Brunching at Blacksmith Surry Hills

It had been a little while for the girls and I to catch up and what better way than to catch up over brunch; a serious lifestyle pastime that we all enjoy. This time we decided to go try out Blacksmith located in Surry Hills. I've walked past this funky cafe many times and had it on my 'brunching' list so this was perfect!

The menu layout has been thought about with leather and denim 

When I first walked into the cafe my first impression was 'wow'; the styling was unique and funky and very hipster like and I didn't realise how big it was inside. Not only have they thought about the type of food and drinks they are to have on the menu but also the styling of the cafe which includes the little things like the saucers, spoons, tea pots and water bottles. The cafe is also great for those with children as it's big enough to fit prams and right across the road is Albert Park.

The spacious interior 

I ordered by usual skim piccolo to start with as I studied the menu; everything sounded amazing and I was pretty hungry. One of the girls decided to check out their Instagram to help with deciding on what to get; it just made me want to order every breakfast item!

The unique Blacksmith spoon and saucer

I had finally settled on the 'Rough-forked Avo' which consisted of smashed avocado, goats cheese, black quinoa on sourdough toast with a side portion of bacon (~$14 + $3.50 for the bacon) and the 'Energiser' juice (~$5) which consisted of apple, pineapple, ginger and mint - this seriously filled me up that I didn't even need lunch.

My tasty Rough-Forked Avo

One of the girls ordered the brioche french toast with fruit and maple syrup and me with my sweet tooth just couldn't resist tasting it. OH.EMMM.GEEEEE - next time I'll be ordering this for sure!

I really liked this cafe and thought that the food was well presented and very tasty; I will be back here for sure. One thing to note though, which is a drag for them, is that they don't spilt bills so either come prepared with cash or note that someone in the group with be paying on their card and collecting from everyone else. 

To Blacksmith, thanks for the experience and the tasty dishes. 

Jo x


Blacksmith Surry Hills
116 Chalmer Street, 
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Ph: 02) 9690 0103

Champagne Brunch at Ananas

Last Sunday I finally had the opportunity to try the famous (champagne) brunch at Ananas Bar & Brasserie with a wonderful girlfriend of mine. It was my first time there and from all the amazing stories I had heard about this place, I was truly excited!

Ananas is known for its amazing french cuisine right here in Sydney, beautifully located at The Rocks. When you enter the world of Ananas you are instantly whisked away to what reminds me of moulin rouge; the decor is stunning, glamourous and colourful and oozes a sense of Paris in the 1920s. 

Their spectacular brunch is held once a month and is a buffet of an array of delicious French delights and surprises. The two hour buffet is $69 per person and you can add a two hours bottom-less Moët Champagne package for $50 per person! This if course, we did! Who wouldn't?

Being a lover of seafood and given that we were having champagne, I had to obviously start with the oysters, ocean trout and cured salmon. OH. EMMM. GEEE! What a way to start a Sunday morning; I believe I could start every Sunday like this.

Never ending oysters!

They definitely weren't shy about the champagne either; it was constantly topped up and nicely chilled. Obviously being a buffet it means you walk to the food section to fill your plate up with the amazing food but Ananas have stepped it up a notch by placing the food stations around the restaurant which included a hot food station (of bacon, eggs, mushrooms, spinach, roast beef and lamb etc), crepes station, charcuterie station, cakes and pastries station and my all time favourite, an ice cream station. Wait staff also come around with a variety of dishes of quiches, croissants, tarts and many more.

The ice cream station

Nutella crepes, chocolate love pot, eclairs and tarts.

For the next two hours we dined on this amazing food, drank the champagne and chatted until we were told our two hours were up. It was a fun experience and something that I will do again. It's a perfect place to go to with friends or for even a special occasion. 

Ananas Bar & Basserie 
18 Argyle Street,
The Rocks, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: 02) 9259 5668

Enjoy!
Jo x

River Cafe....London Calling!

