Cakes, cakes and bread – 85ºC Daily Cafe – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – January 2022

Tags

85ºC Daily Cafe, ACT, Australia, breads, bubble tea, cakes, canberra, matcha cake, Milky tea, Taiwanese inspired cafe

Lately I have been making a list of cafes and restaurants that have recently opened in Canberra with the aim of trying them all. One I wanted to visit is a Taiwanese international chain called 85º Daily Cafe selling breads, cakes, desserts as well as smoothies, coffee and teas including milk and bubble tea. So this morning after my walk with my dog Axel, I drove into town to find the cafe. It was pretty easy to find as its located near our university on the fringes of the city.

You walk into this cafe and its interior is quite pink, to say the least. Pink walls, pink chairs, fake flowers on the walls are all shades of pink and there are pastel coloured flowers in small baskets, trolleys and vases near the cash register; pretty much all pink. All very sweet I must say.

I chatted to the young Chinese girl behind the cash register and asked her if she was from Taiwan (considering the cafe originated in Taiwan), she told me she was from Mainland China and we chatted a while about my travels throughout her birth country. She told me that all products in the cafe contained egg so I ordered a Jasmine tea and chose a small table near the window to sit and enjoy. The tea arrived in a teabag which was a bit unfortunate but it was nice all the same!

As for the cakes; there are so many lining the walls of the cafe in refrigerated glass side boards. And they look great; there are slices of layered sponge cake, chocolate mousse cake, cheesecake, strawberry cream cake, egg tarts and so many more…including several Asian flavours like a matcha (Japanese green tea) red bean roll and pineapple cakes.

All different sorts of breads and brioche are also sold including cheese bread, cheese twists, chocolate chip bread, coconut twists and croissants. So much choice! Unfortunately for me, similar to the cakes in the store, these savoury treats are non-vegan as they contain either milk or egg or both. These are also beautifully displayed in cabinets where you will also see more beautiful flowers above and lovely take-away boxes on display. I can imagine taking one of the larger cakes as a gift to a friend, looking fabulous in a see through box complete with bow!

The waitress told me that the name of the cafe 85º Daily Cafe actually comes from the idea that the perfect brewing temperature for espresso coffee is 85º Celsius. Interesting! But back to the cakes…there are also full cakes on display for any occasion I guess, then again who needs an occasion to eat cake!

So whilst I could not eat any of the sweet and savoury items on display, I did very much enjoy the visit and the opportunity to practice my Mandarin and view the cuteness of this cafe!

Sage Dining Rooms (another visit) – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – October 2021

Tags

ACT, canberra, dining with friends, Sage Dining Rooms, vegan dishes

Sage Dining Rooms is a local Canberra restaurant I have been to many times and have always loved the food, wine and service. The last time I visited this restaurant was before Covid-19 struck and it was for a friend’s birthday – I really love the Mint Garden Bar where you can enjoy a glass of wine at any time or of course a cup of coffee. It was raining on the day we arrived so I went straight into the restaurant – this really is so lovely inside; cosy with beautifully presented tables.

Well this time it was for a post Lockdown catch-up with three of my good friends who I had not seen for quite some time so each of us was looking forward to a good catch up. Sage has a fully stocked bar and the bar area is gorgeous and am sure any drink is available but we decided on a bottle of Aussie riesling…good choice I think.

The meal options include a five course degustation and a three course degustation. On my previous visit I ordered the five courses and boy it was way too filling. It’s funny the portions don’t look that big on the plate but after bread/amuse bouche and little delights in between courses…five courses is just too much for me.

My friends ordered the shucked signature oysters as an entree which arrived beautifully presented and whilst my entree didn’t look that great it was actually quite nice..it was kohlrabi (after an internet search I now this to be a German turnip), peas, grapes, summer squash and a sorrel (again after an internet search I now know this to be a herb).

Our second courses arrived and my friends had ordered the barramundi fillet with scollops, tomato and lemon myrtle. This also arrived with a salad and a serving of crispy baked potatoes that my friends said were delicious…but unfortunately I could not eat as they were not vegan.

My dish was a barbecued sugar loaf cabbage with green tomato and a chilli crunch. I must say I have always loved the food at Sage but really didn’t love the cabbage dish …it tasted a little bland unfortunately, maybe just not to my liking. I guess I thought it was also just some cabbage on a plate – probably expected more!

Our desserts arrived and it was the cheese platter for my friends which came with a house made condiment, crisp bread and also a creme brûlée. Mine was a fruit compote with a coconut cream…quite nice; a really nice crunch in the fruit – like a granola – I really liked it!

