Burnt Orange Cafe, Chatswood

Over the past few months, several of my friends have been raving about Burnt Orange in Mosman and having noticed that there was a (new) store in Chatswood Chase via their online website, I decided to pay a visit and check it out.

The cafe is rather hard to find - it's not in the main concourse area so I had to wander around a bit. Fortunately, I hit the cafe on my first turn off the main concourse area:

View of Store

Either end of the cafe is decorated with the above sign and greenery, giving off a fanciful feel to the area.

Funky-Shaped Water Bottle

Chefs Hard at Work Behind Marble Barrier;
Quirky Clocks and Tiered Cake Stands on Display

Torn between several dishes like their famous fish pie, I ended up selecting the miso-roasted salmon salad (mainly because it looked so enticing from across the aisle):

Flaked Miso-Roasted Salmon Salad with Soba Noodles, Eggplant,
Mushrooms, Asparagus, Sesame and Ginger ($24)

The salad was very light and refreshing, along with a smothering of micro-herbs (never really understood the point of these.. aside from looking cute and pretty). I was surprised that there was an equivalent of a small salmon fillet within the salad - although it could have been broken up, rather than mainly sitting as a massive chunk at the bottom of the salad - and it was infused with a strong miso flavour, which sort of reminded me of the the miso salmon from KIN by Us. Everything served on the plate complemented one another, along with the surprise inclusion of shredded red cabbage, which isn't listed on the menu. The only thing to fault was that there was a piece of eggplant skin that was roasted/grilled to crisp and was inedible.

I wish they offered half-servings or something smaller because the serving was rather big so I was too full after consuming (or inhaling) the dish to fit in dessert.

I would like to come back to try their banoffee pie, which was recommended by a friend, and perhaps try their high tea at their main restaurant in Mosman. However, I'd be wary of their 10% surcharge on Sundays and public holidays.

Cross Eatery, Sydney CBD

After multiple recommendations from friends, Cross Eatery has been on my "must-visit" list for some time and on a rare day off, I decided to head out to the Sydney CBD to check it out.

Cross Eatery is located in the back streets of Wynyard and if it weren't for the crowds lingering outside, I probably would have missed it. The entrance is lined by enormous glass windows and appears to be located inside a corporate building foyer - airy with a crisp white backdrop.

When entering, you're greeted by a vast display of food.. and queue if you wish to eat in:

Salads (from bottom left, clockwise): Tomato & Quinoa; Pickled Baby Eggplant;
Raw Zucchini & Marinated Chickpeas; Peaches & Green Beans

Sourdough Sandwiches: Roasted Portobello Mushroom;
 Aged Jamón Serrano; Maffra Cheddar

Miso Pumpkin

Everything looked so tempting! I was interested to see beetroot-cured salmon (I've previously seen it at the supermarkets; potential food fad?) on the menu here so I decided to try it out, along with two salads on offer:

Beetroot Cured Salmon Gravlax, served with Two Salads
(Peaches & Green Beans; Pickled Baby Eggplant) ($16.50)

I was surprised by how light and healthy the food was - it's a great contrast to the other fast food/cafe lunch food on offer in the area. However, the serving size was rather small (not enough of the good stuff) so I wasn't quite full by the end of it (cue visit to the Central Baking Depot!). The only thing I could fault against this was that there was only a few (2-3) tiny pieces of eggplant skin + minimal flesh in the Pickled Baby Eggplant salad, which to me does not justify the salad name.

My friend raved about their roasted cauliflower salad, which was unfortunately unavailable on the day I went :( so I will need to return another day.

If you seek to eat in, it might be wise to visit outside of peak (lunch) hours, as there is a long queue on weekdays. However, turnover is pretty quick so you may be lucky and get a coveted seat at one of the large wooden communal tables.

PappaRich, Chatswood

On a street between Chatswood Westfield and Chatswood Chase, there lies a Malaysian restaurant next to a notable tutoring centre (oh the memories...) by the name of PappaRich:

PappaRich Sign

When my friends first mentioned this place, I kept getting this place confused with PappaRoti (are they related??), which opened years ago at Macquarie Centre and I have still yet to try it. Fast forward to the present day, I've been to PappaRich a few times so there's no more confusion.

Anyway, after conquering the potential queue at the entrance and led to a table, you can take your time pouring over the large volume of menu options before ordering. Ordering at PappaRich is different from other restaurants as you are required to write down the codes for the food items that you want to order onto the provided paper and then hand it to a (scarce) waiter.

