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

Suzie Q Coffee & Records

Yesterday I finally caught up with a dear friend of mine for brunch. Life get's so busy at times but it's comforting to know that when you catch up with dear friends it's like time has never passed. 

We went to try out Suzie Q in Surry Hills for brunch this time. The reason why I decided on road testing Suzie Q was because I have been following them on Instagram for a little while now and have envied their food and secondly, which would have to be a main point, is that my friend is a huge huge huge lover of music, especially old school music and music that were made on records. So, it was a win win for everyone!

Photo Credit

I had arrived first and was seated very quickly as there were a couple of tables available and by the time I had sat down and taken my scarf off, my friend had arrived. We were presented with our menus which were smartly inside old music record covers.

Coffee with Jeff Beck

The menu isn't overly extensive but offers something for everyone and they had a couple of specials on the menu in which they talk you through before leaving you to mull over the menu for a little bit while getting your coffee and juice.

We both ended having the same brunch menu item of "Its Right Place" which consisted of poached eggs on sourdough with our relish ($11) and with your added choice of house smoked ocean trout, avocado salsa and lime (+$8). This dish was amazing and very light so it didn't leave you feeling overdone! You'll notice that all their menu items are named after a song which is fun. 

Totally recommend this dish

Their coffee is delicious and I had my usual, skim piccolo. My friend had their "The Cure" juice which was made up of carrot, apple, tumeric, lemon and ginger ($5.50) and hipsterly (new word to add to the dictionary) served in a glass jar.  

The service was top-notch there and if you know me, it's something I regard highly on. My friend and I spent a couple of hours there just talking, laughing and catching up and not once did we feel rushed to leave. The staff just came around every so often to see if we wanted anything else and just left us to enjoy out time.

It was such a lovely catch up and Suzie Q is a fabulous place to have brunch at; so if you're around Surry Hills, I highly recommend. I may have found another regular spot for myself. 

If you have been, please let me know what you like there or what I should try next.

Suzie Q - Coffee & Records
1/18 Hutchinson Street
Surry Hills 2010
Tel: 02) 9332 2739

Jo x

Emads...Lebanese Restaurant, Surry Hills

With our hectic schedules the girls and I finally found a night to catch up over some amazing Lebanese food. We met at Emads Lebanese Restaurant in Surry Hills. It was on Monday night and like most places, it was quieter than usual but that was a bonus for us, it meant that we had a lovely section of the restaurant where we could chat, laugh and be loud. 

This was the first time for me to Emads. They have been around for many years and have always had a great reputation but in the last year they have changed management. 

Seating are adorned with beautiful cushions.

Although the management has changed, the food and staff hasn't. Great news for us! The food and service was impeccable. A couple friends, who are Lebanese, commented that the food reminded them of the food that their mothers made; a honour any restaurant would want. Beautiful home cooked food just down the road for me - lucky!

Lebanese cuisine is a favorite of mine so to have one that tastes like eating at a friend's place is a bonus for me. Obviously, we ordered the banquet to share; it's the only way to eat as it means that you get to try everything. The starters came out consisted of falafel, vine leaves, stuffed cabbage rolls, various meat and vegetable pastries, babaganoush, hummus, tabouli and Lebanese bread. Oh, the hummus! One of the most amazing hummus I've had in a long time; it was smooth and delicious and I seriously couldn't get enough of it {I cheekily order another plate}. 

We are girls who can seriously eat and won't apologise for it. I would have to admit that we pretty much inhaled the starters like we hadn't eaten for a week. Then came the meat feast; grilled chicken, grilled lamb, beef kofta's, and more hummus {yes, I believe I can live off this dip for the rest of my life}. 

The food was beautifully cooked, so tender and juicy with every mouthful. We were getting full but at the same time, just couldn't stop. Everything is made from scratch and it shows through the taste; so yummy and amazing. 

Then as we undid our jeans button and belts, chatted and laugh, our coffees and dessert of baklava and Turkish delight came out to truly finish off the tasty meal. 

I totally recommend Emads if you haven't been. On Friday and Saturday nights they have the traditional belly dancers and the awesome thing is that Emads is BYO - bonus! I'll be back for sure. Thank you for the amazing food!

