Milk Bar by Cafe Ish, Redfern

Hearing a favourite food joint close down is a heart- breaking moment in a food lover's life. A few weeks ago, I was saddened by the news that my favourite cafe/izakaya place, Cafe Ish, was closing its doors. But not long after that announcement, Josh (the owner & head chef of Cafe Ish) discreetly told me that they are actually opening a new food joint in Redfern. My frown instantly turned into a joyous smile! He mentioned that it will be a cafe and milk bar serving old school burgers and more.

A few weeks later, Josh and Ai (barista and co-owner) opened a new food paradise - Milk Bar by Cafe Ish! It is located on Regent Street, Redfern. They have fused the concept of a milk bar and a café into one. It has an open type setting with contemporary wooden tables and benches. It is very casual with a touch of some classic milk bar perks like a video game table, jukebox, and a lolly bar.

Now, lets get down to the food! They serve non-complex but super delicious comfort dishes like - $5 cheeseburgers, chicken wings, baked eggs, bacon & egg rolls, spiced vanilla porridge, and their signature crab omelette (one of the great dishes Café Ish in know for). They make amazing coffees using Coffee Alchemy beans and good tasting milkshakes. They also have pastries and cakes that are all made in-house.

What I’ve tried so far during my first two visits:

chocolate milkshake

The chocolate milkshake was very rich and luscious. Lindt chocolate was used in the process of making it.

Ai's freaking awesome fried chicken wings with crab sauce (left) & cheeseburger (right) 

cheeseburger

The cheeseburger ($5) has a soft bun (which I love!), juicy free-range beef pattie, melted cheese, pickles, ketchup and grilled onion. It was full of flavour! For $8, you can have fries as a side with your burger.

Ai’s freaking awesome chicken wings with crab sauce

This time around, I also decided to have a basket of Ai’s freaking awesome chicken wings with crab sauce ($13) with my burger. It is as awesome as the name suggests. It is beautifully fried free-range chicken wings with an outer layer of crispy batter. The crab sauce seems like the same as the soy ginger dressing used on their crab omelette.

Flat white

On my next visit, I had a flat white ($4). In my opinion, Ai is one of the best baristas in Sydney. The flat white had a perfect balance of frothed milk and espresso. It was smooth and full-bodied. The milk’s temperature was just right.

Bacon cheeseburger 

The bacon cheeseburger ($6) is also a good value item and really flavourful. It has a beef pattie with cheese, barbecue sauce, grilled relish and glorious bacon.

Ai’s freaking awesome fried chicken wings with hot sauce

Last but not the least, Ai’s freaking awesome fried chicken wings with hot sauce ($13). Just as succulent and awesome as the previous chicken wings I’ve previously had, but with hot sauce.

On other recent visits:

Double cheeseburger $9

Maltesers choc tart slice $7

Miso caramel milkshake $7

The miso caramel (their take on salted caramel) milkshake  is not overly sweet thanks to the subtle salty taste of miso.

Peanut butter and jelly milkshake $7

The peanut butter & jelly milkshake's taste is exactly how Josh described it. It's like having a drink version of peanut butter & jelly on toast. It was suprisingly light too!

Milk Bar by Café Ish is an establishment that provides comfort food and coffee that is simply delicious. Food that is perfect in its simplicity.

Milk Bar by Café Ish

105 Regent Street

Redfern NSW 2-16

The Baron, Castle Hill

I love visiting Sydney cafes and restaurants. There are many places to chill out and enjoy a good meal within the city and its surrounding suburbs. But the travel can sometimes be a hassle. Good thing, there are exciting cafes/bars opening up around Western/North Western Sydney. This cafes and bars seem to focus on recreating classics and giving them an enticing twist.  One place in particular has done this and caught my attention - an awesome joint called The Baron!

The Baron is a cafe by day and bar restaurant by night located at the Castle Street side of Castle Towers, Castle Hill. I find The Baron's stylish industrial decor very fascinating. It is very trendy with a vibe that is very laid back. The customer service is great and the food is outstanding! I've only been here during the day. The day menu is full of small bites and beverages to make the taste buds happy.

Mocha

Flat white

Their flat white ($3.50) is smooth and strong with a tiny bit of velvet froth.

Bacon and egg roll

Their bacon and egg roll ($8.50) has got to be the best one I've ever had! It is in a crusty roll with egg that has a runny yolk and glorious bacon. The tomato relish gives out a spiced hit towards the end of every bite.

Pulled pork sandwich

The pulled pork sandwich ($13) is amazing! Inside a crusty roll is tender pulled pork and coleslaw. The pork is tangy and slightly smokey.

The Baron is the perfect chill out joint around North-Western Sydney. A go to place to satisfy cravings for good coffee, pulled pork, bacon & egg rolls and more!

