Thank you!

Guys, there are 100 lovely people out there following my blog – thank you all so much! Your readership means so much to me and I love hearing about all of your food adventures. Thanks again for your support and I can’t wait to share more amazing eats with you throughout the year. You’re the best! – Sharon

Ricardo’s Cafe

After seeing the cake display cabinet at sister venture Space Kitchen, I knew I had to stop in at Ricardo’s Cafe to try something from their extensive selection. Friends had raved about the cannoli there, but I was sucked in by the incredibly beautiful (and large) cakes in the display cabinet, and after much deliberation (the Cookie Monster? Snickers Gaytime?), I ordered the Raspberry Dome ($9.90) to dine in. The serving is massive – I would recommend sharing, otherwise the staff are happy to provide takeaway containers, so none of the deliciousness goes to waste. This cake is at its best when you can get a mouthful with all of the elements – the raspberry mousse, blood orange curd, chocolate tart shell and pistachio crumb all work together into a light but tasty combination. The raspberry mousse is beautifully light and fluffy, while the blood orange curd adds weight in the flavour department. The chocolate tart shell was a good choice, adding textural contrast, but the pistachios really brought the whole thing together. I would happily order this again – especially when there are plenty of leftovers for future me to enjoy!

Ricardo’s Cafe, Jamison Plaza, Bowman Street, Macquarie ACT, ricardoscafe.com/

Le Pain Quotidien

I love wandering through The Rocks, especially around lunchtime, when you can be tempted by all sorts of lovely smells in the narrow alleyways. I stumbled across Le Pain Quotidien from the backstreets, and moving inside, I was delighted to discover secluded little private rooms – sure they seemed small, but quaint. It was only when I took my seat in the main room that I realised the restaurant/bakery occupies the old police station! The space is utterly charming, and one menu item leapt out at me – chacuterie. I ordered it ($26) with a jug of housemade lemonade ($4.50), both of which arrived quickly. The lemonade was everything I was hoping it would be, not overly sweet, but not mouth-puckeringly sour. The chacuterie? Oh my. Apart from being beautifully presented on a bread board, I was smitten with every flavour included. There were generous servings of ham (simple and fresh), proscuitto (rich and salty) and salami (just plain yum), as well as a subdued but elegant wedge of pate, which, combined with the range of bakery breads, stole the show. I adored the olives, baby cornichons and sun-dried tomatoes, as well as the dressed lettuce, to break up the meat-fest. Hearty, tasty fare that I will be back for.

Le Pain Quotidien, 127 George Street, Sydney NSW, http://www.lepainquotidien.com.au/

Hey Jupiter

Hey Jupiter has been on my to visit list for ages – I finally got there! It was a busy weekday afternoon, and I managed to snag a seat at the two-seater bar. The waitress was really helpful and got me a watermelon, apple and mint juice ($7.50) to kick things off – it came in a gorgeous flask and whilst much darker in colour than what I would expect from fresh watermelon, it was tasty and refreshing. Now, normally I’m not a sandwich kind of girl, but sandwiches seem to be Hey Jupiter’s forte, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt and ordered the pancetta sandwich ($13). Holy moly. That is one damn fine sandwich. The ingredients are top quality, from the crispy, long bread to the salty, paper-thin pancetta, and boy does it show in the flavour. The lemon-thyme mayonnaise is something rather special, and paired with the generous serving of avocado, there’s a lovely creaminess that cuts through the salt of the pancetta. The baby spinach leaves are really packed in, and I left with both taste buds and hungry stomach satisfied. Not to mention the friendly staff who are clearly adored by their regulars, making me wish I was still a local.

Hey Jupiter, 11 Ebenezer Place, Adelaide SA, no website

The Front

Canberra has some lovely quirky places, and The Front in Lyneham is one of the funnest (that’s totally a word). With friendly staff and a relaxed vibe, it was the perfect place for a breakfast catch up. The menu has some great classic options, mostly with eggs, and I chose the white bean cassoulet with a poached egg ($14) as something a bit different, with a side of avocado ($4). The dish was beautifully presented on a tin plate, with the cassoulet served in a ramekin, served with fingers of toasted bread and pesto drizzled on the side. I loved this dish. Seriously. It was pretty much the ultimate comfort food, warming and hearty (so probably better suited to winter, but whatever). The poached egg on top was perfectly runny and added greatly to the rich tomatoey sauce. The pesto had such an intense flavour that it was clever to serve on the side – it really brightened up each mouthful and I wished there was more of it. The avocado was a good accompaniment choice – it was nice to have something cool and fresh to contrast the cassoulet. We even stayed to play a few hands of cards afterwards – such a lovely, relaxed morning!

The Front, 1 Wattle Place, Lyneham ACT, http://www.frontgallerycafe.com/

Double Shot

This was by far my best experience at Double Shot – I only had a short amount of time for lunch, and the waitress was very happy to point me to menu items that wouldn’t take too long to prepare. I really appreciated that level of service, and ordered one of the toasted sandwiches ($10), picking the tuna as something a bit different. As promised, my meal came out quickly and I was struck by the simple but appealing presentation on a small sandwich board. On first bite, it was clear that this was a very special toastie. The bread was lovely and flavoursome, having been pan-fried in butter to create rich, luxurious mouthfuls that hit just the right balance of crisp and soft for my taste. Inside, the sierra tuna was thickly packed in, well-mixed with capers, green olives, spanish onion and aioli. The combination was fantastic, every ingredient bringing something to the flavour party (yes, I’d invite them all again). Combined with the buttery bread, what may seem like a humble toastie is elevated into a gourmet delight. Apart from the pickle, the garnish salad was a bit thin for me, but the lettuce leaves did break up the richness nicely.

Double Shot, 18 Duff Place, Deakin ACT , http://doubleshotdeakin.com.au/

Monja-ya

My general love of Japanese food is well-known, but if I had to pick an absolute favourite, it would have to be okonomiyaki. Why? Well, it’s exactly what it name means – as you like it, so you can enjoy it with all the things you like most. We stopped in at Monja-ya for dinner in Shinjuku (as a chain store, they have various locations in Tokyo). Half the fun of this place is that you get to cook the food yourself, but if you don’t feel confident, the staff are very happy to help. We started with an order of the cheese okonomiyaki and the standard monja, which the waiter kindly cooked while Mum made the okonomiyaki (go Mum!). The portions here are good value, even better if you pick the all-you-can-eat option. Whilst the cheese okonomiyaki was good, we all devoured the round two choice of kimchi – the added spice was amazing! The monja took longer to cook, but was worth the wait – we loved the sloppier texture with crispy bits from the grill. The trick to a good okonomiyaki? Layering it up with the sauces – okonomiyaki sauce, kewpie mayo plus bonito flakes. Perfection.

Monja-ya, Royal Puddings Building 4F, 3-35-10, Shinjuku, Tokyo Japan