One weekend in May E & I decided to get away for the weekend.. sort of to celebrate the handing in of the research project and also sort of to celebrate the fact that we can just do that sort of thing.
Harris Park must be the best place to stop on the way to the mountains, breaking up the dreary Sydney traffic. Every time I go there it seems to be a little more like Little India - there are so many restaurants within the two blocks of the train station that the place is almost buzzing.
The last time we were at Chatkazz, it was a tiny hole in the wall. Now it has taken over the space next door (though the original is still open for ?takeaway) and the fitout is hipster and modern. Lots of families and couples were dining there, and the menu covers the weird and wonderful from sandwich / pizza options to traditional street food.
We hit up a masala dosa, densely packed with potato curry. The dosa is on the small side (as are the garnishings), but the batter is perfectly crispy.
And then some pani puri for the road. There is also a pani puri man in the supermarket right next to Chatkazz, he looked awesome but we were too full.
That night we ventured into Leura for the local Japanese favourite Hana. I must say I was terribly sceptical, given that the mountains are really a touristy trap sort of place and everything practically shuts down at night.
I was pleasantly surprised by our meal of housemade pickles, seaweed salad, agedashi tofu (which bore no resemblance to the real thing, but pleasant enough) and tempura vegetable soba. E had a mixed sushi platter which came with plenty of fresh fish, though the sushi looked very amateur.. or rather, rustic and homemade!
We had lunch at the Wattle Cafe in Blackheath, which was packed with people escaping from the cold. The warm logfire was certainly welcome, and the atmosphere was homely and unpretentious. I had a goats cheese tart, which was served piping hot (just what we needed) with a tumble of rocket salad on top. Good belly filling stuff that is needed for the chilly weather.
We stopped at the Hydro Majestic to admire the view. Though the temperature was single digit, it didn't stop us from enjoying a gelato - the pineapple sorbet was fantastically refreshing.
Salad with ricotta, cannelini beans and avocado for dinner, whilst watching Masterchef.
Our last meal in the mountains was at The Yellow Deli in Katoomba. What a strange place this is - could be a scene straight out of Lord of the Rings, maybe a hobbit pub? I was intrigued by the back story to the cafe - it is run by members of the Twelve Tribes who are a religious cult based in Katoomba and Picton, Regardless, the food is simple but tasty. I demolished this tofu burger which incorporated salad, sprouts, cheese, mustard and mayo, along with a pickle, pumpkin soup and a huge mug of mate chai. We did read their newsletter for giggles whilst eating, and afterwards the cashier asked if we wanted to visit the farm. Hmm...
I adore Hominy bakery and always drop in when I'm in the neighbourhood. I love their granola which is packed with little muesli clusters and all sorts of seeds. I also got some pumpkin sourdough which was dense and chewy with a light flavour and a dark caramelly crust. Lovely with cheese.
Harris Park must be the best place to stop on the way to the mountains, breaking up the dreary Sydney traffic. Every time I go there it seems to be a little more like Little India - there are so many restaurants within the two blocks of the train station that the place is almost buzzing.
The last time we were at Chatkazz, it was a tiny hole in the wall. Now it has taken over the space next door (though the original is still open for ?takeaway) and the fitout is hipster and modern. Lots of families and couples were dining there, and the menu covers the weird and wonderful from sandwich / pizza options to traditional street food.
We hit up a masala dosa, densely packed with potato curry. The dosa is on the small side (as are the garnishings), but the batter is perfectly crispy.
And then some pani puri for the road. There is also a pani puri man in the supermarket right next to Chatkazz, he looked awesome but we were too full.
That night we ventured into Leura for the local Japanese favourite Hana. I must say I was terribly sceptical, given that the mountains are really a touristy trap sort of place and everything practically shuts down at night.
I was pleasantly surprised by our meal of housemade pickles, seaweed salad, agedashi tofu (which bore no resemblance to the real thing, but pleasant enough) and tempura vegetable soba. E had a mixed sushi platter which came with plenty of fresh fish, though the sushi looked very amateur.. or rather, rustic and homemade!
We had lunch at the Wattle Cafe in Blackheath, which was packed with people escaping from the cold. The warm logfire was certainly welcome, and the atmosphere was homely and unpretentious. I had a goats cheese tart, which was served piping hot (just what we needed) with a tumble of rocket salad on top. Good belly filling stuff that is needed for the chilly weather.
We stopped at the Hydro Majestic to admire the view. Though the temperature was single digit, it didn't stop us from enjoying a gelato - the pineapple sorbet was fantastically refreshing.
Salad with ricotta, cannelini beans and avocado for dinner, whilst watching Masterchef.
Our last meal in the mountains was at The Yellow Deli in Katoomba. What a strange place this is - could be a scene straight out of Lord of the Rings, maybe a hobbit pub? I was intrigued by the back story to the cafe - it is run by members of the Twelve Tribes who are a religious cult based in Katoomba and Picton, Regardless, the food is simple but tasty. I demolished this tofu burger which incorporated salad, sprouts, cheese, mustard and mayo, along with a pickle, pumpkin soup and a huge mug of mate chai. We did read their newsletter for giggles whilst eating, and afterwards the cashier asked if we wanted to visit the farm. Hmm...
I adore Hominy bakery and always drop in when I'm in the neighbourhood. I love their granola which is packed with little muesli clusters and all sorts of seeds. I also got some pumpkin sourdough which was dense and chewy with a light flavour and a dark caramelly crust. Lovely with cheese.
No comments:
Post a Comment