We stayed for more drinks and then we had to leave, unfortunately. Service here is exceptional and we all enjoyed such a lovely catch up. So many laughs and just a great couple of hours.

Old Parliament House National Rose Garden – Barton – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – November 2021

Tags

ACT, Barton, canberra, National Rose Garden, Old Parliament House, Paperback trees, sightseeing with family

There are a lot of different places to see around Canberra for visitors and it’s usually the more tourist spots that people are taken to. I had my Goddaughter Stephanie and her husband Anthony visiting so as it was pouring rain pretty much all weekend we decided to have a late breakfast on the Sunday at a local cafe that I have grown to love. The Knox Made cafe has a large vegan menu and on this occasion I chose the Vegan Benny which has smooth avocado with sautéed spinach and Miso mushrooms and a pumpkin almond hollandaise all on house made sourdough. I have never tried a vegan hollandaise before and I must say I loved it…so delicious…and I had a pot of peppermint tea. Anthony ordered the Eggs Benny with bacon on a house made English muffin along with all the usual sides and loved it so much there was nothing left on the plate. Steph ordered The Avo which came with poached local eggs, smashed avo, pickled cucumber, confit tomatoes on the vine, marinated feta and a quinoa and herb salad with dukkah…and a side of haloumi.

The moment we left breakfast the rain stopped which was great, so I decided to take my visitors to see the roses at the National Rose Garden which is located at Old Parliament House. The gardens opened in 1933 and exhibit both Australian and overseas roses and also a variety of beautiful trees. The first I saw was when just about to enter the gardens; a stunning tree, a Paperbark I think and then various other beauties inside the garden.

The first thing we noticed when we went into the garden was how much the heavy rain and wind had damaged the roses but when you walk through the garden you can still see how gorgeous some of the roses are and the fragrance is just beautiful! There is wisteria and also rose covered pergolas, unfortunately the wisteria had already bloomed but the walkways were still lovely.

The three of us spoke about how fabulous it would be taking a break from work and enjoy your lunch on one of the benches under a trees or out in the open in the sunshine. A lovely way to relax and look at and smell the beautiful roses.

But it was the roses we really came to see and apart from some of them looking a little weathered as I mentioned, from the elements, we still enjoyed a lovely walk with delightful aromas every time you walked past the different rose bushes.

And then it was time for me to take close ups of some of the different coloured roses. One thing I found very interesting was how many different varieties of roses there are; such different blooms and all beautiful! Such a great place to visit and my visitors loved it too which was great.

White Rabbit Cocktail Bar – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – July 2021

Tags

ACT, canberra, drinks with friends, White Rabbit Cocktail Bar

Isn’t it great when you find a lovely bar where you can catch up with friends for a glass of wine, a cocktail, a spirit or a cup of tea and some delicious snacks then also enjoy the ambiance! Well I have found one such bar in Canberra and over the past few years have frequented often. A few months ago I chose the White Rabbit Cocktail Bar to meet up with a couple of friends for a quiet drink. It’s in the middle of Canberra city and everything is quite heavily themed to Alice in Wonderland and even the movie (soundless) is played on a large screen; it’s pretty fabulous! Beautiful orchids (real) adorn the individual seating areas as well as a white picket fence lining the walls and a floral archway leading to the bathrooms. And..velour comfy couches to relax in enabling you to enjoy your wine and your company.

White Rabbit also hosts regular events, in particular Tipsy Tea which really is pretty much a boozy high tea available every weekend with an assortment of savoury and sweet treats paired with cocktails or sparkling wine. How can that not be great! It’s pretty cool when cocktails such as Alice Be Curious arrive in a teapot along with a cucumber finger sandwich. Every drink has something delicious served with it, for example the Mad Hatter – 12yr old rum, bourbon and cognac with cream and egg comes with a side of cognac-soaked flaming black cherries or even the Tweedle-Rum.

A Tweedle-Rum (source: Facebook.com/WhiteRabbitCocktailRoom)

My friends and I only enjoyed a glass of wine on our occasion of catching up but I have eaten here before and the food is very good – charcuterie boards and the most amazing desserts.

(source: TripAdvisor)

(source: http://www.whiterabbitroom.com.au)

(source: http://www.whiterabbitroom.com.au)

As soon as you walk in there is something pretty spectacular that catches your eye…a collection of glass-fronted cabinets along one wall. Each cabinet contains bottles of alcohol which is actually a locked vault for personal drinks – you can own a cabinet to store a special (I guess expensive) bottle or your favourite wine, which will be brought out for you whenever you visit. How cool is this!