Just thinking about the topic to write this blog about The River Cafe, located in Hammersmith London UK, takes me to a happy place where I can smell the amazing food, remember the taste of the wines, recall the modern design of the restaurant and the impeccable friendly service. Why wouldn't anyone be happy knowing that this restaurant brings back such great memories. 

 

I've been lucky to visit London a few times and even had the privilege to live there in my early 20's to experience the backpackers lifestyle (a separate blog about that!). Each time I've visited London, I've been treated to lunch and/or dinner at The River Cafe, the exact restaurant where chef Jamie Oliver was originally founded (according to my sources). The River Cafe specialises in authentic Italian cuisine with many of the produces being flown in directly from Italy; you can't get anymore authentic than that!

 

The River Cafe was founded and owned by chefs Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray (until her death in 2010). Lady Ruth Rogers still owns and runs the restaurant with the amazing help of her staff and together they maintain the quality and sophistication that shines through the restaurant. 

 

Ever changing menu

So, like I said, when I think of The River Cafe and about the food, I seriously have fond memories and salivate at the thought of having the chance of eating there again. The food there is by far, the most amazing Italian feast I have ever had outside of Italy (although, I must disclaim that I haven't been to Italy, yet, so I would have to state "best I've had to date"). The pasta melts in your mouth and each time I've eaten there the consistency and the quality is at it's finest and not once had I had a bad meal. 

What I love so much about the restaurant is that many of the ingredients (such as the meats and seasonal vegetables) for the dishes are brought fresh daily and for example, if they can only get five quality fish then that is all they will have and once it's sold out then it's sold out! Due to this, it means that their menu changes daily and they keep within the seasons to ensure that you're eating in season fresh quality food. 

 

When entering the restaurant to be seated you walk pass clean lined white table clothed tables and throughout the restaurant there are splashes of bright colours and this flows through the shirts of the managers. This to me keeps the restaurant fresh, virbrant and modern and really appealing to the eyes; and you haven't even sat down to order yet! The main eye catching object is the huge wood-fire oven taking prime place in the open kitchen and a really massive (the only true big word I can use to describe this) projection clock on the back wall - impressive and stylish.

 

Photo Credit: Fluid Network UK

The customer service is impeccable with all staff knowing exactly what their role is and which tables they are responsible for. The best part about the service is that if you ask any questions about the menu to the staff (regardless of position, i.e. waiters, receptionist or drink staff) they are able to explain the ins and outs of the menu in detail from what the dish is, what ingredients have been used and how it taste. Amazed by their knowledge of the menu, considering that it changes daily, I was inquisitive to understand how they knew so much in such a short amount of time and it blew my mind to find out. 

 

Ruth Rogers and (the late) Rose Gray ensured that all their staff, not just the chefs and kitchen staff, are able to know and taste all the food that would be available on their menu by involving everyone with the preparation of the food. On one of my visits I was honoured to have witness the time between lunch and dinner where I saw first hand all staff coming together to prepare the food, from chopping vegetables, peeling vegetables to tasting the dishes and sitting with the head chefs to discuss the menu and all the ingredients that go into making the final dish. I've not known many restaurants to do that with their staff and I felt that this really involved everyone and provided all the staff with an ownership and an empowerment to do their jobs really well as they are able to attend to a customer straight away without having to go to the kitchen to ask questions.

 

Reading a few reviews through the internet via sites such as TripAdvisor, many customers rate the food high but state that it is a little pricey. To a degree I would have to agree when you initially scan the menu, however, knowing that they will only provide the  freshest ingredients and the service provided, the price is well worth the experience there. The food is out of this world, cooked perfectly and presented tastefully; it sure keeps bringing me back here and the first place I'd recommend to anyone going to London. 

 

 

If you have been to The River Cafe, please let me know what your thoughts and experience was and did you love it as much as me? If you haven't been, I encourage and highly recommend that you go and experience a mouth-watering meal. Anyone who wants to take me there again, I totally allow you to fly me to London anytime!

Jo xo

My Fiji Break

Oh, it is so good to be back home and sleeping in my own bed. Don't get me wrong, I loved my little break in Fiji but home is where my heart is and as much as I love to travel and see the world, every time I go away, I am reminded of how much I love Sydney.

