messy, and there was just the right amount of peppery gravy. The beef was succulent and tender, and the flavour was made bolder and richer with the addition of kidney.

Roast Vegetable Pie

Rosie gave the Roast Vegetable Pie a go, and whilst it looks a bit dry and wilted on the top, the inside was chock-full of tasty roasted pumpkin and potato. The pastry wasn't quite as good as George's, but then it didn't have a lovely pastry top.

Chicken and Leek Pie

My Chicken and Leek pie was a winner, the flaky, crunchy pastry concealing tender, juicy chicken pieces and a creamy sauce flavoured with leek and onion.

Cappuccino

Flat White

The coffees came out after our pies, accompanied by little Easter-themed meringues. The coffee was made quite strong, and gave us the boost we needed to continue our adventure.

[There were no prices listed in the patisserie, and no receipts, but the entire order was $27.50]

Our last stop was what I had been waiting for the entire day, simply because of the name of the establishment - Lolly Swagman.

George making friends

Here was a veritable treasure trove of any lolly, sweet, or candy you could imagine. They had jars full of musk sticks, lolly pop trees, stacks of home made fudge, and even some sweets from America.

My first instinct was to grab a basket and start filling it, but then my adult side won out with the argument "could you at least wait until you get health cover to start destroying your teeth?". I bought a demure Zombie Chew (who remembers those?!) because I haven't had one since high school, then walked out of the shop, looking back with a longing sigh.

Berrima contains not only these wonderful foodie destinations, but also a fair few stores selling clothes and beautiful antiques. There's a little something for everyone, and the drive is definitely worth it.

The Little Hand Stirred Jam Shop

1/9 Old Hume Highway
Berrima, NSW
2577

Phone: (02) 4877 1404
Fax: (02) 4877 1086

Email: [email protected]

Mrs. Oldbuck's Pantry

Shop 4 Oldbucks Corner,
Old Hume Highway,
Berrima, NSW
2577

Phone: 1800 440 144, (02) 4877 1489
Fax: (02) 4877 2630

www.mrsoldbucks.com.au

Gumnut Patisserie

Post Office Corner
Berrima, NSW
2577

Phone: (02) 4877 2177

Lolly Swagman

Old Hume Highway
Berrima, NSW
2577

Phone: (02) 4877 1137

Trattoria La Fontana, Leichhardt

Last week I learned that children are not for me just yet. Stephen and I sent my parents to Melbourne to see King Tut at Melbourne Museum (because we're awesome like that), and as part of the holiday we took care of my baby sister Kate. Let me tell you, by the time my parents came back, I was really glad that I could return her (not that I don't love the little tyke to bits, but she's quite a handful!). On the Saturday I had promised her a train ride, so we met Stephen at work in Auburn, and then drove a little way to Leichhardt for dinner.

What can I say? She loves trains :s

Walking down Norton St, we realise that although we've been here a few times, we've never eaten Italian here, which is totally ridiculous. We immediately decide to rectify this, and head to Trattoria La Fontana. 

We're shown to a small table for three, and we settle down with our menus. There weren't many people at the time, and so the wait-staff were very attentive and took the time to answer all of our questions about the dishes. We eventually ordered our meals and a couple of drinks, with the waitress suggesting some apple juice for Kate. While waiting for our orders, we listened to the soothing sound of the running water in the fountain out the front of the restaurant, and watched the people in the kitchen pull out wood-fired pizzas from the huge oven.

San Pellegrino Chinotto - $5.00

Stephen is a long time fan of Chinotto. This specimen was slightly bitter, and lifted by the citrus element. It wasn't terribly carbonated, which was a good thing, and the refreshing drink was served ice-cold.

Fiori Di Zucca - $18.00

The deep fried zucchini flowers in this dish were the main attraction for this entree - they were covered in a crisp, light batter and stuffed with a creamy ricotta and salty feta mixture that simply oozed out. The flavours were complimented by a smear of sweet potato puree, and a garnish of red cabbage.

Pizza Bread - $12.00

This bread, made with pizza dough, was very thin and crispy, and seasoned with a rosemary topping that was pleasantly salty and aromatic. It was accompanied by some plump kalamata olives, and the salty rosemary and earthy olive flavours were a perfect match

Margherita Woodfired Pizza - $16.00

The margherita pizza was composed of the same thin, crispy base as the pizza bread, with a topping of basil and tomato sauce and some mozzarella cheese. It's a classic flavour combination, but their take on it was really well executed and we kept going for 'just one more slice'.

