Blackfire

I have been eating in Braddon a lot lately. I think I’m close to trying them all (this has become a Pokemon-like quest). Today’s adventure was Blackfire, a brunch catch up with good friends. I slept in and didn’t have a pre-brunch snack, so was pretty hungry when I arrived. How to address this? Order the big breakfast, of course. It’s called the ‘Blackfire morning’, and comes with grilled mushrooms, avocado, asparagus, eggs your way, ciabatta, black pudding, rosemary potatoes and bacon. Again for me, having bread that was crispy but not hard to cut was a huge winning factor of this breakfast, and I was excited to have black pudding served on a breakfast plate. The mushrooms and potatoes were excellent, and the only thing that stopped me from finishing the plate was the fact that I was completely full (I got very close to finishing though). The staff were very friendly taking our orders and we sat comfortably for a good half hour after eating without feeling pressured to leave. The decor is upmarket, with modern wood panelling on the walls and iron chandeliers. After this, I’ll be adding it to the dinner ‘to eat’ list.

Blackfire, 45/38 Mort Street, Braddon ACT http://www.blackfirerestaurant.com.au

Movida @ Sydney Airport

I have been very lucky to travel a bit for work this year, and quite a few of these trips have been to Sydney. Returning from one solo trip, I decided to head to the airport early and have lunch at Movida, in the Virgin Domestic terminal at Sydney airport. On arrival, staff offer bread with olive oil, which I accepted and thoroughly enjoyed – the oil had a strong flavour that suited the soft bread perfectly. I treated myself to a few different tapas dishes, including the Paletilla Iberica, 24 month old jamon, which came out sliced paper thin and accompanied by sweet peppers. The jamon was incredibly flavoursome and something I would happily order again. I also had spiced octopus served with a mash potato puree (so creamy!), but the highlight of the meal was the Pinchitos Morunos, or chargrilled lamb skewer, which turned out to be large cubes of soft, smoky and beautifully tender lamb. I would double my order of this next time without a doubt. Three dishes was just the right amount for lunch and I felt quite spoilt after working so hard. Definitely good for a treat when travelling.

Movida @ the Airport, Sydney Airport T2                                   http://movida.com.au/airport/sydney-airport-menu/

Asian Noodle House

If you’re a Canberra local, you’ve probably eaten at the Asian Noodle House more than a few times. I certainly have, and whilst the Dickson store is the original, it’s not super close when you’ve been to the theatre. Luckily the Civic outpost is, and that’s where we headed for a post-show dinner. The menu is a mix of Asian cuisines, from Thai to Laotian (hello larb) to Chinese to Malay – diners are spoilt for choice. I’m not sure if the laksa is Singaporean or Malaysian-style, but it’s legendary in Canberra.  Packed full of greens, tofu, two types of noodles and a mix of sweet spices, the Asian Noodle House laksa is a dish that expats make a beeline for when they’re back in town. It’s no wonder, when the laksa is reliably delicious and the same at every store, every time.  For those whose eyes are bigger than their tummies (guilty), there’s a half-size available too.  A local legend for a reason – check it out if you haven’t already, and if you have, well, it’s probably just about time to go back for another bowl.

Asian Noodle House, 49 Northbourne Ave Civic Canberra City  http://www.noodlehouse.net.au/Noodle_house/Welcome.html

Wharf One

I was pretty excited to discover that Wharf One did breakfast – I’d had icecream there on the waterfront and admired the view, thinking, this would be a great breakfast place. They were way ahead of me. I came back the next day and ordered the ‘broken eggs’, not entirely sure what that meant but excited to have avocado, and a classic banana smoothie. The smoothie came out first, while we sat enjoying the sunshine and light breeze, and it was exactly what you want a banana smoothie to be – sweet and obviously full of fresh bananas. Mmm. When the broken eggs arrived I was intruigued by the colour – the egg white seemed more cooked than the yolk, making it something in between scrambled and poached. It was actually just the right consistency, and when combined with the avocado served on another piece of toast it was one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long time. The seats are nicely spaced apart for privacy and the open structure is designed to allow maximum enjoyment of the weather and the view, both of which were just as lovely as the food!

Wharf One, Wharf Street, Cairns QLD, no website

Sushi Zanmai

Not everybody is a ‘sushi for breakfast’ person, but if we’re talking Sushi Zanmai, I absolutely am. I dragged my colleagues out to Akihabara bright and early, promising that sushi at 7am was something they wouldn’t regret. Sushi Zanmai is open 24 hours and you are always met with a chorus of ‘irashaimasen’ to welcome you. Here, seating at the bar is best, so you can watch the sushi-san work and have a chat. The staff are super friendly and are always happy to give you their recommendations. On this occasion, we were the only people in the restaurant, and had a sushi-san to ourselves, so we started the nigiri feast with salmon, followed by tuna, mackarel, scallops, and unagi (eel). We tried the ootoro (top grade fatty tuna), but all found it a bit too fatty for our tastes. The highlight was the aburi tuna, which had sprigs of spring onion on top and just melted in your mouth. I’m pretty sure that piece alone managed to convince my colleagues of the wisdom of eating sushi at 7am. A must visit for a real Tokyo experience – although not necessarily for breakfast!

Sushi Zanmai, 1F Yodabashi Camera building, Akihabara Tokyo     http://www.kiyomura.co.jp/ (Japanese only)