Celsius Coffee Co, Kirribilli

Date Visited: Sunday 18 March, 2018

I feel like Celsius Coffee Co is one brunch place that almost everyone has heard of. Known for its beautiful location on Kirribilli wharf, where you can eat with a view of the sea, as well as for its stunning waffle, it’s taken me far too long to get here. When we arrived on Sunday morning, there was already a lot of people milling about outside waiting for a table. We put our names down and waited about 15-20 minutes before getting seated. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a table next to the sea, but rather one of the inside tables, but we could still appreciate the view, just from a little further away.

Obviously, we had to order the Celsius waffle, as it is any food blogger’s dream. Also, have you really been to Celsius Coffee Co if you don’t try the waffle? One of the most beautiful cafe dishes out there, it also tasted amazing. Definitely one of my new favourite waffles, and it was pretty perfect, even though I stayed clear of the peanut butter cream. Upon first glance I was worried it would be a bit dry, but the waffle had the right amount of maple syrup soaked into it, and combined with all the lovely fresh fruit, every bite was a delight. I can see why this dish is so popular, and if I return to this cafe again, it’s an absolute must order.

Celsius waffle with berries, maple syrup, toasted nuts and peanut butter cream – $19 – v

Lately, I have also been quite into healthy vegetarian or vegan inspired dishes, so the super greens breakfast caught my eye. This dish included sautéed kale, asparagus, lime avocado puree, poached eggs, seeds and nuts on sourdough. This was also such a stunning dish, and I loved the presentation of it – it was definitely super green indeed! The mix of all the flavours wasn’t quite right for me, but it definitely ticked the box for making me feel healthy. The avocado puree was a bit strange and didn’t seem to complement the vegetables that well. I love that there was a poached egg in this though, as any dish with one instantly gets extra kudos.

Super Greens Breakfast – $18 – v

For drinks, I had one of their botanica cold press juices, and ended up picking the watermelon, apple and lemon one. $7.50 for juice isn’t the cheapest but it was really refreshing on the hot day. You can see a photo of my juice in the first flatlay photo above. My friend opted to try their cold brew coffee, which was a nice drink with a light caffeine boost that went well with the meal.

Cold brew coffee – $6

There are often really high expectations for insta-famous cafes like Celsius Coffee Co, but I felt like this was one cafe that really lived up to its reputation. I absolutely loved the waffle, and both that and the super greens breakfast was quite filling. Despite how busy it was, the service was also really good, and we did not have to wait that long to order or to catch the attention of a waiter/waitress.

Though Celsius Coffee Co is not the most conveniently located, it’s worth it for its unique ambience. The view below emphasises how it’s the perfect catch up place for any sunny day, and I feel like it won’t be long till I am back.

Celsius Coffee Co | Kirribilli Commuter Wharf, 1/2 Holbrook Ave, Kirribilli | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Elbow Room Espresso, Chatswood

Date visited: Tuesday 19 June, 2018

It was very rainy and dreary when I decided to try this cafe with a friend, but it definitely did brighten up my day! Elbow Room Espresso can be found a short walk from Chatswood train station, and with so many other great Chatswood cafes, this cafe fits right in. They’ve got quite an extensive all day breakfast and lunch menu, and I’m sure there would be a dish for everyone. From your usual cafe staples, including avo on toast and eggs benedict, to their hot dog de elbow room and lamb taco, there’s so many to pick from!

I started off my meal with this super Instagram worthy drink called the sweet potato flossy. It’s basically a sweet potato latte with a whole lot of fairy floss. The presentation is really cool and the flask makes me think of science. Pouring the sweet potato drink into the cup with the fairy floss causes all the floss to melt. The result is an incredibly sweet drink. It tastes really nice at first, and I like how I can actually taste a strong sweet potato flavour. However, after I’ve had half of it or so, it’s too much for me to enjoy anymore, as it’s simply just way too sweet from all the dissolved fairy floss! Keep this in mind if you do try any of their flossy drinks – they’ve also got chocolate and green tea!

