Light Bulb Cafe

The bestie and I are always on the hunt for new places to eat. On one particular occasion, coinciding days off from uni automatically signalled for us to catch up over one of our shared loves (food), so we headed over to a place we'd been eyeing for the past few weeks - the Light Bulb Cafe.

SALA artwork

Electricity juice $6.90

Carrot, mandarin, pear, ginger

Apple crumble smoothie $7.90

Banana, cinnamon, canadian maple syrup, ice cream, yoghurt, coconut milk

This was SO good! I can't recommend it enough especially if you like apple crumble. I loved the creaminess and there is the perfect amount of cinnamon and maple syrup in it. You can barely taste the banana!

12 hr sous vide pork belly w parsnip & vanilla puree, charred pumpkin and broccolini $22

No complaints here! Beautiful presentation and great flavours. The parsnip and vanilla puree is definitely something different, we couldn't quite decide whether or not we liked it.

Sugo baked eggs w chorizo, buffalo mozzarella, broccolini and sous vide eggs $18

Perfectly cooked eggs in a flavoursome tomato base, this was filling and very satisfying. The bits of chorizo throughout added a bit of extra flavour and the crusty bread was delicious with the tomato!

The Light Bulb Cafe is a wonderful place on the more quiet end of King William Road. Although it was quiet when we went (around 11am in the middle of the week), lots of people were coming in and out getting takeaway coffee and lunch. There is great service, with the chef himself coming out and asking about our meal. We loved what we ordered and I can definitely picture myself coming back to try out more of the menu.

Caffe Papparazzi

A shockingly hot day brought the gang to Caffe Papparazzi before a trip down to the beach. We had been eyeing this place since it started popping up on social media with the launch of a new clean eating menu. The menus are all very extensive and we had a hard time deciding on what to order!

Wake me up before you gogo green smoothie $8.50

Cucumber, kale, kiwi fruit, pineapple, coconut water

This tasted really... healthy. I really couldn't taste any of the fruit and was rather overwhelmed by all the greens. It's a good thing I do enjoy a green juice once in a while, but the girls thought this tasted like grass, so avoid this one if you think you'd share their sentiments!

Healthy banana smoothie $8.50

Banana, almond milk, raw honey, chia seeds, maca powder, cinnamon

I heard nothing but praise for this one.  Also, the little glass milk bottles are a cute (but only very slight) deviation away from the typical mason jar presentation.

Big not so pretty eggy brekky $16

Eggs, vegetables (kale, zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, char grilled capsicum, sweet potato), garlic, chilli, chicken

Two of us ordered this for breakfast and both agreed it was on the bland side. I definitely couldn't  taste any chilli and the chicken was also quite dry. The bread it was served with was very dense but overall this was a very filling meal! Maybe a bit of pesto to liven it up?

Eggs florentine $15

with spinach, tomato & hollandaise sauce served on English muffins

This wasn't the best Hollandaise but the eggs and spinach were well cooked. The tomato was a nice addition to break up the rest of the flavours on the dish. This was probably the most flavoursome dish of all the ones we ordered.

Paparazzi clean eating salad $15

Grilled chicken, bacon, oven-dried tomatoes, sweet potato, continental cucumber, lettuce

Warm chicken salad $15

Grilled chicken, avocado, roasted capsicum, activated cashews, lettuce

Both girls ordered the mustard, olive oil and lemon juice dressing along with their salads and still found it very bland overall. This would be something to order if you're feeling peckish and want a light lunch, but don't expect it to be flavoursome. 

Those caaaakes!

Peppermint slice $3.50

Buckwheat flour, raw cacao, pecans, coconut oil, cashews, maple syrup, coconut, peppermint essential oil

YUM! Super crumbly but a nice take on the classic peppermint slice. This one was enjoyed by everyone.

Lime and kiwi cashew cheesecake $7.50

Almonds, macadamias, coconut, sulphate free dried fruit, coconut oil, cashews, kiwi, spinach, lime, coconut cream, arrowroot

I'm always excited by "cleaner" versions of desserts, particularly raw cakes. This was a little underwhelming, I thought it needed a bit more 'zing' from the lime, perhaps extra lime juice and zest somewhere in the mix. There was also too much coconut and that was all I could taste in the first few bites. 

