In my quest to try new restaurants and cafes I haven’t eaten at before, I decided to swing by Reuben Hills in Surry Hills. A small disclaimer: I have been here before, but it was for a latte, not a proper meal. Even though there were a number of people waiting outside to be seated, I didn’t have to wait very long to be shown a seat. I ended up at a wall-facing bench, which I had to myself. As dining out for 1 is a regular thing for me, this wasn’t a problem in the slightest. As for my…
Today turned out to be one of those rather ho-hum weekends. Instead of hitting the shops like I’d be wont to do, I just had brunch and headed home. I decided to try Single O in Surry Hills, as it was on the way to the station. It was mildly busy when I got there, which isn’t unexpected for mid-morning on a Saturday. But there was definately none of the usual Saturday brunch-time energy that surrounded many of Surry Hill’s cafes during pre-COVID times. I was able to get a seat in short order, at the bar. I wasn’t in…
After a particularly crazy week, a lunch out was in order. I decided on The Winery in Surry Hills, as it’s been a while since I’ve been there and also because I wanted to take advantage of the last of the mulled wine season. In looking at the menu, I saw that most of the mains offered were too substantial for me, so I went with a lighter lunch and got 2 snack plates: Faux Gras Parfait (a mushroom, walnut & lentil pate) and my perennial favourite, Steak Tartare. The Faux Gras Parfait wasn’t mushroom-y as I was expecting it…
Goal setting (and keeping) is something that I continue to struggle with. I start the year with the best of intentions, only to lose motivation and eventually give up several months in. In thinking about why goal setting is a struggle, I realise that this boils down to 2 things: setting too many goals, and being too ambitious for most of them. In the spirit of making sure that I end 2020 on a somewhat accomplished note, here are the things I want to achieve before the end of the year: Get rid of everything that no longer sparks joy…
With restrictions still in place in fair NSW, it’s the perfect opportunity to dust off your cross stitch supplies and get creating! Here are my picks for what every cross stitcher should have: Tapestry Needles The first, and most obvious one, is a set of fine tapestry needles. Something small enough to get through the holes in the Aida cloth, yet blunt enough to not break the threads. Mine: Hemline Tapestry Hand Needles (I have the size 22) Aida Fabric You can’t do a cross stitch piece without something to stitch on. Most patterns will call for Aida fabric. Mine:…
A couple of Saturdays ago, I decided to treat myself to a meal at Quay. It’s been over a year since my last visit, so I figured it’s time for another one. I got the 8 course menu this time. While it was delicious, I ended up feeling a wee bit fuller than I would’ve liked. The menu itself costs $290 (drinks not included). Several of the dishes have changed since my last visit. (Checked my photo library and apparently said visit was January 2019) Some of my favourites from this visit included: Native Marron w/ ‘treebark’, koji and palm…
And how I arrived at my happy-ish place The Backstory I will be honest and say that money and I haven’t always been on the best of terms. I was in my early-mid 20s when I finally decided to whip my finances into shape. I was saving up for my very first holiday and realised that I really needed to knuckle down and build up my savings account. And fast. Cue the 3-4 ish months I spent avoiding eating out like the plague and giving wide berth to my favourite retail haunts. While this rather extreme method of saving was…
During “lockdown”, I’ve been making do with heading to my local cafes for some takeout to satisfy my eating out itch. It’s not the same as actually sitting down for a meal, but you’ve gotta work with what you’ve got, right? In any case, Vine & Grind became my go-to place because it was one of the few places that was still open on the weekend that didn’t serve fast food. In terms of ordering, it’s the same song and dance as any other cafe that offers takeout. If I were feeling a bit precious, I could order home delivery…
Brunch is that one meal that seems to strike the right balance between breakfast, lunch, casual, and special. You can have brunch to celebrate a special occasion or “just because”. You can brunch with friends or on your own. It’s become a common sight whilst ambling through the quiet streets of Surry Hills to see pretty much every cafe filled with hungry diners. Some even had people queuing outside their doors! Naturally, this love of brunch has given rise to some very firm opinions as to which cafe’s brunch is the best. In today’s post, I’d like to introduce you…