Melbourne: Top brunch at Top Paddock

I think I've fallen in love. The kind that makes the butterflies in your stomach flutter, the kind that makes you think of said 'love' all the time and when you're away from said 'love', you crave being in its presence. Unfortunately, my lover is not a boy... but my love is Melbourne's hip brunch spot, Top Paddock, located in the suburb of Richmond.

Now, I've mentioned this before: Brunch is my favourite meal of the day. Top Paddock has reaffirmed that statement in so many ways. While I think I'm rather generous when it comes to rating restaurants and cafes, it'll take something extraordinary for me to rate it a 10/10 holistically - for the meal, ambiance and service - but Top Paddock is a triple threat and I'm just going to say it now... it deserves a 100/100 rating, and that is the rating that I will award to it.

The concept and interior of Top Paddock kind of reminds me of a cross between Vicinity Bar and The Grounds, Alexandria, Sydney. It's very modern and up-cycled but very homy at the same time. As soon as I walked into the cafe, I was in awe. I'm a sucker for this kind of interior design genre.

I mean... may we please take a moment and a minute of silence to truly appreciate and laud the beauty of these up-cycled stools (below). How creative! Such a piece of art! Incredibly genius!

Moving on before I die from love... Top Paddock is quite massive for a cafe. It's not as big or spread out as Alexandria's The Ground, but definitely bigger than your ordinary cafe. While Top Paddock is Melbourne's version of The Ground in that it is the 'hyped up' cafe of the moment, unlike The Ground, Top Paddock isn't overrated and definitely meets and exceeds my expectation.

The people that comes through the Top Paddock doors are the kind of people who dress the way that I usually gravitate towards. They're professional/hipsters or indie professionals. Not to be confused with 'professional hipsters'. Why have I labeled them with this title? Well... they're the kind of young professionals who are a little alternative in the way they dress (think... Cara Delevigne meets Blair Waldorf or Francisco Lachowski meets Harvey Specter), but probably holds a 9-5 investment banking, architecture or junior lawyer positions in a top firm. Either that, or they're really cool families. 

The cafe has an outdoor courtyard seating area, an outdoor veranda sitting area and an expansive floor and stage seating area. They have a takeaway bar  and a main coffee bar to serve the high amount of traffic that passes through their door.

Now, you all know that I'm not a big fan of coffee so I certainly don't have a soft spot for coffee machines, but I must admit that my jaw dropped to the floor when I saw the bad boys that they had at Top Paddock. I would really love to have one for my future terrace/apartment... and never use it.

Now, enough gushing about the ambiance and the interior and onto the service and the food.

Upon entering Top Paddock, we were seated almost instantaneously. I'm not sure whether it's because yesterday was a slightly slow day for them (even though 'slow' is still pretty busy), but I'm sure that when it's super busy, you'd have to wait for a fair amount of time. It's not that they don't have the space but its that the space is usually packed!

Just reading the Top Paddock menu makes your mouth salivate with excitement. Everything sounds so fresh, clean and delicious. I was recommended to go to Top Paddock by my foodie aunt, uncle and cousins and was told to try their Ricotta Hotcakes or Grilled Brocolini and their Chai Latte.

The best thing about Top Paddock is that their produce are sourced from only the top and finest paddocks in Victoria before being cooked and placed onto your plate. Maybe it's just placebo, but knowing this actually made my breakfast taste even better.

I followed my family's suggestions and opted for the Chai Latte while my parents ordered a Soy Cappuccino.

Chai Latte

The Chai Latte was absolutely divine. It was creamy and the myriad of spices shone thorough which is finely balanced with as little or as many doses of honey as you see fit. I love the taste of chai but often, chai lattes can be overbearingly heavy and makes you a little nauseas after a few sips but Top Paddock's chai latte was just perfect for me.

Soy Cappuccino

Mum and dad compared the soy cap to Don Campos' Soy Cap so that's quite a high praise. While I can't describe the taste, I can tell you that the froth looked extra creamy which is always a good sign of a good cup of coffee.

For mains, I decided to once again, listen to my family's advice. While I don't mind hotcakes, I much prefer a savoury plate for brunch so I opted for the grilled broccolini & sugar snaps with avocado, toasted almonds, poached eggs & heidi raclette on toast.

Grilled Broccolini

If food could ever reaffirm that there is still peace, love and everything nice in this world, then this certainly did it for me. I'm about to make a sweeping statement but I don't regret it. This was the best breakfast I've ever had in my entire life. EVER. 