Beef Ragu with Parpadelle - $26.00

The pasta in this dish was thick and heavy, but it went well with the chunky beef and tomato sauce. It was cooked perfectly al dente, and the ragu clung to the pasta wonderfully. An addition of fresh herbs freshened the dish considerably, giving more depth to the flavour.

Insalata Rucola E Pera - $12.00

Feeling the need for greens, we ordered a salad last minute. What came out was a salad composed of slightly bitter rocket leaves, some sharp, shaved parmesan, slivers of sweet pear and some crunchy walnuts, all dressed in lemon juice and olive oil. My sister wasn't a fan, but I promised her ice cream if she ate some (her response to being told to eat vegetables is 'I don't eat trees!').

We were really happy with our Italian experience here at Trattoria La Fontana. It was a clean, quiet, peaceful restaurant with a relaxing atmosphere, and the food was simple and well-cooked, the best kind of Italian food.

We headed off down the street a little ways for the gelato that we had promised Katie, and found a lovely little place called Il Gelatiere. We let Kate order her own gelato (but stopped her when she tried to get four scoops), chocolate of course.

NOW she's interested...

Blood Orange Gelato - $4.00 (1 scoop)

Stephen had the blood orange gelato, and it was faithful to the original fruit - sweet, with a gutsy hit of orange and a slightly bitter aftertaste. His gelato was slightly elastic, but deliciously creamy.

Chocolate Gelato - $4.00 (1 scoop)

Kate's gelato, which she had a death grip on, was extremely chocolatey, like a dark chocolate, but not overly sweet (although it still had her bouncing around the car on the way home). It was more like ice-cream than Stephen's and much more soft and creamy.

Rosewater Gelato - $4.00 (1 scoop)

I was curious about the rosewater gelato, so I ordered a scoop, and while it really did taste strongly of rosewater, my flavour was the least interesting of the three, simply because while the blood orange and the chocolate had their own slight contrasting bitterness, mine was just sweet and one-dimensional. Still, it was good gelato, and I would definitely come back.

 

Trattoria La Fontana

Shop 7, 39-45 Norton St
Leichhardt, NSW
2040

Phone: 9550 9365
Fax: 9572 8844

Il Gelatiere

Norton Plaza
Shop 1, 55 Norton St
Leichhardt NSW
2040

Phone: 9560 2204

Bilpin - The Land of the Mountain Apple

Gosh, it sounds so magical, doesn't it? Like right out of a children's book.

Stephen and I like to walk the tracks at Katoomba, and last time we went we decided to stop on the way at one of the little fruit stores we saw lining Bells Line of Road. There we discovered the land of Bilpin, a small town 90 km West of the Sydney CBD that is famous across Australia for the apples they grow there. Last week we went back for their apple juice, a fresh, crisp, wonder of a juice in itself, and for a slice of gorgeous home-made apple pie with vanilla ice cream.

After a little over an hour of driving, our first stop was The Bilpin Fruit Bowl, one of the largest stores in Bilpin and, coincidentally, also home to the World's Largest Fruit Bowl. We got out of the car, stretched out our limbs and took a gander at the huge bowl of fibreglass fruit, then walked into the store.

Once inside, we were attracted to the shelves of hand-made preserves with labels that had been written in texta. Knowing that we'd been buying an awful lot of jams lately, we settled for a peach and ginger jam ($6.50). There were also shelves of apple-cider vinegar, apple jelly and honey.

We then headed over to the fresh fruit section, which was a bit homely compared to, say, a supermarket's fresh food section, but rightly so - fruit shouldn't look like it's made of wax. The fruit here was dull and unpolished, but when we bit into an apple, the "crunch" sound practically echoed it was so fresh (imagine just biting an apple at the top of the Three Sisters, instead of making the traditional "cooee!" call, lol).

There was a work station in the middle of the shop where two ladies were making the apple pies, and a cabinet with the finished product displayed. Though tempting, we had already tried these particular pies, and were looking forward to trying the ones across the road, so we gave them a miss.

After paying for our purchases (which included six 3 litre bottles of apple juice at $6 a bottle), we crossed the road and paid a visit to The Pines Orchard:

All along the back wall were stacks of preserves and honey, and even some sauces and 'The Grape Alternative' wine jellies to accompany meat. We picked up some blood orange marmelade, apple jelly, and some cabernet and merlot wine jelly.