Sweet potato flossy with soy – $7.5

I decided to try the French toast, which was topped off with mascarpone frosting, dark chocolate, berries, sesame seed crunch, and maple syrup. The bread itself wasn’t anything special on its own. However, combined with the mascarpone, fruit and syrup it was a fairly enjoyable dish. There was a little too much mascarpone for me, but I really liked how generous they were with the blueberries and strawberries. The menu actually says its meant to come with marinated cherries, but I suppose it might not be in season. This dish is quite pretty as well, though I think it would have been even more stunning if it weren’t on a dark blue plate.

French toast – $18

My friend opted for the New York style bagel, which consisted of smoked ocean trout, avocado, jalapeno mint, cream cheese, poached egg, snow pea, and duke on a wood-fired bagel. Definitely a healthier option, the trout, avocado and bread went well together and the proportions of everything were well balanced. I feel like runny egg yolk makes every dish better as well! The bagel itself was a little hard and difficult to cut, but that might simply be the nature of a bagel. Definitely a lovely brunch dish overall.

New York style bagel – $19

This cafe was perfect for a catch up with a friend, and I left feeling very satisfied. They have so many food and drink options, and everything sounds really tasty. Atmosphere-wise, it was typical cafe vibes, where people came in to order takeaway coffee and where one would feel comfortable enjoying a meal alone with a newspaper. The service on the weekday was also very prompt, with the food being served really quickly. Portion sizes were decent – enough to satisfy both my friend and I, but not to the point where we were way too full. Despite perhaps not being as famous as other Chatswood cafes, namely Flower Child Cafe and Chimichuri, this cafe is a great place for a brunch or lunch!

Elbow Room Espresso | 6 Spring St, Chatswood | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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The Missing Piece Cafe, Macquarie

Date Visited: Saturday, 5 May 2018

Located right outside Uniqlo, the Missing Piece Cafe is a place I’ve known about for awhile. I’ve tried its more famous cousins before (Hattrick and Vogue Cafe), so I was happy to finally get a chance to try this cafe. It was very busy when I went for an early Saturday lunch, but we were seated quite quickly. The waiters were nice enough to move us to a table when I asked (better flatlay opportunities you know), as we were initially sitting at the bar.

When it came to ordering, the ‘air’ dish caught my eye as I feel like it’s quite rare to see a salad with duck at a cafe. Alongside the confit duck fillet was beetroot, baby spinach, rocket, parsley, walnuts, chickpeas and orange slices. The duck was really tasty, and went really well with everything. I really enjoyed the flavours in this one, but I feel like more orange and walnuts would have made me love it even more. The presentation of this dish was a little messy, and I feel like there would be a way to plate it in an even nicer way. One of the best things about this though was that the serving size was massive, and there was so much duck, spinach and rocket that it will definitely fill you up.

Air – $19

Next to be ordered was something a little different that other cafes might not have, but also something kind of healthy. The ‘sea’ dish caught my eye, as I haven’t really had many salmon salads before. What especially won me over was that it had a poached egg in it, while a lot of the other breakfast or main dishes didn’t.

This was a very refreshing dish, and I loved how generous the serving size was. There was a plentiful amount of the in-house smokehouse marinated wood-smoked salmon, mixed with a lot of kale, quinoa, chia seeds and almonds. There wasn’t an extra punch in the dish that really made it stand out, but I did really enjoy the natural flavours of all the ingredients. When I cut into the egg it made for perfect yolk porn and I especially liked how I had an almond or two in every spoonful, as it added a crunchy texture to the salad.

Sea – $19

We both couldn’t resist ordering a smoothie, since they make some very aesthetic ones. I was interested in trying their dairy free cacaonut smoothie, which consisted of cacao, coconut milk, organic maple and maca. This smoothie was exactly as described, but I think it reaffirmed for me that I’m not a big fan of cacao. Hence, I personally didn’t enjoy it that much, but I’m glad I tried it and my friend thought it was really nice. The other smoothie he opted for was one of the weekly specials called the superfood slam, which included raw cacao, banana and peanut butter. Apparently, it tasted great as well, with a stronger cacao flavour than mine, but it was also a tad thick, making it hard to finish with the straw.