I'm not sure what spices they used but from what I could see on the plate, I believe it was simply black sea salt and olive oil. I have an inkling however, that there were a few cheeky flakes of truffle salt because the flavours were out of this world.

All the vegetables were so fresh and crunchy. The brocolini was juicy, crunchy and salty while the sugar snaps were crunchy and sugar-full. The avocado was a little/tiny/minutely bitter but I actually really enjoyed the contrast in flavours. 

The toasted almonds added a beautiful texture to the dish and were roasted to perfection. The two poached eggs that were nestled on the side of the plate were still gooey and absolutely delicious. As soon as you poked your fork onto the yolk, a burst of orange goodness flooded the plate.

The heidi cheese was 50 shades of deliciousness; rich and very strong (extremely salty) in flavour but balanced well with the hearty bread on the plate.

The bread was a little bit over-toasted but aside from the slight faux-pa, it was just as divine as the rest of the plate. I literally ate everything on the plate and left absolutely nothing but a few splotches of olive oil. I fell in love there and then. 

Avocado and Bread

Mum ordered the Avocado and bread. The presentation was exceptional and the high quality of the produce shone through in what is an otherwise simple dish. The black sea salt gave the avocado a dimension that it otherwise would not have and the bread was toasted to perfection.

While it was such a blessing to find a beautiful cafe like Top Paddock, it's also a curse because I don't think I'll ever find another breakfast bar that is a satisfying and hellishly good as Top Paddock... ever again. 

I'm going to leave this post with a rating of 100/100 for Top Paddock and a very very very loud encouragement for you to visit the place if you're ever in Melbourne, and if you are a Melbournian.... screw you, I want a Top Paddock in Sydney!

All my love,

Nisa

Melbourne: Breaking promises at Brother Baba Budan

Come to a cafe with me and what beverage will you see me order? Maybe a glass of tap water or, on very rare occasions, perhaps a glass of juice. Most likely however, it'll be a cup of tea but NEVER a cup of coffee. Ever. 

But because I'm the kind of person who likes to spice things up, I'm about to surprise you with this post. Today, I went to one of Melbourne's most renowned coffee shops, Brother Baba Budan, located at Little Bourke Street. When I experiment, I'd much rather conquer things head on, so going to Brother Baba Budan - a coffee shop which strictly serves lattes, cappucinos and picollos - was my way of experimenting with the dark side... coffee.

I've been to Brother Baba Budan when I was 10 years old but I've never had a cup of their famous coffee. The shop is tiny and hardly accomodates for the traffic that comes through its doors. Nevertheless, my recollection of Brother Baba Budan was that I absolutely adored the interior (it was and still is insanely hipster - long before I even knew what hipster meant) so I figured, I might as well go to the dark side at a place where I truly felt comfortable. 

Now, I know that 'Fooshion and Trinkets' is, for the most part, a food blog, but may we please take a moment to appreciate the truly quirky interior?! I love the polished yet rustic, up-cycle, white and wooden interior design movement, so I truly felt at home here.

As I mentioned above, Brother Baba Budan serves nothing but coffee but what I forgot to mention is that they serve some of the best (supposedly) coffee beans you could ever purchase in Melbourne. Like the Don Campos cafe in Alexandria, Sydney, Brother Baba Budan offers you with the ability to purchase their blends and make it at home! It really isn't a novelty, but thought you should know.

Now, to an actual (slightly amateur review) of their coffee. I decided to order a cup of their Soy Cappuccino for takeaway. Why soy? I've recently discovered that I'm not that big of a fan of normal milk. I always feel a little sick when I have hot chocolate and a tall glass of milk - I'm not dairy intolerant but I just MUCH prefer almond and soy milk.

Oddly, I really enjoyed the Soy Cap. They use Bonsoy Soy Milk which is my favourite brand of Soy Milk so seeing that gives them a tick in my good books. I must say, although I'm not a big fan of coffee, I (ashamedly) must admit that I actually enjoyed my Soy Cap. Brother Baba Budan's coffee beans are very very strong which usually would leave me running to the hills but for some odd reason, I actually really enjoyed it. It was bitter and as mentioned before, very strong, but somehow it wasn't overly bitter. There was no odd after-taste which coffee usually leaves and overall I didn't mind the coffee. 

If you're a lover of coffee then this place is definitely for you. I mean, I've given pretty rave reviews, so that should say something...

Love always,

Nisa.

Melbourne: Phobulous morning at Mekong

Although Sydney is home and a city which I wholeheartedly love, Sydney's eateries are, for the most part, a far cry from Melbourne's - a city known for its shopping but most importantly, known for its culinary culture. 