We noticed that there was a cafe section to this store, and we were feeling quite hungry, so we ordered a small lunch before sampling some delicious apple pie. We placed our order, and were given one of those buzzing pager devices. Meanwhile, we paid for our other purchases at the front register and ordered our coffee and pie.


Small Cappucino - $3.50

We started our meal with a cappucino made with Vittoria ground coffee. It was a rich, robust brew without being too bitter, and it shook out some of the cobwebs.

Hamburger with Eggs, Bacon and Cheese - $7.50

Stephen described his burger as one of the best he's ever had. The beef patty was thick and juicy, and the egg was just as chunky. The bacon added some salt and the salad gave the burger some freshness to cut through all the cheese. To this day I still have no idea how Stephen ate that monstrously high burger.

Steak Sandwich with Salad - $7.50

I wanted a slightly smaller option, so I selected the steak sandwich with salad. It was very basic, but in a good way - the white bread was lightly toasted, the salad fresh, crisp and cool, and the steak itself was well done, but also tender and moist. It was something that I could have made at home, but was comforting and moreish.

Apple Pie and Ice Cream - $4.00

We recieved a quarter of an apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for our dessert. The pie had big, uneven chunks of apple which provided a nice balance of sweet and tart, and the crust had a sort of crispy shell that gave way to a more solid pastry. The vanilla ice cream is a classic accompaniment, and I really feel that no other garnish was needed.

Bilpin remains an enchanting place to visit, and it's probably one of the only places I'll ever buy apple juice from. I look forward to visiting next apple season for some fruit picking!

 

The Bilpin Fruit Bowl

2093 Bells Line of Road
Bilpin, NSW
2758

Phone: 02 4567 1152
Fax: 02 4567 0115

http://www.bilpinfruitbowl.com.au

 

The Pines Orchard*

Funnily enough, we could NOT find any details for this place on the internet. It's like it doesn't exist! However, it's directly across the road from The Bilpin Fruit Bowl - you can't miss it.

 

Nut 'n' Fancy, Parramatta

I just had one of those weekends where you feel REALLY guilty about what you've eaten, so I've been trying to eat healthily to offset my gluttony. I think I've done pretty well so far, but just have a look at the source(s) of my shame:

Passion de Pierre - $7.00

Opera - $8.00

It was my mum's birthday last week, so I took her for Yum Cha at Emperor's Garden and then birthday cake at La Renaissance Patisserie. I think the walk up from Chinatown to The Rocks burned most of the calories from Yum Cha, but we piled them all back on with the cake.

The Passion de Pierre was a faithful ode to the humble passion fruit. Passion fruit mousse was paired with raspberry jelly, and was encased in joconde sponge. Topped with sweet passion fruit glaze and a delicious, juicy strawberry, the entire concoction really worked well as a whole.

The Opera had a base of joconde sponge, then layers of coffee butter cream and chocolate ganache and was very rich, but simple in its flavours, which I really liked.

Dessert Platter - $50.00

On the same day, Stephen took me to Angelo's On The Bay, and we feasted upon this sweet platter like we were at Bacchus' table. For an in depth review, click here.

Finally, on Sunday afternoon after dinner, Mary and I ventured to Nut 'n' Fancy for dessert. We were shown to a table outside and given our menus, then left for 10 minutes until our orders were taken. The waitress we had seemed very tired and uninterested, which in turn made us feel unwelcome, but we soldiered on and ordered.

Chai Latte - $4.00

Latte - $4.00

Our drinks came out after about 5 minutes. The latte was good, strong, creamy and a little sweet before the sugar, but the chai latte was a tad disappointing - basically it was cinnamon flavoured milk, comforting, familiar and dull.

Flat Stack Pancakes - $10.00

The pancake, which Mary ordered out of nostalgia, was impressive: it was the thickest pancake I've ever seen, about 3 - 4 cm, and was really light and fluffy. The vanilla ice cream and maple syrup were classic accompaniments, and I found the icing sugar to be redundant.

Deep Fried Snickers - $9.00

I've heard tales of the deep fried Mars Bar, so when I saw this on the menu I knew I had to take it on. When the dish came out, all I saw was a large brick of dough on a plate.

Cutting into it, the inside was gooey, nutty and chocolatey:

However, the outside was a let down. The dough was too thick, overpowering the Snickers, and the dough had been fried for too long, making it very hard to cut into. I would have loved to see some thinner, lighter pastry.

So, I promise to be good this week! :)

 

Nut 'n' Fancy

316 Church St
Parramatta, NSW
2150

Phone: 9891 1421