This really is a lovely place for a relaxed drink and something to eat. I like it too because it’s dimly lit adding to the ambience but really why would you not enjoy a place that serves great wine/delicious food and most importantly you can relax in a comfy lounge!

Jerrabomberra Wetlands – Fyshwick – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – July 2021

Tags

ACT, Australia, canberra, Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Latham's Snipe, Telstra Tower

Canberra has so many walks on offer and one I had been meaning to explore was about half an hour drive from my home. Jerrabomberra Wetlands is a refuge to several protected species and is a habitat for local birds and also for species migrating from the northern hemisphere and also from inland Australia. It’s a truly lovely place to visit and is looked after by the Woodlands and Wetlands Trust with wonderful views of Telstra Tower, Canberra’s iconic telecommunications tower.

There are three route options; Kellys Swamp Loop, The Woodlands Walk and The Billabong Walk – as the walks are not long, I decided to do all three on the day I visited and it was well worth my time. My first sighting was a mob of kangaroos. I always love seeing kangaroos in the wild, they are either resting on their sides or standing up and staring right at you. My photos are not that great as they were a bit far away and I only took my mobile phone to capture photos.

The different walks are very easy without any inclines. There is no way to get lost as the dirt paths are well set out and well worn and throughout the reeds there is a corrugated iron pathway; making it very easy to walk along.

There are no dogs allowed at this location, which is completely understandable. I read that one particular bird Latham’s Snipe (an endangered waterbird) flies directly from Japan (Hokkaido) to arrive at these wetlands; how amazing is that. And I also read that other wildlife that call this environment home are water rats, turtles, water dragons and platypus. I must say I missed all these species but did see a few ducks and other birds.

One of the things I particularly love about a bushland walk are the trees and these wetlands have plenty to see and photograph; some I managed to capture with the sun shining through in the background.

I just happened to choose a day when there were very few other visitors. I saw a few people riding their mountain bikes along the pathways and some other walkers but was so lucky to really have the place to myself. No noise just the chirping of the birds; loved it. Something else I really love are the reflections of anything on water but especially trees and I was lucky it was great weather to capture these reflections.

And there were a couple of old buildings I saw on my walk, one I am sure is not used as it was just old and worn and near the water but the other one is actually not on the wetlands but on neighbouring property and I think it’s used for storage of tools or hay, not really sure as didn’t walk up close.

Such a lovely morning out and an absolute treasure in the heart of Canberra!

Tipsy Bull restaurant (2) – Braddon – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – February 2021

Tags

ACT, Braddon, canberra, Gin, Lunch with friends, tipsy Bull restaurant, vegan dishes

photo courtesy of http://www.weekendnotes.com

There are so many nice restaurants to choose for lunch in Canberra and Tipsy Bull is definitely one of them. It’s located in the city suburb of Braddon which is about an hour’s walk from my home and whilst I have been to this restaurant a few times, it was lovely to revisit as they now have a very good vegan degustation.

The restaurant is actually well known as a gin bar. It has over 100 local and international gins to choose. When you order a gin, it arrives deconstructed on a wooden platter with gin, tonic, ice, gin making tools and garnishes chosen specifically to enhance the flavour of the gin you have selected.

There is a good range of wines to choose from including vegan options. On this occasion I went with four of my friends just to get together and enjoy a chat and a meal. We ordered a bottle of South Australian sauvignon blanc and whilst looking at the drinks menu, I saw a mocktail of pineapple, ginger and mint I really liked the sound of, so ordered one and it was thirst quenching and so delicious!

Everyone started off with crusty bread and cultured butter, mine arrived with olive oil. I always have to limit my bread consumption as I eat way too much and become full even before the first main dish arrives. My first dish to arrive was a very tasty salad of spinach and other leaves, fennel (my favourite), pomegranate, tomato, pepitas (or pumpkin seeds really) and a delicious lemon dressing.

The next two dishes were the cauliflower with garlic puree and olive oil and a dish that wasn’t on the menu but made for me by the chef and consisted of some sort of grain that I can’t recall the name of, a couple of vegetables topped with goji berries and parsley – this was so delicious.

The dishes here are really quite large so I was happy that my friends were willing to taste mine even though they had their own non-vegan dishes. My friend Ray, who is not vegan loves trying my vegan dishes and at this restaurant he particularly loved the grain dish. It’s funny with a degustation, even if the portions are small, I find after about three dishes, I am full. My final dish was dessert and I think I was lucky here as it was sorbet, so nothing too heavy after all the food I had eaten. From memory my friends had heavy dishes but even though they were full, all were finished! Another lovely lunch with great friends.

