La Vong Ling Fish is Hanoi pan fried tumeric fish with fresh dill and shallot. served with salad, vermicelli noodle, fish sauce dressing and crushed peanuts on the side.
Read MoreHONEST INDIAN - BELLA VISTA, SYDNEY
This Chinese Brel was an amazing, vibrant dish! It had soft and crispy noodles stir fried with Manchurian cauliflower and paneer in a sweet and sour sauce.
Read MoreCLOUD THIEF - HAYMARKET, SYDNEY
The crackling pork roast bao or the Peking duck bao. Both were meaty, tangy and tasty with plenty of extra’s in them too.
Read MoreAFRICAN FEELING - NEWTOWN, SYDNEY
African Feeling 1/501 King St
Newtown, Sydney
We were cruising King St in Newtown looking for a parking spot first, then we were going to just drop in to whatever was nearby for a quick bite before going to see a band.
We eventually found one down the far end and when we got out and wandered a short distance we spotted African Feeling.
We've eaten African food a few times before and always enjoyed it so we made the impromptu decision to give it a go.
We also fortunately scored a table straight away which was a bonus.
We of course started with drinks but made the socially responsible decision to go for non-alcoholic because we wanted a few later on. The mocktails here were good too. Sir had a sober pina colada - a mix of coconut and pineapple just leaving out the alcohol. Mlady had The Cooler - made from fresh orange and lemon juice, ginger and shredded mint leaves.
For "mains" we decided to stick with a selection of entree's as we'd eaten up fairly heavily earlier on. They arrived together, as requested.
We had vegetarian triangles (a spiced potato and vegetable mix inside crispy pastry), African Cigars (minced beef and herbs inside tubed pastry - and much like a meaty spring roll) and finally Kpoff Kpoff (light fluffy Nigerian dumplings). They were all served with a good sized dish of mild vegetarian dipping sauce that was pleasant. A side of freshly made warm roti was very tasty.
We would have liked to try the African Donuts for dessert but sadly we didn't have the space. They looked good in the advert on the table. African Feeling is a pleasant place with a good variety of African food.
THE FOODIE HOUSE - NORTH RYDE, SYDNEY
The Foodie HouseMacquarie Centre
197 Herring Rd
North Ryde, Sydney
We felt like having a spicy lunch and being a public holiday, where a lot of restaurants are closed, we decided to head to the Macquarie Centre.
The Foodie House caught our eye and after reading their menu's thought that this would be a good place to grab a nice lunch - with spice. We both chose dishes that were on the "lunchtime" special.
Mlady had a laksa and chose the vegetarian/tofu variation for this.It did not take long to arrive and when it did it smelt delish. Mlady had the beauty of the laksa being a lovely "soup" with all it's goodies.
This consisted of the noodles, baby corn, mushrooms, pieces of carrot, sliced bits of onion, pieces of shallot and of course wonderful soft tofu.
Mlady of course used the chopsticks to eat the tasty spicy vegetables and noodles and the spoon to enjoy the wonderful "soup". This was a really satisfying dish that tasted delicious and ticked all the boxes.
Sir ordered the Crispy roasted pork served with rice. There was a good pile of pork on the plate. It was nice and tender with a mildly flavoured dipping sauce and a small garnish of salad.
It was accompanied with a good sized serving of rice on the plate as well. The combination was tasty and with its side of soup it was a very substantial meal.
The Foodie House is a quaint place with a street stall appearance to it even though it's inside Macquarie Centre. The food is freshly made, fast and tasty.
THE MISSING PIECE - NORTH RYDE
The Missing PieceMacquarie Centre
197 Herring Rd
North Ryde, Sydney
We spied The Missing Piece at Macquarie Centre and it looked impressive with its selection of cookies, scrolls and cronuts.
We'd heard good things about this place and so we decided to grab a few bits and pieces to take away.
There was a good selection of cronuts and cakes but the scrolls took centre stage and stole the show here.
Mlady chose a Nutella and banana scroll
The scrolls were simply amazing - fresh and full of flavour. Mlady loved hers and thoroughly enjoyed devouring every bit of it.
Sir chose (no surprises) a salted caramel scroll.
He's a BIG salted caramel fan and had no qualms of having to eat the salted caramel scroll.
The caramel just oozed out of the spiralled layers of the scroll as he bit into - nice!
It was such a good way to have a sweet hit.
We also decided to grab a cookie as well - especially as it was billed as "Worlds Best Muesli Cookie" - we're suckers for a pitch like that!The cookie really tasted like a good cookie should and held together very well when you broke pieces off.