Cacaonut smoothie – $8 – df, gf, v (front), superfood slam smoothie – $11

Whilst both dishes we had were salads, we left feeling incredibly satisfied! I struggled to finish my salad, and we both ended up leaving a bit of the greens behind. Having the two smoothies probably accelerated the process of getting full, but the food was definitely worth the price. The dishes were two of the most filling salads I’ve ever had, with tasty natural flavours and a very generous serving of duck and salmon.

Additionally, even though basically every table was filled when we went, the service was very prompt and attentive. I love it when I don’t have to use any energy trying to catch the eye of a waiter or waitress. I counted about 7 waiters and waitresses, and at least another 7 in their small kitchen, so the cafe definitely seems like a well oiled machine. I think Missing Piece Cafe is an awesome spot for food before or after shopping, and is a fantastic staple cafe within Macquarie Shopping Centre that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

The Missing Piece Cafe | Level 3, Macquarie Centre, North Ryde | Facebook | Instagram

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Two Good Eggs Cafe, Surry Hills

Date Visited: Saturday 16 June, 2018

I’ve never heard of this cafe before but I’m always down to try new places! This was a really cute cafe located a short walk from Central station and easily accessible from anywhere else in the city. It has a really warm and comforting interior and lots of choices on their menu. Being a cold day, it was best to start off with a warm drink, so that’s exactly what we did. My friend got the hot chocolate and it did not disappoint. It’s presented beautifully and is exactly what you expect. An easy go to drink to order again.

Hot chocolate – $4

I went for my typical boring choice of a chai latte with soy. Unlike some other cafes, this was served in a big teapot, which in one way is much better value for money as it fills the cup about two and a half times. There was a really good chai flavour but for some reason it didn’t taste as perfect as other chai lattes I’ve had – I feel like the consistency was a bit too watery. However, I still enjoyed it and thought it was decent value.

Chai latte with soy – $5

As the cafe is called two good eggs, it only made sense to order a dish with two eggs in it! Their special eggs benedict included two poached eggs with hollandaise, avocado, and spinach, on sourdough with ham. You can also opt for bacon or mushroom, or for an extra dollar, smoked salmon or a half half combination. My friend has ordered this a few times so it’s definitely a dish he really enjoys. The poached eggs ooze runny yolk when cut open and all the ingredients come together nicely in this breakfast classic.

Eggs benedict on sourdough with avocado and ham – 19.90

Even though I love my eggs, I’m also a massive pancakes lover, so I decided to try their buttermilk pancakes with strawberry compote, vanilla mascarpone and milk chocolate shavings. It was definitely a very satisfying and filling feed, but not the best pancakes I’ve had in both presentation and taste. I suppose it’s not their specialty, compared to all the dishes with eggs in it. Nevertheless, the portion was very generous and the berry compote went beautifully with the fluffy pancakes.

Buttermilk pancakes with strawberry compote, vanilla mascarpone and milk chocolate shavings – 18.90

I definitely enjoyed my meal at Two Good Eggs, and think it’s a trusty place to grab a bite for breakfast or lunch. I don’t think they are on the same level as some of the other cafes these days with inventive and unique dishes that truly make them stand out, but Two Good Eggs definitely seem to do the classic breakfast dishes very well. The service was also super attentive, and with all day breakfast, it could be a convenient choice when you’re in the city looking for something to eat.

Two Good Eggs Cafe | 144/148 Goulburn St, Surry Hills | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Duck and Waffle, London

Date Visited: Saturday 6 October, 2018

Brunch can already be an extravagant affair, so you might wonder how one could possibly elevate it to the next level. The answer is Duck and Waffle, which offers the amazing experience of dining 40 levels above London. Open 24/7, it’s the perfect place to satisfy cravings at any time of the day, though reservations are definitely needed for peak dining times. Saturday brunch would have been the ideal choice, but since it was booked out, my friends and I settled for an 8am breakfast reservation.

On the morning in question, it was a little foggy, though fortunately it cleared up within the hour. There was still a decent view to appreciate, but I can only imagine how much more spectacular the Duck and Waffle experience would be with a beautiful sunrise. My group was lucky enough to be seated in one of the spacious and comfortable booths with a direct view of London’s skyscrapers, including the Gherkin.

