Supernormal on Flinders Lane is very appealing. It’s also number 20 of the 100 Top Australian Restaurants
Even though I just dropped in to try their Miso and Pink Lady Icecream $9…
….I was warmly welcomed and seated at the bar. This actually turned out to be the perfect position for seeing the passion and dedication of the team. Their attention to detail was impressive!
The simplicity of the menu disguises what are quite complex dishes.
I’m looking forward to returning to try them out!
Cumulus Inc. along Flinders Lane is my favourite Melbourne CBD spot for breakfast. It’s also number 15 of the 100 Top Australian Restaurants
The most popular brekkies were the Cumulus Inc. Breakfast $16 with boiled egg, toast, preserves, yogurt, orange juice and coffee and the House-made crumpets $10 with whipped ricotta and roof top honey.
But I loved my Hibiscus poached pears with sheep’s milk yogurt $12.
Last month I was lucky enough to spend time in the Melbourne CBD. So I set about working through the restaurants on the 100 Top Australian Restaurants list.
While many visits were brief (one can only eat so much) I was impressed by how unpretentious these top eateries are. I was welcomed equally whether I was there for a meal with company or dining alone and dropping by for dessert. I was also surprised at how accessible the prices are, something for every budget.
This week I’ll be working through the list, but here’s a bit of a preview.
My favourite for breakfast
#17 The Flower Drum
Not quite so accessible for the drop-in diner
On my list to return – creating something special
Must have the tapas
Excellent for a drink
Fun dining
Mmmm…
And my verdict for the top…
Maha ( not actually on the list, but absolutely should be).
And I need to add in a great place to stay for this kind of project….
Hotel Grand Chancellor on Londsdale Street at only $103 a night.
Still on my dining Wishlist is Ginger Boy!
As part of the Love Cereal4Brekkie team I was delighted this week to be part of the #mybrekkiebowl launch, a gorgeous event to kick start a flow of conversations about personalising brekkie cereal bowls.
All my foodie and dietitian passions were indulged as I….
…. enjoyed the fantastic Cafe Sydney early morning view over Sydney Harbour….
……marvelled at Cafe Sydney chefs’ delicate canapé creations using breakfast cereals….
Sanitarium Weetbix and vanilla yoghurt delice, strawberry, gold leaf
Freedom Gluten free Ancient Grain Flakes date and fig bliss ball
All bran corn and zucchini fritter, cured trout
Uncle Toby’s Plus range digestive, avocado, quail egg, crisp kale
Kellogg’s Five Grain Muesli coconut and apple Bircher
Sanitarium Granola Oat Clusters breakfast panna cotta, pineapple, passionfruit, mint
Uncle Toby’s Ancient Grains Porridge, sautéed mushrooms, onion, thyme
…was intrigued by Dr Cathy Gare’s insights (food sensory expert from the Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology), summed up in her quote from the chef, Heston Blumenthal, who is convinced that we need to “engage all of [the] senses if we want to create a truly memorable eating experience”
…..was inspired by Food stylist and founder of blog 84thand3rd.com, Jennifer Jenner who gave us great food styling tips like the strengths of iphones, they work best flat or straight up but start to fail at an angle…
….appreciated again the research that underpins breakfast cereal as an excellent choice for nutrition and a heathy weight as Leigh Reeve APD, Director of the Australian Breakfast Cereal Manufacturers Forum reminded us of the secondary analysis of the Australian Health Survey
….and the recent Galaxy research that research that showed that one of the biggest motivations for people in choosing a bowl of breakfast cereal is to create something healthy
…..but that also looked for little known and quirky facts about Aussie breakfast bowls like…
…….just over half a million Australians added vegetables to their brekkie cereal
….almost a million added herbs and spices
…….half a million added spreads like peanut butter
……but fruit and nuts were the most popular toppings
……more than 300,000 Aussies ate cereal with a fork and more than 1 million had a special spoon they always use for cereal
…..nearly half a million Australians used a mason jar and nearly one million a plate, for their bowl
……almost half a million Australians post a photo of their breakfast bowl to social media every day
…….Aussie men are three times as likely as women to post a photo of their cereal on social media
…..and celebrated as the humble breakfast cereal, an everyday core grain food, took to the stage as an actor with so many new personalities and roles
…and burst with pride as the team’s efforts and hard work all came together…
…to create the arena for social and mainstream media writers to explore new possibilities in their own cereal bowls and inspire their readers to new breakie bowl creations.
As Jennifer Jenner said…
“A simple, beautifully styled bowl of brekkie cereal can look gorgeous and taste great in itself, however with the opportunity for people to get adventurous with their flavour and styling combos, the brekkie bowl can be a real social media star.”
This was my creative brekkie bowl, to tantalise all the senses!
….with passionfruit yogurt, Bran cereal, pumpkin purée, peanut butter, raspberry, blue berry, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, mint, macadamias, zucchini ribbons with marinated figs, cinnamon and honey.
