Milkaholic

After our dinner at Base Bar, our group of 12 decided that squeezing in a little bit of dessert was necessary. We wanted to visit the Aviary but it didn't open until 8pm, so we walked to Milkaholic, a place I'd heard about but never had the opportunity to try.

The lighting in this photo is quite deceiving - it's the darkest lit cafe/restaurant I have ever been to!

The waitress pointed us to the back room since we had such a large group and pushed some tables together for us. It was SO dark (again, the photo is deceiving), with only a few light bulbs and a candle on each table.

Antioxidant Warm Berry Crumble $12.50

Stewed apples, rhubarb, blackberries, cranberries, goji and blue berries with a toasted butter oat crumble and coconut ice cream

I felt like ordering a hot dessert so decided on the crumble. The berries and apples were too mushy for my liking and I couldn't really distinguish between all the different berries. It was also too sweet, but that could be personal preference. The ratios of the dessert were a little off, with the crumble being more of a scattering of oats over the top. Writing up this post, I noticed that the ice cream flavour was meant to be coconut, but all I could taste was vanilla. Also, because the crumble was still nice and hot when it came out, the scoop of ice cream was reduced to a puddle within minutes!

Nutella Chocolate Kronut $11.50

with Nutella chocolate sauce, toasted hazelnuts and chocolate chip ice cream

My friend who ordered this is a huge fan of Nutella. Unfortunately, she said the sauce tasted like cheap chocolate sauce and nothing on the plate tasted like Nutella! Aside from that, the cronut itself was okay but nothing spectacular. 

Peanut Butter $11.50

with warm homemade salty caramel and peanut butter ice cream

Apparently there was nothing even remotely salty about the homemade salty caramel.

Nutella Chocolate Sundae $9.50

with triple chocolate chip ice cream, toasted hazelnuts and crushed chocolate nut 

My friend who ordered this found it too heavy and chocolatey, and I could tell she had nothing to rave about. She also said the melted chocolate over the top made everything melt too quickly making it not too satisfying to eat.

[Back] The Bango $7.50

Mango & apple juice, frozen bananas, ice cream

[Middle] Frozen Hot Chocolate $7.50

Milk, chocolate and ice cream

[Front] Lychee Mint Sorbet $7.50

Lychees, fresh mint, ice, lemon sorbet

Apparently the Bango was reminiscent of a Boost juice and the Lychee Mint Sorbet had far too much mint in it, evident from the bright green colour.

Iced matcha green latte with ice cream $7.50

They added a scoop of what tasted like banana ice cream to one of the birthday girls' iced latte which she thought was very strange. Who would've thought to pair banana and matcha?

Cappuccino $5

I'd say this was quite an average experience and don't think Milkaholic is on par with some of the other fantastic dessert bars in Adelaide. The food and drinks were nothing special and I won't be rushing back any time soon. The service was quite standard; I don't really have anything bad to say about it but it didn't stand out, either. The atmosphere was quite nice apart from being sat in complete darkness. They were playing some jazzy, classic tunes and screening old black and white films on the TV. In saying all this though, I don't think it's enough to get me to come back soon.

Next time I'm in Norwood and considering going for dessert, I'd head to the Aviary or even Gelatissimo instead!

Big thank you to all my friends who helped me take photos of everything in almost complete darkness by shamelessly turning on their iphone torches! Thank goodness we were the only customers sitting in the area out the back...

Base Bar

A BIG happy birthday to the beautiful Michelle and Camella who treated our group of friends out to dinner at Base Bar to celebrate their 19th! This was my second visit to Base and I was very impressed the first time so I couldn't wait to come back, especially since they had changed the menu. 

Margherita $15

Roma tomato, garlic, oregano, bocconcini & torn basil

Barossa meats $21

Tomato base, bacon, shaved ham, salami and mushroom

A firm favourite amongst the group, particularly for those who like eating mushrooms.

Bianca $12

Mozzarella, parmesan, rosemary, garlic, sea salt and olive oil

This was like eating garlic bread with cheese on top. Seriously addictive!

Prosciutto $22

Salami, prosciutto and kalamata olives

All the wood fired pizzas were just how I like my pizzas - simple toppings on a thin and crispy base. Delicious!

Free range chicken breast sliders

Provolone cheese, salad greens and garlic aioli served with fries

[Back] Pulled pork sliders

House slaw and chipotle aioli served with fries

[Front] Vegetarian sliders

House made veggie pattie with salad leaves and a cucumber mint yoghurt served with fries

Of the 3 slider options on the menu, I tried the pulled pork and was unfortunately quite disappointed. The pork was quite dry, tough and lacking in flavour. Thank goodness for the house slaw and aioli which stopped it from being bland. Everyone else seemed to enjoy the other sliders!

The chips. Oh. My. Goodness. I probably could have eaten an entire mini deep fryer basket-full! They were piping hot with a thin but crispy outer skin and soft, doughy innards. Also perfectly salted! Great on their own but I think they would've tasted amazing with a bit of aioli.

Base Bar continues to impress, and is the perfect destination for dinner on a warm summer evening with a really relaxed atmosphere. I would definitely recommend it for the great food and cocktails, which I didn't have this time round but really enjoyed the first time I visited. 

Just a few pictures from my first visit - 

The spread

 Kiwi Caprioska and Cosmopolitan

A great option for dining in small groups of around 6-8 people (we had 12 and had to have two tables pushed together!). They don't take bookings so it's better to get there a little earlier to ensure you get a table. Service this time was a little too casual and rushed, but we weren't too fussed - we were too busy enjoying each other's company!

