The Grounds of Alexandria

Hello :) So two Fridays ago on my day off I finally ventured off to The Grounds of Alexandria for a rather late breakfast. When we got there, there was about 5 minutes left to order breakfast, so it was a quick decision! But first, a cappuccino was in order...

And it was a very good one. Perfect actually.

I chose this very elegantly plated house cured trout, with cucumber ribbons, an egg, and little sprouts. There was a cream cheese spread as well & it was divine! 

Orange juice for Adrian. He loves being photographed.

For brunch, he chose something simple. Sliced fruit with yoghurt and a compote. It was yummy (which I know because I had to eat the melon...who doesn't like melon?!)

After eyeing off all the pastries, we decided to share one in the garden just outside, where you can take your takeaway orders. Hello delicious peach tart...

The sunny garden area.

 There's even a pig, oh I mean Kevin Bacon.

Cool signs.

After hearing some mixed reviews, I was really impressed with the coffee & food here. I loved the industrial design and organic garden area, filled with herbs and plants. I hear there's a crazy line up on the weekend to get a seat though, which I wouldn't be so keen on.

 Another great cafe ticked off my list! I wonder where my next brunch excursion will be...

If you'd like to check out another review of The Grounds, Jodi from Che and Fidel has written a wonderful one here with beautiful photos. 

Have you been to The Grounds?

Hannah x

Autumn Days...

Hello :) How are we all? I've been keeping busy back at uni (third year already!), working & making sure I take time out as well. The first few cooler days of Autumn had me cooking lots of root veggies, however, with this recent summer resurgence, salads and lighter dishes have taken my interest. Here are some of my meals of late, being always inspired by the farmers' markets and seasonal produce.

Radicchio has to be the prettiest vegetable. I used some leaves as a base for this salad, which also included green apples, haloumi (which I must eat everyday), pecans & basil.

Last night I made dumplings, with free range pork mince, ginger, garlic & shallots.

My little babies before they were boiled. I'm not entirely sure if this is how you fold them, so perhaps next time I should try some other fancy folding techniques...

A typical lunch at uni. Steamed potato is a new, exciting addition. As salads don't tend to fill me up for long (& I worry about bringing meat), I make sure I have lots of snacks like cheese/crackers, fruit, nuts etc. Does anyone have other filling snack ideas? I'm always looking for some.

Fresh bread, feta, sundried tomatoes, parsley, a good book & afternoon light.

Loved this eggplant curry with injera (from work). 

Rye soda bread from Heidi Swanson. I must expand my bread repertoire, but for now I am loving this loaf. 

Perfect with butter & marmalade.

Has anyone been to the Real Food pop up shop in Newtown (on Enmore road, just down from Oportos) yet? I think it's awesome (you might remember my previous post from their last shop) & showcases some fabulous local products from small businesses.  

Well, after buying a baguette today, it only seemed fitting I bought some fancy butter to accompany it. Real Food stock this Pepe Saya butter & I'm already addicted...

Don't mind if I do have several slices...

Hannah x

p.s. Just a reminder you can find me in between posts on my instagram: hfong14. I do rather love it, seeing everyones foodie snaps is inspiring & fun!

Silo by Joost

Hello :) It's definitely Autumn here in Sydney, with a rainy day to start the season. I did, however, get to spend the last few days of Summer in the sunshine, as I went to Melbourne on Sunday for three days...visiting Tara, a friend who moved there a little while ago. Although I was only there for a short while, we managed to fit a lot into our schedule! One place we went to was Silo by Joost, a sustainable, waste-free cafe. I heard about it from Sarah Wilson (here), so was keen to see what it was like. The cafe is located in the city, Hardware Lane, and we went eager for coffee & lunch.

Ok, coffee. I really enjoyed my latte with regular milk, however my friend who ordered a soy latte didn't enjoy her cup. The soy milk is made in house too, so she was looking forward to trying it. I had a sip, and it did taste quite odd...and grainy. But anyway, we should move onto food, because it was very, very impressive.

 I chose a cauliflower salad, with riberries, lentils, mint and a lime vinaigrette. The purple cauliflower and native riberries were quite the highlight. I'd never tried these little berries, and they were so interesting, tasting just like cloves.

Tara's lunch involved gazpacho (a fresh vegetable soup), topped with finger limes and saltbush leaves. Homemade bread was served with it too. The flavoursome soup, zesty pops of lime, and native leaves...um, what a creative & delicious combination!

And...is it just me, or is everything served in jam jars these days?

Silo by Joost. Just go! I'll be back next time I'm in Melbourne for sure.

Hannah x