The Elevation - Parramatta, NSW

It's Saturday, just before noon and the Mrs and I have been diligently cleaning all morning. We start to get hungry, so we decide to walk to Church Street, check out Eat Street Vibes and possibly get a bite to eat. Along the way, we notice a new cafe had opened up right next to Coco Cubano and Rio Brazilian BBQ: The Elevation. My interest was immediately piqued by the hipster looking decor and clean environment. Fortunately, the Mrs was also convinced to try the place and so we decided to pop in on a whim and enjoy a nice lunch.

I personally think they did a wonderful job with the shop fitting. You have the almost-standardised industrial fit out but it's bright and clean. The light fixtures are hung up above the counter and all over the roof in criss-cross patterns. The simplistic tubes of fluorescent light shine upon the mostly wood and concrete coloured surfaces. Strewn throughout the cafe, there are separate terrariums that sit below the counter and around the front of the cafe which bring a little green into the mix. Overall, I'm really, really impressed with how this place looks as it's exactly the theme I want for our apartment. 

We decided on what we wanted to eat so I flagged down one of the helpful staff to order but I'm then reminded by the Mrs that it's specified on the menu to order at the counter... Silly me! I get up, place our order and we patiently waited for our food and drinks to come. It wasn't long before our drinks arrived at our table, the Mrs opting for an iced latte on a moderately hot day and me going for a cappuccino, my regular selection when I go to work. The coffee here is rather nutty and creamy which is great since it's exactly the way I like my coffee (I don't appreciate acidity much at all). The Mrs was also very impressed with her iced latte as it stayed robust in flavour despite the ice melting.

There was a tiny bit of a delay with our food coming out but I'm always okay with that as new kitchens need to be given some time to find their feet. The staff also apologised quite a few times which helped quite a bit (you tend to care less when a place acknowledges that something isn't ideal). When it did come, the Mrs order was the first to arrive and boy did it look delicious! The Mrs ordered avocados on toast with onsen eggs. This arrive in the form of two jiggly, barely cooked eggs sitting on top of two slices of rye bread with smashed avos mixed with chia dukkah and lightly dusted with matcha powder. The Mrs was rather impressed with the bread as it was fresh, doughy and the perfect vehicle for the other components. The chia dukkah provided a really nice nutty and smoky element and there was a nice textural balance from the crunch in the sunflower seeds which was mixed in with the avocado. The jewel on top of the crown had to be dusting of matcha powder which allowed it to stand out amongst the many smashed avocado dishes out there. It also provided a really nice bitterness at the back of your tongue, making the dish all the more savoury.

Me, being the carnivorous meathead that I am, couldn't bring myself to order anything but the ultimate breakfast: a smorgasbord of all the delectable items on offer. The plate is made up of maple bacon, chorizo, onsen eggs, miso mushrooms, blistered cherry tomatoes, wilted spinach and two slices of sourdough toast...try not being satisfied after that. To be honest, I was expecting more from the maple bacon as it ended up tasting like normal bacon...more of that sweet, maple goodness would have been better. Still a great dish though as there were the earthy, umami packed mushrooms and delicious chorizo to eat as well. The eggs were gooey, rich and buttery and the sweetly acidic tomatoes and refreshing spinach made it an awesome meal.

The Elevation also had many delicious looking cakes on display but unfortunately, the Mrs and I were stuffed once we'd finished our plates of food...oh well, we'll try it next time since we live so close! I honestly fell in love with this cafe instantaneously as the decor, staff and food were all amazing. In addition to that, their coffee game is strong. Luck for us, they sent us off with a complimentary bottle of cold brew! We had it as soon as we got home and it was delicious!!! Smooth and not a hint of acidity with a humble sweetness that made for an awesome, refreshing caffeine hit. Thank you guys at The Elevation, the Mrs and I will surely return for many more lunches and brunches in the future!

