Mr Crackles

Normally I’m not really a sandwich/roll kind of person. I’d much rather eat the filling itself as 100% of the meal, rather than 40% filling and 60% bread. However, my Dad was so excited to go to a pork and crackling-themed place when we were in Sydney that even I started to consider how good a roll jam-packed with meat could be. Mr Crackles is a small store that caters largely for takeaway, but which has a couple of seats for dine in. I opted for the ‘chicken katsu’ roll with a cup of crackling. The roll is quite substantial, and yes, the filling-to-roll ratio isn’t quite as good as I’d like, but it was better than 2:3. The filling had a bit of bite with wasabi mayonnaise mixed into the coleslaw. The chicken was lovely and crisp on the outside and tender inside, and in reasonably sized pieces. The cup of crackling was generously sized, although I’d expected it to be served hot and it wasn’t – it was a bit tough to break to share, but was very tasty. I’m not entirely converted to rolls, but food coma aside, I’d definitely come back to try another one.

Mr Crackles, 155 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW     http://www.mrcrackles.com.au/

Romeo Lane

I came across Romeo Lane wandering the side streets off Little Bourke Street and am so glad that I did. I fell completely in love with this gem of a bar, from its stained glass lamp to its old-fashioned napkins. I was welcomed on arrival and brought a glass of water in a heavy crystal glass to the seat I’d chosen in the window overlooking the laneway. The cocktail list is simple but sophisticated, and I picked the White Light with champagne, sherry and peach. I was a bit peckish and ordered a serve of the duck and sherry pate as well. My cocktail came out first, served on a delicate silver dish, and brimming with bubbles. The drink was well-balanced, with sweetness from the peach and a rounded richness from the two alcohols. It was a pleasure to savour, and was obviously made by a practiced hand. Their cocktail menu changes monthly, so get in quick to try this one! The pate was equally superb, served with crispy lavosh strands, raisins, tiny citrus wedges and shiso. The log of pate was smooth, rich and beautifully flavoured, and the accompaniments only enhanced the elegant flavors. Romeo Lane is a class act very much worth visiting.

Romeo Lane, 1a Crossley Street, Melbourne VIC                 http://www.romeolane.com.au

Hopscotch

When you work until 9:30pm on a weeknight, there are surprisingly few places you can go to get a good feed in Canberra. Wracking our brains, my friend and I rang Hopscotch, and were told that the kitchen would close at 10pm, so if we hurried we could make it. Hurried we did – after a long day with only cheese and crackers for post-5pm sustenance, you can move surprisingly quickly at the thought of a hot meal. When we arrived we were informed that only the snack options were available (but would be available all night). These were by no means dinner, but sharing a few was a makeshift dinner of sorts. We started with the falafel, served with hummus, and the calamari, served with coleslaw. The calamari was a standout, a bit dry by itself, but brought to life with the ‘slaw, which was juicy and had a good kick of spice. The falafel were crumbly and soft, but I found the hummus a bit dry. Not yet full, we went back for a basket of fries with aioli – this was definitely enough to tide us over. The portion was huge! So late night dinner at Hopscotch isn’t a thing, but tasty snacks are.

Hopscotch, 5 Lonsdale St, Braddon                    http://www.hopscotchbar.com.au/

Candy Cafe

I like cafes that have some kind of theme going or some definitive character to them. Candy Cafe is one such place. The first thing that strikes you is the decor – chandeliers, plastic hedges and a huge mural of fairytale stories on the long wall. Kitsch, but in a way that works. Looking at the breakfast/brunch menu, I was drawn to ‘the Usual’, which includes poached eggs. fried mushrooms, roasted tomatos, bacon and… black pudding! Order decided. I also had a ‘Citrus Sunshine’ juice of orange, pineapple and lime, which delivered on its name, both in terms of citrus deliciousness and sunshine in helping me to wake up!  Brunch came out in good time, and when I cut into the eggs they were perfectly poached, the yolk running onto the muffin and softening it up. The greens were a bonus not mentioned on the menu, but a nice addition to cut through the richness of the bacon and black pudding. The tomatos kept their shape when cut and the mushrooms were full of earthy flavour. Every mouthful was delicious, and in such beautiful surrounds, who could resist?

Candy Cafe, 70 Grafton Street, Cairns QLD, no website

5ifth Element

On a work trip to Brisbane, my colleagues and I found ourselves with a bit of unexpected time to eat out, so on a recommendation we went to 5ifth Element for their tapas plates (not because of the movie. Ok, maybe a little bit because of the movie). We ordered five dishes amongst the four of us, and every single one was amazing. We had a serve of crinkle-cut chips to start, which were tasty with the (somewhat small) serve of tomato chilli jam, and kept us going until the beef brisket buns came out. They were my favourite for the evening – thick slices of slightly sweet brisket, served with cucumber pickle in steaming hot bun wrappers. The brisket wasn’t quite melt-in-your-mouth, but whatever sauce it was cooked in was divine. More, please! This was followed by the lamb meatballs, which had a good kick to them, the chicken drumettes, which were beautifully flavoured with hoisin sauce, sesame and spring onion, and finally the Hervey Bay scallops, which were, as my friend described them, a textural delight, with pops from the fish roe on top. Each course was brought out by friendly staff and was well-paced – definitely somewhere to come back to.

5ifth Element, South Bank, http://www.5thelement.com.au

Manchester Press

This is exactly the kind of place I wanted to eat at on my visit to Melbourne – a little place hiding on a narrow laneway, but full of life, funky decor and good food. I actually stumbled across it by accident on my laneway wanderings, and quickly decided to come back for breakfast the next day. The cafe is large and airy, with huge communal tables and lovely indoor plants dotted around the place. Whilst Manchester Press is mostly about the coffee, their food menu is all about the bagels. After much consideration, I opted for the fruit and nut bagel, which was served with mixed berry marscapone, fresh strawberries and crushed pistachios. After ordering, I was given a letterpress wood cut out ‘U’ as my table number, which was a nice touch to the Press theme. When the bagel came out I was amazed by the generous amount of marscapone and pistachio – the bagel was dense and nicely toasted, and the texture of the pistachios contrasted the smooth marscapone and the juicy strawberries perfectly. It was a great way to start the day, and the kind of place that sums up all the good things about Melbourne.

Manchester Press, 8 Rankins Ln, Melbourne VIC, no website

Old Parliament House

There’s not a lot on offer to eat in the Parliamentary Triangle, so when an opportunity to try something different arises, it ‘s pretty exciting. When my friend and I saw that the cafe at Old Parliament House was offering high tea, we booked in quick smart and prepared for an unusually indulgent lunch break. As with most high teas, we started with finger sandwiches – my friend is vegetarian and they happily provided cucumber and egg sandwiches for her, while I enjoyed the smoked salmon (always my favourite). We then progressed to the scones, where there were strangely three scones when we’d booked for two people. The scones were not as risen as some I’ve had but there was a good amount of jam and cream and they weren’t too heavy. The dessert tier at the top of the tray was the highlight, with five different pieces each! We sampled mini raspberry friands (beautifully buttery and tart), custard tarts, a nut brownie, a light, layered caramel slice and a handmade nougat. By then we’d had a bit of sweet overdose, but it was a fantastic selection with unusual choices, proving that it’s always worth trying something new.

Old Parliament House, 18 King George Terrace, Parkes, ACT     http://moadoph.gov.au/visiting/cafe/