Paleo Cafe - Bondi Junction

ESPECIALLY if you've been living in a cave, you would have heard of the Paleo lifestyle or way of eating (See what I did there hehe).

A Paleo or Primal lifestyle refers to living as humans "presumably" lived in the paleolithic era. I wont pretend to be an expert, but the diet itself involves eating plenty of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables & nuts, while trying to avoid all processed foods, dairy, sugars, grains or just generally those foods with a high glycemic load.

Although the way I eat aligns fairly closely with this lifestyle during the week, i'm not quite ready for the whole haul and really enjoy the occasional piece of bread or potato and love my morning oats & granola. It is still a way of eating i find has some really very good points as it encourages the consumption of good fats, leafy greens and meats, along with many other healthy foods, but I have also seen it referred to as a fad diet, which is quite true, as by definition that includes cutting out any major food groups.

Anyway.. I digress..

This morning I caught up with a good friend for breakfast in Bondi Junction. When she suggested the Paleo Cafe, I was keen to try it out, as i had been since i saw it floating around social media.

We both ordered the free range eggs (poached) and avocado on paleo toast, although what is in the toast is not described in any detail.

The meal was presented quite well, although I thought that almost a full avocado was possibly a bit much for one portion. The eggs were tasty & the toast was ok, not that I had much to compare it to as this was my first time forraying into the area. My friend who has followed the lifestyle for some time, was much less of a fan.

After being won over by Palate's, Soy Chai Latte last week, I thought i'd try their version with coconut milk.

To be honest it was just horrible, one of the worst coffees I have ever had. It was WAY too milky & with really only a hint of cinnamony taste. I dont know if it was the use of coconut milk too, but the seperation that occured between liquids at the bottom of my coffee, made it look even less appealing.

I then tried a Refresh Juice, which had Apple, Lime, Mint & Coconut Water. Again, i wasn't really blown away, it was pretty average. Alot of fluff and not much substance.

 

Would I go back? Maybe. Some of the other items that came out to those around us looked pretty good (including the paleo pancakes), and they have a pretty big variety of options, for lunch too - (see full menu here) But witha variety of other great healthy options in the Eastern Suburbs, I certainly wont be rushing back.

My Melbourne Foodgasm

Long time no speak my beautiful friends!

Over the last weekend, I had the joy of visiting gorgeous Melbourne with my lovely husband! Ahhh holidays and the joy of disposable income.

It was a very luxurious weekend of pure overindulgence. Although I ate and drank waaaay too much I was lucky enough to visit some very special places to eat.

As you would already know, I am a bit of a foodie (ok I am obseesed with food!!) and as much as possible, attempt to live a healthy lifestyle and I love to try new things. I did a fair bit of research to make sure I got the most out of my trip, and dragged my hubby along to some different places - with the promise of great food, but without telling him the scary words like raw, organic or vegan!

Here are some of my best recommendations.

*note - i didn't realise I would be including this on my blog at the time, so didn't take the greatest food pictures or many of the interior of the places. I also didn't really spend too much time rating the coffee either (hey-whatever it was, it was better than Sydney) .

Sails on the bay - Elwood
http://sailsonthebay.com.au

We were lucky enough to be staying with a lovely family friend, who took us out for a special evening on Saturday. He tried to get us in to Stokehouse, but they could only fit us in at a ridiculously early hour for a short period of time, so the runner up was Sails on the bay! but I can certainly say it was hardly a runner up.

Surrounded by glass, the restaurant which sits right on the beach has beautiful views, particularly as the sun goes down. 

Sunset at Sails on the bay

The interior is set beautifully and the staff are incredibly helpful and friendly

For the entree, I went with the Asparagus and Spring Green Salad, Pea Puree & Quail Egg. Admittedly when I was younger I HATED greens. I had to hold my nose and try and swallow them whole, downing them with water, just so that I could get dessert! When I moved out and started making my own meals and realised there was different ways to prepare them and they eventually have become a staple, to the point where i struggle to have a meal if there isn't something a little green on my plate. It was delicious! The asparagus (which is often over or under cooked) was done perfectly.

For the Main, I found it very hard to choose, but eventually I went with the grilled local bay snapper, soba noodle & wakame salad and seared scallops with champagne vinaigrette. It was phenomenal. I am not kidding! The fish was moist and the scallops were literally the best I have ever had (and I ordered them at Aria in Sydney!)

* note - I also had one of the most gorgeous wines I have ever tried with dinner ( I know, not the healthiest thing ever, but hey I was on holidays!!) I am absolutely no wine connoisseur by any means, but it was fresh and had a slightly fruity after taste. I highly recommend the 2012 Leeuwin Estate 'Art Series' Sauvignon Blanc Margaret River WA. 

Birdman Eating - Fitzroy
http://birdmaneating.com.au

EXHAUSTED on Sunday morning, we got up a little late, and made the trip by train to Fitzroy, to try a small cafe called Birdman Eating. Its a small little place with some exquisite decorations hung from the ceiling and a real warm and comfortable interior.