Boon Cafe at Jarern Chai Asian Grocer - Central, NSW

Lately, the Mrs and I have been getting busier as we come up to the end of the year. If I haven't mentioned already, we're trying to plan and organise a relatively large event so our weeknights/ends have been taken up by planning, meetings and generally being super-exhausted. I'd like to apologise to the Mrs here and admit that in the midst of being stressed and generally feeling useless/not helpful, I've kinda neglected to acknowledge how wonderful she is and how much I love her. Luckily, the Mrs and I still managed to find the time to squeeze in a quick date night at a place she's been wanting to try for a while: Boon Cafe.

The most recent venture by the guys at Chat Thai: during the day, the menu is more cafe/brunch like but at night, the items change to more of what you'd find in the streets of Bangkok. The Mrs and I thought it'd be a nice idea to try it on a whim and we were lucky enough to grab one of the limited tables so I let the Mrs take charge and order away. We'd originally ordered the dessert to come later but maybe due to some minor miscommunications with the staff, the Pandan toast became the first to come...not a bad way to start a meal though. The toast was nice and fluffy but I'd have to say, the spread was mildly disappointing in that there wasn't a deep enough pandan flavor nor was it noticeably sweet...in my opinion, could have definitely have definitely benefitted from more sweetness/flavour.

Additionally, the Mrs had originally intended to order the Thai milk tea that she was accustomed to but had somehow ended up ordering Thai red tea which is essentially the same thing without the condensed milk. Due to that fact, the Mrs didn't enjoy it too much initially but I definitely did, the spiciness of the drink helped cool me down after a long day and regardless of what she had originally expected, the Mrs still grew to like the drink after a couple of sips. 

Soon after, our first hot dish came and boy, were we excited to dig in. The Mrs ordered a half order of the Gai Yang which is Thai style grilled chicken. The chicken here is marinaded really well and rather flavoursome which is good though the Mrs did say it was less juicy than another restaurant we frequent. I think it was an issue with the pieces she picked because each piece I picked was juicy and tender. It could have been a bit more charred but overall, very enjoyable. 

Next came the grilled sausages which was personally, my favorite. I love sausages from all cultures and cuisines and this one was very representative of the flavour profiles you'd find in Thailand. Intense and mouth-numbingly spicy, we identified some elements of chilli, ginger and potentially lemongrass mixed in with the meat. If you'd ordered this, be warned: have a glass of milky, sweet beverage ready as this dish is as authentic as it comes. It's so addictively spicy that the Mrs had to stop part-way and recuperate before she could continued eating it.

Shortly after our grilled sausage arrived, the beef salad also arrived at our table. At this point of the dinner, our mouths were burning from the sausages so it was a welcome and refreshing change of pace. The salad was still packed it's own punch but not nearly as intensely as the sausage did. The green leaves, onions and sweet dressing really helped calm our palates allowing us to enjoy the tender pieces of beef strewn throughout the salad.

Our meal was rounded off by the carbs that came last. At $5 a bowl, the Mrs thought it appropriate to order to separate bowls of noodles (one for me and one for her). I got the spicier Thai styles noodles which was great because I was used to eating similar noodles from Do Dee Pai Dang noodle cafe. Cheap and satisfying, you didn't get to choose the level of spice but for that price, you really wouldn't mind. I have to say, I really enjoyed the rice noodles they used a little more than the glass noodles I normally have at Do Dee and the soup I think was more sour and appetising than I was used to which was great.

The Mrs got the bowl of Thai style egg noodles which she seemed to relish because the sweet and savoury broth offered a much needed reprieve from the flames burning in her mouth. I didn't get to eat much of it but I assumed since the Mrs demolished most of it that it was delicious. From the small amount that I did get to have, the flavor reminded me most of the tiny microwavable bowls of wonton noodles you can get from Costco. 

Reminiscent of our current lives and schedules, the dinner was a bit of a mess at the beginning but regardless, what mattered most to me was that I was able to sit down and have a nice, enjoyable meal with my beloved. Super sappy of me to say but I truly believe that no matter what life throws at me, as long as the Mrs and I have each other, we'll be fine and happy no matter what life throws at us. 

From the bottom of my heart: Thank you for everything that you've done for me and for us. We wouldn't come as far as we have and I definitely wouldn't be who I am today without your constant support, patience and guidance. I'm so excited for the future we share together and for the many meals and laughs we'll have in the future.

Love you always, turtle.