La Grande Bouffe, Rozelle

Brunch @ La Grande Bouffe

This will be my shortest blogpost ever due to my stupidity -___-;

I was busy taking shots of others food (being a considerate friend I am, not wanting their foods to go cold while I'm taking my food first) and lo and behold....I forgot to take photos of my own plate !!!!

The worse part was that I didn't realize until I put my utensils down and had this funny feeling that something is just not quite right.....*smack head*


Birthday jumbo heart macaron ; Hanging pot by the entrance



A group of us get together for brunch at La Grande Bouffe on the weekend for a late celebration of a friend's birthday.

Because I completely forgotten to make a booking, when I rang them they were already booked out for brunch. Thankfully they said they can probably accomodate us if we just turn up.

We probably waited around 30minutes, which was not too bad considering how packed the place was and there were a lot of others who turned out without a reservation as well.

Bowl of Coffee  $4.50

Freshly Squeezed Juices  $5.00
orange and watermelon

Decors Inside

I can't comment on what my friends had ordered, but they were all pretty satisfied with the foods.

Especially the omelette which was simple but done very well, I was told that it was creamy and fluffy, like how a good omelette should be :)

La Bouffe Big Breakfast  $16.00
eggs, mushrooms, tomato, bacon, Toulouse sausage and potato rosti

Oeufs sur le Plat  $14.50
w/ wilted spinach and truffled mushroom duxelle

Omelette  $14.50
jambon and fromage

Croque Madame with Fried Duck Egg  $13.00
ham, cheese and duck egg on toasted brioche

La Grande Bouffe appears to be one of the popular brunch hangouts on the weekends in Rozelle, so make bookings way in advance if you are dining in big groups, or just turn up and hopefully don't have to wait too long before you get a table :)

The foods does came out from the kitchen quickly, so don't panic if you are starving by the time you get seated.

Cafe Morso, Pyrmont

Cafe Morso 



Cafe Morso is tucked away in the middle of Jones Bay Wharf in Pyrmont, just a few shops away from Flying Fish restaurant.

It has been here for a few years now and I wonder why it took me so long to come here, considering it is pretty much next door from where I live.

The great thing about Cafe Morso is that they take bookings for breakfast/brunch on the weekends, which is a rarity and causing big headache when you try to find a place for a big group.

Karmee Coffees $3.80
soy latte, skim cappuccino, latte and cappuccino



The coffees here were excellent, a few of us ordered second rounds of caffeine because of that.

"Tea Craft" Earl Grey Tea  $4.00

 

Outside Dining Areas

 

Frappes  $6.50
mango and orange ; pineapple, mint and blueberry ; raspberry, strawberry and lime



A few of us opted for something more "healthy", glasses of refreshing frappe to cool us down in the morning summer heat (it was still summer when we went there :P backlog...backlog....).

I had the pineapple, mint and blueberry frappe and it was delicious !

Inside Dining Area

The foods didn't take too long to arrive eventhough we were in a big group and the cafe was packed that morning.

Didn't get to taste all of them, so please just enjoy the pictures ^_^



Roasted Field Mushroom w/ Avocado, Ricotta and Poached Free Range Eggs on Toasted Crusty Bread   $15.50



Soft Scrambled Eggs w/ Gruyere Cheese on Toast w/ Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach  $15.50
plus a side of Chorizo Sausages  $3.50 

Took a bite of my friend's scrambled egg dish that looks more like a soft set omelette. The egg was silky smooth with a punch of cheesy flavour from the Gruyere.

Bacon & Egg Gnocchi w/ Baby Herbs and Truffle Oil  $14.50

The sound of bacon and egg gnocchi is just too good to pass when I saw it on the menu. It has now made it to my list of favourite breakfast or brunch dish.

The logs of gnocchi were basically mashed potato mixed with bacon, shaped into logs and shallow pan fried. crispy on the outside but creamy, fluffy with bacon bits on the inside.

Oozing Poached Egg's Yolk

To top off the already amazing gnocchi was a perfectly poached egg and plenty of crispy bacon bits !!



The Cafe Morso Breakfast  $18.00
plus a side of Baked Beans w/ Onion & Relish  $2.50



A few weeks later, we went back for a return visit, this time just the 4 of us and was lucky to score a table without a booking *phew*.

Someone happen to call in and cancel their reservation as we arrived, hehehehehe...

