YAY: Room 10

Laneways filled with cafes are virtually unheard of in Sydney. However, Llankelly Place in Potts Point is an exception. Sort of oozing a Melbourne vibe, the laneway towards the north of Kings Cross houses several interesting eateries. Room 10 is one of these.

Chicken Sandwich and Chicken Salad

The cool laneway setting is coupled with awesome food. I ordered the Poached Lemon Chicken Sandwich with mayo, celery, rocket, walnuts and herbs. This tasted awesome, with the strong zesty zing shining through, complimenting the mayo perfectly. M ordered the Chicken Salad, which was very generous in proportion. This too tasted good. The coffee here is good, but not amazing.

Service was attentive. The waiter accidentally dropped something into M's latte, but he quickly replaced it.

In all, an interesting experience. While Sydney will never match the laneways of Melbourne, an effort should be made to better utilise these spaces, as centres of culture, food and entertainment.

Food: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Ambience: 8/10
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YAY: 212 BLU

Amazing outdoor space.

Something is always happening in Newtown. Today, there was a massive protest against the WestConnex motorway. We walked around the rowdy protestors towards a little gem hidden on Australia St, a few metres beyond the famous Black Star Pastry. 

Cold Drip and Boss One Hander

We were seated quickly in the courtyard of the cafe. This little space was absolutely incredible, feeling like an urban sanctuary. We quickly ordered our meals, where I opted to try the Boss One Hander. It consisted of shaved leg ham, poached egg and slaw. It tasted absolutely incredible. They were simple flavours which worked so well together. I also had the Cold Drip coffee, which was just divine. The contrast between bitter and sour and the coolness of the drink made it the perfect refreshment for this warm day. 
The staff at 212 BLU must be complimented. Service was on point and unpretentious, unlike what you would expect from an inner city cafe in Sydney. When we went to pay, we had slightly miscalculated the final price, and the waitress told us not to worry about it. (Don't worry, we dug up some coins quickly).
With that being said, this place is awesome. Perhaps the reason why it is so good is because it is a hidden gem, but a place this great can't be kept a secret for too long!

Food: 8/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 9/10
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YAY: Kepos Street Kitchen

Chicken and Beef (Background) Burgers

Keen to meet up with my friend, we decided to head to Kepos St Kitchen in Redfern. Located on a street corner and surrounded by terraces, this cafe is the epitome of cool. There was a short wait for a table, given the small size of the cafe, but it was completely worth it.

The interior was very quaint and cool. O ordered the Wagyu Beef Burger while I ordered the Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich, but we ultimately opted to share. Both were served with chips. The chicken sandwich (which is in fact a burger) was absolutely delicious. I've had bad experiences with chicken burgers, but this was a clear winner! The coleslaw and chermoula mayo was absolutely divine, complimenting the tasty chicken wonderfully. Likewise, the beef burger was scrumptious, with the harissa sauce giving it a fiery Middle-Eastern kick. The accompanying chips were tasty, especially with their aioli. The coffee was great and the service was superb. Probably the best cafe I have been to so far.


Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Ambience: 9/10
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YAY: Manchester Press

Cold Brew

Cappuccino

Melbourne is a city full of surprises, filled with quaint shops, great architecture and amazing food. Manchester Press is located in Rankins Lane. I was filled with anticipation as we made our way through the laneway, with the amount of hipsters lurking in the alleyway suggesting that this was the place to be!

The interior of the cafe was absolutely wonderful, oozing that industrial feel. Our table's centerpiece was cold brew coffee  dripping away, reminiscent of a science lab. The key specialty of Manchester Press is the bagel. I ordered the pulled pork bagel, which was absolutely divine. The slaw complimented the tender and juicy pork. Melbourne is famous for its coffee, and the coffee here was nothing short of superb. Service was on point!

Pulled Pork Bagel

Food: 9/10
Ambience: 9/10
Service: 9/10
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YAY: Industry Beans

Cool interior!!

After a long stroll through the very cool Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, we decided to have a coffee break. We made our way down Rose St, and it took quite a while to locate this place. Its location next to Crossfit was perhaps a suggestion of where I should have headed after our little indulgence.

Yes, this is from Snapchat!

Sticky Rice Cakes

Situated in a little warehouse, this place oozes the Melbourne vibe. We were given a coffee menu, listing all the different blends we could have tried. H and I both opted for the Fitzroy Street Blend, with H getting a latte while I got a cappuccino. The coffee, I must admit, was the best I ever had. As I become increasingly addicted to coffee, I have developed the ability to differentiate the taste of coffee.  This blend was far superior to any I have previously tried. It had this slight bitterness which was replaced by a sort of sweetness which I found to be very pleasant. This was truly a great coffee moment, and Industry Beans definitely deserves its recognition for its great coffee. We also ordered the Sticky Rice Cakes. This definitely had a very Vietnamese taste which I am very familiar with. The rice cakes were crispy and delicious, especially with the papaya, carrot and sweet and sour dressing. A small regret would be that the strong flavours detracted slightly from my coffee experience, where I found myself having to drink a whole glass of water before I went back to my cappuccino!

The staff also deserve a huge thumbs up, as they were very helpful in informing us about the different blends of coffee and what it would suit. Like Bowery to Williamsburg, I will surely return to this place, as I will, without a doubt, be returning to the streets of Fitzroy!

Food: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Ambience: 9/10
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YAY: Bowery to Williamsburg

Los Pollos

Wagyu Burger

Visiting Marvellous Melbourne was very exciting for me. The food is a whole different level to Sydney. Bowery to Williamsburg, as the name implies, has an American theme. The cafe is nestled in Oliver Lane (very Melbourne indeed) and is modelled like a New York subway station. A cool setting is coupled with excellent food. I had the Los Pollos sandwich, which was simply magnificent. The chicken was absolutely tender, the salsa was tasty, and the sauce tied in the whole sandwich wonderfully. H had a the Wagyu Burger, which was divine. This was a very clever reinvention of the classic cheeseburger, emanating a very familiar yet refined taste. Service was also a huge plus!! Will definitely return the next time I am in Melbourne!

Food: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Ambience: 9/10 

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NAY: Colonel Tan's

After a long day exploring Melbourne, we headed off to Prahran for dinner. Located on the very fashionable Chapel Street, the restaurant may be difficult for some to locate. It is located in Revolver Upstairs, which can be accessed by a narrow set of stairs from Chapel St.

Bangkok Bolognese

 The restaurant had very cool interiors, with the exposed brick and the mismatch of colours giving it a very authentic and pleasant feel. To start we had the Pork Sausages. They were absolutely delicious, perhaps the best I've had. Things started to go downhill from there. Having heard so much praise for the Bangkok Bolognese, we decided to give it a go. The first bite was amazing. It was extremely reminiscent of spaghetti bolognese, but with a Thai twist. However, every bite after became increasingly difficult, given the amount of chilli present. The waiter did, however, warn us previously that this was a spicy dish, telling us that we would receive a milder version. If the mild version of the dish was that spicy, the normal version must be spicy to death. The Tumeric Chicken Stir Fry was average, perhaps because my palate was washed away by the spiciness of the Bolognese!

Pork Sausages

Tumeric Chicken

To be fair though, this was simply a matter of personal preference. Individuals who can deal with a very high level of heat would definitely love the Bangkok Bolognese. However, personally, the wonderful flavours of the dish were masked by the extreme level of heat, which I thought was unnecessary. In the end, had we chosen other dishes, our experience would have been completely different, as I knew just how good this place actually was. The service was great.







Food: 6/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
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