i try solomon's cafe

I really like this place. I really, really like this place. That's all you need to know. You can probably just get away with looking at the pictures from here on in...but if you would like some details then read on...

First things first. Here's the menu.

It's a rare thing to find you'd be happy with anything on a menu. Literally anything. I could've closed my eyes and randomly selected my dish by swirling my finger around then landing it somewhere on the menu. Instead I elected to go for the Solomon's salad of organic chicken breast, quinoa, brown rice, broccoli, almonds and seeds with fresh asian inspired herbs and spices (pictured, $28).

This is a big call, but I'm going to put it out there and say this is one of the best salads I ever had. Ever. It was fresh, a little bit zingy and generous. Highly recommend this one. I was dining with my sister who opted for the entree sized sweet potato gnocchi with a citrus and coriander pesto, served with a side of salted coconuts and assorted seeds (pictured, $18/28).

I've never been a great lover of gnocchi, so I have to admit I was a little sceptical about vegan gnocchi. I did sample one of the little pieces of gnocchi. And. I. Was. Wrong. These fluffy little morsels were delicious. They had a very light breadcrumb coating and were given a good boost of flavour by the pesto. My sister thought they tasted "a bit bready" but I thought they were delicious. We also shared cripsy beetroot chips (pictured, $6).

Looking around it seemed like every other table had ordered beetroot chips. For good reason. They are light, crispy, flavoursome and go well with the fresh orange and salt that accompanies them. 

It's easy to see what these guys are about. Healthy food. Nourishing food. Unprocessed food. It's also worth mentioning that everything on their menu is organic, gluten free, dairy free and sugar free. The staff are exceptionally friendly. Even the chef thanked us as we walked out. The space is that shabby-chic-mixed-with-industrial-cool type fit out. I really like this place. Alot.

Oh, and apparently they do a great brekky.

Solomon's Cafe

487 Beaufort St

Highgate, WA

6003

PH: 08 9328 7995

i try samudra

Samudra can be found in Dunsborough, Western Australia. It's worth a visit if you find yourself in the South West. It is the kind of place where you can feel your body thanking you for the goodness. I've eaten here on a few occasions. The service is always prompt and friendly. The atmosphere always has a  certain 'have a seat, whatever, relax' kind of feel to it. On this occasion I was with Dr Gab. She was visiting WA en route to Darwin. We strolled into Samudra for lunch.

Dr Gab and I decided to share three dishes. The first was one of my favourites on the Samudra menu: The Power Pizza. It is made up of a dehydrated chia seed crusty base topped with tomato marinara sauce and spinach pesto; mushrooms, avocado, soy marinated onions and cashew cheese (pictured, $12.50).

The pizza is small but the dense dehydrated base is quite filling. The sauce is delicious and I was surprised how much I liked the soy marinated onions. It is a really fresh, tasty, light dish. Dr Gab and I also had the Kombi Kofta: Tamari soaked mushroom and nut kofta balls served on leafy greens with a tzatziki dip (pictured, $12.50). 

These were very delicious. I was sceptical but these little balls were nom nom nom. They were a little crumbly but I didn't mind. It meant I couldn't just inhale them. My only problem is that they aren't bigger. Definitely worth a try. For our third dish we got the Kombi Breakdown: A gujarati lentil dahl, with cumin, coriander, fenugreek and mustard seeds, ginger, garlic, chilli and turmeric served with quinoa (pictured, $14).

This had all the characteristics of a decent dahl, although, it seemed a little watery. I liked the addition of quinoa instead of rice. The flavours were subtle and given a little kick with a squeeze of fresh lime. Probably a good choice for the less adventurous. However, when I go to a restaurant as a general rule I tend to order dishes I would probably never make at home. This is something I feel I could easily knock up myself for less than what I'd pay for a daily newspaper.

I return to this place every time I go down south. It's always delicious, healthy, fresh food in a really relaxed, no-fuss environment.



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i try halo espresso

Dr Gab and I meandered down Angelo St in South Perth in search of some brekkie. Halo Espresso is a relatively new addition to the Angelo St strip. It looked trendy enough and seemed quite busy. We ventured in. Dr Gab ordered the vegetarian breakfast with eggs, garlic thyme mushroom, cherry tomatoes, buttered spinach, baked beans and toast (pictured, $16.90). Controversially, Dr Gab added some bacon for an extra $3.

