Two-Bit Villains

Hey you guys, have you heard about Two-Bit Villains? I am probably a bit slow to catch on, but this soda bar & diner (est. in 2011) is secreted away in the upper balcony of the Adelaide Arcade – and it’s vegan! I was fascinated to try one of their ‘beef’ (soy) burgers and see how it measures up, so on the waitress’s recommendation I ordered the Baron, with the soy patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese and smokey BBQ sauce – plus I added pickles ($12, plus 50c for the pickles). The burger came with fries, and let me tell you, the herbed seasoning they use is actually amazing! When I asked what was in it, I was told it’s the chef’s special, so they’re not giving up any secrets! First bite of the burger is all about the BBQ sauce – yes, it is smokey and has that rich, savoury-sweet thing that a good BBQ sauce should have going on. Yum. The soy patty was delicious, and I’m not just saying that. I really enjoyed the lighter texture, which matched well with the fluffy bun. All the ingredients were fresh and the portion was perfect for lunch, not to mention the friendly service. A lovely experience all around.

Two-Bit Villains, Adelaide Arcade Balcony Level, Rundle Mall Adelaide SA, http://two-bitvillains.com/

7th and Bake

I’m not the most outgoing person, but I was really looking forward to meeting Bec from Inexplicable Wanderlust in person, after months of reading one another’s blogs. We had breakfast at 7th and Bake, which was drenched in autumn sunlight despite the chilly air. Perusing the menu, I landed on the Hot Smoked Salmon ($19.90), served with smashed avocado, a hash brown, poached eggs, watercress and a honey and lime dressing. The plate was beautifully presented, and we both spent a good few minutes photographing our food unashamedly, as only food bloggers can. The salmon was indeed hot, although the heat seemed to mask some of the smoked flavour. The meat was perfectly cooked, flaking into soft pieces, and the portion was quite large, making it great value for money. The eggs were poached perfectly, and ran nicely into the crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside hash brown, one of my favourite breakfast things. The avocado was the only disappointment, tasting more like a lemon-drenched avocado dip than fresh avocado, but otherwise I enjoyed every bite of this meal, not to mention the great conversation. Worth a visit – I hear their pastries are excellent too.

7th and Bake, 144/41 Eastlake Parade, Kingston ACT,

Red Brick Espresso

Not being a coffee drinker, Red Brick wasn’t too high on my foodie list, but a friend invited me there for a catch up and so off I went. The brunch menu is actually quite good, with a few breakfasty options and a few lunchy options. I chose a classic fried egg and bacon roll ($10.90), mostly because it was served with kewpie mayonnaise! We sat inside, admiring the texta-art scene drawn on the wall, showing the local shops. I also drooled a bit over the danishes and pastries at the counter, but decided to be good. This time. The roll came out fairly quickly, and I was very happy to see egg yolk oozing down the side (yay!). The toasted brioche bun was quite substantial, and I was pleased by the amount of bacon included in the serve. The bacon was a bit fatty, but there was enough crispy bits mixed in to not be a problem. Rocket is my favourite ‘leafy green thing’, particularly when paired with creamy kewpie, which brings out the sharp bitey flavour of the rocket. Overall this was a nice breakfast, although nothing particularly outstanding. I’d come back to try the lunchy options.

Red Brick Espresso, Shop 4/35 Curtin Place, Curtin ACT, http://redbrickespresso.com.au/

79 & Fine

79 & Fine has recently opened in Hobart Place, bringing a flavour of the Hamptons to Canberra. The space is warm and inviting, and I was drawn to the pastry display like a bee to nectar. Mmm. Pastries. Instead, I did the grown up thing and had a bacon and egg roll ($10), plus an orange and apple juice ($7). The staff were really friendly and welcoming, bringing over the concise menu (two breakfast options) on a board for us to choose. When my friends’ orders of smashed avo ($16) came out, I had a bit of order envy (so beautifully presented), but my roll was huge when it arrived. Served on a toasted brioche bun, the roll has “double bacon” and plenty of egg scramble, plus lashings of BBQ sauce and aioli. The ingredients are simple but they work well together in a hearty, comforting way – there’s just enough sauce without it oozing out and the bacon was cooked with the right balance of crisp and tender. I really enjoyed my juice too, with plenty of froth and a crisp, clean orange and apple flavour. I can’t wait until they add the lobster roll to the lunch menu – I’ll be back soon!