It should come as no surprise that all four of us couldn’t resist trying the signature duck and waffle dish. Presented elegantly in a stack, the crispy leg confit rested above a plain waffle with the mustard maple syrup on the side. Though meant to be a savoury dish, my initial impression was that the accompanying syrup actually made the dish taste quite sweet. I personally have a huge sweet tooth, so it only made me enjoy the dish more.

One thing I would note is that we all felt the duck leg was a little dry inside, but the syrup was able to combat that slightly. It was still a tasty and unique combination of flavours that you can’t quite get anywhere else.

Duck and waffle – £16

Created to complement the duck and waffle dish was a Hojicha stem green tea pairing. I was hesitant about ordering this, considering the heavy £6 price tag, but I figured that I might as well give it a go while I was there. Made from Japanese Hojicha stems and bachelor button flowers, it sounded more exotic than it was. The tea was lovely and refreshing, but nothing too special, and there wasn’t anything outstanding that justified the price. Perhaps it’s because I’m not quite a food connoisseur, but I also struggled to appreciate how the flavours complemented the duck and waffle.

Hojicha stem green tea pairing – £6

I’m a huge sucker for apple desserts and anything cinnamon, so the toffee apple waffle with cinnamon ice cream sounded incredible. The presentation was on point, with the Granny Smith apple pieces and maple sauce arranged very artistically. Not the biggest serving size, it was so good that it left me wanting more. Upon first glance, it seemed that it might be a bit dry, but it ended up being perfect, with the ice cream being a delicious addition.

Toffee apple – £12 – v

For the last dish to share, I wanted to try one of their non-waffle dishes, so we settled upon the Colombian eggs. This was by far the most disappointing dish. It wasn’t actually a bad dish, it was just very basic and uninspired. The scrambled eggs were served with tomato and spring onions on a bed of avocado and sourdough toast. Usually a very classic combination, I had hoped that Duck and Waffle’s version would be superior to other cafes, but it was decidedly average.

To be fair, the eggs themselves were scrambled beautifully, though the taste of milk is quite strong. The thing that most let the dish down was the soggy sourdough, due to the residue liquid from the tomatoes. I wouldn’t order this again and would definitely recommend picking something else from the ‘Classics’ section of the menu.

Colombian eggs – £11 – v

My friend also ordered a cappuccino for the early morning caffeine hit. For 4 pounds, it was very average. It was good, but there was nothing particularly memorable about it.

Cappuccino – £4

This breakfast was basically an early celebration for my birthday the next day, and without my knowledge my friends had informed the team of this. I was therefore very pleasantly surprised when this cute birthday message plate came out. The little dessert was a lovely bite to end a good breakfast.

Birthday message plate – complimentary

I’m not sure whether it was because of the fact that we were there for a special occasion or just really lucky, but to our surprise we were not rushed out of our table after the hour allocated in the reservation. We had thought that we would be, leading us to scoff down our food faster than we otherwise would have. It would have been nice to have been advised beforehand that we could take our time so that we could enjoy the food and experience more.

With such high expectations going in, Duck and Waffle can potentially lead to big disappointment. Fortunately, during my time there I thought that they were able to back up the good view with good food and lovely service. Whilst I did not love everything, the signature duck and waffle dish was enjoyable, and the dining experience itself was one worth visiting for. I wouldn’t dine here again for no reason, but for some kind of occasion I would love to try more of the waffles. Having said that, if I did have a craving for waffles, Duck and Waffle local could be an easier, and less busy alternative to keep in mind.

Duck and Waffle | 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY, United Kingdom | Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Naked Brew, Erskineville

Date Visited: Friday 6 July, 2018

You might not have heard of Erskineville before, but it’s home to Naked Brew, a cosy cafe that serves up some wonderfully creative dishes. With plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, my friend and I had our choice of tables on the Friday morning that we went. The cafe does breakfast and brunch all day, with a lot of trusty classics and unique twists. Though it was just the two of us, there were three dishes I was absolutely dying to try, so I was really happy that my friend let me order all three to share.