My last post about Fiji, "Bula from Fiji", I wrote about my first three days there, so click on the link and have a read, if you haven't already. In that same post I mentioned that we had booked a day trip to a private island, Schooner Island to be exact, through Rosie Holiday with a company called Whale's Tale Cruise. It was a full day trip where a bus came and picked us up at 9am sharp (no Bula time) from our resort and drove us to Port Denarau where the sail boat awaited us.

Looking up at the ship

Initially we were advised that the day trip could take a maximum of 60 people (way too many in my mind), but as luck would have it, we had about 25 people, including two kids, on this day trip. It made for a good number of people and everyone on board were really lovely and friendly with most of us getting along by the end of the day and having a good laugh and a dance on the sail boat.

The great thing about booking our day trip with Whale's Tale Cruise is that they are the only boat going to Schooner Island and the staff on the boat provide personal service for each customer throughout the whole day. We aboard the sail boat to a lovely continental champagne breakfast as the staff prepared the boat to head off. It takes approximately an hour and a half to get to Schooner Island so we enjoyed our breakfast and champagne, the company of the other people on the boat and the scenery of clear blue ocean waters and the surrounding Fijian islands. 

We arrived at Schooner Island with options to chill out on the island or take part in some activities. I chose the guided snorkel; we head out into the water with our guide, Antone, who takes us through some amazing parts where the corals are glistening, the fish are aplenty and very colourful (yes, we found nemo!) and there are many things to see and touch such as star fish and sea cucumbers. Antone, had some bread with him (that he kept in a bag) and put some in my hand and the next thing I knew, I had all these amazing fish eating out of my hand and swimming around me……it was awesome!  

We had a nice BBQ lunch on the island all together and had the option of spending the rest of the afternoon chilling on the island, more snorkelling or hand line fishing. I ended going back out snorkelling to another section and another crew member had joined us; with a long metal rod! During the whole time I thought that he was in search for a particular fish for their dinner, but to my surprise when I got back to land, he was in search of an octopus! Yes, an octopus! I'm glad they told me when we reached land as I believe I would have freaked and swam in the opposite direction faster than Ian Thorpe!

Schooner Island from the sail boat

On Schooner Island

Washed up coral

The time in Fiji was spent relaxing, recharging, swimming in the pool, little tanning, taking part in the trivia and bingo (I won a game!) and reading. I managed to get through two books and by the last day there, I had no book to read. Lucky for my iPad and the internet, I spent my day surfing the internet working out my next holiday destination and when in the year is the perfect time to go. Oh, I love to travel and it's been a while so back on the travel wagon to explore places I haven't been, seen or experienced. So exciting!

One of the books I read….totally recommend reading it.

My overall summary of Fiji….. It's a great place to go visit for a short break, 5 days or so and that's it; especially if you're just there with a friend as there isn't much to do in Fiji. Getting to Fiji is relatively cheap but once you're there it can get expensive with food and day trips. Suggest to eat at Port Denauar as there are more variety and the cost is so much cheaper. However, I would say that Fiji is a perfect place for families to go to as they really do cater for kids and there is so much to do with kids during the day.

It was a perfect little trip to recharge, relax and refocus what I want to do next year with regards to travel. It was amazing to get away from the hectic life of everyday work and to not think about the reality and just enjoy the slower pace of life where time and day doesn't matter. 

Sunsets here are amazing!

Thank you Fiji! 

Jo xo

PS - Yes, as mentioned in my previous post "Bula from Fiji", China's President, Xi Jinping, was staying at our resort. It was hectic, there were scanner machines, lots of local and Chinese security, local police and his entire entourage including his cook and butler!

Bula From Fiji!

Bula! Day 3 here in Fiji and it's been an amazing relaxing time here. The weather has been shining down on us everyday ranging in around the 30's with a nice cool ocean breeze. The friendly "bula" (hello in Fijian) from staff and the locals puts a smile on your face every moment and it's times like this you realize that some time away to relax and recharge is needed. 