It was fresh and you could taste the lovely oats and the sultanas sweetened this very yummy cookie.
The Missing Piece certainly doesn't seem to be missing out on willing and loyal customers. There was a queue when we went past earlier! They seem to handle it well though, and their selection of drinks and food had everyone there happy. We'll have to drop back some time and stay to try more of their things.
SYDNEY HILLS OUTDOOR CINEMA - CASTLE HILL, SYDNEY
Sydney Hills Outdoor CinemaHeritage Park - Heritage Rd,
Castle Hill, Sydney
With a stunning bushland backdrop, delightful decorations, fantastic food and drink options and an excellent array of films to choose from, the Sydney Hills Outdoor Cinema is a wonderful choice for a summer night out.
Located in the heart of the Hills District in Sydney, this bushy, open area is set up with a huge outdoor movie screen, foldable chairs, beanbags, private tents, food and drinks, and entertainment from MTV and Nova 96.9.
We visited on opening night, with cocktails and canapes to welcome us to this wonderfully planned event. Even though the weather was cool for summer, the vibe was great with a live DJ before the film started. Naturally, our eyes went straight to the menus available at the Outdoor Cinema.
With food truck style foods, there was a range of burgers, hot dogs, and healthier salad options, with a kids menu available as well.
Aside from the mains, there were snacks for absent minded indulging during the film, such as popcorn, crisps, and ice cream cones from Gelato Messina.
Our food, ordered at the truck and collected when our buzzer rang, looked delicious - even for food presented in styrofoam containers. Duke munched on a Kransky hotdog, smothered in purple sauerkraut and mustard mayo. He definitely picked up some European vibes in this dish and the serving size was perfect for dinner. Duchess couldn’t go past the Southern Fried Chicken Burger (it’s so hard to say Southern Fried Chicken out loud without a Southern accent - go on, try it). She was in food bliss as she tore into this burger, perfect juicy chicken, just the right amount of bite, offset with lettuce and tomato. And that cheese, that sauce. SO GOOD. One of the best burgers Duchess has had.
Just to pretend we were being healthy, we also shared a chicken & green mango salad, which was very Vietnamese influenced with Nam Jim dressing, herbs, peanuts and some tomato and cucumber included too.We also tried the beer of choice at the outdoor cinema, Vale - it was definitely a nice bottled brew. Some sparkling for Duchess, the Azure, was just the perfect addition of sparkle to an already enjoyable evening.
The movie, Spectre, was set to begin and we made ourselves comfortable in some of the folding chairs, grabbed a blanket, and settled back for a relaxing film. The sound and picture quality was great, considering it was an outdoor cinema. Overall, the Sydney Hills Outdoor Cinema was a great night out, for couples, families or just a group of friends. The best part? The whole package - you can spend your entire night there without having to grab dinner beforehand - just grab one of those burgers.
The Duke and Duchess, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, were guests of Sydney Hills Outdoor Cinema. Special thanks to Rachel Cameron of The Society Group for this invitation.
THE REFINERY - HORNSBY, SYDNEY
The Refinery10 Coronation St
Hornsby, Sydney
The Refinery prides itself on your visit being "all about the coffee" but they have more to offer than just a nice brew or two.
It's a small place on the edge of a side street in the old side of Hornsby, and most of its seating is actually outside on the street under market umbrella's.
It's a pleasant spot on a fine day to sit, soak up some filtered rays, sip a coffee and have a bite.
They also have a nice range of sweeter things on display at the counter - including some Oregano Bakery scrolls that looked very tempting.
A few coffees were ordered straight away. They treat there coffee seriously here, even roasting their own blend. It's popular too so the public must like what they do and how they do it. We certainly liked it too! The Duke and Duchess, who were with us, had house squeezed juices - on this occasion it was orange, carrot and ginger. They really enjoyed these.
On to our brunches and Sir had the Mushroom and Feta.It was a simple and tasty combination starting with a base of toasted sourdough topped with pesto and a nice mix of mushrooms and feta and a green garnish of rocket.
He also added a poached egg as well as an optional extra.
Of course he had it served on toast and not surprisingly he added a side of bacon with it.
The brightly coloured eggs were not overcooked and still held plenty of moisture in them.
He certainly wasn't disappointed.
The Duchess veered towards the two eggs cooked the way you want.
She chose poached and selected toasted rye with them.
She also added a side of the avocado salsa.
She also added a side of the avocado salsa.
She was impressed with the tangy flavours of the salsa which added some kick to her meal.
For Mlady it's either scrambled eggs or something mega healthy to start the day. On this occasion she veered to the healthy side.
