Coveting the goods at Breakfast Thieves, Fitzroy (Melbourne)

Posted by Kath

You'll have to get in line with the hipsters if you're coveting a feed at Breakfast Thieves in Fitzroy. A magnet for fiends of trendy breakfast spots, this little gem is tucked away just off Smith Street among rows of Victorian semis and pockets of inspiring graffiti.

Breakfast Thieves, Gore Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne

The food at Breakfast Thieves is just as creative as its hip Fitzroy surrounds, with a menu full of quirkily-named dishes like the 'Spanish Gypsy Dance' and 'Thieves on the Run'.

The Leprechaun - Crisp fried corn fritters on rosemary roasted carrot puree,
avocado-yuzu mousse, pickled cucumber pomegranate salad & poached eggs  

I certainly felt lucky when 'The Leprechaun' dish was laid before me featuring golden, crunchy corn fritters atop a bed of creamy, sweet carrot puree and two soft, runny-centred poached eggs.

The blobs of yuzu-scented avocado mousse blobs added a touch of acidity and fancy plating, while the pomegranate brought lovely pops of colour and flavour to a refreshingly unique take on corn fritters.

The Legend - Spicy baked eggs with Spanish chorizo, mushrooms,
green peas, feta, served with herbed garlic toast

'The Legend' was a fitting name for a breakfast dish that's becoming a staple across café menus everywhere, and this one lived up to its name.

Two runny eggs were baked in a pool of tangy, lightly spicy tomato sauce that hid chorizo and mushrooms, sprinkled with salty feta cheese and peas. Two slices of herbed garlic toast came on the side to soak up all the eggy, saucy goodness.

My Unusual "BBLT" French - Brioche French toast served with
candied bacon, brûlée banana, lemon curd, roasted cherry tomatoes

The dish of the day was hands down the "BBLT" with an unusual array of typical breakfast components.

The combination of brioche French toast, caramelised banana segments and the most amazing lemon curd with the candied bacon and roasted cherry tomatoes was a triumph of sweet and savoury flavours, and had me experiencing a severe case of food envy.

Cake & cookie selection

Being a bit of a sweet tooth, I had to try something from the arresting shelves of cakes, cookies and pastries proudly on display.

White chocolate lamington with Nutella

The white chocolate lamington with Nutella sounded too good to be true, although it wasn't the soft pillowy treat I was hoping for. It did, however, provide enough sugar to fuel my subsequent graffiti exploration through the streets of Fitzroy.

Chalkboard of wisdom at Breakfast Thieves

True to their name, Breakfast Thieves are deliciously cheeky bandits of the Melbourne breakfast world, and if you don't leave entirely satisfied and coveting more, you'll at least leave with pearls of wisdom like the one above.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a happy pavlova

It's most certainly that wonderful time of the year: Christmas is almost here and even closer for the lucky ones who don't have to be at work these next two days.

Christmas in Sydney is synonymous with summer, cold prawns, mango and pavlova for me, and I'm planning to have all this on the lunch table in two days' time for Christmas.

Pavlova, made with ingredients courtesy of Aldi Australia

I've had all sorts of pavlovas: completely store bought and dressed; store-bought bases and self-dressed; ones made from those little plastic egg things; and this year, one made from scratch by yours truly.

Aldi ingredients (eggs excluded) mise en place

Earlier this month I was sent a package of Christmas goodies from Aldi Australia supermarkets, with thanks to PPR.

Aside from a huge range of Aldi's Christmas products like fruit cake, panettone, fruit mince pies and German specialties like marzipan stollen, glazed lebkuchen (so addictive) and pfeffernüsse, I also received most of the ingredients to make a pavlova - that iconic Australasian fluffy meringue cake, topped with cream and fresh fruit.

Whipped meringue

Having had some disastrous experiences previously with various types of meringues, there was trepidation and fairly exact measuring of caster sugar, corn flour and white vinegar into the stiffly beaten egg whites.

In the end, I think I beat the egg whites on higher speed and for longer than the Aldi recipe suggested, but I felt safer for it.

Meringue tower

The very stiff, glossy peaks meant that I could pile the meringue high without it foaming and collapsing on me - and for me, that's an achievement.

Shaped meringue in oven

In any case it needed to be shaped as a round cake to fit into a new cake carrier I have, and so it was flattened and gingerly rounded before entering a low heat oven for an hour and a half.

I seem to have issues following recipes but despite a slight hiccup in the cooking timing, upon removing the meringue after overnight cooling in the turned-off oven, it looked like a proper pavlova with a crisp outer shell, and soft, marshmallow-y insides.