My husband will attest that I am a huge fan of "brunch" - which lets face it, is just a lazy mans breakfast (and these guys serve it til 5pm - winning!!). So with a menu that included things such as Coffee Panacotta with cocoa granola and milk sorbet, Sourdough toast with Birdman 'blueberry, licorice root & pinot noir' jam, Brioche french toast with marmalade glazed Kaiserfleisch, orange pekoe & maple syrup, or an Omelete with thyme roasted wild mushrooms and whipped persian fetta - it was a huge dilemma for me to make a choice!  

On a slightly chilly, brisk Melbourne morning, I decided to go with something warm (and having had a savoury breakfast the day before and the fact I have a crazy sweet tooth) my choice was the coconut quinoa porridge with banana and dark palm sugar. It was yummy, just sweet enough and very filling, with just the right amount of banana!

I must admit to mild food envy when my hubby's breakfast arrived though.  He ordered the ricotta pancakes with confit caramalized banana, peanut butter (my weakness!) icecream and maple syrup! I snuck in a bite (or two) and it was definitely as good as it looked!

The serving sizes were relatively moderate compared to some of the huge portion sizes available these days.. But that was probably a good thing considering where we were off to for lunch.

Yong Green Food - Fitzroy

After a long morning, lazing around at brunch (hehe) and visiting the "Designing 007 - 50 years of Bond style" exhibit at the Melbourne Museum (Which is open until February 23, 2014 and a must see for big fans of the films) we walked a little more to a place on Brunswick street called Yong Green Food. This quaint little place is literally a blink and you might miss. It caters for a variety of different tastes and needs with many raw, organic, vegan, vegetarian and gluten free menu options. 

It is a lovely place, with a nice atmosphere. The staff were very friendly and helpful and we were fed very quickly, which in my eyes is always a plus.

I started with a fresh cold drink, raspberry blended with a herbal tea of some kind (as i mentioned, didn't take very comprehensive notes as i didn't realise I would blog about it at the time) and chia seeds. It was refreshing, thirst quenching and sweet. For someone trying to drink less of that horrible artificial diet soft drink crap, it was a nice change.

My man decided to "go with it" and as an almost exclusive carnivore, tried a meat free option. The Chickpea korma with brown rice, which I can report, got very positive reviews!

I have started to become quite fascinated with the concept of raw foods, so the huge menu was intimidating and I found it incredibly hard to choose between the mouth watering options. On a recommendation from my waiter - I went with the Rawsagna, and I have to say it blew my mind! It was beautifully presented and tasted fresh and delicious. It was a mix of layered zucchini with mushrooms, avocado, cashew cream and raw walnut bolgnese. 

As I think I have mentioned once or twice, I often think with my sweet tooth and not my brain! So I couldn't leave without trying something from the dessert menu. We eventually decided on the Chocolate Cheesecake (which was raw, organic and gluten free). It was made from Cashew, coconut oil, agave, almonds, sunflower seeds, sultana, dates and coconut! Lets just say it was heaven on a plate and is making me more determined to get my hands on a high powered blender/food processor - are you listening Santa?

Brunetti - Lygon Street
http://brunetti.com.au

Ok, I preface this part of the post with the fact that this is not healthy even in the slightest. I just couldn't leave it out of my Melbourne Food Review. 

Brunetti is predominantly a coffee and cake shop on Lygon street, although it also serves regular meals. Its marvelous and incredible fit out with a tall ceiling and long glass casing filled with extravagant and exquisite Italian patisserie items was enough to make this girls draw drop to the floor.

A friend took us to visit on a Saturday night and this well known place literally had people piling out onto the street, not a spare table in site. We decided on the gelato and a jaffa chocolate orange tart (that embarrassingly was devoured before I could take a photo) was rich and decadent. I think I am still trying to burn off the calories..

Palate - Prahan
http://palate.com.au

On the last morning of our holiday, we slept in as long as possible, missed a few trains and eventually got a cab into Prahan.

Luckily for us Palate Restaurant & Bar offers an ALL DAY BREAKFAST! - Yes this may be my dream.

Enjoying the sun while Sydney suffered
through torrential rain
#SunnySelfie

On quiet little Greville Street - beside from the occasional passing train that is.. We indulged in one final binge before going home and immediately starting that diet I've been promising to do all year.

Palate caters for the increasingly popular paleo diet, has big fresh juices and smoothies, and I can confirm, had one of the most delicious coffees I have tasted.






Again a serious case of food envy when my food partner in crime received his meal. Avocado and fetta on Sourdough, with a side of bacon, because, well who needs a reason for bacon?

I went with the slightly healthier option of the yoghurt pot. Vanilla bean and honey yoghurt layered with berries and toasted maple oat crumble. Both of which were just delicious.

To wash it down, I ordered the "Refresher Juice" - Pineapple, Apple, Watermelon & Mint, and James had the "Frappe" – Double Espresso, Ice, Vanilla Ice Cream (no wonder he wasn't hungry at lunch time)

When we were leaving, I ordered a take away coffee - a soy chai latte, and it was probably the best coffee I had all weekend.

There were so many other places that I really wanted to try, so I think another trip is soon on the cards. 

I have also decided that I am going to start spending a little more time on my blog again. 

I always want to try new healthy food options around Sydney (or when travelling) and I spend a fair bit of time researching and trawling through Google trying to find the best. So hopefully if I can put a lot of things in one place it will help other people who want to make healthy decisions when they are out.