Everything was well-cooked and aptly seasoned. The poached eggs were perfectly runny in the middle.  The bacon wasn't greasy and the tomatoes weren't over-cooked. The serving size was quite generous too. I wasn't in the mood for a cooked breakfast so opted for the home made bircher muesli topped with yogurt and honey. It was just right. Drizzled with a perfect amount of honey and sprinkled with cranberries, slivered almonds and pumpkin seeds it was very moorish. Nom nom nom.  

The service at Halo was prompt and friendly. The decor is very modern and although we didn't ordered coffees on this occasion I am told they are the best on the street. They have a cake/treat cabinet to rival some of the best cafes around too. The rest of the breakfast menu looks like this:

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i try the raw kitchen again

Since my initial visit to The Raw Kitchen in Fremantle I have returned numerous times. If you have read my first post on The Raw Kitchen you will know the first visit didn't go so smoothly.

The sister and I visit fairly regularly now and they seem to have got themselves together. We have had nothing but impeccable service on every visit. The food is always consistently good. We have now tried almost everything on the menu except the raw soup. Love getting a mix of the three salads and a piece of pizza ($17.90, pictured). It's always loaded with fresh herbs, veggies and delicious cashew/macadamia nut cheese. Be warned it's very filling!

And, I know the felafel balls ($16.90, pictured) look small but you won't need to go back for seconds. They too are very filling. Nutty little balls of deliciousness.

As good as the cashew cheese is on the nachos we find entree size is more than enough! The spicy 'refried' walnut and pepita corn chips are delicious. The fresh tomato and avocado balances off the spiciness of the chips nicely. Sadly, they do tend to go soggy quite quickly, so grab some utensils. Don't worry they are still yum ($18.50 for entree, pictured).

I must say I am sad they no longer sell the raw florentines. We were told they were too time consuming. Although I do love everything I have tried on the menu (side note: mango lasso = so so so good), it would be nice to see some new additions at some point. Having said that, I will remain a regular regardless.

i try organicus

Where: Organicus Kitchen and Pantry, Manly

Who: Dr Gab and I

What I ate: Chickpea, quinoa & vegetable tagine w/ prunes, goji berries & saffron yogurt ($16.50/$24.00, pictured)

The verdict: I have to be honest. It looked like chunky vomit with a dollop of yogurt, and I was worried the generous sprinkling of saffron on top would overpower (and ruin) everything. Turns out Mum was right again: never judge a book by it's cover. The dish was full of flavour and the big chunks of zucchini, pumpkin and carrot were all cooked perfectly. This is my kind of meal, that is, loaded with veggies, not drenched in cheese or oozing oil everywhere. I could feel my body thanking me with every mouthful.

What Dr Gab ate: Zucchini, quinoa, mushroom & walnut veggie burger w/ tzatziki, tomato, rocket & homemade chips w/ truffle salt ($16.50, pictured).

The verdict: There is no graceful way to eat a burger. The challenge was made even harder for Dr Gab due to the tough sour dough. Apart from that Dr Gab was pretty happy. She let me have a bite and it was delicious. The patty was a little on the...er...little side but it was moist and flavoursome. The chips looked a lot better than they actually were. They seemed a little underdone. I don't recall tasting truffle in the salt either.

Overall: The service was friendly and swift. The atmosphere was very casual and cool. Great spot for people watching. Nice little indoor green wall installation and plenty of room for everyone! Doggies welcome too! Definitely worth a visit!

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i try organic markets

I'm not a morning person. On a Saturday there's got to be a jolly good reason for me to get out of bed earlier than that time of day when breakfast starts to morph into lunch. Two words: Kylie Kwong.

It was one of those days when the sky is so blue you wish you could put some in your pocket for the drizzly, grey days. We went to check out the Organic Markets, held every Saturday at the Carriage works, Eveleigh.

People casually perused stalls, dogs were meeting and greeting. It was so casual and easy. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, no-one rushing, no pushing. There was fresh fruit and veg, flowers, cheese, juice, muesli, yogurt and lots of other delicious produce. Oh, and there was Kylie Kwong, the genius behind Billy Kwong.