Above the clouds on the way to Fiji

In my last post, Packing for an Island Holiday, I blogged about how my girlfriend and I decided to come to Fiji to get away from the hectic Sydney lifestyle to relax, take in the glorious sun and recharge. So, here we are, day three of our lovely island trip. 

We've literally spent the last three days sitting by the pool, reading our books, eating and drinking - thinking hasn't really been required other than what day trip we want to do or what to eat. Simple! We're resorting it and staying at the Sheraton Fiji Resort on Denarau Island. The bonus with staying at the Sheraton Fiji Resort is that it's also connected to Sheraton Denarau Villas and The Westin Denarau Island Resort, all lined up next to each other, which means that we can use all the facilities at each of these resorts and charge anything back to our room. Makes it so easy and convenient; we don't have to carry cash around and we get an array of facilities to use such as the different restaurants, spas, gym and pools. 

These resorts are on Denarau Island which is a little island attached to the mainland and is dotted with many resorts so you do have the options of going to the other resorts for lunch and dinner. Most of of these restaurants are pricey and fine dining which is lovely but some nights I just want something simple, casual and light; we'll have to check out the options at the port marina tomorrow. 

Flights and accommodation with breakfast included is pretty cheap for Australians to get to Fiji but you do have to budget quite a bit for lunches and dinners here. These places are great for families though; kids are everywhere (I thought they would be at school at the moment ?!?). For young families these resorts are great as they cater for children from kids clubs to kids under 12 are free for accommodation (probably because they are sleeping in your room!) and they also eat free, so not a bad deal. 

I've previously have been to Fiji but headed straight out to the islands and I still recommend heading to the islands if you want crystal clear water and beach time. These resorts on the mainland don't have great beaches so you spend more time around the resort pools. Although the pools are pretty amazing. 

We've made friends with the resort activities staff who insist in calling us "sisters" - not sure why when we're clearly different nationalities! But, hey, when in Fiji, just go with it. Today, we joined in on the trivia and surprisingly came third! I guess I was surprised that I knew a majority of the questions; doesn't happen often so I'm happy! There are a few activities to do here such as frog jumping races, cocktail tasting, volleyball competition, paddle boarding and swimming (of course!) or there is just laying around the various pools and reading - this has been my routine; it's been tough! 

Reading time by one of the many pools

At night there isn't much to do other than have dinner. We've been going to the resort bar in the evening for cocktails and enjoying the music by the local band. They are amazing, singing local songs, chart topping songs, oldies and international songs; no joke, they've sung in Mandarin! 

Sunsets are amazing here…..

Looking forward to our day trip tomorrow to a private island, with 60 other people (totally private huh?!?). It should be fun, can't wait to get in the water to snorkel and explore under the beautiful waters. 

Jo xo

PS: I think the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, is staying here for the next couple of nights; either that or there is a whole heap of Chinese officials and security guards for the fun of it. 

Packing for an Island Holiday

A little semi spontaneous holiday has been booked! YAY! One of my best girlfriend and I decided that we needed a relaxing holiday in the sun. A holiday where "thinking" wasn't totally required and a holiday where we could just de-stress, relax, get some much needed sun (they say vitamin D is a necessity right?!), read our books and just simply recharge from our busy lives in Sydney.

So, from that, we have booked tickets to head to Fiji in three days! Yep, in three days! And in the next three days I need to get a pedicure, find mini toiletries, find my locks for my suitcase, locate Fijian dollars, and work two more days and that in itself has a whole heap of organising and finalisation. It's funny how the days leading up to a holiday you find yourself running around trying to get things done as well as catching up with friends. 

I wanted to share this post with you about what to pack for an island holiday as well as for the plane to make your journey a little easier. There are many blogs about what to pack and what to bring when you have kids but this one doesn't involve kids, it just involves you as the traveller. If you're anything like me then you'll also be an over packer! 

