The Vogue Cafe

The power of social media, honestly, was what introduced us to this cafe. Tucked in a corner near the Level 2 carpark is The Vogue Cafe, first brought to my attention by my flatmate who showed me a photo of a really outrageous looking drink on Instagram.

We chose a weekend to have a flatmate day out to try these fancy drinks. Our verdict was that the milkshake ones were like a meal on their own, the juice ones were more refreshing and would go better with dishes if planning to have a meal.

Like this glass/jar of chocolate-rimmed shake - there was nutella, passionfruit and macadamia nuts, so by the end of this, there was no need to eat.

The sugar-rimmed old-fashioned lemonade and raspberry quencher, on the other hand, were refreshing combinations to go with meals.

And of course, they do coffee there, too. I prefer their juices to their coffees, but that's just me.

Each time I visit them, I try to order different things on the menu. So far, I have only had things from their breakfast menu, like this fruity french toast topped with berry compote and greek yoghurt. Because it is overflowing with lots of compote, there is a need to eat it quickly because it would be soggy otherwise.

There is the simple TVC mix up, their creamy scrambled eggs tossed with feta and basil served on toasted linseed sourdough.

The benny dict has two poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, a sprinkle of chives served on a cibatta bread with ham and smoked salmon.

The TVC big brekky is made up of two eggs, grilled bacon rasher, grilled tomato, sautéed mushrooms, sausage, hash brown and baguette. Nat had to add quite a bit of salt so I am guessing that it was not flavourful enough.

And when a cafe has outrageous drinks, it is only apt that they match those drinks with outrageous dessert. Elaborately dressed cronuts, anyone?

The Vogue Cafe
Shop 68 Level 2, Macquarie Shopping Centre, North Ryde, NSW 2113, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9887 2570, Mob: +61 414 440 009
Daily 7:30am to 5:00pm (9:00pm on Thursday)

Lane Cove National Park

I am very lucky that in Sydney, I live near national parks. The nearest would be Lane Cove National Park, which if I feel like doing heaps of exercise, I could walk to or when I don't feel like it, I take a bus.

Although I live close by, I have visited the park only twice. For me, the highlights of the park include the weir:

Weir across the Lane Cove River

The riverside walking track that had us walking on sand, on rocks, in between rocks, uphill, downhill, on boardwalks:

The resident ducks, brush turkeys and other feathered friends:

The various wild flowers and interesting plants:

Haha, lingzi anyone?

Paku!

Heart-shaped leaf of a Bodhi tree

And of course, the Boat Shed where boats and kayaks are available for rent:

Snag Stand Macquarie Shopping Centre

The gradual revamping of Macquarie Shopping Centre has seen more eateries being opened. One of those places is a fancier version of the American hotdog stand - Snag Stand, a haute dog stand. Or at least, that was my impression of it.

Apparently, the meat they use is gluten-free with no artificial flavours nor colours and is supplied by some of Australia's best artisan butchers, such as Rodriguez Bros, AC Butchery and Blackforest Smokehouse.

Obviously, they serve hot dogs. Of multiple nationalities, really. Spanish, American, German, Aussie. Take your pick.

I tried a Chick Next Door ($9.90), a burger of grilled chicken breast with fresh avocado, cos lettuce, tomato, Spanish onion, and fresh aioli. I could have added bacon for an extra dollar but decided not to this time.

I really enjoyed it, surprisingly, which means there would be a second visit to try other burgers. And then there was the Chilling ($8.90).

Was not as spicy as I was hoping for it to be but this all natural Frankfurter with chilli beef sauce, onions, cheddar cheese and roasted chilli peppers on a toasted brioche roll was not too bad.

I was really looking forward to tasting the chilli cheese fries ($7.90), a bowlful of chilli beef sauce served on chips, topped with cheese, chipotle aioli and paprika. Just looking at it was making me salivate and perhaps, I should have consumed it right away because by the time we finished our dog and burger, the chips were soggy from all the oil absorbed from the bottom of the bowl. 

Next round would see me try their onion rings and milkshakes.