Mama Bear (who you might remember from The Armchair Collective) and Tall-Jess had been saying all morning that Kylie's steamed pancakes were a must-try. After strolling around for a short while we went to the Billy Kwong stall. There front and centre was Kylie busily filling the steamed pancakes with an omelette, shredded carrot, bean sprouts, fresh herbs and dressing (pictured, $10).

Before I go on, I would like to point out that i am not a big fan of pancakes. It's not that i don't like them it's just that if i have the choice between pancakes and anything else I will choose anything else.

These pancakes were worth getting out of bed for! The steamed pancakes themselves were light, the omelette was fluffy and the crispy carrot and bean sprouts provided a nice textural contrast. Mama Bear said some chilli would've made them perfect but given i am still on my chili training wheels to me they were perfect. I am now a fan of Kylie Kwong pancakes. Not pancakes. Kylie Kwong pancakes.

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i try in situ

It had been raining all week. I hadn't seen my shadow for days. At around 2pm on Saturday the rain ceased, the clouds parted and for the first time in what felt like forever, we got to feel the warmth of the sun on our cheeks. Dr Gab and I decided oysters were very much in order. We made our way into Manly and found ourselves at In Situ.

In Situ seems small at first glance but upon closer inspection you'll see a sizeable restaurant area out the back. This place would be ideal on a cold winter's evening, with the warm, orange glow of the lighting and cosy atmosphere. Maybe that's why they've added random palm trees and bamboo...to make it more summery?

Both Dr Gab and I were eager for food but the friendly gentleman told us the kitchen wasn't open till 6 (20 minutes away). No worries! With the cocktails on special for $10 we were happy to put of food in order to put their cocktail menu to the test. They have all the usual suspects on their cocktail menu as well as some clever originals. I have to admit it was difficult to choose. I went with the Lychee Elderflower Martini (Absolut vodka shaken briskly with fresh lychees, citrus and elderflower) and Dr Gab chose the Soviet Kiss (Absolut vodka, fresh raspberries and strawberries citrus, cinnamon topped with sparkling wine). Both were delicious and perfect for the balmy weather. We polished them off quickly and then shifted to the open air section out the back where we perused the food menu and enjoyed the last rays of sunshine as the sky began to turn orange and pink.

We did, of course, choose the Coffin Bay oysters served natural with Nam Jim (pictured, 1/2 doz $18). The oysters were plump and fresh served on a bed of ice with a wedge of lemon. The nam jim was delicious. It had a little kick of chilli and just the right intensity so as not to mask the flavour of the oysters. We liked the nam jim so much we attepted to replicate in the days following our jaunt. Ours was pretty awesome but turns out getting "that balance" right is harder than we thought.


We followed up our oysters with Lightly battered Zucchini flowers with mint and ricotta (pictured, $14). This was mainly to satisfy me, having never had zucchini flowers before. They are the kind of thing you see on Master Chef and say, "We should try that!", but never actually do. They were piping hot when they arrived out our table. Small flakes of salt had been sprinkled over them. Although they were deep fried there was not a hint of grease insight. They were light and crunchy. I couldn't really taste the actual zucchini flowers much but Dr Gab and I concluded they were mainly for aesthetics. Either way, they were yum and I would order them again.



As we waited for our third dish of Cured Ocean Trout Carpaccio, pink grapefruit, baby capers and lemon oil (pictured, $15) Dr Gab recounted stories of all-you-can-eat carpaccio in Noumea. When ours arrived it was a rich, glossy orange laid out perfectly and lovingly topped with a micro herb salad. I really liked this dish. In all honesty though, thinking about it now, I can't recall any pink grapefruit. I certainly didn't miss it at the time. It was a simple, beautiful dish.

In Situ is all about beautifully presented, fresh dishes with subtle flavours, using quality, in season produce. The service was very good without being over bearing. We would've stayed for desert but Dr Gab had made a pit stop at Zumbo so we headed down to the beach to enjoy macaroons. We will come back for desert another day.





If you like the sound of this you will probably like The Armchair Collective.

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i try the raw kitchen

(Note: Read my newest write up on The Raw Kitchen here.)

