I’ve always been a huge fan of donuts (hi Cartems!) but since that’s more of an American thing, there aren’t many donuts around in Sydney. Speaking of which, I also miss Tim Hortons and how cheap they are!!! There was Doughnut Time but it recently went bankrupt and all their stores seem to have closed now. I came across Donut Papi on Instagram and I’ve been stalking their page since. They close early on weekdays so I could only make a visit on the weekend. Basically all cafes close around 3 or 4pm here so unfortunately popping by after work is not an option.
Burger Project-Parramatta
My boyfriend suggested we get burgers so he took me to Burger Project in Parramatta. Since he’s a student, he’s been taking advantage of their student special from 3-6pm where you can get free small chips with your burger. Since we went for lunch though I couldn’t mooch off his discount this time. Their motto is fast food with slow food values. We were their first customers of the day so the restaurant was empty. It was actually a very spacious venue for a burger joint.
Did you know the Aussie’s like putting beetroot in their burgers? It actually tastes pretty good. The Aussie Burger had grass fed beef, beetroot, cheese, onion, pickles, tomato, lettuce & secret sauce. Not sure what the secret sauce was but it complimented the juicy burger.
They had a limited edition burger called The Korean with Samjang Mayonnaise, Onion, Lettuce, Kimchi & Bulgogi Glaze. I decided to be healthy and order it as a burger in a bowl so instead of having buns you get lettuce instead. I found the patty to be too salty from the bulgogi glaze so it might’ve been better if I had ordered it as a regular burger with buns instead. The patty was also juicy but I think they could’ve provided more onions since there were barely any. Also, I expected more of a spicy kick to it but that was not the case.
Here in Oz, they don’t usually serve burgers with fries (or chips as they call it here) so they need to be ordered separately. The Chips (large size) were perfectly fried, fluffy on the inside and seasoning was spot on.
Lastly, we ordered a Coffee Milkshake but it was disappointing as the texture was super watery and it was more like a latte… I would’ve sent it back but my boyfriend had already gulped half of it and he’s not a fan of sending food back.
Have you ever sent food back?
Thai Riffic-Parramatta
Thai Riffic is a chain restaurant located outside of Westfield Parramatta and it’s in a great location for quick eats. I love Thai food and Sydney has Thai food in abundance. They were pretty busy at dinner time but the wait was short.
Mr. Stonebowl-Burwood
I came across Mr. Stonebowl on Instagram (aka the best way to discover more food) and despite reading about the long lineups, I decided to brave them on a Sunday night. Luckily we only had 2 people so we got in after 10 mins! Way ahead of the various other people standing around. Stuff like this just makes my day since I hate waiting! We went to the Mr. Stonebowl location in Burwood and it’s a few blocks from the train station.
Bondi Pizza-Valentine’s Day Special
For Valentine’s Day this year, Bondi Pizza was having a special deal where you can order any 2 pizzas, pastas, or salads for $49.90 and you also get a chocolate fondue as well. With the deal, the fondue is basically free since most dishes there are around $25. The restaurant is located on Church street amidst a bunch of other restaurants. My boyfriend has been to Bondi Pizza a few times so I was interested in trying it. Also, I signed up for their rewards program so you can get a free pizza for your birthday! I love birthday freebies. :)
Tea Plus-Taiwanese Food in Chinatown
I was wandering around Chinatown looking for a place to eat and came across Tea Plus. They had a cute robin’s egg blue logo and there was plenty of seating inside so I took my chances and went in. Here you order and pay at the counter when you’re ready and each table has a number on it. Tea Plus is a chain restaurant and they have 6 other locations in Sydney.
After I discovered Happy Lemon, I’ve been addicted to cheese foam drinks. I ordered a Cheese Foam Matcha Milk Tea ($6.80). It delivered on the cheesy foam I so love with a flavourful matcha milk tea underneath. There is also lemon water available if you don’t want to purchase a drink. Continue reading →
Pablo Cheesetarts-Australia
Being from Vancouver, we are not usually the first (or even the second) to welcome the arrival of international chains like Pablo, famous for their cheesetarts. Now that I’m in Sydney I get super excited every time I see something that Vancouver doesn’t have. Go figure. On this particular day, I decided to hunt down Pablo for some cheesetarts while I was in the CBD (Central Business District).
The store front is quite small and there is no seating inside. They have 4 different flavours of mini cheesetarts available and some larger ones as well. Continue reading →
Kusuka Cafe-Fancy Mee Goreng
I am a fan of mee goreng and I just haven’t had it much in Vancouver (except of the instant variety) so when I saw that Kusuka Cafe offered some fancy versions, I had to check it out. It’s located in a small alley (not in a sketchy way) off Quay Street and super close to Central station. Kusuka Cafe is basically what you’d call a hole in the wall but in a nice way. Their menu consists of rice and noodles bowls as well as all day brunch. They also had really Instagram worthy drinks like a taro latte and pink latte and lattes in cones! I expect that lattes in cones will be showing up in Vancouver any minute now.
I was here for a mid-afternoon snack so I settled for the Mee Pork which had roasted pork belly, greens, butter herbed corn and chilli matah. They asked if I wanted the chilli included or on the side and I said I’ll have it included. The roast pork was sufficiently tender but far from the best roast pork I’ve ever had. The chilli sauce really hit the spot though and at first you don’t notice the heat but it creeps in steadily. It was a bowl of deliciousness and I didn’t want it to end. If you’re feeling hungry they have larger versions available as well for an increased price. I can imagine this is a great spot for students in the area!
The Smelly Cheesecake
I was intrigued by the name of this Korean-run cafe with their bright yellow awnings. The Smelly Cheesecake has 2 locations, one near Strathfield station and one near Lidcombe station. On this occasion I visited the Lidcombe location. They have display cases with full sized cakes and also cakes by the slice. In addition, they also serve coffee and breakfast/lunch/dinner items.
The cheesecakes come in various hues and range in flavours from red velvet to chocolate, berry and mango. They also had a parmesan flavour and a blue cheese cheesecake as well. Maybe that’s why they’re called The Smelly Cheesecake? Continue reading →
Fry Zone by Chicken Zone
The suburb I moved to is called Lidcombe and it is super Korean! There’s a whole bunch of Korean restaurants and shops right around the corner from my apartment. The first one I tried is Fry Zone by Chicken Zone and it’s right across from the train station on Railway Street. You literally cannot miss it.
I couldn’t resist getting some KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) so I ordered the half portion of the Sweet and Soy Sauce flavour. It was a mix of breast and thigh and other chicken parts I cannot identify. The batter was crispy but I think they could have seasoned a bit more or used more sauce as not all the pieces tasted the same and a couple pieces were on the drier side.
My bf had the Beef Burger with Beetroot ($7.50) and added a canned drink and chips (aka fries) for $3.50. Here in Australia it seems common that burgers are not served with fries automatically and they usually cost more. The burger was basic but quite juicy and saucy. The fries were well seasoned and on the thicker side.
We also had a side dish of pickled daikon as well which was refreshing. Wouldn’t mind stopping by again since I live so close! Fry Zone also has a second location in Lidcombe and 2 other locations in Strathfield, another very Korean suburb. There will be no shortage of fried chicken in my future.