Those who know me well would tell you that I'm a major family girl and I'm extremely close with my parents and my extended family, particularly my mum's side  - most of whom, resides in the rather indie state of Melbourne. Melbourne is where I will be spending my New Years. 

Since I was little, coming to Melbourne always included to a trip (or ten) to Mekong, located in Melbourne's most famous street, Swanston Street. If you know me then you would know that Vietnamese Pho holds a special place in my heart and Mekong is the place that ignited that obsession, so I can't possibly come to Melbourne without visiting Mekong! 

If you walked past Mekong (barring the inevitable long line of people awaiting for a seat - usually trailing out the door) you probably would just keep walking and not give it a second thought. The interior and exterior of the restaurant isn't particularly impressive, in fact, it's not impressive at all but Mekong is one of those restaurants which truly heralds the statement "don't judge a book by its cover". 

The last time I visited Mekong was about 5 months ago but I was slightly dying from a sore throat and I was shivering from an increasingly rising body temperature so as much as I wanted to enjoy every bite of everything I ordered, it was far from enjoyable.

This time around, I was ready to get some Mekong in my fit body (if you're British, no... I'm not tooting my own horn, I just mean I was no longer sick). I ordered the same thing as I always do - in the past 10 or so years that I've been going to Mekong, I don't think my orders has ever changed. 

Iced Milk Coffee (Top), Iced Milk Tea (Bottom)

To start off, we ordered drinks of the chilled kind because Melbourne was (and still is), incredibly hot today!

Iced Milk Tea

It's probably no surprise that I was the one who opted for the Iced Tea. I actually really enjoyed my beverage - not only was it cold and somewhat creamy but it also was just the right amount of sweetness! It wasn't overbearingly sweet which is rare when it comes to Asian Iced Milk Tea served in a Vietnamese restaurant.

Iced Milk Coffee

Being the anti-coffee person that I am, I didn't have even a single sip of the Iced Milk Coffee but if it's any consolation, my dad said that it was much better than most Iced Milk Coffee he's ever had in a Vietnamese restaurant too. I'd trust his judgement considering he's quite the coffee connoisseur - our cafe-style coffee machine and extensive coffee paraphernalias would vouch for that statement.

Beef & Brisket Pho

Of course I can't go to a Vietnamese restaurant without ordering a bowl of beef & brisket pho. If I ever did, it means that I've definitely lost the plot especially considering the fact that this order is what made me fall in love with the cuisine. 

However, I must say that I was incredibly disappointed this time around. The last time I went to Mekong I ordered the same thing and wasn't blown away by it either but I presumed that it was because my tastebuds were being skewed by my cold. Apparently, I was mistaken and it was indeed... not that great.

Now I must admit, I'm not sure whether I'm no longer a big fan of their Beef & Brisket Pho because my favourite pho from Sydney's Pho An (located in Bankstown, Sydney - See review here: http://fooshionandtrinkets.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/pho-time-at-pho-an.html) is simply unbeatable or if the quality of Mekong's pho has declined but I think it's the latter. 

For some odd reason, the stock of the pho tasted more like chicken than beef which is odd considering it was a beef & brisket pho. The bean sprouts that were served with the pho weren't very fresh and as a result, it wasn't very crunchy or juicy. I was also disappointed over the fact that they're not as generous as Pho An in terms of the portion of both the side and the actual pho.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't particularly horrible but it did leave me a little disappointed - keep in mind that this is probably due to the fact that I have a slight emotional attachment to the place! Haha.

Chicken and Prawn Springrolls

Now, before you leave this blog due to the slightly discouraging pho review... don't lose all hope because their signature chicken and prawn springrolls came to the rescue.

One of my personal favourite things on their menu and probably my favourite springrolls ever, the chicken and prawn springrolls were extremely satisfying. 

Served with a side of dipping sauce and lettuce, the springrolls were perfect as usual. The actual springrolls were crunchy but not oily, the filling of chicken and prawn were flavoursome and the fried-ness of the springrolls were balanced by the crunchy, fresh and juicy lettuce that you would wrap around it before dipping into the sauce and biting into it.

These springrolls are absolutely divine - I would eat a whole 8 serving if my stomach capacity could put up with it but luckily, I didn't. 

Prawn rice paper rolls

I didn't have a try of the prawn rice paper rolls but they looked fresh and if the lettuce are from the same batch as those served with my springrolls than it would be safe to say that they were extremely delish too.

Despite the disappointing pho experience, I will definitely continue to visit Mekong in my future Melbourne adventures and so should you.