Buvette Bistro & Wine Bar – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – March 2021

Tags

ACT, Brulee, buvette bistro & wine bar, canberra, cold pumpkin dish, dinner with friends

With my good friend, Sandy, visiting from Queensland, a group of us decided to book a French restaurant in Canberra called Buvette Bistro & Wine Bar. Most of us had been before and enjoyed the food so wanted to revisit. We all started off with a beverage from the extensive wine list which did include a couple of vegan choices. Mine was an Australian Riesling whilst my friends enjoyed a French chardonnay and a glass of red.

The menu is also pretty extensive with many vegetarian options but only a few vegan. There was a cauliflower steak but as I had eaten that the last two times I have been out, I really didn’t feel like it. Anyway, I wasn’t feeling very hungry so ordered a small dish of roasted pumpkin with a tahini yoghurt dressing and topped with coriander and pumpkin seeds. When it arrived it looked so good but unfortunately I didn’t ask if it was a hot dish and it was not…cold pumpkin is not for me (the flavours of this dish were very good though).

My friends ordered a few dishes to share which included the Kimchi dumplings with pickled red cabbage, chilli and ginger oil. Unfortunately when we asked if the dumplings were vegan we were told the Kimchi was made with fish sauce. My visiting friend from Brisbane had been to this restaurant the previous week and had ordered the dumplings and said they were delicious. Shame on this occasion, they were not all that warm!

A few other dishes were also ordered; firstly the Snapper ceviche with buttermilk, cucumber and green chilli and also the grilled Queensland scallops with a miso glaze and seaweed butter. Time then to order another glass of wine; same drinks all round.

The final main meal to share ordered was the 36-hour slow-cooked Angus beef short ribs with gremolata and crispy polenta. My friend Naomi said the polenta was absolutely delicious but of course I could not eat it as it had been sitting in meat juices. We nearly ordered a fresh serve minus the meat but as I was not that hungry, we didn’t bother.

And to top off the night as we were finishing our wine and Naomi was driving, she decided on a dessert rather than another glass of wine. She ordered the brûlée. It arrived looking fabulous and she said it was. This used to be my favourite dessert before I became vegan!

Oh and nearly forgot to mention, we of course ordered the obligatory bowl of chips!

photo from internet as I forgot to take one on the night!

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve – Canberra – ACT – Australia – October 2020

Tags

ACT, Australia, canberra, Kangaroos, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve is about a forty-minute drive from the centre of Canberra and I had never been there which is rather embarrassing considering I have lived in Canberra for over fifteen-years. So, with Covid-19 not allowing me any international travel, my list of local sights to visit is long. And this is one place on my list. I did an internet search to find out a little more about the reserve and Wikipedia tells me the name Tidbinbilla is derived from the Aboriginal word ‘Jedbinbilla‘ meaning a place where boys become men.

I went with a couple of friends and when we arrived we had a nice surprise in that entrance fees were suspended from August to end of the year to encourage more visitors to return. Guess it worked (even though we didn’t know there were no fees).

It was a pretty hot day and Tidbinbilla has twenty-three different walking trails but we decided on a rather easy walk and chose the Birrigai Time Trail which takes around 75 minutes from start to finish. At first the walking trail is wide enough for a ranger’s car and then the trail becomes less wide as it heads off into the bush with man-made bridges allowing easy access over ponds.

Tidbinbilla has extensive Australian wildlife including birds/reptiles and many different mammal species. When we arrived we all said we wanted to definitely see a koala and platypus and also an emu and kangaroo. Within five minutes we saw a huge emu by the side of the road but too far away for me to capture with my phone; shame! Then my friend pointed out two kangaroos under a tree and I took many photos of them as thought that might be all we would see. But as we walked over a small uprise we saw tens and tens of kangaroos resting under trees and some just checking out the crazy humans holding small rectangular items in front of them (I guess it’s what we all do these days if we don’t bring our proper cameras). Unfortunately no koala or platypus were sighted on this occasion.

On this particular day, the skies were pretty spectacular; a vivid blue with interesting cloud formations; looked a little bit like a sky writing plane had been through.

Then more kangaroos…no matter how many I see I still really enjoy seeing them; so beautiful.

Along our walk we saw many rounded granite boulders or rock formations. I must say these were pretty spectacular and so enjoyable to view.

Tidbinbilla Reserve is such an enjoyable day out and if you wanted a strenuous walk there are plenty of difficult treks but I think for our day it was lovely just to enjoy the typical Aussie bush and scenery and take in the sights.