Caffe Papparazzi is a lovely little spot for breakfast or lunch with great service but unfortunately nothing about the menu really excited us. I can't see any of us rushing back any time soon, although some of the lunch and dinner options on the clean eating menu do sound great, particularly the 'I can't believe it's not butter chicken'!

 

Mister Sunshine's

Wanting to try somewhere new for brunch outside the CBD, my friend and I headed over to Mister Sunshine's in Thebarton after trawling through Instagram on the hunt for something different. Parking was an absolute pain, but we managed to find a park a few streets away. Making our way over, we noticed there was outdoor seating but it was far too cold that day, so we sat inside amidst the mismatched chairs and tables. It was absolutely packed that day, with people dining in as well as people popping in for takeaway coffee and lunch. 

Hot Choc Coconut $4.50

Warm, creamy and comforting. Perfect on a cold day!

French toast $13

Served with plum compote, vanilla labne and pistaccio

Looks delightful but unfortunately I found it very unsatisfying. The french toast itself was quite bland and all I could taste was the egg. A bit of sugar or vanilla would have improved it. The plum compote was the most flavourful thing on the plate, with the plums not too soft and having just the right amount of sweetness. The sauce which I assume came from the compote didn't have a distinct taste, if anything it tasted a little burnt. A promising dish but note quite what I was expecting. 

Smashed pumpkin with poached eggs $17

On toasted rye with feta, toasted seeds, rocket and almond and almonds

No complaints from J over this dish! It looked great (100% instagrammable) and she really enjoyed it.

Although my french toast was a bit of a let down, everything else was fantastic and I wouldn't hesitate to return for more of the menu, as well as the delicious-looking bakery items by the counter! The service was absolutely lovely and the atmosphere was also great, definitely a great location for a casual meal or catch up over coffee.

 

Market St

Lately, I've barely been eating out. Uni and work have been taking over my life so I was in desperate need of some R&R, giving the bestie and I the perfect reason (not like we'd need one to see each other, anyway) to catch up for brunch and some much needed girl time! Scrolling through instagram a while back, I'd noticed Market St on fellow foodies' pages and made a note to visit as soon as I could.

Finding it was easy, located on Market St just off Gouger St. It was bright, airy and open, my favourite kind of environment to be in!

Look at that giant creme brulee tart!

 SOS Juice $7

Orange, beetroot, pineapple, carrot, lemon, ginger, mint

Salute to the Sun Juice $7

Apple, spinach, cucumber, mint

Market St Steak Sandwich $16.90

Marinated eye fillet, bacon, caramelised onion, rocket, kipfler frites, tomato jam

Ohhh my goodness. This was amazing! We first tried the chips which were fried to absolute perfection. The sandwich itself was delicious, an explosion of flavours with each bite. Would definitely recommend this for someone looking for a filling lunch!

 Zucchini feta fritters $16.90

with carrot and ginger chutney

I loved the presentation of the leaves on the side which were dressed with a delicious fresh and citrusy vinaigrette. The fritters themselves were an absolute delight - creamy yet still light, with the only improvement I'd suggest is slightly crispier edges. In saying that however, the root vegetable chips on top added that extra little bit of crunch. The feta was not too salty, which we also liked. There wasn't anything too memorable about the chutney, but overall this is a dish I would order again!

Market St gave a great first impression and with such fantastic food, service and atmosphere, I will most definitely be back again. The baked goods also look amazing, and we've promised ourselves to come back for the delicious looking almond croissants!

 

Manchester Press - #MELB2014

DAY 2 - Breakfast

Another place that was on my list of places to dine in Melbourne was Manchester Press. I knew it was hidden in a laneway so I expected it to be a little difficult to spot. We eventually tracked it down and thought it was closed because there was absolutely no indication it was even open! The laneway was completely empty, but we noticed the signage and found the entrance with ease.

Already pretty busy! Spot the cold drip coffee maker to the right.

Baked goods at the counter which we spotted only after we were absolutely stuffed and paying for our meal at the counter. I would've loved to try the Salted Caramel Cookie Sandwich!

Juice of the day $6 

Apple, Watermelon, Strawberries & Mint

BEST. JUICE. COMBO. EVER!

 Salami & bocconcini closed bagel $11.50

w/ pesto & roquette

Michelle's dish contained one my absolute favourite sandwich combinations ever, and it definitely didn't disappoint! Also, I've never seen rocket referred to as 'roquette'...