Be sure to stay tuned to 'fooshion & trinkets' over the next few days/weeks as I will be documenting my Melbournian visit in the best way I know how - photos and food. I'm not entirely sure where I will go over course of the next few days but I can promise you that it'll more than likely feature some rather indie cafes. I am a, supposed, closeted hipster let lose in Melbourne, after all...

Not sure how accurate this statement is but I challenge you if you're ever in Melbourne.

Love always,

Nisa

Defying the We$ti3 Stereotype at La Roue Cafe

If you're from Sydney then you would know that the western suburbs are notoriously known for it's bad reputation. The media depicts the west as a string of suburbs of high criminal activity coupled with a not so spiffy reputation - unfortunately, that's what the west is renowned for to the public eye and unfortunately, this was a stereotype that I used to buy into.

However, going to a uni where people from the north, east, west and south study gave me a new perspective. I was no longer confined to my easties pre-conceptions and I'm glad for that. Now, two of my bestfriends are from the west and almost all of my closest friends are from the inner-west or western suburbs too. In the words of one of my bestfriends, Casey, "[they] defy the stereotype". They're actually some of the most amazing people in my life!

Having so many friends from the west means that I now travel to the west every now and then and not too long ago, 2 of my westie friends (or rather, "husbands"... I think only my law cohort will understand this, haha) introduced me to a little gem of a cafe called Circa, which is located in the western suburbs of, Parramatta. 'Parra' as the locals call it, isn't the classiest of areas but this cafe looked like it has been plucked out of Melbourne. I loved this cafe and thought the indie ambiance was quite quirky, especially since it's located in the heart of Parra so when Mum insisted on a Girls Day Out and requested for me to pick an interesting place... I chose Circa.

Unfortunately, Circa was closed on the day that I went (perhaps because it's almost Christmas?), so starved as we were, we scoured the suburb for another place to eat and that's when we stumbled across yet another quirky cafe, La Roue.

 1/223-235 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150

La Roue was a fair walk from Circa and the local Westfields but just like Circa and funnily enough, my friends... it defied the typical stereotype of the western suburbs. The interior of the cafe looked like it belonged in Sydney's hipster central, Surry Hills. Seemingly inspired by bicycles and the up-cycle movement, it was very alternative indeed with bicycles suspended from the ceilings and latched onto the walls.

While the interiors of the restaurant was up my alley (seeing as I'm a closeted hipster according to my friends), I had high expectations for the food and beverages and needed that to fall into my good books for it to be a winner.

To start off, I ordered the Appletiser Juice which consisted of Apple, Pineapple and Pear.

Appletizer

The Appletizer was delicious - sweet and slightly sour but I don't think there was any added sugars which is good because I hate juices with artificial flavourings. If I want juice, I want to be healthy so don't give me any of these synthetic junk. I didn't really like the fact that the pulp took up half of my glass but that's probably just me being fussy because the taste was spot on and I really shouldn't complain!

Mum ordered the Soy Cappuccino and it seems as though it was nice and creamy. Plus, La Roue uses Campos coffee beans, so I'm sure the taste was superb too although I wouldn't really know the difference seeing as I'm not a big fan of coffee.

As far as breakfast meals go, I'd give La Roue a 7/10. Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious but they weren't mind-blowing.

I ordered the Big Breakfast which consisted of Beef Sausages, Eggs, Spinach, Mushrooms, Tomato, Beans and Bread. 

Big Breakfast

The spinach and mushrooms were delicious. I love mushrooms but often when you caramelise mushrooms, there's a fine line where it becomes bitter and La Roue did not cross that line. The scrambled eggs were cooked to perfection - not dry, still a little gooey but not raw and seasoned well with a bit of salt and pepper. The tomato needed a little more time on the heat as it was slightly undercooked but I'd give it a pass. The beans are yum but you can never really go wrong with baked beans! The sausages were beautiful, full of flavour and cooked well. I really enjoyed those sausages actually.

Mum ordered the Free Range Eggs with a side of Chicken Sausage. On the whole she agreed with what I thought of the eggs and tomato though she loved her chicken sausage and said that it tasted beautiful.

Free Range Eggs and Chicken Sausage

However, I must say that the bread was what dragged down both dishes. When you go to a lovely cafe, you expect a delicious slice of sourdough (or other artisan bread) to accompany your meal but La Roue served us plain white bread with a little bit of butter glazed over the top. I'm not a big fan of white bread and to have white bread accompany what was otherwise a lovely meal dragged down my brownie points!

