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!

 

Jamie's Italian

A catch up with the girls after I got back from my overseas trip was the perfect excuse to try out a place which I have been wanting to try since it opened, Jamie's Italian! I've heard mixed reviews, with people seeming to either love Jamie's or think it's overhyped and serves average food. 

Right off the bat, service was fabulous. We were warmly welcomed and spotted a few of my other friends who were dining there, and the staff were able to arrange for us to all sit together on a larger table without causing too much of a fuss.

We opted for just a few starters to nibble on and each ordered a main, which we ended up sharing anyway.

Homemade lemonade & lime bitters $5

Refresher $6.50

Fresh lemon, elderflower cordial & cranberry juice, topped with lemonade

Zucchini fritter $7.50

with lemon mayo & spiced pickles

These came out piping hot and were absolutely delicious! Crunchy from the batter but nice and soft on the inside. Perfect with the lemon mayo, I'd happily have the entire portion to myself.

Polenta chips $8.50

Crispy fried with rosemary salt & Parmesan

Now the girls and I love ourselves some polenta chips, so I we were definitely ordering them as soon as we spotted them on the menu. Unfortunately, I thought they were rather disappointing. I was hoping they'd be nice and crispy on the outside but they were just chewy, and not in a good way. Also, they weren't even warm!

Black angel spaghetti $25

Squid-ink pasta, scallops, chilli, anchovies, wine & capers

 Lamb & ricotta tortellini $26

Delicate parcels stuffed with braised aussie lamb, creamy ricotta, lemon, mint & crunchy, herby breadcrumbs

Tagliatelle bolognese $19.50

Ragu of beef, pork, herbs, Chianti & Parmesan with crunchy, herby breadcrumbs

Buffalo ricotta ravioli $24.50

Delicate parcels stuffed with creamy ricotta, lemon & mint

With all the pastas,  we all agreed the serving sizes did not justify the price. I wouldn't say the dishes here are expensive, but they're definitely above average price. In saying that however, the flavours were fantastic and everything was cooked perfectly. I ordered the buffalo ricotta ravioli and I really enjoyed the simplicity of it.

Onto our favourite part of the meal - the desserts!

Seasonal orange & almond tart $9

Orange and almond frangipane tart with creme fraiche ice cream & crisp orange chips

Not my favourite of all the desserts, but it was still delicious. I was worried it would be dry when it first arrived at our table but it wasn't at all. I really liked the subtle orange flavours and the presentation was great!

Epic Brownie $10

Warm fudgy brownie with amaretto ice cream & caramelised amaretti popcorn

Exactly what I expected and wanted it to me. Deliciously rich and chocolatey, thank goodness we were sharing all the desserts because I wouldn't have been able to finish this by myself!

Creamy panna cotta $8.50

Lovely wobbly panna cotta served with a compote of seasonal fruits

I'd definitely recommend ordering if you love panna cotta as much as some of the girls do. Very creamy yet still light, it was delicious with the compote!

 Lemon Meringue Pie $11

With limoncello & crunchy pistachio brittle

Anyone who knows my preferences in food will tell you that I'm an absolute sucker for citrus flavours. The lemon filling was tangy, tart and not overly sweet - right up my alley! There were a bit too much meringue for my liking but no worries at all, any excess meringue was just knocked to the side of the dish.

Tiramisu $11

Coffee-flavoured trifle with orange mascarpone & chocolate

Possibly one of the most unattractive dishes I've seen in quite some time, but looks are deceving. This was my favourite of them all and would happily polish off an entire serving by myself, even after a serve of pasta! The coffee flavour was not too strong and was perfect with the orange mascarpone. Overall it was a light and fluffy, making it very easy to eat. SO good!

I wasn't expecting to be blown away by Jamie's but it definitely left a great first impression. The service was fantastic and we had a great waitress who clearly knew what she was talking about when it came to the menu. Although the pastas weren't as great as I was hoping they'd be, the desserts definitely made up for it! I do plan on visiting again; writing this post up has made me hungry and given me a bit of a craving for pasta!

Sean's Kitchen [4]

Oh yes, I'm back again. Fifth time visiting and I left feeling satisfied as usual! This visit was with two other girls who were visiting Sean's for the first time and they were very excited after hearing me rave all about it.

Note: I'm a few months late posting about this visit so the menu has changed!

We chose to sit outside that day as the weather was just gorgeous!

Duck fat chips $10

Mac & Cheese $8

Aaah, this never disappoints. Compared to the first time I ordered it, the top is less golden and it was overflowing, but it still tasted delicious!

(I just had a quick check of the menu and this has actually gone up to $10 per serve!) 

Waldorf 'Moderne' - à la Sean $22

poached corn fed chicken, apple, celery, smoked almonds

Light and refreshing, this was just a delightful salad. A bit too much onion for my personal liking, though.

Soft shell crab sandwich $16

Green goddess dressing

The soft shell crab itself was a little soggy but that's all I could fault. Loved the green goddess dressing!

I can't remember the name of this dish in particular but it has been taken of the menu! I think it was roast spatchcock served with roasted tomato and garlic. Lovely, rich flavours but not quite worth the price we paid for it, which was around $26-28.

The happened to have some fresh baked muffins again that day and we picked up the peanut butter & choc chip and apple & rhubarb crumble muffins to take away. The former was dry and almost impossible to eat, whereas the latter was delicious - light, fluffy and moist with a delicious crumble topping!