Once again, happy birthday to C & M and thank you for dinner! 

Nordburger [2]

Another lunch time trip to Nordburger. Super packed, as usual, but I'm always pleasantly surprised at how quickly the food comes out. Half of my group ordered takeaway as we thought we wouldn't be able to get a table, but we managed to snag one of the standing tables just as I was about to order. Score! Excuse photos of both food on plates, as well as in takeaway wrappings.

Cornflake shake $7

Nordburger $7 

Tater tots $3

Fry sauce $0.30

Mushroom Burger $8.70

Tater tots

Fry sauce

This wasn't what I ordered on this visit, but it's one of my favourites! The battered mushroom which replaces the usual meat patty is so tasty.

Hot Burger $8.90

Tater tots

Fry sauce

Chicago $8.90

Tater tots

Fry sauce

This was my order today and unfortunately I didn't think it was anything special. I was expecting the 'wow' factor that I usually get with their burgers, but it just wasn't there. The huge pepper that was almost as long as the sausage was definitely a surprise though! As usual, their tater tots were on point and absolutely delicious.

I left absolutely stuffed but not as satisfied as I have been on previous visits. I think I might just stick with the burgers next time!

Argo on the Parade

Being free at the same time on a week day is a very rare occurrence for my friend Angela and myself, so we took the opportunity to grab lunch together at Argo on the Parade!

You can see sandwiches/rolls/wraps being made through the deli style counter

It was packed to the brim, even on a Tuesday afternoon! We managed to snag a table along the back couches.

 I thought the table decor was very cute, with all the laminated table numbers letters featuring pears hand coloured by Year 1 students at Loreto.

 Sweet potato fries with sour cream (small) $5.90

Absolutely delicious! They came out piping hot with a crunchy outer layer and warm, soft centre, and were great with the sour cream. Also a very generous serving for how much it cost - we were very sure it was never ending and didn't end up finishing it. We both definitely recommend them!

 The MJ - grilled chicken, crisp pancetta, caramelised onion, fresh tomato, provolone cheese, mixed lettuce drizzled with a lemon and mustard sauce $11.50

Honestly, very disappointing. Firstly, the bun was too heavy and thick. It wasn't even toasted so texture-wise, it added nothing to the burger. The grilled chicken was very dry and bland making the burger very difficult to finish. There could have definitely been more of the source! Also the pancetta was not very crispy and looked suspiciously like bacon. I ended up leaving most of the bun and chicken.

John's Special - chicken Schnitzel, grilled bacon, fried egg, cheese, tomato, lettuce & Argo Caesar dressing $11.50

Also very average. Angela commented on the blandness of the chicken schnitzel and also how she was disappointed that the fried egg wasn't runny. She also said that the sauce tasted like something at Hungry Jack's! We both agreed that the bun was nothing special, and she also left most of the bun and chicken untouched.

Overall, we were very disappointed with the quality of the burgers, but we will be coming back just for those amazing sweet potato fries which definitely overshadowed the rest of the meal! The food came out in record time despite how busy it was that day, and all the staff were super friendly. The casual atmosphere gave Argo's a really great vibe, and we think we'll perhaps return in the future to try some of their other offerings.

Nordburger

Another burger joint in Adelaide! Nordburger is fairly new to the burger scene, but I'd heard a couple of good reviews so my friend and I ventured over to Norwood for lunch at the beginning of the week. 

 A few seats by the front and at the counter, as well as some standing options at the back. We chose to sit right by the counter!

 Fridge of soft drinks, including American ones such as Dr Pepper and Tab, above their shake station

 Nordburger $7.90

Beef, pickles, tomato, lettuce, mustard, ketchup, Nord sauce

Small Tater Tots $2.50

Salted Caramel shake $7

I decided to go with the Nordburger. It contained all the typical burger fillings, as well as their special Nord sauce. I really enjoyed it! The beef patty wasn't as thick and juicy as those from Burger Theory, but they still tasted great, especially with the Nord sauce. I also liked how the bun was quite soft and sweet, and was in a perfect ratio to the fillings. 

The tater tots didn't taste like the cheap frozen ones you buy in supermarkets, so my friend and I enjoyed them a lot! The burger and tots may look like a small serving, but I was stuffed by the end of the meal.
The salted caramel shake was DELICIOUS. I loved the distinct flavour of salted caramel and how it wasn't too overpowering. I'd definitely recommend it to salted caramel lovers like myself!

 Hotburger $8.30

Beef, pickled jalapeño, red onion, Doc's coleslaw, chipotle mayo

Large tater tots $3.00

This was the 3rd time my friend had ordered this burger and she loved it! 

We didn't end up finishing all of the tater tots or the shake, so we took them back to school and my sister was happy to take them off us. Even after the 5 minute drive back to school, they still tasted great, albeit a little closer to room temperature!

I noticed that a person behind the counter had a pretty cool tattoo! A fork, knife and spoon. Dedicated lover of food, maybe?

I have to say I had a great first experience here. The people behind the counter were really friendly, especially the person who served us - he actually made an effort to hold a conversation with us when he noticed our uniforms. Pretty cool! We were also able to see the food being cooked and assembled, and I noticed that the bench tops were always very clean and well organised. My friend and I were able to pick up on the system they had going on the benches, which we thought was very effective in allowing food to be quickly made and sent out. Our food was ready within 5 minutes, though my friend had been here before for dinner and had to wait 30 minutes for her food. Nordburger also offers takeaway, which would come in handy!

Great food in a great location. I can't wait for the next time I visit! I have my eye on their pretzel specialty shake.

Overall, 8.5/10.

Vy

xo