Tucked away in picturesque Fremantle is a little place called The Raw Kitchen. As the name implies all the food is raw, vegetarian and gluten free. You can read the little speel on their menu at the bottom of this post.

Thelma, Louise and I rendezvoused at The Raw Kitchen at 1.45pm. We were lucky to snag a table because the little kitchen was bustling. Don't worry if you can't get a table because the peeps at The Raw Kitchen are happy to do take-away. Both Thelma and Louise had been here before and thoroughly enjoyed the nachos and the live dips plate. After some quick decisions I approached the counter running through the orders in my head. Pizza, nachos and a club sandwich. Pizza, nachos and a club sandwich. I repeated these words as I waited in line eyeing off a large berry cheesecake in the cabinet nearby.

When I got to the counter I was informed that they had run out of nachos and the pizza would be a 30-60 minute wait. No worries. I switched to an extra club and the felafels. Apparently, they were out of felafels too. I switched to a third Club Sandwich (dehydrated flax cracker 'bread' topped with creamy avocado, raw mayo dressing, mango & coriander chutney, marinated mushroom pieces & fresh salad toppings, pictured, $17.90).

We chatted away, soaking in the midday sun, as we waited for our meals. We then realised that 45 minutes had gone by. Tables nearby that had, not only ordered after us, but had arrived after we had placed our order had received their meals, which happened to be a fresh batch of pizza. Louise went inside to suss the situation out and was told our sandwiches were on the way.


The sandwiches were delicious. I feel like I am doing my body a favour. The ingredients were fresh and flavoursome. Despite essentially being a sandwich full of salad it was far from bland. I couldn't help but notice some inconsistencies in the sandwiches even though we had all ordered the same dish...
We followed our sandwiches by sharing three bliss balls one choc-mint, one chocolate, one jaffa (they had run out of cheesecake). They were all delicious and again I can feel my body thanking me. Word to wise: Don't waste your time with the chocolate or the jaffa, choc-mint is where it's at.

I wouldn't normally post a menu but given we were only able to try one dish i thought i would. I really like this place. Despite the fact that our meal took forever, the service was lacking (almost non-existant) I will definitely go back. I like healthy food and it's nice to know there's no crap in my food. No extra salt, no copious amounts of butter and no "4-cheese dishes". Yep, I'll be back for the nachos...and the pizza...and the felafels. I've also heard good things about the mango lasse!



Here's the menu. Let me know if you manage to try the nachos!







If you like the sound of this you'll definitely like The Greenhouse and my Healthy Biscuits.

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i try the greenhouse

I wont lie, this is not the first time I have tried The Greenhouse. And to be honest, if The Greenhouse were a person I'm pretty sure it would be my soulmate. I really love everything about this restaurant. From the their philosophy to their decor to the way they fill your water glass with a watering can. It is eco-friendly without being preachy or hippie-ish.

On this particular trip I was joined by Louise. Thelma was terribly busy soaking up the sun in Broome. We didn't book, thinking we would be fine rocking up at 6.30pm on a Tuesday night. The Greenhouse, however, was full. The friendly waiter asked if we could wait a moment while he checked to see if he could fit us in. He said he could give us a table but he would need it back by 8. That was fine by me. I usually devour the food at a ridiculously rapid pace anyway.

Now, Louise is vegetarian. And, The Greenhouse does share plates. Trust me though, some of their best plates are the vegetarian ones. We chose a pizza with golden beetroot, goat's curd and rocket (pictured, $15). The size of the pizza is perfect and means you can get other plates without filling up on pizza. It had a thin, crunchy wholemeal base with the perfect amount of all three ingredients. It was simple and proof that simple is delicious.


Our second dish was mixed tomato, curd, wheat, chia seed (pictured, $14). The simplicity of the dish, like a lot of The Greenhouse dishes, means the ingredients have to be topnotch. And they always are. The tomatoes were fresh and rich in flavour. The chia seeds had been mixed with water to form a gel (they absorb up to 12 times their weight in liquid) and drizzled around the plate. The crunchy wheat provided a wonderful textural contrast to the smoothness of the curd and the chia seeds. A generous sprinkling of fresh herbs added an extra dimension of flavour and colour. A perfect spring dish.