The Baron

Shop 461, 4-16 Castle St                  

Castle Hill, NSW 2154

Phone -0402 049 877

Website: whoisthebaron.com

Gnome Espresso and Wine Bar, Surry Hills

If one was to search for good espresso based drinks and cafe food in Sydney, you cannot go wrong with Surry Hills. One of my new happy places in Sydney is in the form of a cafe called Gnome Espresso and Wine Bar. It is located on Crown Street, Surry Hills. It is a Cafe by day and a wine bar restaurant by night (that still serves coffee of course!).

The ambience is cozy and laid back. A barista friend of mine has recommended this joint a while ago. But when Chocolatesuze mentioned that they have a super grilled cheese sandwich, I instantly planned a breakfast visit. Gnome had me at grilled cheese. That breakfast was followed by lunch visits.

Flat white

The flat white ($3.50) is excellent! It  was full-bodied, not bitter and very smooth.

Piccolo latte

Super grilled cheese sandwich

ooohhh yeahhhh!!! So awesome right?

The super grilled cheese sandwich ($12). It is a big serving of grilled cheese sandwich which has three cheeses (cheddar, gruyere, and buffalo mozzarella) that oozes out of the sourdough bread. It also has proscioutto that works really well with the three cheeses. The only thing missing in this sandwich is the word "awesome" in its name. It should be called Super awesome grilled cheese sandwich.

Mini beef burger

The mini beef burger ($10) with  swiss cheese, caramelised onions and tomato relish, is  like a large slider. It is about the size of a McDonald's cheeseburger. But taste wise, it is bursting with flavour. It is very juicy for a small burger and the taste somehow reminds me of chili con carne.

Spicy meatball in mozzarella and tomato basil sauce

The spicy meatballs in mozzarella and tomato basil sauce ($14) served with a side of sourdough, is a perfect comfort lunch food! The spiced meatballs is full of flavour and so is the sauce. There's a choice of having  it served in a bowl or baguette.

At Gnome Espresso, they take their excellent coffee and food seriously.  Their service is great and I've always left their place with a happy belly! Two thumbs up for me!

Gnome Espresso and Wine Bar

536 Crown Street  

Surry Hills NSW 2010

(02) 9332 3191

Website: gnomeespresso.com

Trading Hours:

Monday 7am – 5pm

Tuesday – Friday 7am -9.30pm

Saturday 8am -9.30pm

Sunday 8am-5pm

Tsuru Food Truck - Pop up event

Two Sydney food trucks have hit the streets in the last few weeks. But there is one food truck that I've been eyeing ever since the news of these mobile restaurants came out. The truck known as Tsuru Food Truck is soon to deliver Sydney with mouth watering modern Asian dishes.  They have Asian inspired dishes ranging from half-moon Chinese steamed buns filled with pork belly to delicious food in sticks like chicken satay skewers. The steamed buns are pillow like, sweet and very tasty.

Ellyn Tse

Ellyn Tse is the creative head chef/proprietor of Tsuru. She is also affiliated with a non-profit organisation called Eat.Drink.Give. It is an organisation that helps the less fortunate in the community. They both have collaborated in the past to host food events that raised proceeds to provide dining experiences to the disadvantaged in the community.

Tsuru and Eat.Drink.Give have once again joined forces and hosted a pop up event last Friday, 15 June 2012 held at Bocata Spanish Deli. Tsuru served an array of dishes that would definitely whet anyone’s appetite (ranges from $3.50 to $4.50):

Pork belly bun

The pork belly bun is their signature dish. A soft Chinese half-moon bun filled with pork belly and pickles. The pork belly is very tender with a light sweet caramelised taste followed by flavours from aromatic spices towards the end. The pickles and coriander adds a soft accent and balance to the dish.

Crispy fried chicken bun

My favourite dish of the night was the crispy fried chicken bun. The contrast of a crispy battered fried chicken fillet and soft Chinese bun works very well. The special mayo drizzled on the chicken gives a creamy texture and tangy taste to the dish. It is seriously awesome!

Barbecue beef with kimchi

Chicken satay skewers

The chicken satay skewer is amazing! It is an Indonesian style chicken satay barbecued over charcoal. It had a smoky and light peanut taste. It is very tender and flavourful.

Pandan and peanuts martabak

The pandan and peanuts martabak manis (sweet martabak) is absolutely mind blowing! It is a thick pancake-like sweet dish. In this version, the martabak is flavoured with pandan. The martabak has a peanut filling that leaves your mouth with a nice after taste almost like nutella.

I can’t wait until Tsuru’s truck is set in motion! I also look forward to try the onigiris and other dishes they have to offer. To find out the latest news on Tsuru Food Truck, follow them on twitter: @tsurufoodtruck and facebook page: www.facebook.com/TsuruFoodTruck. 

Also check out https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sydney-Food-Trucks/258166624256365 or follow @sydneyfoodtruck for updates on Tsuru and other Sydney food trucks.

 

Tsuru Food Truck

Sydney, NSW