Iced Chocolate  $5.00

Large vs Regular

Sautéed Wild Mushroom, Truffled Scrambled Eggs & Sonoma Sourdough $16.00

Ham Hock Consommé w/ Spinach Wrapped Pork Parcel & Soft Poached Free Range Egg $16.50

Compared to the other dishes in the breakfast menu, the portion is smaller. It just didn't look substantial enough to satisfy hungry stomach :)

Nonetheless, the consomme was delicious and not to mention what's inside the sphere of spinach :

Pork Parcel



Salmon Gravlax Carpaccio w/ Wilted Spinach, Avocado Salsa & Poached Free Range Eggs  $16.50



Wasn't up for anything heavy that morning, so I opted for something more light, salmon gravlax with spinach, poached eggs and avocado salsa topped with micro herbs. Also ordered a side of toast to help balanced out the richness of the dish.

It was close to lunch time when we finished our meals, and spotted the waiter carrying out someone's lunch order - a stack of rectangular beef fillets that looked delicious - must make a return visit for lunch soon !!

Old rail tracks on Jones Bay Wharf

Little Ethel's, Balmain

Read about this little cafe in the backstreet of Balmain in the October edition of TimeOut Magazine. What caught my attention was this line in the review "...and the barista, complete with braces and two-tone shoes..." - I just have to see him !

So early weekend morning, I dragged my cousin along...wanted to get there early to beat the morning rush.

And I'm glad we did ! Not long after we grabbed a table, the place was packed with regulars grabbing their morning coffee to start their day.

The coffee line was so long that the last person queueing was standing on the door steps.

Green & Bright Colours

Straight away I took the cutest table in this little cafe, the brightest outdoor table perched on a patch of artificial lawn.  The wooden chairs was made comfortable with some floral cushions too !
Love how they hide the (gas ? electricity ?) meter with a pot of fern, hide the ugly LOL

Single Origin Coffees

Little Ethel's uses single origin coffee beans to brew their coffee and of course I forgot to ask which bean it was :P
They do make great coffee, no wonder the coffee line was so long !
Oh and by the by, the barista does done the whole attire as mentioned in the magazine, the braces and the shoes !!

Mushroom On Toast

The menu here is quite small and simple, you get the usual breakfast fares, cheese & antipasto platters and some  pastries and cakes displayed on the counter. In saying that, the food here are very cheap !

For example, this plate of mushroom on toast (if I remembered it correctly) was about$8.50 !!

You can get a tasty and filling meal for under $10.00, quite rare nowadays I'd say. 

The portion are not skimpy either, my cousin got a mountain of still smoking sauteed mushroom mixed with parsley, garlic and lemon. I never thought of adding lemon to mushroom, it tasted really good ! 

Underneath she got not one but THREE slices of Italian wood fired bread lathered with creamy ricotta. 

Toasting Platter 

For you who are indecisive like me, a toasting platter is the best option. Three lightly toasted bread topped with various toppings. Avocado with lemon, tomato, onion & basil and lemony sauteed mushroom with ricotta. 

Simple but delicious trio, my favourite would have to be the delicious mushrooms and followed by the zesty avocado.

The service and the staffs were friendly and welcoming, there were only 2 small and 2 medium tables in the cafe, so get there early if you want to dine in.

Le Monde, Surry Hills

Morning at Le Monde

Before going to the special lunch at Lotus earlier this month, I met up with Nut for breakfast since she insisted that I try the coffee at Le Monde.

She is a coffee nut (pun intended) and Le Monde made it to the shortlist in her on-going quest to find the best coffee in Sydney.

Coffees Round 1
Latte & Clover Coffee

Le Monde offers coffee lovers beans that comes from one specific country a.k.a. Single Origin Coffee.

Prior to coming here, I got a briefing from Nut that Le Monde is one of the handful places in Sydney that has a Clover Coffee Machine. 

These machines, which supposedly can produce high quality brewed coffee, are quite rare because Starbucks has bought over the company back in 2008. 

Since then, the machines are only sold to Starbucks - lucky are those cafes that has their hand on one before the take over.

Clover coffee is served black so you can taste and experience the flavour and aroma of the bean in its unadulterated form.

There were 5 Single Origin Coffee Beans to choose from that day and the waitress has recommended the Kenyan Mtaro.

If my memory serves me , my cup of Clover coffee has a rich, full bodied mouthfeel and was quite fruity. 

Is the Clover coffee better than those brewed on other machines ? I can't be the judge of it because I don't drink much straight nor Single Origin coffee to be able to tell the difference. 

All I can say that it was had a nice pleasant flavour and was easy to drink.

White Anchovies on Avocado Toast w/ Cherry Tomatoes, Black Sesame & Spanish Onion Salad

Nut's order of white anchovies on toast looked pretty and vibrant. I thought the black specks were cracked black pepper, but they were actually black sesame !

Brekky Frittata of  Black Forest Gypsy Ham, Basil & Parmesan w/ Sweet Onion Jam & Rocket Salad

I was going to order something light since I know I'm going to have a big lunch later that day, a slice of toast or something like that.