Snag Stand Macquarie Shopping Centre
Level 4, Corner Herring and Waterloo Road, North Ryde, NSW 2112, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9887 2837

Piccolo Me @ Australian Hearing Hub

When the new Australian Hearing Hub building opened, we were wondering if it would also house some new places for food. And to hide from supervisors. Before I could find out, I went on my summer holiday. And when I returned, Kel asked, "Hey SJ, have you been to Piccolo Me? That's where we go for our coffee now."

Ah, so, the famous Piccolo Me from the city has opened a branch in the north. And how lucky am I to have them in my own backyard, literally a 5 minute stroll from the office - not sure if it is a good or bad thing, really.

I have tried some of the pastry, sweet and savoury ones:

Needless to say, every visit there is to have some form of coffee or chai (for me on most days):

And to have this, the Nutellagato:

Exclusively served at Piccolo Me (like duh, they created it) the Nutellagato is basically Nutella and vanilla ice-cream, double ristretto (in a syringe!) with chocolate flakes and crushed hazelnuts. Now this is a shot I do not mind taking any time!

Piccolo Me @ Australian Hearing Hub
16 University Avenue, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9889 2964

Grill'd Healthy Burgers @ Macquarie Shopping Centre

The shopping centre across the road from uni has been undergoing many changes in the past year. It still is but has not stopped us from frequenting the place for food.

One of the newer places is Grill'd, a healthy burger place that makes their burgers fresh to order on a flame grill. You are able to taste that slightly charcoal taste in the meat and is definitely a healthier way to cook the meat than using a hot plate.

We were contemplating on whether to share one burger (because their burgers are huge) but the bushwalking made our bodies tell our minds to order our own burgers. I ordered a Sweet Chilli Chicken burger ($10.50), which comprised of grilled chicken breast, beetroot, shredded carrot, salad, relish and sweet chilli mayo. I liked the sweet and sour taste of the mayo and was a happy girl to be chewing on crispy fresh greens. I also liked how I could tell that the chicken breast was grilled and how my wholemeal buns were still warm when served.

She ordered a Mustard & Pickled! burger ($11.50), grilled grass-fed lean beef, Dijon mustard, dill pickle, taste cheese, salad and relish. It took her a long time to finish it and she, too, liked the warm buns. She's a pickle person so naturally, she really enjoyed this burger.

They are visible from the main entrance of the shopping complex, situated on your left as you walk in, next to Max Brenner. Would be a hit with the students from uni.



Grill'd Healthy Burgers @ Macquarie Shopping Centre
Level 4, Shop 404D, Macquarie Shopping Centre, Corner Herring & Waterloo Roads, North Ryde, NSW 2113, Australia.
Tel: +61 2 9888 7700
Daily 11:00am to 10:00pm

Noble Terrace Chinese Restaurant

Normally, when we visit this part of North Ryde, we dine at Praram Thai across the road. In all honestly, I have not really noticed the existence of a Chinese restaurant.

When Aunty suggested, we thought why not since we have never tried their food before. We were greeted politely and were shown to a table. Aunty likes ordering entree so we had a plateful of deep-fried usuals, such as wonton, spring roll and what not.

Hotpot beancurd was what I asked for to share. We finished it to the last drop of sauce in the pot.

The stir-fried vegetables with funghi was a refreshing light dish.

Not quite sure why we decided on sour and spicy pork ribs but we did and we did not regret. It had a good balance of sourness and spiciness.

We also enjoyed the almond prawns. The crunchiness of the baked almonds on the outside of the batter paired with the tender prawn meat inside was addictive. I kept taking more pieces.

And because they served complementary ice-cream, Shan and I had a scoop each - mixed berry and vanilla.

I did not take note of their pricing but from memory, the amount we paid was reasonable. The place was packed halfway through our meal and perhaps because that group of waitstaff was the more experience group, we had quick and responsive service. They were also clean, brightly lit and spacious, unlike some Chinese restaurants.



Noble Terrace Chinese Restaurant
11/203-213 Coxs Road, North Ryde, NSW 2113, Australia
Tel: +61 2 9887 3788
Open daily for lunch and dinner