Sean's was absolutely jam packed again for lunch yet that still didn't deter them from providing fantastic service and food as per usual. I feel like I say this each time I visit, but my next visit must be a dinner session, just to see how the atmosphere changes, as well as sample a few of the cocktails!

Waffle's Waffles and Coffee

A few friends of mine over on twitter suggested I try out Waffles, saying they made the best waffles in Adelaide. My current favourite waffles are from Copenhagen in Henley Beach, so I was keen to see whether Waffles could give them a run for their money!  

Struggling to understand what that sentence actually means :P

Absolutely empty on a Wednesday morning apart from my friend and me! While deciding on what to order, my friend who has eaten here before recommended we only order half waffles because the full waffles are huge.

Blueberry smoothie $5.20

Half Combination Waffle $8.60

Half belgium waffle, strawberry, banana, ice cream, cream

Half Fruit Belgium Waffle $10.60

Half belgium waffle, strawberry, kiwi, ice cream

 Both waffles were served with a generous amount of fruit as well as a dense, creamy vanilla ice cream. I was let down when I tasted the waffles as they were cold and so unsatisfying to eat. Simply toasting the waffles would have made a huge difference! I was really hoping that the chocolate drizzled over the top would be actual melted chocolate but it tasted just like the cheap chocolate ice cream sauce you buy from supermarkets.

Rather disappointing, don't think I'll be back any time soon. If they made a few little adjustments to the way the dishes are served, this place would be an absolute winner! Copenhagen is still definitely my place of choice to get a waffle fix.

Bliss Organic Cafe

The bestie and I have wanted to visit Bliss for a few months now. We've always popped in to get one of their choc fudge brownies to share, which are delicious, but never actually dined in. We couldn't decide where to have lunch one day so decided it would be the perfect time to try out Bliss!

We sat in the front dining area, right by the entrance. There is also a dining space through that archway to the left, as well as an area outside towards the back past the counter and kitchen.

 Bliss Wrap $13

Bliss burger patty wrapped in mountain bread wrap with mixed fresh garden salad, soyannaise, chutney and tomato sauce

Tofu Scramble $15
Pan-fried organic tofu scrambled, hand-grated carrots, mushrooms, hand-washed cooked potato, fresh or sundried tomatoes, sultanas, sunflower seeds, pepitas, wilted greens, gomasio (toasted sesame seeds) & linseed

Both dishes contained wonderful, wholesome ingredients which made us feel very healthy! Unfortunately, we found both dishes rather bland, particularly the scramble. A little disappointing considering it's one of their signature dishes. We didn't enjoy our meal as much as we would've hoped and I can't say I'll be rushing back any time soon unless it's for one of their brownies!

Sean's Kitchen [3]

I caught up with 3 of my good friends (Australia's future doctors ;) ) over lunch at a favourite of mine, Sean's Kitchen. I have been raving about Sean's since my first visit so my friends were very keen to try it out! On my previous visits, I didn't need to make a booking so we decided to meet there at 1:30. Good thing we were all a bit early because it absolutely packed and we were seated at the last free table. You wouldn't think a restaurant as large as Sean's could be that busy for a midweek lunch session, but it was! We decided to each order a dish and share some sides.

 Mac & Cheese $8

I insisted on ordering this because it was amazing last time I had it! I must admit, it tasted better the first time round, but this was still delicious. Creamy and cheesy; the king of comfort food!

 Duck fat chips - 'The Original' $10

The same as last time - delicious while hot but unpleasant once it had cooled down. The spiced tomato ketchup was delicious and the perfect accompaniment to the chips.

 Soft Shell Crab Sandwich $16

Green goddess dressing

Julie L's meal looked so cute! The soft shell crab was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, paired with the green goddess dressing that added freshness to the sandwiches. 

 Sean's Caesar $18

Julie H really enjoyed her caesar but she said it wasn't the best she's ever had. The caesar was sufficiently 'cheesy' (as you can probably tell) but she felt like it needed croutons for the extra crunch. There was a bread crumb sprinkled over the top but it just couldn't replace the croutons.

 Quinoa & Borlotti Bean Summer Salad $18

Freekeh, chia, bean

This sounded and looked super healthy! Jenny said it was tasty but not exactly a satisfying lunch. She thought it would've made a great side dish.

Sweet Pea & Parmesan Risotto $18

"cheesy peas"

I have been wanting to try this dish since I saw it being brought out to a table next to me the first time I dined here! I loved how the dish was presented (check out my Instagram video post here!) which certainly added a flair. The risotto was creamy and had a strong parmesan flavour, but the serving size was perfect so I wasn't left feeling very full and weighed down. 

Sean's Kitchen's Instagram and Facebook pages were advertising these muffins which I was told were freshly baked on the premises that morning, so I picked up one of each flavour to try - apple strudel, and raspberry, white chocolate & macadamia. 

Yum! Both were light and fluffy, and not overly sweet. Wouldn't hesitate to buy more next time if they're still available!

Another fantastic food experience at Sean's. It was my fourth time here and I haven't been disappointed once! Service this time was a little slow, possibly because we were seated outside behind a pillar so it was hard to get the attention of the waitress in charge of our section. Despite being packed to the brim, our food came out at once after about a 15 minute wait. I can't wait to come back and continue trying out the rest of the menu!