Circa Espresso - Parramatta, NSW

It's actually quite sad...I've been feeling really lazy and lacking in motivation lately. I used to enjoy coming home after a nice lunch/dinner and writing all about it but lately, all momentum has been lost. Some more obvious reasons include (a) the launch of Overwatch and (b) the release of Pokemon GO (literally, all the Mrs and I have been doing is going for walks and catching Pokemon). The less obvious reason is that well...I just couldn't find enjoyment in it anymore. Don't get me wrong, I still love eating and I still enjoy food but I think I've lost touch with my reason as to why I started doing this. I put too much emphasis on being a part of the food blogging community.

But yea, to reassure you all, I have been eating out (quite a bit if you follow my Instagram) and I have had a few good meals. One of the more memorable meals I've had was when the Mrs and I returned to where it all began: Circa Espresso. Looking back at my photos from when I first started posting on Instagram, it's been a while since I've returned to Circa. I'm not really entirely sure why either since I live so close now but, spured on by the desire to eat great brunch food but stay local, the Mrs and I decided to walk to Circa and check it out.

We had anticipated a long wait and were told it'd be 30 minutes to a table that day but fortunately, it was much less time than that! I had no idea they had seating right next door in the little house either...great location for when the weather is decent. I knew exactly what I was going to get as soon as I sat down and so did the Mrs so without further adieu, we flagged down one of the super helpful staff and placed our order for two Ottoman Eggs. The Mrs stuck with her usual coffee order but I decided to go with the cold brew which in retrospect was an absolutely brilliant decision. Fruity, mellow and sweet...the coffee I received was akin to a fine wine or smooth, aged whisky. In short, it was great.

Even more amazing was the Ottoman Eggs....oh man, so. moreish! Crumbed eggplant, creamy labneh, spicy, fragrant oil, crispy fried leeks and poached eggs. Eat that all with the crunchy, toasted bread and you will have an amazing time. Eating this really reminded me of exactly why I started doing all of this...having such an amazing meal that I want to get people hungry and tell the world about it.

So at the end of the day: it really doesn't matter too much about the community. I didn't really start this journey because I wanted to be liked by other people or because I wanted to be a part of the hype. I started this to tell the world about how amazing food is and how much joy it can bring to your life. Thank you to the guys at Circa Espresso for reminding me of that. 

Badmanner Thymes Espresso - Parramatta, NSW

Another weekend, another opportunity for the Mrs to drag me to brunch...well, not so much drag anymore. I'll admit, I secretly do look forward to the opportunities I get to go and enjoy a quiet and quaint meal with the love of my life. She's been able to convince me that additional to the delicious food, I get the time to just slow down and just enjoy moments of tranquility between us. That, I believe, is the most precious part of brunching.

The Mrs decided to take me to a local favorite of hers (one which I've yet to come to). Located right opposite of another popular brunch destination, Paper Planes Cafe...Badmanner Thymes is the perfect place to come when you're looking for an alternative to their ever popular neighbour. I really don't see why this place isn't as packed (or more so) than Paper Planes as there's a huge and spacious dining area with ample seating and the food comes out so quickly....people are missing out.

We ordered some beverages to start off with: the usual coffee for the Mrs and a green tea latte for myself. The coffee was very good however, the green tea latte was a bit stronger in the matcha flavour than I'm usually accustomed to...still, I enjoyed it thoroughly as it made me really slow down and sip at it which meant that over time, I got to liking the drink a lot more.

Despite the other really delicious sounding items on the menu, I opted for the safe option of eggs benedict as I was feeling particularly breakfast-y that day. This was a great choice as the eggs were on point...perfectly poached eggs sitting on top of some smoked salmon, avocado (additional to the order) with some shallots and wilted spinach to accompany it all. They didn't cover the thing in hollandaise which meant you really got a well balanced breakfast.