First up was the soft shell crab benedict. I absolutely adore poached eggs, and I also love soft shell crab. I’ve had one or two soft shell crab burgers before, but this was the first time I had seen soft shell crab incorporated in an eggs benedict. This was a pretty yummy dish, but I feel like all the flavours weren’t totally cohesive. The sriracha hollandaise that went with it didn’t completely appeal to me, but I still enjoyed the dish overall. The soft shell crab was fantastically crunchy, and the poached eggs were perfectly runny. Decorated with edamame, pickled daikon and fried shallots, the dish definitely felt a little Asian inspired and I liked how different it was.

Soft shell crab benedict – $18

On the menu, I saw pork belly, and I saw waffle, and it was a no-brainer. The crackling pork belly buttermilk waffle sounded like the perfect dish for me. I love the plating up of this dish, as it’s definitely very different and like nothing I’d seen before. Unfortunately, I suspect that because of the way they wanted to present the dish, it led to the bacon being too hard for my preference. The pork belly was juicy enough and cooked well, though for the $22 needed for this dish I might have liked to see another one or two pieces.

The waffle was also perfect in its texture and flavour. However, all the elements on this dish are pretty dry, so it heavily relies on the maple syrup to counter that. Since I have a sweet tooth, this was no problem, and I drowned the waffle with syrup which you can’t really go wrong with. I also thought it was funky how there was shreds of fresh green apple on the side, which didn’t add anything extra to the dish, but I didn’t mind them either. The menu also mentions that the dish includes wasabi mayo, but I don’t recall tasting it consistently throughout.

Crackling pork belly, buttermilk waffle – $22

The third dish was the apple crumbled brioche french toast. This was another good dish, but again fell a bit short. I was kind of expecting really strong apple crumble flavours, but it was quite a basic french toast. Though served with a few cinnamon poached apple slices that were flavourful, the dish overall wasn’t as mouth-watering as it looked. I enjoyed the hints of fruits and nuts included, and the presentation is definitely on point, but it was probably my least favourite of the three dishes.

Apple crumbled brioche french toast – $18

As for drinks, I went for my usual chai latte. This one was sticky chai tea infused with victorian honey, which I had with bonsoy milk. It was a pretty average chai latte, and I don’t recall tasting too much of the honey. For $5.5 it’s a bit pricier but that’s because you get a whole teapot, so in a way perhaps it’s better value and still a safe choice to go with.

Sticky chai tea – $5.5

A cafe that’s perhaps trying quite hard to become ‘instagrammable’, I felt that all three of the dishes sounded absolutely incredible, but missed the mark by just a little. I enjoyed eating them, and appreciated the unique flavour combinations, but they weren’t delicious enough that I would return solely to have the dishes again. The portion sizes were pretty okay, but at $29 per person for the three dishes, I don’t think either my friend or I were completely stuffed. However, we do both have huge appetites!

I hope I don’t sound too harsh on Naked Brew, because I did really enjoy my experience brunching here! It’s just that compared to some other Sydney cafes that are absolutely killing the game, there’s perhaps a tiny bit of catching up to do. Naked Brew’s menu is absolutely killer, with other special dishes like the spag bol on toast or a variety of burgers, sandwiches and salads as well, so it’s definitely still a wonderful local cafe to visit. The service was also top-notch and it’s a cafe I would keep on my list to revisit some day!

Naked Brew | 110 Swanson St, Erskineville | Facebook | Instagram

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Glück und Selig, Hamburg, Germany

Date Visited: Wednesday 3 October, 2018

It was a dreary, rainy day but I was not deterred from heading out for my first proper brunch in Germany. Glück und Selig is pretty highly rated so I had some moderate expectations for the food. It was quite busy when we arrived, but we didn’t have to wait too long before grabbing a table outside. Unfortunately, it started drizzling while we were ordering and waiting for the food, but we were then able to move inside when a table freed up.

The menu was drastically different from the brunches I’m used to in Sydney. Rather than complex fancy dishes of avo on toast, eggs benedict or multilayered colourful pancakes, the cafe offerings were a lot more simple.  We decided to order five different dishes to share amongst the five of us. The prices below are in Euros, keeping in mind that 1 Euro is roughly approximate to AUD $1.6 at the moment.