79 & Fine, 1 Hobart Place, Canberra ACT, http://www.79andfine.com.au/

Cafe Comme Ca

I’ve been eating a lot of sweets lately, so I declare this to be #sweetweek, starting with a flashback to my favourite cake shop ever. Ah, Cafe Comme Ca. The lovely Shinjuku store with its fun lighting, creative wall art and immaculate display cabinet was our first dessert stop in Tokyo (of course!). We were seated in the back corner which has a great view of the cake decoration space (so much fruit being styled into perfect shapes!) and the wait staff bench where the delicate cocoa shapes are dusted onto the plates – the secret is a stencil, if you hadn’t guessed already. I adore their fruity cakes, so picked one with raspberry, strawberry and mango on a flaky pastry base. All of the cakes here are beautifully creamy and this was no exception. The vibrant flavour of the strawberries and raspberries matched the bold tropical mango perfectly. I also tried their seasonal iced tea – black tea with apple. It came out in a large glass with plenty of ice and was really refreshing. I like black iced teas that aren’t too bitter and this was just lovely. I can’t recommend Cafe Comme Ca highly enough – guaranteed to satisfy your inner foodie, design junkie and fruit artist (because here, that’s a thing).

Cafe Comme Ca, 5F Comme Ca Store, 3-26-6 Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku Tokyo http://www.cafe-commeca.co.jp/ (Japanese only)

Agatha’s

I went to Agatha’s to catch up with a friend from high school, and to be honest my expectations weren’t high – it wasn’t really on my ‘foodie radar’, so to speak, but I was quite delighted to discover the excellent breakfasts on offer. I ordered the ‘Hey Pesto’ ($16), with smoked bacon, tomato, avocado, rocket and pesto hollandaise on ciabatta. Pesto hollandaise? Yep. That stuff is good. Rich, creamy and still stronger on the hollandaise than the pesto flavour, there was a huge amount on top of my bread, and I was totally ok with that – it’s delicious. Combined with the serving of avocado, there was a lot of creaminess going on, but the fresh tomato and rocket cut through, along with the saltiness of the bacon. I couldn’t really tell that the bacon was smoked, but it was very crispy and particularly tasty. As a bonus, there was some sort of pomegranate molasses drizzle on the plate too, which was beautifully sweet. I love ciabatta, and this one was lightly toasted, perfect to add some crisp but still be easy to cut into. The whole thing was very filling, delicious and great value – definitely worth a visit.

Agatha’s, 1 Gawler Street, Port Noarlunga SA, http://www.agathascafe.com.au/

Blacksmith

I’d been past Blacksmith on a previous visit to Surry Hills and put it on my to visit list – I managed to stop by recently for an early lunch. The space is definitely true to the theme, with assorted ironwork and more rivets than you can poke a stick at. The menu has some exciting options, but, being me, I decided to try the wagyu beef burger ($22), plus a side of sweet potato chips to share ($8). The burger came out on a large platter with a smattering of chips and a small dish of aioli. The burger was piled up so high, and when I squished it down, a whole lot of creamy mayonnaise oozed out – definitely not in the ‘elegant to eat’ burger category. But that mayonnaise was worth saving from the platter, as it was utterly delicious! The patty was a bit diappointing – there were small bits of gristle and the outside wasn’t charred or crisp at all, as I had expected for the price – but the mayo certainly brought the level up a notch. The sweet potato chips were probably the highlight and were generously portioned, to the point where we needed a takeaway bag. I’ll be back to try some of their fun-sounding brunch items.

Blacksmith, 116 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills, NSW, no website