Paper Plane Cafe, Parramatta

Call it a first world problem but how rare is it to find a cute and cozy cafe with friendly staff and absolutely delicious food outside of Petersham/Newtown/Surry Hills/Marrickville/Redfern?! You can see why I was super excited to find a sweet cafe like Paper Plane! Imagine a space which immediately makes you feel relaxed the moment you walk in, as if it had always been a place familiar to you. Add a bunch of mismatched wooden and metallic chairs with a mixture of pine and black table tops complementing the pine shelving and blue coffee cups. Then add two vintage bikes, some fresh flowers and plants which line the ceiling and adorn the tables...all in all, the space was warmly reminiscent of dreamy spring days. I was particularly drawn to the back wall which doubled as a blackboard. It not only listed the breakfast specials for the week and an abridged version of the menu but also a fun space of a weekly tip board!

Another plus side of this cafe was the extensive menu with sooooo many burgers to choose from! There are the safe options such as the cheeseburger, vegie burger or beef burger with the lot. But what stood out were the more 'adventurous' options with ingredients such as a coffee rubbed beef patty and peanut butter! I decided to order the signature Paper Plane Burger. Honestly, I was a bit hesitant to try it at first because peanut butter has always been one of my favourite spreads and I definitely didn't want a bad experience with it! However, it turned out to be one of the most delicious and satisfying burgers I've had! Each bite was an absolute delight with well-seasoned, juicy grilled beef patty, crispy bacon, melted cheese, fresh tomato and lettuce combined with a lashing of peanut butter one half of the brioche bun and a dash of barbecue sauce on the other. The 'bad boys' turned out to be very crispy chunky chips similar to the texture of wedges which were seasoned with chicken salt. An excellent side to a very yummy burger!

Paper Plane Burger - Beef patty, peanut butter, bacon,
lettuce & tomato on a brioche bun with a side of bad boys $12.90

This cafe also had a wide selection of cold and hot beverages from milkshakes to teas. I decided to try the peach melba ice tea which came served in a vintage glass.  It was a bit too sweet for me but definitely refreshing, slightly floral and very fruity!

Peach Melba Ice Tea - Peach pieces, hibiscus, apple pieces,
elderberries & sunflowers with fresh mint & mint leaves $5

So, I can see why this cafe is already listed in the good cafe guide, even though it only opened early 2014! Clearly, the owners understand what the public want - somewhere that is homely serving super tasty food! Now to recruit some friends so I can try more of the menu! Hehe :)

Paper Plane

5/2 Horwood Place, Parramatta

Mon - Fri: 8am - 3pm

Sat - Sun: 9am - 3pm

 

The Copper Mill, Alexandria

For many, a rainy winters day is best spent with a cup of tea indoors preferably under a blanket or by a fireplace reading a good book or watching a movie classic. There definitely must be a top notch reason  to venture out into the cold and wet weather! A visit to The Copper Mill in Alexandria is one such place. Although it was windy walking from St Peters station, the cafe was very inviting with the warmth and homely smells wafting from the open kitchen! I loved the decor of the wooden tables, concrete floors, exposed pipes which reflected the industrial area of Alexandria but also had the homely soft touches of fresh flowers on each table.

On Sundays, The Copper Mill offers an all day brunch menu offering a delightful mix of tantalising ingredients which are perfect for winter such as halloumi and mushrooms! 

The galette was incredibly flavoursome and simply the best comfort food. It was like eating a deconstructed pie with the flaky puff pastry of the galette gently balancing the soft (but not mushy!) spiced sweet pumpkin and halloumi . The creaminess of the yolk from the poached egg sitting on top brought the dish very nicely together.    

Galette - Puffed galette with spiced pumpkin, peas,
halloumi, coriander and a poached egg $13.50

The beef hash was also an excellent choice for comfort food. It looked so pretty with the assortment of fresh leafy greens on top, sweet baby radish which contrasted nicely with the beef and potatoes. The aromatically spiced flavoursome beef brisket had a slightly crunchy texture was a great combination with the perfectly soft potatoes. The dish simply made me just feel warm and fuzzy inside! 

Beef Hash - beef brisket, potato hash, caramelised onion, za'atar and a poached egg $15.00

Coffee here was good with the option of single origin coffee too. A rather pleasantly roasted flavour, not too strong or bitter.

Cappuccino

All in all, a delightful rustic cafe which serves simply delicious comfort food paired with good coffee. A much warmer and intimate feel to the cafe scene in Alexandria, perfect for a date or catchup. May be difficult for larger groups as there aren't many long tables.  