She's become quite a fan of granola over the years so the combination of mixed berries, granola and yoghurt ticked multiple boxes at once.
It certainly looked vibrant when it arrived at the table with it's bright almost purple berries contrasting so well with the white yoghurt.
Underneath lay the granola and this was a good sized start to her day.
We enjoyed The Refinery. It was a pleasant place that had great coffee and a good range of tasty breakfasts.
RISE BAKEHOUSE - DRUMMOYNE, SYDNEY
(Inside Birkenhead Point Shopping Centre)
19 Roseby St
Drummoyne, Sydney
Rise is just inside the centre on the lower floor opposite Coles, so it may be the first coffee and food place encountered. For us, it was actually a stop off point just before we left the centre. Sir was after something sweet - what's new there - and we had spotted a free table and quickly grabbed it.
In terms of cakes and pastries they have plenty of choices available. Most are quite substantial too, but a few smaller sized ones were on offer.
Sir was eyeing off the Christmas mince tarts which were on top of the counter, but ended up with this much sweeter lemon roll. It turned out to be a cake roll with a lemon filling and a surprisingly thin layer of icing on top. He was quite impressed with it.
We also needed drinks. We considered coffee, as we normally do, but opted for a couple of chai's. Mlady had soy and Sir had skim.
Rise Bakehouse is predominantly take away, but their few tables are always busy, the foods fresh and the service friendly.
Sir was eyeing off the Christmas mince tarts which were on top of the counter, but ended up with this much sweeter lemon roll. It turned out to be a cake roll with a lemon filling and a surprisingly thin layer of icing on top. He was quite impressed with it.
We also needed drinks. We considered coffee, as we normally do, but opted for a couple of chai's. Mlady had soy and Sir had skim.
Rise Bakehouse is predominantly take away, but their few tables are always busy, the foods fresh and the service friendly.
SILVERBEAN - ENMORE, SYDNEY
99 Enmore Rd
Enmore, Sydney
Silverbean is a vintage style cafe in the popular suburb of Enmore, a place where the restaurants and cafes are as diverse as its residents.
The space is intimate and the ambience is warm and relaxed. It's old bentwood chairs and copper lights give it a real rustic look.
Silverbean's menu is inspired by the Southwest of America and if that makes you think of food full of meat, beans and corn, think again.Silverbean's menu is quite diverse, with lots of delicious options for vegetarian and vegan diets too.
We arrived for brunch on a Saturday morning and we choose to sit inside.
We could have easily chosen a table outside (perfect for people watching) but we were drawn to the lovely wooden furniture and warm interior.
We started with two long blacks whilst we looked at the menu - fairly normal for us.
They serve organic fair trade coffee from PNG here.
It was smooth and was arrived with a beautiful crema - a sure indication your long black is going to be superb.
We loved it.
We don't come across vegan dishes very often, so we opted to try the Vegan breakfast. It seemed weird that we were ordering a breakfast dish that didn't come with any eggs or bacon but we love trying new things so we were somewhat excited. If we could describe the Vegan breakfast in a few words, we would say healthy and fresh. It was loaded with homemade things like baked beans, mushrooms and avocado. The sourdough toast was crisp and accompanied with the most delicious walnut oil, made on right on premises.
Now, If there's one thing you can always count on with The Counts, it's that there's always room for something sweet - even after a huge meal.So, to finish up, we ordered some hot cakes without much persuasion at all.
These fluffy hot cakes were served with crispy bacon, berry compote, ricotta and were drizzled with a very unique chamomile maple.
We've had hotcakes served with bacon many times, usually drowned in maple syrup and cream but these had just the right amount of maple and the ricotta instead of cream gave the dish a slightly less sweet sugary taste. We had also never tried camomile maple before and we loved it's fruity and vanilla like scent.
As we finished our meals, we took a look around the cafe, admiring some of the interesting pictures on the wall.We came across a lovely couch area at the back of the cafe (wish we had seen that from the beginning). It's a perfect spot for some privacy or an intimate catch up.
Silverbean impressed us with their fresh and tasty food, their great service and a real warm atmosphere, a place p where you can just sit back and relax.
We definitely will be back, probably to try a few things from the lunch menu next time. Silverbean is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch.
The Counts, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of Silverbean. Special thanks to Elijah for this invitation.
THE FACTORIA - WETHERILL PARK, SYDNEY
The Factoria1003-1009 Canley Vale Rd,
Wetherill Park, Sydney
This place is just bursting with character!
Located in an otherwise ordinary semi-industrial area, Factoria is like an oasis in the desert.