Nevertheless, La Roue was a gem found in the heart of one of Sydney's most ill-famed suburbs. The food was satisfying and the drinks were lovely, as were the ambience so it's getting me more and more excited to find more hidden jewels in places where you least expect it. It just goes to show that you should never judge a suburb by its depiction in the media.

I'm looking forward to finding more amazing cafes dotted throughout Parramatta and the other western suburbs so stay tuned to find more reviews!

Love always,

Nisa

Getting my Straya on at Fortune of War

As far back as I can remember, a casual Saturday arvo with my family always included us lunching and doing nothing else but dining and chatting. The past Saturday was the first one in quite a while that I've spent with my parents.

When I was younger, Saturdays spent together , just the 3 of us, were always so special because it was very rare that Dad could get time off work (he was an entrepreneur and always had businesses to take care of) and we can spend time together but since then things has changed a little: Saturdays are still special but it's generally because, it's very rare that I could get a weekend off from my busy schedule, be it during the semester or during the holidays. Something else has changed too... back in the day, we would lunch at a cafe but now that I'm 18, it's widened our options and it seems as though Bistros, Bars and Pubs are our place of choice.

When asked by my parents as to where I'd like to go, a pub on Sydney's The Rocks (opposite Museum of Contemporary Art) came to mind. My bestfriend, Brittney, had suggested it to me not too long ago and I was keen to see how delicious it actually is. The pub is called 'Fortune of War'.

Brit had told me that the pub's interior was nothing extraordinary, but the food was simply contrary to that, so when I walked into the old pub, I wasn't really phased. However, given that it's almost Christmas and a Saturday, the pub was so loud and packed with pre-Chrissy drinks-goers (not a word, but you know what I mean)... definitely not a place for a nice family catch-up session, so we took refuge in the the bistro section of the pub where it was much quieter.

I was starving by the time we got ourselves seated so I ordered what Brit told me to get straight away - Calamari Chips and Potato Chips - while my parents opted for the Chicken Parmigiana. Classic Strayan pub food, which is what I love most about going to pubs though they're not really the healthiest of options... but it's a Saturday, so what?!

The Bistro Bar

We also ordered some drinks - Cider for the parents and Lemon Lime Bitter for me.

Nisa, you're at a pub... and you order Lemon Lime? What?

I should probably address this now for future posts too - I don't drink at all and Lemon Lime is my go-to. I mean, I'll have the occasional Cider or a few sips of Wine/Champaign/Cocktail but call me crazy, not a big fan of alcohol.

Lemon Lime Bitter

The Lemon Lime was rejuvenating, just the perfect balance of sweet and sour. The lovely bartender also put in a slice of lemon and lime respectively which added some freshness to the soda.

I had a few sips of the Cider but it didn't tickle my fancy... too bold if you ask me. A far fall from my favourite Cider, the Sydney Cider (punny, I know). However, dad really enjoyed it so maybe he's a better judge since he is a little bit of a cider lover.

Not long after the food came and Brit, if you're reading this... you're right, it did not disappoint.

Calamari Chips with Sea Salt and Aioli

The Calamari Chips were heavenly. Crispy and salty at first bite but melts in your mouth after the second. Paired with the creamy aioli, I couldn't help but finish the whole basket by myself... even though it is probably the heart-attack special. Slightly oily (which I usually despise) yet so delicious.

Potato Chips

The chips were okay but nothing too special if you ask me, especially after the calamari chips. The potato chips were extremely crunchy and the aioli was yum but I think that when you've eaten the calamari chips with it, it's just far too much oil and I did wish that I traded the potato chips for a salad because I didn't feel so great after. I think I only ate 1/4 of the basket but perhaps, had you only ordered the chips, it would've been pretty delicious.

Chicken Parmigiana

Mum and dad opted for the Chicken Parma. I didn't try it but apparently it was flavoursome, cheesy, crunchy, well seasoned and melts in your mouth - all that a Parma should be. It was also served on a bed of potato chips and with a side of Coleslaw.

Coleslaw

I didn't have a try of the coleslaw either (probably should've) but mum raved on about it. She said that it was the best coleslaw she's ever had and she doesn't even like coleslaw... so hopefully, that's reassuring. 

On the whole, it was definitely a nice place to lunch and have a casual chat with the family (or friends). The food was delicious, as were the drinks and the ambience wasn't so bad either. So thank you Brit for recommending this place to me! It's a little funny because they were playing an NBA game on the big screen whilst we were lunching there and it made me think you even more.

Forever and Always,

Nisa.