As usual, the Mrs picked the better brunch dish as she had ordered the black forest with additional chorizo. If (more like when) I do go back for brunch, I will 100% order this next time...it is actually divine. The combination of ricotta cheese and mushrooms along with the eggs done sunny-side up (my favorite way) just made the whole package undeniably delicious. The addition of chorizo meant that if meat was important to you, you didn't miss out on it. The salty, spicy pork sausage just made you crave the other components more.

The more I visit Parramatta, the more excited I get about the prospect of becoming a permanent member of this community. I can say with confidence that one of the only things that matters to me (the abundance of food) is well and truly catered to here. The level of quality this establishment provides and the service we received made the whole experience unforgettable.

Haven Specialty Coffee - Surry Hills

Brunch isn't exactly my thing...we've established that, right?

Well, it just became my thing....but only if we're going to Haven Specialty Coffee. No seriously, it's that good. I've eyeing off this place for weeks now since I'm able to catch a glimpse of it every morning when I get off the train and every night when I go home. It really is that convenient (located right outside of Central station Surry Hills side)

That's why when the Mrs and I went out for sunday brunch, although we didn't have a place in mind yet, I was already secretly leading her towards Haven. For a brunch place in Surry Hills, we were still able to find a table rather easily (by rather I mean immediately, they have a lot of tables so don't worry about waiting around). Another thing I love about Haven was the fact that they have a proper kitchen fitout which meant no excessive wait times for your food. The staff at Haven are also extremely friendly, attentive and seem to know a lot about their craft (one particular staff member the Mrs couldn't stop ogling cause "she's just so pretty")

As with all brunch places, you would tend to order coffee with your food (for some coffee is the star of the show, not the food). At Haven, ordering coffee is a MUST, mainly because one of their biggest selling points is how you can tailor your coffee to your specifications and tastes. What that means is that you can choose to have your coffee extra nutty, sweet, aromatic, acidic or an otherwise endless combination of specifications. I opted to go for my usual (a cappuccino...I know, boring) but the Mrs ordered the Mocha...I mean, how could she not? 73% Madagascan Dark chocolate in and around the whole thing...simply indulgence defined.

The food came shortly after which was great! (less time starving, more time enjoying). The Mrs ordered the G'morning Haven Big Breakfast which was made up of two poached eggs, avocado, balsamic roasted cherry tomatoes, broad bean pesto and crispy bacon on a piece of soy and linseed toast. Altogether it was a delightful package, particularly the broad bean pesto which was such a refreshing element with new flavour profiles I'd never tasted before. 

Normally, I'm not braggy about my selection but this time I just had to gloat a little because my dish (the Pork Belly Kimcheese Burger) was that good. Haven's signature five spice pork belly (traditional taiwanese style I believe) on a soft burger bun with kale, apple slaw, sesame omelette, kimchi, boccocini cheese and shaved radish. This dish turned me into a fan, if all the brunch dishes I've previously had were this fulfilling, I would never have a problem going to brunch. The pork was ridiculously soft and tender, falling apart with every bite. Then add in the kick from the kimchi, the creamy mellow from the cheese and the crisp sweetness of the kale, apple and radishes....oh my gee, it was good. 

Normally, we'd end the post right here but as we had enjoyed ourselves so much at Haven, we went out on a limb and did something we don't normally do: order dessert. For dessert, we chose to have the Masfogato which was a 73% madagascan brownie, frozen mascarpone, walnuts and a shot of their house espresso in a lovely cup. We demolished it...I mean it would have been lovely if the mascarpone was easier to dig at but I blame our espresso pouring skills for that. The combination of sweet and creamy mascarpone, fudgy brownie and nutty, smooth espresso made for a delectable party in your mouth. 

I honestly cannot praise Haven enough for the wonderful time they showed us while we were there. The food was spectacular, service was top-notch and coffee really is taken care of to the finest detail. If Haven was able to convert a firm anti-bruncher like me, I'm positive that you'd have a great time as well.