I admit that I end up re-packing my suitcase and carry on a few times before leaving for the airport. I think it's because I think that I need everything such as my entire wardrobe and my entire shoe collection but clearly for an island holiday I don't think I'll be needing my stilettos or high-waisted disco pants, but they will be considered. 

Firstly, it's an island holiday that we're going on so generally we don't need to pack that many clothes and nor will we require winter clothing as the weather in Fiji will be around 30 degrees- BLISS. Secondly, the length of the trip; we're only going for a week so taking 20 pair of underwear may be a little extreme, however, I do recommend packing a couple of spares for "just in case" - situations such as you have to stay a couple of extra nights because of flight delays (kind of hope that happens to us).

I've been sitting here thinking about what to pack into the suitcase and I've decided that I won't be taking much but the main items I will be taking are:

~ two bikini sets (maybe even three)
~ two summer dresses, these will be great for dinners
~ three pairs of denim shorts (can never have enough denim)
~ two skirts
~ a few singlets and t-shirts
~ board shorts, great for paddle boarding and kayaking 
~ kaftan, great for wearing around the beach to go to the bar 
~ couple of gym gear
~ a nice pair of sandals and a pair of thongs (aka flip flops)

Then you'll need to think about toiletry items especially if you have sensitive skin, like I do, then you'll want to ensure that you have the products that are suited for you. We'll be staying at the Sheraton so I'm going to save luggage space by not taking shampoo and conditioner as generally these are provided by the hotel but I will be taking my own body wash, toothpaste, body cream, face wash and cream. Do you pack anything in particular?

Next, you have to think about your carry on and what you're going to pack into that. There are a few items to think about and before you know it, you have a mini suitcase as a carry on but there are items I would suggest going in your carry on rather that in your check-in suitcase.

MONEY AND IMPORTANT DOCUMENTATIONS
Always, always, always keep all your money (including the foreign dollars) and important documentations such as your passport, flight details, accommodation and transfer details with you. Any other items of value should also be in your carry on or on you such as jewellery and credit cards. Unfortunately, there are still dishonest people so be smart and ensure that these items are will you at all times. Depending on the country you're going to it might be worth getting a money belt (I used one while travelling around South East Asia and Europe). 

ELECTRONIC ITEMS
I certainly will be carrying on my laptop, iPad and iPhone with me, including all the charges. If you have a camera or any other fragile item, these should also be carried on with you. This will ensure that these items don't get accidently damaged by baggage handlers. 

MEDICATIONS
If you have any medications or medications that you need to take regularly you should pack for about three days worth. "Why three days worth?" It's purely a guide but it's just in case your suitcase gets delayed or lost; you don't want to be in trouble or in another country trying to find your medication.

TOILETRIES AND A SPARE CHANGE OF CLOTHES 
Although you have packed toiletries into your suitcase, it's good to have some mini (approved liquid sizes) toiletries in your carry on such as face wipes, mini toothpaste, mini body cream and even a change of clothes. "Why a change of clothes?" Well, if your checked-in suitcase is delayed or lost then you'll have a least a days worth of items with you to refresh and then go out and purchase more items if your suitcase will take a few days to arrive. 

OTHER ITEMS TO KEEP YOU COMFORTABLE
Flying can be exciting - exciting because you're about to journey to another country to relax and experience the culture. However, flying can also be long and boring so having some comfort items can make it a lot easier for you. If you have an iPad or laptop, think about loading some movies or shows onto it so that you can pass time by watching movies or shows that you like and/or take a good book with you and even some magazines so you catch up on the goss around the world. 

 

Pack some healthy snacks; most airlines will provide snacks during the flight however, these are usually biscuits and sweets which you don't want to be loading yourself up on. You can pack some vegetable chips, fruit like a banana or an apple, carrot sticks and mixed nuts are great to have on hand. 

I hope you found some of these points useful. Let me know what other items you pack or have found useful as part of your travels. Now it's time for me to get packing (or re-packing) and prepare for my trip! 

Keep you eyes posted on the blog as I'll be sharing my fun and journey from Fiji - Bula!

Jo xo