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Five Points Burgers – North Sydney

Five Points Burgers in North Sydney is so on point right now. I started seeing all these photos on my Instagram feed of their mouth watering burgers and I knew I had to go. After reading Ramen Raff’s post, I decided to get The Bronx ($12.50) and their Beer Battered Chips ($4).

The restaurant opens at 11:30am, so I naively believed getting there at 11:50am would mean the line would be short. Boy, was I wrong! The line was at least 20 people long when I started lining up. It took me a total of 50 minutes from the time I lined up to the time I tasted my burger.

If you wondering why there is so much hype around Five Points Burgers, it might be because its opened by Chef Tomislav Martinovic, former The Fat Duck and Tomislav Restaurant.

The Bronx is an amazing burger consisting of a thick, juicy beef patty, pickles, two slices of American cheese, tomato sauce, mustard, aioli, crispy bacon, onion jam and iceberg lettuce. All of the ingredients combined together into a perfect culinary creation. The surprising highlight for me was the double American cheese. It was so melty and flavourful.

The Beer Battered Chips were crispy on the outside and perfectly fluffy on the inside however there was too much salt for my liking.

In summary, THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BURGERS IN SYDNEY. Sorry for the all caps but seriously the Bronx Burger was so scrumptious. I would give it five points out of five. Get it?

Will I Return?

Yes! But hopefully after the lines die down.

QOTD

What’s your favourite burger place? Let me know in the comments below!

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The Roots Next Door – North Sydney

The Roots Next Door is an extension of the popular North Sydney Cafe Roots Espresso. Owner, Brett Conway started the bar last year when the space was available to rent. For both lunch and dinner you will find an array of quality cheese, charcuterie and wine.

As I was having a quick lunch with my colleagues, G & J, I had the Yeezus Burger $11 with fries. The Yeezus burger has a thick patty, melted cheese and a toasted bun. I’m not sure why it’s called the Yeezus burger but it was pretty damn good!

Yeezus Burger $11

Will I Return?

Yes. Would love to try the rest of the menu, especially the cold cuts and cheese.

QOTD
What’s the most interesting name of a dish you’ve come across? Let me know in the comments below!
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Brewristas – Glebe

A good catchup is always made better by having good food. Brewristas was the perfect place for me to chat away with my friend, A. The cafe is located on Glebe Point Road, a short walk from Central Station.

Brewristas’ devotion to coffee is evident from their 9 different styles of specialty coffee – ranging from cold drip to syphon.

It was a tough choice for me deciding between the cold drip and the Vietnamese. I ended up choosing the Vietnamese Coffee ($5) as it was recommended by Nutellasum! As for food, I went with the popular Porky’s Pig Hotteok ($15), an interesting Korean twist on eggs Benedict.

Vietnamese Coffee $5

The Vietnamese Coffee is brewed just right, the condensed milk adds just the right amount of sweetness.

Porky Pig’s Hotteok $15

Head chef, Dante Woo (ex Bill’s Darlinghurst) has created a menu with classic brunch dishes sprinkled with Korean influences. My Porky Pig’s Hotteok switches out muffins for hotteok, a sweet Korea filled pancake. The sweet and savoury combination packs a lot of flavour.

Unfortunately, the popular Porky Pig’s Hotteok will be off the menu, as Brewristas is moving to a new autumn menu.

Brewmonade $10

Before I knew it, I had chatted to A for 3 hours! Which meant another coffee was due. This time I chose the infamous Brewmonade.

Why is it infamous?

Because it contains 6 six shots of espresso, which the waiter explained “could either keep you awake for hours and hours or do nothing, no one really knows”. He also mentioned that, they will recap the Brewmonade if I wanted to take it home.

With that warning in mind, I slowly slipped on the coffee. The Brewmonade lives up to its name with citrusy notes and slight bitterness. Later that night, I was very awake and took a while for me to fall asleep!

Will I Return?

Yes! Brewistas does great coffee, interesting food and stays open till late.

QOTD

What’s your favourite type of coffee? Let me know in the comments below!
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Nonna Maria’s Place – Parramatta

Nonna Maria’s Place is a cozy, traditional Italian restaurant nestled on Phillip Street in Parramatta. We’re talking red and white tablecloths and wine bottle candle holder old school traditional. I’m here with my friend K, after some chit chat, we both decided to order pasta. I opt for the Fettuccine Carbonara $18 while K goes for the Spaghetti All’Arrabbiata. Before our dishes arrive we are given free bread and a jug of lemonade. Yeap. FREE.

Fettuccine Carbonara $18

The Fettuccine Carbonara is creamy and eggy but not too heavy. The pasta is cooked perfectly. Before I know it, I’ve finished the entire dish!

Spaghetti All’Arrabbiata $16

K’s Spaghetti All’Arrabbiata has a rich, spicy sauce that’s not too over powering. The spaghetti is al dente and perfect!

Will I Return?
Yes, if I’m in Parramatta and wanting some pasta!

QOTD
Where do you go to for home cooked Italian? Let me know in the comments below!

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Goni’s Schnitzelria – Marrickville

Have you ever ate too much and regretted it? I did after going to Goni’s Schnitzelria, the home of massive schnitzels. With over a dozen different schnitzels to choose from, I somehow ended up with the most unappealing looking one. The Manya Schnitzel is doused with refried black beans and lashings of peri per mayo. This “schnitzel” is more like 6 pieces of chicken on a plate.