 Basil pesto & pasta salad $13

w/ tomato medley, kalamata olives & pine nuts

A super simple pesto pasta salad of yet another foolproof combination of ingredients. Kym thinks this would've been perfect for lunch!

 Open Smoked Salmon Bagel $13

w/ dill cream cheese & baby capers

If you love smoked salmon, this is what you must order. This is a very simple combination of flavours, with the bagel absolutely piled up with smoked salmon. Now I'm a huge fan of it myself,  but there was SO much of it. Camella was struggling!

Reuben Rachel closed bagel $13

Thick cut pastrami w/ swiss cheese, sauerkraut & thousand island dressing

I saw pastrami on the menu and just had to order this, and I'm so glad I did. All four of us agreed it was the best dish ordered! The pastrami was tender and full of flavour, and the sauerkraut wasn't too overpowering. Paired with swiss cheese and the dressing, and you've got yourself a winner! If anyone in Adelaide can suggest any places where I'll be able to get a good pastrami/Reuben/Rachel sandwich, I will be forever grateful! I seriously haven't been able to stop thinking about this combo. 

Up close. I'm craving this just looking at the picture while I type up this review!

Hands down our absolute favourite meal we had while in Melbourne. Nothing disappointed us, with the food all being delicious and at such fabulous prices! No wonder this place is well loved. I can't wait to come back to Melbourne just to have these awesome bagels again! I've heard the pulled pork is also amazing. Couldn't recommend it anymore!

The Hardware Société - #MELB2014

Day 1 - Brunch/Lunch

To celebrate successfully finishing our first year of optometry, 3 of my absolute closest optom friends and I decided to treat ourselves with a short trip to Melbourne! As soon as we checked into our apartment in the morning, we rushed to the first of the places on my list of food places to visit - The Hardware Société - to have brunch with 2 of my friends from high school. 

This was actually the line up when we had finished eating. Crazy! Thank goodness my friends had arrived early and were seated at a table for all of 6 us.

Cappucino

 Homemade lemon & mint iced tea

 Omelette $20

Pea, asparagus, crab & lemon salad

I was pretty excited seeing this on the menu because it was different to something I would usually see on menus at similar places in Adelaide. Unfortunately the omelette was unevenly salted, with portions tasting very bland in contrast to others which tasted like a teaspoon of salt had been dropped in that particular area. The crab meat was dry and could have used a little bit more lemon, or even a wedge of fresh lemon to squeeze over the entire dish. I really regret not ordering baked eggs which I think are their most popular dish!

 Pork belly & fried eggs $21

Buttered crushed potatoes & leek, apple aioli

According to Michelle, the pork was very tender but the skin was not even close to being crunchy as you'd expect it to be. I'm all for a runny egg yolk but even I could agree that the egg was raw. The whites were basically uncooked.

Chicken Cordon Bleu $22

Camella: "Good but nothing special".

 Scrambled eggs $20

Un: chorizo, onion & capsicum sofrito, crispy jamon, olive bread

Kym also found her dish difficult to eat was also unevenly salted and contained a lot of chorizo. I didn't try any of it, but I think maybe more salad would be required to 'lift' the flavours of the dish and contrast the salty chorizo.

BLT  $15

Pork rilette, confit baby tomatoes, herb aioli, beetroot caponata, brioche bun, celeriac coleslaw

Rina's dish looked delicious! No complaints here, except that the board it was presented on was a little thin and made eating the burger neatly sans-crumbs quite difficult. 

The Continental $16

House made granola, five:am organic vanilla yoghurt, caramelised pineapple & blood orange, warm croissant

Eileen enjoyed this dish but thinks the serving size was rather small for the price. I agree!

For all the hype surrounding this place, I was actually quite disappointed. I'm not too sure exactly what I was expecting, but most of the dishes we ordered were nothing special. I probably should've ordered the baked eggs! Also, for the prices of some of these dishes ($20 for an omelette or scrambed eggs?!), I don't think it's worth it. The presentation was great though, with all the dishes looking fresh, vibrant and delicious!
Understandably, it was super busy on this particular day we were there and service wasn't the best, however the food didn't take too long to come out. I will probably pay them a visit the next time I'm back in Melbourne only if I've run out of brreakfast/brunch/lunch spots to visit!