For the third dish we ordered pumpkin and chickpea tagine, green chilli yogurt (pictured, $20). It was thick and very tasty. The generous chunks of tender pumkpin and roast capsicum were delicious with the rich tomato-based sauce and the just-crunchy chickpeas. Neither of us were a fan of the chilli yogurt. It was a strange combination and we felt the dish was better off without it. So the blob sat relatively untouched in the centre of the dish.


At this point, we glanced at our watches and noted the time was 7.45pm. We suspected our friendly waitor would want his table back meaning we would have to forego dessert on this occassion. We shall just have to make a return visit. And truthfully, (continuing the 'honesty theme') our bellies were content. Not full. Just very very content.

If you liked this you might also like The Boulevard

i try the armchair collective

The Armchair Collective. What a great name. It sounds like a place where you can lodge yourself in a comfy chair and waste away a lazy afternoon munching on yummy food. The real Armchair Collective wasn't quite that.

The Armchair Collective is a cross between a cafe and a homewares store. There were no comfy couches at all (actually the chairs we sat on were a little uncomfortable). However, the mismatched tables and chairs are dotted in amongst some really lovely and quirky homewares that fill conversation gaps when the silence gets a little much. The visual merchandising is really cool. It's a great place to visit when you're in need of a little inspiration. An old-fashioned white bathtub sits atop a weatherworn wooden table, and is full to the brim with jagged sticks. Fresh flowers dotted throughout the cafe provide stunning perfume.

The Armchair Collective is tucked down by the seaside in Mona Vale, on Sydney's northern beaches. On a crisp, sunny day a unanimous decision amongst the office crew was made to get out and enjoy a lunch at the nearby Armchair Collective. Papa Bear, Peter Pan and The Big Bad Wolf had gone AWOL so it was a girls lunch. The day we chose to go down was smack bang in the middle of school holidays and Armchair don't take bookings. It was a risk. And, it was busy when we got there. One of us must've had luck on our side because we found ourselves a table for eight straight away. That's where the luck ended...

We sussed out the menu and went to the counter to place our order. Baby Bear and Mama Bear were first to order and decided on the Green Leaf Salad with Roast Pumpkin, Pear, Walnuts and Goats Cheese ($15). No problems there. Thumbelina ordered the Sesame Bagel with Smoked Ocean Trout, Neufchatel Cream Cheese and Baby Capers ($15). The lad behind the counter said there were no bagels left but they could make it with any other bread she liked. Ok, no worries, we can deal with that. Rapunzel went for the BRT and was told there was none of those left either. Apparently it was a "really busy breakfast". She switched to the "bagel".

Fairy Godmother, Goldilocks and Little Red Riding Hood went for the salad as well. However, they were told the kitchen had run out of pumpkin but they could make a salad with roasted asparagus and heirloom tomatoes instead of pumpkin. Goldilocks switched to the Leek and Bacon Soup. Fairy Godmother and Little Red Riding Hood stuck with the salad (pictured below).

As it happened even Mama Bear and Baby Bear were given the improvised tomato/asparagus salad despite that their order for the pumpkin salad being given the ok. The salad got the thumbs up from all who ordered it. Even Baby Bear polished it all off and she doesn't even like asparagus! I forgot to ask Goldilocks how her soup was but I heard her say something about "just right".
I went for the Roasted Vegetable Frittata with Leaf Salad ($16, pictured below). The portion sizes with all our meals were very generous. My golden frittata was packed with pumpkin, silverbeet and feta so despite it's enormous size it didn't fill me up, meaning I still had room for chips. My side salad was dressed with a sweet honey dressing that almost over-powered the delicious heirloom tomatoes. Just as well I have a sweet tooth I suppose.


Mama Bear and Fairy Godmother also two large buckets of 'Skin On' Hand Cut Chips and Harissa Mayonnaise ($7 each, below). They were delicious and beautifully golden. And, of course, I felt a bit healthy given they were 'skin-on'. The harissa mayonaisse gave them a nice creamy kick of chilli but I actually preferred them without the mayonaisse.

Given half the menu was missing, it was probably just as well the food was delicious and the service was prompt and friendly (although Baby Bear did have to go looking for her iced chocolate). And, how can you not like a place that serves it's iced chocolates in big old-school milk bottles?