Manya Schnitzel (Refried black beans sauce, chorizo and peri peri mayo) $22

After an hour of trying to dismantle this monstrosity, I gave up. The chicken was dry and flavourless, the black beans sauce wasn’t very appetising. The only reason I managed to eat as much as I did was my ego.

I tried, I failed and I regretted.

In case you are wondering, I don’t have tiny hands. The schnitzel was waaaaaay too big. I understand it’s probably designed to feed a family of 4 but still the lack of flavour and dryness of the chicken has put me off.

Will I Return?

No way.

QOTD
What’s the largest meal you’ve had? Let me know in the comments below!

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Jane Eyre Cafe – North Sydney

Ladies and gentlemen, Jane Eyre Cafe is probably the best cafe in North Sydney. Why? Because it has amazing food, great coffee and fancy French cutlery. And a bike flower pot. I stumbled across this cute, cozy cafe during one of my lunch breaks as I was exploring the restaurants near my work. After a quick look of the menu, I settled on french toast and an iced coffee. I chose the french toast simply because the menu said it came with BACON. French toast with bacon, say what?!? And boy was there a lot of bacon.

Don’t let the photo fool you into thinking there’s only a single piece of bacon. When I cut into the bread, I was pleasantly surprised by another 2 layers of bacon!! The bacon overload was balanced by the greens, strawberry and passionfruit.

The ice coffee came with a generous serving of ice cream and a garnish of 3 little coffee beans. The coffee was rich and smooth.

Will I Return?

Yes!! Probably in my next lunch break 😀

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Bourke Street Bakery – North Sydney

Did you know Bourke Street Bakery has a shopfront at North Sydney? I didn’t, so I literally stopped in my tracks on my 1st day of work and stared.

Beef Brisket, Vino Cotto Slaw & Cheese Sandwich $9

I’ve always had a soft spot for slow cooked meat, so it was a struggle deciding between the pulled pork and beef brisket sandwich. The beef was tender, the slaw was fresh and the bread was toasted just right.

The old school lemonade was refreshing with a slight zest, the perfect way to wash down my sandwich.

Will I Return?

Yes. The pulled pork is calling me.

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Crazy Wings – Eastwood

As someone who frequently shops and eats in Eastwood, I’ve passed Crazy Wings quite a few times, one day I decided to head in for lunch with my dad. The moment we stepped in I had a ominous feeling, the waitress had a very annoyed tone when she brought us to our seats. After being confused by the menu, we asked the same waitress if she could explain the “Crazy Wok Set” to us. Once again, she replied in an annoyed voice paired with an impatient look on her face. I’m used to poor service in Chinese restaurants but this was a bit over the top.

The Crazy Wok Set consists of 2 skewers, a jar of plum juice and a wok meal. The wok meal requires you to choose a minimum of 6 ingredients to be tossed together and served to you. The 6 ingredients are separately priced, so don’t be fooled by the $9.8 price tag!

The lamb skewers were the first to come out of the kitchen, the portion is decently sized with a total of 5 skewers. However the meat was dry and rather tough. The chicken wings were slightly better. Halfway through our meal, we were asked by the waitress to relocate from our booth to a smaller table in the middle of the restaurant. When we moved to the new spot, the staff didn’t move our utensils or dishes, so I had to awkwardly carry our meals, chopsticks, spoons and cups, weaving between the tables.

Chicken Wings

Lamb Skewers

After another wait, our wok arrived. I was confused. So was my dad, so much so he asked the waitress to make sure it was what we had ordered. Our meal sat in a metal wok, a weird combination of ingredients shoved together and doused in a sauce. I took one bite and there was only one word that came to mind. SALT. It was the saltiest dish I’ve ever tasted, there was no flavour or taste. Just salt. I struggled another few bites then gave up. After a few bites my dad told me that I had to write a review so no one else wastes money on this restaurant.

Crazy wok

Will I Return?
Hell no.

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Porteno – Surry Hills

I’ve always wanted to dine at Porteno, especially to taste their renowned wood-fired pig. So when K and M wanted to have dinner there, I was definitely in. I’d like to apologise for the poor photo quality, my iPhone didn’t play well with the dimly lit restaurant.

The menu is a smorgasbord of meat; chicken, beef, pork, lamb, sausages and even sweetbreads! There’s also a nice selection of side dishes including polenta, cassava and vegetables. After studying the menu for a few minutes, the three of us decide on the Wood-fired pig, polenta and beef short ribs.

Beef short ribs, Wood-fired pig & Polenta

After all three of us take our obligatory photos of our delicious dishes, we dig in.


White Polenta with Gorgonzola & Walnuts $16

The polenta is very smooth and soft, the gorgonzola adds a sharp salt taste, while the walnuts provide a nice crunchy texture.

Beef Short Ribs $40

The short ribs are cut at 2cm across the rib, which according to the menu is a typical Argentinean cut. The meat is slightly tough for my liking but is well flavoured.

8 Hour Wood-fired Pig $46

Next comes the star of the show, the famous 8 hour wood-fired pig. This little pig has been marinating in his juices for 8 hours just for me to enjoy. The crackling is crispy, the meat is juicy and tender.

Will I return?

Yes, for that 8 hour pig. I mean this pig sacrificed himself by sleeping in a wood fired oven, just so I can eat him.

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Cafe De Hong Kong – Carlingford

Cafe De Hong Kong is your typical no frills Hong Kong style cafe, expect quick service and decent service. If you’re looking for something fancy then this is probably not the right place. After a quick browse of the huge menu, I settled for a pork chop lunch set while my dad chose the chicken lunch set. Both sets came with a drink and soup, you get select your own sauce as well as side dish.