Walking around Canberra – ACT – Australia – May/June 2020

Tags

ACT, Australia, canberra, Canberra walks, Lake Ginninderra, Street Art, walking with dogs, Watson Woodlands, Yerribi Ponds

Lovely walks during Canberra’s colder seasons

I love walking around Canberra; well anywhere really but because I live here in Canberra it’s nice to find new walks for both me and my dogs.  The other day I happened to be driving in a nearby suburb called Watson (named after our third Prime Minister) and came across a great parkland where in parts dogs are allowed off-lead.  I drove straight home, picked up the dogs and returned.  Watson Woodlands is actually eighteen hectares but there is a cleared parkland contained on one side of the road with lovely ponds, ducks, walkways and beautiful Eucalyptus trees scattered around.This area of the parkland has two walkways one out in the open with a well worn pathway and the other underneath a canopy of trees.  I love both walks but most people with dogs walk along the well worn path so I usually walk this way as it’s nice for my dogs to see and play with the other dogs.  The walk takes about twenty-five minutes one way then you turn around and walk back; simple!

Another of my other favourite walks is the reasonably lengthy circular walk around Lake Ginninderra.  It takes about an hour and twenty minutes at a normal walking pace and my smaller dog Axel and I do the walk when we can.The approximate seven-kilometre walk is reasonably flat and paved the whole way.  There is a variety of birdlife; swans, ducks and waterbirds and bbq areas, a large and small enclosed dog park and a lovely running stream which flows into the lake. I love this walk as the trees are beautiful and it’s wonderful to see so many people out and about walking/playing or having picnics.And the final walk I want to mention today is a forty-five minute walk around Yerribi Ponds which is about a fifteen minute drive from my home.  Similar to Lake Ginninderra, Yerribi Ponds has a paved pathway around the whole of the lake making walking and bike riding very easy.  It’s another walk that I can take my dogs but they must stay on a leash.There is also a large variety of birdlife along the ponds and many young children like to feed the birds and fish.At one particular point along the walk there is some great street art created by John Voir which is found on pillars or columns that support the roadway.  

I find these ponds very children friendly as there is so much for children to do; an adventure playground, basketball court, double tandem flying fox and a pirate ship under a huge shade cloth.  There is also a swing (Liberty Swing)  that can be used by children in wheelchairs; now isn’t that just so lovely.

The trees are beautiful along the way as well as lovely water views and views of the local city centre’s buildings.And when the sun goes down, the weather gets cooler and the scenery changes; looking differently to what it did during the day but equally as lovely I think.  Time to go home – even the local men fishing decide to make it a day albeit without any catches!

 

Remembering eating out – Sage Dining Rooms – Braddon – Canberra – Australia – October 2019

Tags

ACT, Australia, Braddon, canberra, dining with friends, Sage Dining Rooms, three course degustation

Ah…the good ole days of eating out!

This week I was working out how long its been since I have eaten out and the answer was ” it’s been a while”; not just for me of course but for everyone and I know how difficult it is for restaurant owners and staff – so I hope for their sake (and mine) that restaurants open soon.  Then came some good news a couple of days ago that restaurants and pubs here in Canberra are opening with limited patronage…yay!  Only ten people allowed inside to ensure adherence to social distancing but that’s fine as it allows me to go out and enjoy a meal with friends.So…back to this post.  Last October my friends Ray and Natalie invited me to Sage Dining Rooms located at Gorman House in Canberra for lunch to celebrate Nat’s birthday.  Sage has an interesting history. The whole complex used to be accomodation for interstate public servants comprising small individual bedrooms with a series of lounges and a dining room.  The hostel was decommissioned in the 1970s and the communal dining and living rooms were refurbished to create Sage.  Sage is definitely one of Canberra’s best fine dining restaurants and has won many awards over the years.  The wait staff are extremely well versed with the ingredients of every dish and as they are serving, they provide that information.  The decor is lovely; fresh flowers on every table, linen tablecloths and napkins, cute chair and bench coverings and the place is spotlessly clean.We ordered the three course degustation with mine being vegan to cater for my dietary requirements.  There is also a five course degustation but I find it’s just too much food as the restaurant provides an amuse bouche with our first drinks (lovely glass of champagne) and then a complimentary small dish is also offered between each course – all delicious tiny mouth fulls but when you have five dishes and tiny bites between each you get very full very quickly!All dishes are beautifully presented and food is absolutely delicious.
And desserts are fabulous too…And then came a lovely surprise for Nat…I am so looking forward to Sage Dining Rooms re-opening…