As you approach, you are immediately impressed with the colour and charm of the garden setting.
Rustic outdoor seating with umbrellas and pots of leafy plants and flowers adorn the entry and a gorgeous old bicycle tops it all off.Factoria has an awesome array of counter goodies, especially cakes and pastries.
There is also a range of ready-made savoury pastries and focaccias and a gelato bar at the back.
There were also plenty of things we had never seen before. There is even a room out the back with backlit shelves which are packed with more of these fascinating foodie items.
We were there for lunch so we headed for the savoury section.
There were roasted vegetable foccacias, croissants and frittatas but Dame M chose a spinach quiche and Dame K had the shepherd’s pie.
The quiche was vegetarian and very tasty with a nice soft pastry.
The pie was not the usual looking shepherd’s pie, but a pastry-enclosed turnover style.
The meaty filling was delicious and full of vegetables (including potato, of course). We also had the house coffee, Will and Co, which was superb.
Those Dames, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of The Factoria. Big thanks to Carmelina Catanzariti the General Manager there for this invitation.
LA MIA PASTA - NEWTOWN, SYDNEY
La Mia Pasta170 King St
Newtown, Sydney
There aren’t many people in this world that don’t like pasta - we certainly do. The Italians live on it and us Aussies love it too. You can cook it so many different ways and combine it with so many different sauces, it’s probably one of the most versatile ingredients on the planet.
La Mia pasta is something like a pasta haven. Sure, there are plenty of pasta places around, but there aren’t many that make their own pasta fresh every day and cook it to order, right in front of you.La Mia Pasta opened its doors not long ago in Newtown’s famous King Street. Although its branded as a takeaway restaurant, there are plenty of tables and seats inside so you can definitely order and eat in. The restaurant has that ‘new’ feeling and one thing we noticed when first walking in was the cleanliness of the restaurant and kitchen. The place was spotless and literally shining.
At the counter we noticed a very full menu on the board. With over 100 different combinations of pasta shapes and sauces to choose from, we didn’t know where to start so we sought some assistance from the lovely staff. Ordering was basically as easy as 1,2,3. You pick your pasta, you pick your sauce and then you add any extras you may want. Beside the many pasta and sauce choices, we noticed some salads available so we started with a Greek Salad and some garlic bread as we were both very hungry.
Count N has had quite a few Greek salads in his time and this one here at La Mia Pasta was definitely a crowd pleaser. Loaded with fresh pieces of tomato and cucumber it was full of flavour. They also don’t skimp on the feta cheese here There were plenty of chunky pieces all through the salad (our favourite part of the salad). The garlic bread was crispy and was devoured in seconds.
Our first pasta dish was a mouth-watering slow cooked beef ravioli served with a traditional Napolitana sauce - topped with fresh basil. Bursting with flavour and richness, these heavenly pillows of pasta were generously filled with the tastiest beef chunks. The sauce, La Mia Pasta’s signature tomato sauce was cooked to perfection with the right mix of herbs giving it that really authentic Italian flavour.
Next up, some fettuccine in a bolognese sauce - another hearty pasta dish. The texture of the fettuccine was al dente and quite frankly, perfect (another benefit of freshly made pasta, the texture is so superior). The freshly ground mince was plentiful in the bolognese sauce and again very light. If only we hadn’t devoured all the garlic bread in the beginning, it would have been the perfect scooping agent for the yummy sauce. Oh well!
Lastly, we decided to try the gnocchi as after two pasta dishes we thought it would be nice to try something different and moving away from tomato based sauces, we ordered it with a mushroom sauce. There is nothing worse than a tough, dry and chewy gnocchi drowned in a bland sauce. This was certainly not the case here. This freshly made gnocchi was soft, delicate and with a silky smooth texture.The sauce, made with garlic, cream, mushrooms and a splash of white wine was delicious. A white sauce can verge on the wrong side of heavy at times, but this one was light and bursting with the natural flavours of fresh mushrooms.
La Mia pasta also has a few desserts on offer but this time, the counts had to decline. Thought the Swiss dark chocolate mousse looked quite good and almost swayed us into ordering some.Our experience at La Mia pasta was great. The food is full of fresh ingredients and the friendly staff are on hand to answer any questions. Everything is prepared quite quickly without compromising on taste. You can pretty much bet on having your pasta prepared in under 5 minutes.
You can eat in or take away and La Mia Pasta will even deliver to your door if you live close by. Next time you are in Newtown and feel like pasta, be sure to pop in to La Mia Pasta. We certainly will visit them again.
The Counts, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of La Mia Pasta. Special thanks to Nir for this invitation.