Finished pavlova

However, it would need to be decorated and served up at a gathering before I could really know what the insides would be like - much more nerve-racking than normal cakes where you can just stick in a skewer.

I was supplied with thickened cream for whipping, and punnets of raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and white peaches for decorating my pavlova - that skill of which needs a little work yet.

And to the all-important fluffy centre and taste test?

Pavlova innards (all that was left at the picnic!)

Success. It was perfectly soft and fluffy within, and even a little densely so which is how I like my pav. There was a decent thickness to the crisp outside shell, which had gained just a little colour in the oven.

The soft meringue itself was sweet, but not overly so while some commented that there was no minerally flavour that sometimes comes from the eggs.

In all, a win - a great, simple recipe that with a bit of refining on my behalf will be perfect for Christmas Day.

I'd like to wish everyone a very happy, merry and stress-free Christmas - I hope it's filled with great food and booze, presents, laughter and the love of family, friends and the jolly man in red.

Food, booze and shoes received pavlova ingredients and Christmas products from Aldi Australia, with thanks to PPR.

Offers on the table: Table for 20

With about two years' offer and deal buying experience under my belt now (predominantly restaurant offers), I think I'm a confirmed fan even though I know some restaurateurs wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.

I've mostly had good experiences, save for a few refund problems with certain sites I now no longer use, and found there to be generally more issues with deals outside of restaurant ones.

Flexibility appears to be the one pressure point for all involved, and it's this factor that generally decides whether the voucher experience is pleasant or otherwise.

Table setting at Table for 20, Campbell Street, Surry Hills

I was at Table for 20 courtesy of a Lime&Tonic voucher recently and really only there because the restaurant was, thankfully, flexible with certain booking details.

Not being my first time experiencing the unique, communal-style "neighbourhood dining", I knew the drill and was looking forward to some excellent Italian fare - food which is said to remind owner Michael Fantuz of his childhood dinners.

Tables set  for 20

The concept is the brainchild of Fantuz, who has recently also opened Buffalo Dining Club in Darlinghurst.

The idea behind Table for 20 is to bring people back to eating as a social and festive event; sharing space, platters, conversation and maybe even your BYO wine and a few laughs. Some of the proceeds from each night also go towards charitable organisation, Hope Street.

So while groups can book out a section, table or indeed, all 40 seats; most people turn up in couples or small groups and seated next to strangers, are encouraged to talk and serve each other food over three shared courses, which is really a most intimate action.

Orecchiette with lentils, pine nuts and mascapone

We started a bit after 8pm with some seriously good bread rolls with olive oil and salt, and moved on to a long share platter of orecchiette pasta as the first course.

In a word, the pasta was sublime. Everything was just right: the textures, flavours and seasoning. The orecchiette (Italian for little ears) had the most delectable chewiness, tossed through with firm lentils, toasted pine nuts, creamy mascarpone cheese and plenty of fresh parsley.

It was the second time I've had a pasta dish with legumes (both times at Table for 20) and I've been bowled over both times.

Roasted beef fillet with peperonata sauce

After a few helpings of the pasta entreé, the generosity of the main was a bit intimidating, even with an appropriate pause between courses.

Another long platter brought out thick hunks of mostly tender, roasted beef fillet that were still pink and juicy in the middle, topped with a chunky peperonata sauce featuring squares of capsicum.

Salad of butter beans, fennel, tomato, mixed leaves, sesame

The main course was served with roasted potatoes and a fresh salad featuring butter beans and raw fennel, which was all together unique, healthy and delicious. There was also something pretty special in the dressing they use on the salad which made eating vegetables and legumes particularly joyous.

Amaretto Disaronno cheesecake

While the two savoury courses are more than sufficient to satisfy a hearty appetite, my experience reminded me not to go overboard before dessert.

Some of the most amazing sweets come out of the Table for 20 kitchen in whole cake form, which makes dishing it out at the table as festive as a birthday celebration.

Amaretto Disaronno cheesecake slices

The amaretto cheesecake did not disappoint. Baked with a biscuit base, the lightly creamy cheesecake was completely swoon-worthy with vanilla tones, and deserving of second and third helpings - if only I didn't have second and third helpings of the pasta earlier.

At this point a doggie bag would have come in handy, but I resisted putting unwrapped cheesecake in my handbag. Table for 20 has definitely been one of the better deal offers I've experienced and I wouldn't hesitate to return for either the pasta or dessert alone - and it appears the offer still stands.

Food, booze and shoes received $50 credit from Lime&Tonic, and used it towards the Table for 20 offer.

