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.

Papparich

My family has been a little obsessed with Papparich lately. I think it must be the extensive and affordable menu as well as the efficient service, which is what my parents tend to look for in a restaurant for a larger group. It's been a restaurant we fall back on whenever none of us can decide on what to eat. Despite the long lines, we've never had to wait too long for a table. Here's a taste of what we've ordered on two of our past visits, which has caused us to leave absolutely stuffed to the brim! 

Teh Tarik

White coffee with coffee jelly

Teh Tarik with coffee jelly

Pappa special biryani rice with sambal eggplant, fried chicken & sambal prawns

Roti telur with curry chicken

My absolute favourite!

Oriental chicken chop

Egg noodles

We've also tried the laksa and satay skewers, which were both great, as well as the fried chicken skin which I personally did not like at all. I'd recommend it for people who aren't afraid to try new things and are looking for affordable lunch and dinner options. I am not at all an expert on Malaysian cuisine although I did get a taste of it on a trip to Kuala Lumpur a few years ago. Regardless of that, I'd say it's a pretty good feed especially if you go in a large group and can try a bit of everything!

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'!

 

Republic

University has scattered my group of high school friends far and wide, so it's quite rare to have the majority of us simultaneously back in little old Adelaide! Clearly this required a little reunion, which we organised for a lunch at Republic.

Wedges $8

 Republic Southern fried chicken $22

Spiced Semolina Crusted Squid $21

 Battered Barramundi $24

 Top, Lamb Wrap $18

All the food was quite standard, although the serving sizes were great, considering we also had a 25% discount having dined in on a week day (all prices listed are the prices on the menu). Special mention to that Southern fried chicken which had some beautiful spices in the batter. Service was rather unfriendly and cold, even though there was only one other table there at the time. Smiling doesn't hurt!

 

Delicatessen Kitchen & Bar

Finding new spots to try in the CBD has become increasingly difficult for me, so when Delicatessen popped up on our radar, my fellow foodie friend Julie and I planned a lunch date for the very next day! At midday, we turned up without a booking and were lucky enough to score one of the last free tables there.

Flat bread, jamon, rouquette, soft cheese, olive oil $13.90

A winning combination; we couldn't fault it! The cheese was divine, and we found out that the the soft cheese used varies depending on what is available, but the particular cheese used that day was Brillat savarin, a French soft cheese made from cow's milk. Deliciously creamy, we could easily have eaten more than what was on the plate!

 New York Reuben sandwich $15.90

What a beast of a Reuben! Ever since my visit to Melbourne and trying my first ever Reuben at Manchester Press, I've been wanting to find an equally delicious one in Adelaide. I'd actually forgotten about this mini mission of mine until I saw this item on the menu and I knew I just had to order it. Unfortunately it wasn't as good as the one from Manchester Press, but I have to say it was still pretty tasty. I don't usually mind a bit of sauerkraut but I wasn't a huge fan of this one, which I thought still had too much crunch in it and an under-developed flavour. However, Julie doesn't like sauerkraut but actually enjoyed it in this! The beef was tender and overall it was a good sandwich, but not quite great. We couldn't really pinpoint what was missing, but we knew it was missing something that would really make it pop. Perhaps more flavour in the beef? More of the Russian dressing?

I can't imagine ever tackling this sandwich on my own, it was huge!

 Roast pumpkin, soft cheese, witlof, orange, prosciutto, baby cos, vincotto salad $17

Let's play a little game of spot the difference... can you spot what's missing in the first photo compared to the second?

When this dish was first brought out and once Julie and I had stopped admiring how delicious it looked, she asked me if I could spot any roast pumpkin. Luckily, our waiter realised the mistake before we even called him over and it was brought back to the kitchen and topped with the missing element! I think this was my favourite dish of all the ones we ordered. It was light, fresh and absolutely delicious. The prosciutto was so tender, and a forkful containing each of the different elements was just perfect. We had to call the waiter over after we spent a while deliberating over what cheese was used. Again, it was the Brillat savarin but it tasted completely different in this dish. I was saying how the dish would have worked even without the pumpkin, but Julie thought without the pumpkin, the dish would be more suitable as a side and I definitely agree.

Oh what a meal! The quality of the food was excellent and we really enjoyed every single dish. The food took 45 minutes to arrive at the table which we thought was a little exorbitant, but at least it was worth the wait. Also, for what you get, the prices are fantastic - we split the bill and each paid under $25! I am definitely coming back to try out more of the menu.  

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!