It was actually surprisingly excellent, even rivalling the canapés! I think I’m a convert to veg and spreads on cereal!
What’s your personalised brekkie bowl? Post it with the #mybrekkiebowl hashtag and join the conversation!
Google ‘best brunch in Melbourne’ and The Kettle Black will be there!
The Melbourne Girl and Not Quite Nigella are both fans!
Read ‘picture perfect’ and I’m in!
And not disappointed…the food is gorgeous! To admire and to savour!
Very, difficult to choose…fortunately, there’s time while you wait for a table to peruse both the menu and Instagram!
Other diners also offer helpful tips…what they’ve loved on previous visits.
The mushrooms came highly recommended, but wanting something both sweet and very beautiful, I trusted Instagram and went for the SOAKED MUESLI WITH AUSTRALIAN GRAINS, HOUSE-MADE YOGHURT, SEASONAL FRUITS & FLOWERS
– great value at $14
It was everything I’d hoped it would be, satisfying, great balance of crunch with nuts and some biscuit crumb, creamy, sweet from the berries, but not too sweet and the fruits and edible flowers at real treat! Loved it.
My friend enjoyed her TATAKI OCEAN TROUT WITH A RAW KALE & PICKLED VEGETABLE SALAD, SEAWEED, ALMONDS & POACHED EGGS
– $21 also beautiful and delicious.
Other people’s dishes looked excellent too like the…
CONFIT FREE RANGE PORK, COMPRESSED PEAR, POACHED EGGS, BUTTER EMULSION
– $19
CAPE GRIM BEEF
WITH HOUSE-MADE MUSTARD, SEASONAL FRUIT RELISH & LEAVES ON THE KETTLE BLACK BUN – $23
And a very substantial HOTCAKE WITH RICOTTA, BLUEBERRIES, PURE MAPLE, DOUBLE CREAM, SEEDS & NUTS – $20
Once seated service is quick, but there’s no need to rush. Plenty of time to appreciate the artistry and take wonderful photos!
If I’m ever asked what my very favourite food is… icecream has to be on my short list!
So, of course I couldn’t help but notice everyone walking near Sydney Town Hall with exotic soft serve ice cream colours and cones.
I tracked down the source nearby at Regent Place a small arcade off George Street near St Andrews Cathedral and found not one, but two very different spots.
Chanoma Cafe specialises in a Japanese style Soft Cream in Matcha or Azuki flavours or a mix in a plain, pink or green cone.
At just $3.90 you have change to go next door and also try Aqua S sea salt and maple syrup mix in an equally exotic cone for a competitive $4.
Truly icecream lovers’ heaven!
It’s always lovely down at Darling Harbour, a great spot for lunch on a sunny day!
And while it looks like it might be quite expensive, there’s plenty of well priced gems like Waterfront Grill.
The Pear salad with Wild rocket, sliced green pear, Spanish onion, toasted walnuts, Shaved parmesan cheese, honey and apple cider vinaigrette $16.50…
…wasn’t as good as the Chickpea and haloumi salad with Grilled haloumi, chickpeas, green beans, semi dried tomatoes, wild rocket and balsamic dressing $17.
The Quinoa and grilled veg salad with Mixed Quinoa, spinach, grilled eggplant, zucchini, roast pumpkin, capsicum, and basil pesto $17 would have also been a good choice or once of the generously sized, tasty looking burgers on a foccacia bun.
If you are lucky enough to have a Sydney Entertainment Book, you can get tow mains for the price of one.
The Flying Duck Hotel in Prahan, is a great all rounder.
Relaxed and casual it has a varied and interesting menu that includes dishes like…
Caprese salad – heirloom tomatoes, homemade ricotta and basil
Croquettes – semi dreied tomatoes and goat cheese with broccoli pesto
Salt and Pepper Squid and housemade kimchi salad with sushi
Aromatic grilled focaccia and housemade dips
Spanish-style ratatouille with baked egg, tomato, zucchini and eggplant
Spinach spaghetti with spanner crab, diamond clams and manzanilla wine
Gurnard, green mojo and potatoes cooked in papillote
Duck breast, served with chestnut puree and pine mushrooms
Vegetarian risotto with button mushrooms and parmesan cheese
300gm Porterhouse – grass fed steak with mushroom sauce. roquette slad and hand-cut chips
Side of green beans
Dessert plate!
Clancy’s in Jindabyne, is in the Canberra Entertainment Book offering two for one meals.
But it’s also just a great spot for lunch when you’re cold and tired….
…and great to add in to a lodge weekend with friends!
There’s the Banjo Beef Burger $15…
…or $17 with chips..
..the Club sandwich $15…
…Roast Pumpkin Salad $19…
.
…or Surf and Turf $36
Open everyday 12pm until late 1565 is excellent for a late night icecream in Kensington.
500ml! Yum to share!
Fine Eating 