Sweet Bones

What do you do at Sweet Bones when you want both granola and a smoothie? You combine them into a smoothie bowl and have both, yay! I adore Sweet Bones’ dairy-free menu, so I picked my smoothie, the Fit Sistas Smoothie with strawberries, banana, apple juice and flax oil, and added Eileen’s granola and seasonal fruit to my order to make the smoothie bowl ($16). The granola here is unbelievably good – jam-packed full of dried fruit – apricots, cranberries and sultanas – plus more nuts than you can poke a stick at (almonds, hazelnuts, macadamias) AND sunflower seeds… Oh, and did I mention that it’s all toasted in maple syrup? Swoon. The granola was still crunchy was despite floating in smoothie, and I actually enjoyed the combination with the smoothie far more than I do granola with milk. The smoothie had great texture – not too icy, and with a nicely balances sweetness – and there was sooooo much of it! The fruit on top (oh, hello banana, Granny Smith apple, strawberry and passionfruit!) added a great splash of flavour and a mix of textures, creating a filling, wholesome breakfast that I can’t wait to order again.

Sweet Bones, 8/18 Lonsdale Street Braddon, ACT, http://sweetbonescompany.com/

Lolo and Lola

I am a hopeless sweet tooth, and having heard so much about the cakes at Lolo and Lola, I had to try one. I went for the mango sans rival (mango without rival, $7), which is something I’ve never tried before. The cake portion comes with two slices, and it becomes clear quickly that this is a particularly amazing cake. Layered with buttercream, meringue and chopped cashews, the combination of crunchy, soft and creamy textures is amazing, creating a real adventure in sensations. The flavour of the buttercream is almost savoury, so that the sweetness of the meringue, flavoured by the cashews, complements rather than clashes. I found that I enjoyed the layers of meringue that were slightly firmer, with an almost crunchy outside (swoon). In between these layers are soft drizzles of mango, which add a beautiful flavour that stops the whole thing from being sickly but add a luscious, fruity richness. I devoured this dessert, and think the double-serve makes it great value too. Given that the menu changes daily, I can’t wait to go back and try more of their cake range. I think it’s love.

Lolo and Lola, Westside Acton, 3 Barrine Drive, Acton ACT, no website

Pressed Juices

I know I’ve blogged about Pressed Juices before, but they have such a fun range that I couldn’t help myself. This time I wandered past one of their Sydney stores, and was determined to try something different. I hadn’t had any of their ‘green’ juices, and the lady kindly offered me a couple of samples to try, but while I was sipping on those, my eye was caught by one of their smoothies. I double checked – yes, dairy-free – and went for it on an impulse. It was, luckily, a great choice. The texture was like a slightly runny smoothie, although surprisingly thick for a cold press containing nothing but fruit. The four ingredients – pineapple, coconut, lychee and lemon (yes, they were the only ingredients in the whole thing) – were really well balanced. The pineapple and lemon were the most distinct flavours, but neither was overly sharp and the coconut made the overall flavour a bit creamy. I also really liked the ‘bits’ of pineapple and coconut left in the smoothie, which enhanced the texture, although I imagine could be offputting for anyone not a fan of pulp. So, two for two on the Pressed menu.

Pressed Juices, Shop 1, Region Food Arcade, 2 Bridge Street, Sydney NSW    http://www.pressedjuices.com.au/

The Copper Pan

On a stop at the St Ives shopping centre to pick up a few bits and pieces, Dad and I decided to grab a snacky lunch. We wandered the food court, and then discovered The Copper Pan – hello! The setup here is so lovely – lots of pot plants and a nice mix of metal and wood in the decor. The staff happily let me just order a juice, while Dad had a beef pie. My juice came out quickly in a huge mason jar with a handle and had the excellent combination of watermelon, apple and orange – it was so refreshing and the fruit had obviously been freshly cut. I do love a frothy juice and this one had plenty. Dad found his pie a bit lacking on the filling, but with a nice pastry. We didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy our snack-lunch, but I’d happily come back here for a more leisurely meal. It seemed quite family-friendly too. We picked up a couple of pastries on the way out and the caramel slice was to die for. Yep, will definitely be back!

The Copper Pan, 166 Mona Vale Rd, St Ives NSW, no website

Cold Stone Creamery

A Swiss friend of mine introduced me to Cold Stone in 2009 and I haven’t looked back. It’s very similar to Cold Rock in Australia, where you choose an icecream, load it full of yummy things, and watch while the staff mush it all together (mush being the technical term, of course). Actually, Cold Stone ups the game, offering icecream in waffle bowls (you heard me, waffle bowls) and singing to customers as they prepare your icecream. As if this place didn’t make me happy enough, they also have the best icecream flavour combo ever – peach and raspberry! It’s a spring special called the Peachy Cheeky and includes white peach icecream, raspberries (frozen), peach jelly, peach chunks and whipped cream. In a waffle bowl. Are you sold yet? I first tried this delight in 2009 and was super excited to have it again this year – it didn’t disappoint. The sweet peach and tart raspberry combination is always a winner, and the textural contrast of the fruit pieces, jelly and icecream was magic. I may or may not have devoured the waffle bowl too… Luckily that’s what they’re there for. Check it out, they’ve got locations all around Japan.

Cold Stone Creamery, Shibuya Mark City 4F, Dogenzaka 1-12-13, Shibuya, Tokyo Japan  http://www.coldstonecreamery.co.jp/

Wafflemeister

I came across this photo from my holiday a few years back and couldn’t resist sharing (#flashback). Waffles are a legitimate breakfast food. Really! They’re even more so when you’re on holidays. I met friends of mine also holidaying in London to check out the Natural History Museum, but before a day of museum exploration, a sturdy breakfast was in order. That’s where Wafflemeister came in. Near the South Kensington tube station, this outlet of the waffle-producing chain was just too tempting to resist. I chose a ‘waffle au chocolate’, and picked milk chocolate for the drizzle on top (dark and white also available). You can add fruit to your waffles and I opted for fresh raspberries. This turned out to be an excellent choice – the waffle was fresh, crisp and light, and the milk chocolate was rich and smooth, with just the right amount to stop the waffle from being dry. But the absolute highlight was the raspberries – they were juicy, tart and intensly flavoured. I can honestly say I’ve never had such delicious berries before in my life! The serving was quite large and I couldn’t quite finish it, but I did finish all the raspberries! They also made me feel a bit less guilty for having a sweet treat for breakfast.

Wafflemeister, 26 Cromwell Place, South Kensington London, UK http://www.wafflemeister.com/

Bracegirdles

All throughout my university days and even now when I visit Adelaide, Bracegirdles is my go-to for a decadent treat. Their chocolate is my absolute favourite when it comes to boutique chocolatiers across Australia, and I think it’s at its best in molten form. I don’t think I’ve ever ordered anything at Bracegirdles apart from their chocolate fondue – they offer a range of sizes with different accompaniments, but the ultimate for me is the fondue for four with fruit, shared with friends. You have a choice of milk or dark chocolate for your fondue. After ordering at the counter and admiring the range of truffles, there’s a cozy upstairs space with armchairs which is lovely in winter, or the balcony overlooking Jetty Road for people watching in summer. The plate arrives with banana, strawberry, orange and pineapple, all fresh and sweet. They do offer a lolly version for those with a really sweet tooth, but I found it a bit too much, as their chocolate is very sweet. One of the best things about Bracegirdles is that they sell their chocolate buttons for DIY fondue, so interstate visitors can recreate the magic at home. Love it.

Bracegirdles, 31 Jetty Road, Glenelg SA                http://www.bracegirdles.com.au/