Chicken Skewers with Roti

The chicken skewers are served with a satay sauce, (raw) purple onion and chopped cucumbers - serving size is rather small but I guess suitable as an entrée. The roti here just isn't as good as the one served at Mamak, which are light and fluffy.

Ipoh Koay Teow Soup with Steamed Chicken

This dish is similar to the Chinese Hoi Nan Chicken, which also involves a steamed chicken immersed in soy sauce that is normally accompanied by steamed rice. At PappaRich, you can opt for a noodle soup instead - thin flat rice noodles in a boiled chicken and prawn head broth, topped with chives, red chilli and bean sprouts. Traditionally the broth is made by cooking a chicken carcass and prawn heads in water for a long time until the juices/flavour seeps into the liquid to form the flavoursome soup but I think this one may have had some added 'MSG'.

Curry Fish Fillet Noodles Soup

I previously tried the fish curry under the recommendation from a fellow MSGer and absolutely loved it so I ordered it again. The fish is usually served on top of the curry noodles but I prefer it to retain its crunchy texture when I eat it, so I set it aside to prevent it from drowning (yet soaking up the spicy red curry). Inside the curry are thick chunks of tomatoes and deep fried eggplant, which help cut through the spiciness of the curry, as well as fried tofu puffs and bean sprouts on top of a bed of thin vermicelli noodles. The curry itself is rather spicy but is so good that it makes you want to drink more and more of it. This dish is rather large so you had better have a big appetite or be prepared to share.

PappaRich is usually plagued with long queues during peak times so it's best to eat really early or late to avoid the crowds - I arrived just before 6pm and majority of the tables were already filled. However, if you're persistent, you'll be treated to delicious meal. I would definitely recommend sitting in the small courtyard area towards the main entrance/street if the weather is warm as it allows for a a wonderful cool breeze from outside, whereas it was noticeably warmer if you sat closer towards the kitchen/bathroom area. At the Chatswood branch, there is also a small playroom area with play equipment, toys and a TV for kids but not sure how safe it is inside.

Foodcraft Espresso & Bakery, Erskinville

The Foodcraft Espresso & Bakery was brought to my attention after reading an online news article about their "world famous" Tella Balls - a massive doughnut ball filled with nutella! Being a major chocolate fan, I was eager to check this out.

When my friend and I arrived on a sunny Saturday morn, there was one serious crowd waiting outside the cafe and it took us almost half an hour before we finally landed a table inside:

Selection of Baked Goods - the bottom level is filled with Tella Balls!

Just looking at the Tella Balls can make any chocolate lover drool:

"World Famous" Tella Balls ($4.50) - Doughnut Balls filled with Nutella;
Also available with Five Berry Jam, Salted Caramel, Vanilla Bean Ricotta

If you're not a fan of doughnuts, you can opt for a cruffin (croissants baked in shape of muffins):

Cruffins ($6)

Who in their right mind would not take up the change to conquer the Tella Ball Shake:

Tella Ball Shake ($10) - Chocolate Milkshake
topped with Tella Ball

This is one monstrously chocolate-y meal in itself - a mason jar filled with a choc shake and topped with a Tella Ball! TBH, the Tella Ball is like a glorified giant doughnut ball with a generous dose of nutella that sort of explodes when you bite into it. I ended up dissecting and eating the Tella Ball on the saucer with a teaspoon (kindly offered by my friend, leftover from her latte) as it is sort of hard to eat it when all you're offered is a thick straw...

Bacon and Egg Panini ($10)

My friend opted for the bacon and egg panini - she had better luck eating it this time without creating a mess on the plate and rated it higher than the bacon and egg roll from The Missing Piece.

I would like to return again and try the actual food items from their menu but unfortunately it's a bit of a trek to get there via public transport (either travel to Newtown or Erskinville Station) and parking is a nightmare on weekends.

Golden Palace Seafood Restaurant, Cabramatta

In celebration of the nuptials between Mr&Mrs L, their reception was held at Golden Palace Seafood Restaurant, which is in the heart of Cabramatta. Having rarely ventured out to the area, it was a bit of an eye-opening experience to drive through and walk in the neighbourhood.

The restaurant is located on the second floor of the building and the outside of the restaurant had been decorated as a massive photo-taking area so that guests could take photos with the bride and groom before they entered the restaurant.

By the time everyone arrived and was seated at their respective tables, it was well after 8pm and the courses of the Chinese Banquet (oh food... glorious food) was eventually served to guests:

BBQ Cold Cut Platter