Glass Brasserie: Breakfast to see you through a day

Porridge as breakfast just doesn't do it for me, especially in the colder mornings. Those pre-flavoured sachets are tasty but the sugar content and other stuff in them doesn't seem appropriate for that time of the day. And plain oats are just plain.

I'd much rather have breakfast at Hilton Sydney's Glass Brasserie everyday but failing that, even once in a while is pretty special. Looking out onto the Queen Victoria Building facade one Saturday morning, I felt a little like a tourist in my own city, which I keep meaning to try one day.

Fresh juice mixes at Glass Brasserie, Hilton Sydney, George Street, Sydney

Glass Brasserie offers a la carte or buffet breakfast options daily. It's been a very long time since I was faced with a breakfast buffet and Glass strives to impress.

Start with a specialty 'Juice Master' cocktail - booze-free, of course, at this time of the day (although bubbles for breakfast are an option!).

Cappuccino

A lazy weekend breakfast is hardly complete without a cruisy coffee, rather than one gulped in front of a computer, with the espresso coffees made to order and specialty teas available.

Steamers feature more hot options, including Asian breakfasts

While there's cereal and museli and all, I'm all about the savoury breakfasts and there sure are some interesting choices at Glass to cater to the international hotel guests. Anyone for congee, fried rice or steamed dumplings for breakfast?

Cold cut meats and cheese buffet options

Or, would you rather cold cut meats and cheese in proper European style? I definitely would have gone back for this if I had time or stomach space, as the last time I had salami for breakfast was years ago in Munich.

Hot breakfast buffet options

The 'standard' breakfast options looked pretty enticing too: plenty of roasted bacon, mini sausages, eggs, hash browns and mushrooms, looking fresh and appetising - which is not always the case with breakfast buffets.

Selections from the breakfast buffet

We somehow managed a buffet selection without bacon or sausages; instead drawn to the vivid orange smoked salmon at the buffet, and also featured in the signature a la carte breakfast dish.

The smoked salmon shared the massive plate with a generous helping of creamy scrambled free range eggs, crunchy potato hash browns, sauteed mushrooms with spinach leaves and a bit of cheese.

In-house cold smoked salmon

Claiming to be Sydney's best smoked salmon, I don't think they're off the mark at all. Made in-house the Tasmanian farmed salmon is cured in salt and sugar for 24 hours and then rinsed, marinated in vegetable oil before being cold smoked.

The smoked salmon has an actual texture and flavour beyond mush and salty smoke, which is what some of the commercial packet stuff can taste like.

This glorious smoked salmon comes from Hilton Sydney's new-ish executive chef Carl Middleton (ex Lilianfels in Katoomba) and his own killer recipe with a new smoker installed at Glass.

Yoghurt pot with bircher museli

For a healthier turn, cute little yoghurt pots with what I think was bircher museli and nuts do the trick.

Buffet fresh fruit selection

As does the fresh fruit selection from the buffet, where cubes of melon and pineapple, but especially the passionfruit, add a sweet and light touch to the morning.

Chinese style congee with toppings

Curiosity got the better of me and I just had to sample the congee and steamed dumplings - possibly a bit of a controversial addition to the buffet line-up given Chinatown is mere minutes away.

The plain congee was that variety which is made with just rice and water, so my failure to add soy sauce as a condiment - in addition to the fresh and fried shallots - was a major error. In any case, this type of congee is meant to be plain and cleansing. For the dumplings, go to Chinatown.

Breakfast omelette from the a la carte breakfast menu

If there's not enough enticement in the buffet or for those just too lazy to get their own, Glass offers an a la carte menu, priced separately to the buffet, where the likes of omelettes are cooked to order with a choice of fillings.

This fluffy, folded-over and perfectly golden specimen enveloped diced ham, mushroom and cheese in a still-wet and stringy-with-cheese classic combination.

Signature dish of beach wood house smoked salmon with English potato scones, pan roasted
asparagus, free range scrambled eggs and baby watercress  from the a la carte
breakfast menu

And starring the aforementioned 'Sydney's best' smoked salmon, Glass' signature breakfast dish is a fresh, pretty construction.

This brightly coloured dish is quite a substantial breakfast of scrambled eggs, roasted asparagus and hidden beneath it all, an English potato scone that was more like a buttery, pan-fried hash brown than the afternoon tea style scones I know.

Chocolate croissant and guava danish

To finish on a sweet note, I returned to the buffet - although breads and pastries are located in a different area, closer to the entrance. The stunning mini guava danish was irresistable and had to be on my plate, along with a flakey, buttery mini chocolate croissant.