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i try the boulevard

It was quite a sad evening. In two days I would be gone. On a plane and gone...well...for a while. So The Boss, Smalls and I went to The Boulevard for one last hurrah. The Boulevard is located where The Floreat Hotel used to be. The decor is nice and sophisticated without being wanky or arrogant. We were given the choice of sitting inside or outside and then shown to our table. Our waitress was friendly and helpful. We did ask a lot of wine-related questions. For each question she happily strolled away somewhere and found the answer. The Boulevard has a good, solid selection of wines so it's understandable that she didn't know everything about every bottle but a basic knowledge of grape variety is probably necessary. Just saying...We ended up sharing a bottle of Jamsheed 'Pepe Le Pinot' Pinot Noir ($45).

Smalls and The Boss had been to The Boulevard on previous occasions. The menu is divided up into several sections: "To Share", "Pizza", "Mains", "Salads" and (of course) "dessert". It is nice that they are trying to cater to all levels of hunger. However, sometimes it is dificult to pinpoint what that level is, or whether the occasion is an entree-main-dessert type occassion or more of a share-and-share-and-share type occasion. We decided to do a combo of the two and share an entree of salt and pepper squid with lemon aioli ($16.50, pictured), then order individual mains.

I have a penchant for salt and pepper squid and have seen some very interesting looking versions of the dish. So, I'll be honest. This squid didn't look that great on the plate. The plate was enormous and the squid rings were quite small. It certainly wasn't love at first sight. But as we began to nibble away at it I realised why they say "never judge a book by its cover". And, although the squd rings were strangely small they were tender, the batter was light and crispy and the aoili had the perfect amount of garlic. I could've easily devoured the whole plate myself.

Our mains arrived shortly after our squid. There was no way Smalls was ever going to pass up gnocci. On this particular occassion it was accompanied by crispy skin barramundi ($36.50, pictured).

As the menu promised the skin on the Barramundi was lovely and crispy and the flesh cooked as fish should be. It was surrounded by plump, golden pillows of home-made gnocci. I'm not a gnocci person but Smalls is the gnocci guru. She gave it her tick of approval.

To be honest I can't for the life of me remember what The Boss ordered. But it looked like this:

I think it was duck. Or maybe chicken. Either way it was cooked beautifully. The Boss said it was lovely and juicy. And the seasonal vegie salad on the side was simple, colourful and also cooked beautifully. All the vegies had just a slight crunch and were lightly coated in a subtle dressing. My dish was chicken salad with vermicelli noodles, purple cabbage, roast capsicum, lime and coriander (pictured below).

It was a massive serve. They were generous with the chicken. And the noodles. There were a lot of noodles. And, to me vermicelli noodles don't really taste like anything. They are a good addition but should not be the key ingredient. Other than that it was exactly what I felt like. It was fresh and perfect for the balmy evening it was. The dressing was also rather delicious.

I have to admit I wasn't that impressed with the dessert menu. It's not that I'm not a dessert person. No no. I'm a dessert person through and through. But there was nothing on the menu that jumped out at me. I would've happily passed and found sweets elsewhere. But Smalls and The Boss decided on dessert anyway.

We switched back to our original arrangement and decided to share spanish doughnuts, chocolate sauce, vanilla anglaise ($14.50) and creme brulee ($14.50, pictured). The desserts came out in good time. I couldn't help but laugh at the spanish doughnuts. They were the ugliest things I had ever seen. They were huge. I've had churros before and The Boulevard's version didn't match the original. They were alright. Nothing to write home about. The serving was definitely too much for one. Between the three of us we didn't finish them. The anglaise was absolutely delicious. The doughnuts: average. But the creme brulee...oh the creme brulee. It was amazing. Our spoons cracked through the crunchy coating of sugar. It was delicious, rich and creamy without being sickly. Forget the doughnuts. Stick with the brulee.

It was probably just as well the brulee was so good. As we said goodbyes the delicious flavour of the brulee still lingered. It was still sad. We agreed that next we would test the pizza. I smiled knowing that "next time" would be quite a while away....and...next time I'll just get a serve of squid and a brulee and I'll be set.

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