Jo xo 

Emads Lebanese Restaurant
298 Cleveland Street,
Surry Hills NSW 2010

St. Jude's Cafe

Back into the grind of Sydney weekends with the sun shining and my morning Saturday routine of attending Eveleigh Farmers Market for my weekly "small shop", I met my friend for a morning walk and a lovely brunch. We made our way towards Reuben Hills in Surry Hills to have a morning coffee (since I hadn't had anything to eat or drink yet) and wow, there was a massive line for a table! So, we decided to grab an ice latte to take away and continue our walk through Surry Hills along Bourke Street towards Redfern.

Along Bourke Street in Redfern we came across St. Jude's Cafe (Corner Thurlow & Bourke Streets) and managed to acquire a table straight away. Instantly, the friendliness of the staff made me feel so welcome and confident that I made a good choice to come in. I've walked and driven pass St. Jude's many times but hadn't had an opportunity to try them out until today.

From the moment we sat down all the staff members were quick to ensure that we were comfortable, taken care of, water provided and made sure that the specials of the day were told to us. The cafe is a quirky decor with vintage dolls and framed photos of saints and all around the walls are orange butterflies. They then gave us some time to have a look through the menu and decide on what we wanted. Oh, boy, did everything look good on the menu; it was a hard decision. The only thing that we both knew was that we definitely wanted brunch, so breakfast style food - but WHAT? 

After looking around at other people's food like food stalkers we finally decided on both ordering the pumpkin and sweet corn fritters with a soft poached egg and a side of salad. Absolutely amazing! The sweetness of the corn mixed with the puree of the pumpkin and various spices made my taste buds dance around. To be honest, I haven't had fritters for a while so, to have it again and for it to be soooooo tasty, it sure made my morning brunch well worth it and the walk there sweet. It was a very decent serving size and filling and at the same time I just couldn't stop and wanted more. 

I will definitely be coming back to try other items from the menu as stalking the other customer's dishes, sure made me want more and gave me food envy. I totally recommend going there for brunch and even lunch (the menu looked good) and to top it off, the customer service is top-notch.

Have you been to St. Jude's? If so, let me know what your thoughts of the cafe are and what did you have? Also, any recommendations of what I should try next?

Jo xo

Shenkin Eatery

Another top weekend we had! After a much needed sleep-in on Sunday morning I met my beautiful girlfriend for what I was hoping to be brunch but according to my iPhone clock it was lunch time already! It's Sunday, so time doesn't matter and if there is a cafe serving brunch items all day then it's a winner in my book! 

Due to our intensive starvation situation we went to have brunch/lunch at the Shenkin Eatery that is located on Crown Street, Surry Hills. A lovely little local cafe for me and I absolutely adore them. 

The Shenkin family has always been in the inner west so to have them located in Surry Hills is a special bonus for us living in the inner city of Sydney (although it still didn't stop me going inner west as I do love it there). The family consists of Shenkin in Erskinville, Shenkin Esspresso in Newtown and Shenkin Kitchen on Enmore Road. 

The food focuses on Australian and, their heritage, Israeli palate and I must say, that's the part I like the most. Anyone can do bacon and eggs but bacon and eggs with a twist is what gets my taste buds excited and dancing for more. 

The menu is decent and provides a good size of options without having too many items or too little. The coffee there is tasty as well and the service is top notch with staff constantly making sure you're happy and comfortable. The atmosphere is casual and the design on the cafe is very cool rustic with wooden tables and steel stools. 

To start, I ordered an ice coffee and my friend had a bottled orange juice. I'd love for them to do fresh juices especially with summer coming (*cheeky hint*) but being a coffee girl I'm satisfied! I then ordered the "The Bite" and my friend ordered the "Sliders".

My dish was devine and consisted of pan-fried mushrooms, poached egg & avocado falafel served with sourdough bread, mixed lettuce and Allenby sauce. Oh, that "Allenby" sauce is to die for! I wanted to bottle it and take it home. 

The Bite with the amazing Allenby sauce drizzled all over

The Sliders

A very decent serve of food by Shenkin; you seriously don't walk out of there feeling hungry or disappointed and the flavours are delicious and go together very well. 

To the Shenkin family ~ thank you for opening up in Surry Hills and sharing your talents with us inner city peeps. I love your food and customer service and will be frequenting more often! 

Jo xo