The Copper Mill
Suite B 338-356 Mitchell Rd, Alexandria
Mon - Fri 7am - 4pm
Sat 8am - 4:30pm
Sun 8:30am - 3pm

        

Manchester Press, Melbourne CBD

If I were ever to own a cafe, I would like to open one just like Manchester Press! I loved the chilled out, friendly and casual atmosphere of this cafe. I loved their consistent theme of a workshop feel with large shared tables that are old work benches and the staff wearing industrial aprons. And I loved that they are serious about their coffee, roasting their own beans!

Manchester Press is best known for their bagels with so many varieties to choose from whether you like yours sweet or savoury! On that day, the fruit and nut bagel sounded so appealing to me simply because I couldn't resist anything with berries and pistachio! And yes when I tried it, I was not disappointed at all. It was like eating a very fresh and fruity cheesecake (but with a bagel base). The mascarpone was deliciously creamy and smooth with the juiciness and sourness of fresh berries, perfectly combined with a spice laden bagel. The pistachio nut shavings added another level of texture of subtle crunchiness to the dish.  

Fruit and Nut Bagel - with mix berry mascarpone, fresh raspberries and pistachio nut $13

My friend ordered the apple and muscatel bircher. Say goodbye to boring old breakfast porridge, this bircher was super tasty with a delightful mix of apples, almonds, sour rhubarb and crunchy sesame clusters.  

Apple & Muscatel Bircher - with stewed rhubarb and honey sesame clusters $12

Lastly the coffee. Definitely this place delivered the best coffee while I was in Melbourne. Robust and aromatic...it was a divine blend and roast indeed! Notice also the whimsical touches of latte art too, definitely felt like the coffee was made with such love! 

Cappuccino $3.50

So out of the three cafes I visited while I was in Melbourne, this was by far my favourite with delicious fresh food and rich coffee, chillaxed vibe and simply perfect for any occasion whether it is a date or a girly catchup! The downside is that some may find the menu rather limited as it's mostly all bagels! 

Manchester Press

8 Rankins Lane, Melbourne

Mon - Fri: 7am - 5pm

Sat - Sun: 9am - 5pm

Birdman Eating, Fitzroy

Experimental. Quirky. That's the menu at Birdman Eating which rethinks common breakfast dishes and transforms it into something delicious, drawing from influences around the world. Want porridge? Try it with coconut and quinoa, banana and dark palm sugar. Feel like toasted banana bread? Try it with a chocolate hazelnut emulsion. How about French toast....which will be served with kaiserfleisch, a type of German ham and orange pekoe, a type of black tea? Interestingly, the baked eggs for the day was a Thai chicken with bok choy! A huge difference from the mainstream tomato based sauces for baked eggs these days!

Walking into Birdman Eating was like stepping back in time to an old school yet familiar bar. Old wine bottles adorned the walls, cleanly matched with the dark wooden tables.

I decided to be a little adventurous and ordered the 'Gran Cerdo' Black Pudding, wishing to try how dried pig's blood might taste in a sausage! I mean, pig's blood is a common dish served at yum cha restaurants as a jelly with chives. I guess I just wanted to taste the difference in cooking style and see which one works better! The portion size of this dish was generous and came accompanied with poached eggs, apple and tomato chutney and 'bubble and squeak' (aka traditional British dish of shallow fried leftover vegies after a roast dinner). Black pudding was a surprise to my tastebuds - it was slightly gelatinous and sticky, probably because it retained the property of blood but the same time incredibly rich in flavour and comforting to eat. I still prefer how the Chinese cook their pigs blood maybe as the texture doesn't resemble blood as much! The highlight though of this dish was the delicious apple and tomato chutney that is made onsite! It was tangy and sweet and went beautifully with the toast! The 'bubble and squeak' consisted of cauliflower, potato and onion which were all beautifully caramelised and cooked perfectly - an excellent accompaniment to the bold taste of the blood sausage.

'Gran Cerdo' Black Pudding with poached eggs & 'bubble and squeak' $17

My friend had the ricotta hotcakes, ideal comfort food for a cold day. The hotcakes were fluffy with a nice balance of sweetness. Good combination of texture too with the creaminess of the peanut butter, crunchiness of the roast almond, sweetness of the banana and maple syrup. She didn't seem wowed by the dish though, saying she could have made better hotcakes herself. Looking at her small dollop of icecream, I probably would've wished for more because it was the best part of the dish!

Ricotta Hotcakes with confit banana, peanut butter icecream & maple syrup $15

My cappuccino had a rich flavour and enticing aroma but comparatively not as robust as I had hoped. And if latte art is an important factor for your coffee, this coffee was not as "pretty" as other cafes!

Cappuccino $3.50

All in all, I would recommend a visit to Birdman Eating, especially for the food and for an intimate setting, perfect for a catchup with friends!

Birdman Eating
238 Gertrude St, Fitzroy
Mon - Fri 7am - 5pm
Sat - Sun 8am - 5pm