Who am I kidding ?!?! 

As you can see, I ended up ordering the brekky frittata off the special menu board :P

The frittata was nice although it is a bit too firm for my liking, I like my fritatta slightly softer. The sweet onion jam on the side was delicious though and goes well with the frittata.

Coffees Round 2
3/4 Long Black & Skim Cappuccino 

We just couldn't pass another round of coffee when the waitress asked if we'd like another cup :)

This time I ordered the usual, skim capp while Nut ordered something new to my ear - a 3/4 long black (huh?).

Explanation from the coffee nut : "Long black = 60ml espresso + 120ml water, 3/4 long black = 60ml espresso + 90ml water". 

3/4 long black = stronger , less diluted cup of long black.

If you are curious on what a cup of coffee brewed from a Clover machine tasted like, then you should pop by Le Monde.

The coffees are great and so are the people there. 

Le Monde also do breakfast degustation on Fridays and Saturdays, $35 for 3 courses and 2 rounds of coffees. 

As they only take 5 people per seating (9am and 11am) on those days, it was a matter of luck to secure a booking. 

I haven't had much luck as yet :( 

The earliest they can the booking for is 2 weeks in advance, I'm gonna ring them at 7am *speed dial*.

Single Origins Menu ; Sweet Treats

Le Monde

83 Foveaux Street

SURRY HILLS  2010

(02) 9211 3568

Sensory Lab, Melbourne CBD

I've told my travelling buddies, I will not leave Melbourne until I go to the Sensory Lab !

So straight from lunch at MoVida, we went to this cafe with laboratory concepts. It is brought to you by the people of the famous St.Ali in South Melbourne. The Sensory Lab is located inside David Jones on Little Collins Street, you can have a seat in the cafe or grab a cup on the go from the designated take-away window.

Sensory Lab Main Store Area

As we stepped inside, it definitely felt like you are in a lab environment, clean, stainless steel benches, lab glasswares, etc. Except you get a waft of aromatic coffee beans instead of chemicals, thank goodness for that !

Now, why can't the lab at work smells like this ??

How it works in the Sensory Lab ; Coffee Beans for sale

Sensory Lab also sells roasted coffee beans, glasswares to brew your coffee in, and other drinkwares. I didn't had a close look, but at a glance they seems to carry the ranges from Hario, a Japanese brand that makes tea and coffee wares from glass. I had a set of their tea wares at home :D

With the permission of the barista, I went trigger happy with their coffee making stations.

So here we have, coffee made by syphon filter :

Syphon Filters

How pretty...

Caffeine molecular structure for the nerds in you

Take-away window and cafe area

After that, we grabbed a table in the cafe and was handed a clipboard with the various way you can have your coffee brewed : the usual espresso & milk coffees, syphon filtered coffees, and coffees made by cold drip method.

Sensory Lab Menu

Before I had a chance to study the menu, the waitress a.k.a. the lab assistants, complete with white lab coats and pens in the pocket  (felt like I'm at work lol), came to take our order.

Since I have no idea what to order, I thought I'll play safe and ask for a recommendation instead :P

I was then asked whether I like my coffee with milk or straight ( straight this time ), Syphon or Cold Drip  (Syphon of course !),  bold or fruity notes (fruity notes sounds good).

Water & Sugar ; Syphon Filter to use at home

Love the Schott bottle being used as water jug and the brown jar used as sugar container. Maybe I should "borrow" them from work...hmmmmmmm.....

I was so tempted to get one of those syphon filter , but when do I find the time to brew it that way ?

I'll stick with my one button press Nespresso machine lol

Syphon filtered coffee ; Mocha

My heart sank when my fruity, straight, syphoned coffee arrived in a cup :(

I was expecting to do the syphoning myself *sob*...so with broken heart I drank my coffee *sob*

The beans used was from the Kenyan Mbee blend, it has fruity passionfruit notes as the waitress explained. To get the full flavour out of it, it is best to let it cool down a little before drinking it. 

It does has a fruity notes with slight astringency. 

My cousin got  the standard mocha instead and it was very good indeed. Creamy with rounded coffee and chocolate notes.

Sensory Lab is a cafe that focuses on their coffee and I must say it has a fun and quirky concept.

There wasn't much sweet stuffs on offer to go with your coffees which was unfortunate. 

With so many other great coffee places in Melbourne, I wonder how long will this concept coffee store will stand ? 

So that's it, the last post on my Melbourne food filled weekend trip :) I hope you had enjoyed it as I had enjoyed eating them.

Of course I returned to Sydney 1.0kg heavier LOL

Lab assistant taking your order