We took leave of our gorgeous QVB vantage point completely and utterly sated and ready to take on the day. Indeed, this epic breakfast at Glass saw me through the entire day with lunch admittedly skipped.

Food, booze and shoes dined at Glass Brasserie courtesy of Hilton Sydney.

Good times collective #3

This year so far has been a bit of a blur and it's hard to believe we're well into the second half of the year. I heard someone mention Christmas yesterday too. It's been pretty crazy with weddings, kids parties and new jobs all making it a massive year already - with more to come I think.

Full rack of pork ribs with roast potato at Hurricane's Grill and Bar, Darling Harbour

I don't know how I became so deluded as to order a full rack of ribs at Hurricane's for a birthday dinner. I had neighbouring diners willing to share in the pork fest, but I was still pretty over the soft, tender pork flesh and increasingly cloying and sweet barbeque sauce baste by the end.

I won't be ordering a full rack again, unless at least one other pretty hungry person is sharing my main meal.

Steak and ribs with chips at Hurricane's Grill and Bar, Darling Harbour

Another meat-heavy option comes from the 'combo' section of the menu: here, a short cut sirloin steak (200g) with a half rack of pork ribs.

It's not the best steak in town, but Hurricane's is certainly good fun when you collect bowls of bones, and the table ends up looking like a prehistoric feasting ground with sated cavemen reclining in chairs around the table.

Kids table setting at a birthday party

I have fantastic memories of birthday parties as a kid: tonnes of food (including mini pies, sausage rolls, spring rolls, and loads and loads of cakes and sweet treats), all my school friends and family, party games, lolly bags and coloufully-wrapped presents.

Barbie birthday cake

I also remember having a scrumptious, pink Barbie cake much like the one above. What more could a little girl really want?

Teddy bear birthday cake

I also had shared birthday parties as a kid, so there would often be two lots of friends, two birthday cakes and sometimes even two types of take-home lolly bags.

Remnants of Ted - vanilla buttercake with chocolate frosting

I now see how much work went into it all, and am grateful for those responsible for the good times in my under-11-year-old days.

Cupcake decorating toppings

My earliest party game memory is 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey' but I also recall fabulous treasure hunts through a big backyard and black hands from newspaper-wrapped 'Pass the Parcel'.

But with the recent turn towards all things food and cooking, it's no surprise that a cupcake-decorating station was a complete and utter hit with the kiddies and parents alike.

Decorating cupcakes

Some of the younger kids headed straight for the jelly lollies, Smarties and mini marshmallows that were for decorating the pre-baked cupcakes, while some of the older kids frosted the cakes for the younger ones to throw into a bowl of hundreds and thousands. A good time had by all.

Half roast chicken with salads from Madam Char Char, Crown Street, Surry Hills

I'd never thought that takeaway roast chicken could go high end. Yes, organic, woodfired and all - but high end? Yet another voucher exposed me to Madam Char Char in Surry Hills, which has a sizeable eat-in area looking out to Crown Street and an impressive range of gourmet salads.

Free range Lilydale chickens are filled with a herb and spice stuffing, and roasted under a heady spice rub that bursts with cinnamon. The thigh is deliciously juicy while the breast is also tender and tasty.

From memory our selection of three salds includes exotic mixes like quinoa, roast eggplant, parsley, toasted nuts, mint and currents with a green tahini dressing; and pickled beetroot, chickpeas and pumpkin seeds with yoghurt dressing.

Roasted vegies (potato, pumpkin, sweet potato) from Madam Char Char

On the cooked vegies side, gorgeously roasted potato, pumpkin and sweet potato display a similar spicing as the roast chicken, with very strong cinnamon overtones. So good, the vegies were close to outshining the chicken.

Smoked bacon & maple syrup manhattan at Zeta Bar, Hilton Sydney

Grant Collins' extensive cocktail menu at the Hilton's Zeta Bar features something I just had to try one evening after a few too many drinks already. Not a bourbon drinker, I think I ordered the bacon and maple syrup manhattan more out of hunger than anything else.

Inspired by New York bar PDT's bacon-infused bourbon (via a fat washing method), Zeta's interpretation mixes smoky bacon-infused bourbon, maple syrup, cherry syrup, and sweet and dry vermouth. And best of all, it's garnished with a rasher of cooked bacon that I can nibble on while the bourbon eats my insides.

But it's not that bad. The cherry flavour does well in hiding the king-hit of the bourbon (and the maple syrup somewhat too), while excluding the garnish, there doesn't seem to be a strong bacon flavour. Nonetheless, it's certainly a drink to warm the senses; plus I know many people who would think that bacon improves just about everything.