One of the main dishes we ordered was the Orient (Hausgemachter Brotaufstrich, Hummus, Kirschtomaten, Oliven, Schafs-und Ziegenkäse, Joghurt mit Honig und Walnüssen, Butter, Seele, Nussbrot, Ciabatta). The homemade spreads and hummus went deliciously with the bread, and I think I had more than my 20% share. I’ve never been a massive fan of the other elements, such as the sheep and goat cheese, olives or yoghurt, but they helped balance out the fairly healthy plate.

Orient – €10.6

It seemed like a no-brainer to order the Glück und Selig breakfast dish intended for two people (Käseauswahl, Wurstalswahl, Frischkäse nach Art des Hauses, geräucherter Lachs mit Honig-Senf-Sauce, Marmelade, Nutella, grieschischer Joghurt mit Fruchtpüree und karamellisierten Kernen, zwei Bio-Eier, Butter, drei Brötchen, ein Croissant, Ciabatta).

Considering the size and cost of the Orient dish compared to this 2 person plate, this one was pretty disappointing in the amount of food. Featuring some similar elements to the Orient, such as the cheese and Greek yoghurt, this also felt like a pretty healthy plate. I enjoyed the smoked salmon the most, but there wasn’t anything else that impressed me too much here.

Frühstuck – Glück und Selig für 2 Personen – €22

We had to ask for the bread, but they then provided us with this cute box. For both the Orient and the Frühstuck, it seemed like a pretty generous amount of bread, and I liked the variety provided. The bread definitely went well with everything else on the plates, and they were especially needed to go with the spreads and cheese, which some on the table thought were too strong to eat on its own.

Assorted bread/ciabatta – with the Orient and Frühstuck

I adore waffles so we went for the fresh waffles with powdered sugar. It was exactly what it sounded like, but because I’m used to really elaborately decorated and flavourful Sydney pancakes, I didn’t find this anything special. It was a decent waffle in terms of price and taste though, and others might find its simplicity more appealing.

Frische Waffeln mit Puderzucker – €3.4

Probably my favourite dish of the brunch was this crumble dessert-looking dish with vanilla ice cream. The streusel topping was the perfect amount of crunchiness while the inside was perfectly warm and delicious. I probably could’ve eaten one all by myself.

Warme Crumbles (Streusel) mit Vanilla-Eis – €5.5

We also tried the house made scones with clotted cream and marmalade. There isn’t anything bad to say about these, with the scones pretty much made to perfection. I haven’t had scones enough times to be able to judge how good this was relative to other scones, but I definitely really enjoyed eating these scones.

Hausgebackene Scones mit Clotted Cream und Marmelade – €4.9

For my drink, I was super excited to see that there was a chai latte in the menu, since they are nowhere near as common in Germany as in Sydney. I was really pleasantly surprised when it was brought out in a massive glass, rather than the normal coffee-sized cup I’m used to. I’m not complaining though – this drink was definitely good value for money! It was quite a nice chai latte but tasted a bit different from the usual flavour. I can’t quite articulate what it was specifically, though I do remember that the drink on a whole was very foamy, which was not ideal.

Yogi Chai Latte – €3.4, mit Sojamilch – €0.3

When comparing to the Sydney brunch scene, Glück und Selig felt pretty underwhelming. However, it definitely felt like a very German brunch, which is probably the experience I should be focusing on. The major thing that struck me was that the main breakfast dishes all seemed super simple. There wasn’t really anything that required cooking, aside from perhaps the hard boiled eggs. Rather, both dishes simply involved assembling a variety of ingredients, which doesn’t seem too hard to do.

Looking at the bigger picture, the cafe itself definitely had a very cosy atmosphere, with pretty decent service. The waitresses were all fairly attentive and accomodating to our group. Whilst this was a nice and enjoyable brunch, it’s definitely a lot different from Sydney brunch and it made me miss the traditional brunch dishes I’m used to.

Glück und Selig | Heußweg 97, 20255 Hamburg, Germany | Website | Facebook

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