Cremeria de Luca, Five Dock

It was my sister's birthday this weekend and what better way to celebrate it than with our favourite dessert of all time - gelato! She's been very keen to try Cremeria de Luca in Five Dock for a while now, famous for their gelato burgers and granita!

Walking into the store, it is a relaxed environment reminiscent of an old workshop. There is a definitely a family feel to the place with the staff eager to serve you one of their sweet delights. I'm particularly fond of the antique gelato cart to the side which is a reminder of the history behind the gelato served here, originally sold in Sicily back in 1937 by the first de Luca!

There is no shortage of drink choices at Cremeria de Luca with an extensive list of coffees, teas, chocolate drinks, gelato drinks, Sicilian drinks, lemonades and so on. Plenty to eat as well with savoury options and of course lots of sweets including the iris (traditional fried Sicilian bun filled with custard, ricotta or nutella) or cannolo. But my sister and I were here for the gelato. There were so many choices on offer from pistachio, rose to cinnamon! After much deliberation, we decided to get the arancino paired with cinnamon gelato and Sicilian ricotta cheesecake gelato burger!

The gelato burger was served first, arriving on a wooden platter. I've never tasted a fluffier sweet bun which matched so well with the gelato inside. The Sicilian ricotta cheesecake gelato was surprisingly lighter than we expected, with a strong nutty and orange peel flavour and fragments of chocolate and nuts inside. An indulgence that was quickly finished in less than 3 minutes! There was an option to add nutella and cream to your order for extra decadence but we decided against it, thinking it might be too rich for us. 

Gelato Burger with one scoop of Sicilian ricotta cheesecake gelato $7.50

Within a few minutes, the arancino arrived which is a rice pyramid filled with nutella! The rice ball is deep fried so it is decadently crunchy on the outside yet sweet and fluffy on the inside. Once you pair the arancino with the gelato, you could say this dessert is a mashup of a deconstructed deep fried icecream and a Chinese sweet rice dumpling. I never thought nutella would work on anything other than bread or pastry so I was impressed how it paired up! Personally, I enjoyed the cinnamon gelato more than the ricotta cheesecake flavour and I definitely would recommend it with the arancino.

Arancino with cinnamon gelato $6.50

As someone who loves gelato, Cremeria de Luca is highly recommended. They have long opening hours too which means you can come here almost any time whether for an afternoon snack or post dinner dessert! I'm eager to try the other gelato flavours as well or even maybe one of their traditional drinks! Now to recruit some buddies to join me...! :)

Cremeria de Luca

84 Ramsay Road, Five Dock 

Tue - Thu: 11:00am - 10:00pm

Fri - Sat: 9:00am - 11:00pm

Sun: 9:00am - 8:00pm

Salvage Specialty Coffee, Artarmon

For someone who spends most of the week indoors, in an area without any windows whatsoever, Salvage is a delightful change of scenery. Imagine sitting outdoors under a big umbrella, soaking in the beautiful gorgeous sunshine, enjoying a delicious fresh meal and a good cup of coffee with a dear friend...such a relaxing start to the weekend!

Now with 'specialty coffee' in its name, you definitely expect some exceptional coffee. And yes, Salvage actually listed the origin for their coffee beans, displayed on a huge blackboard next to the coffee machine. When I visited, the blend was 66% Guatemala Santa Isabel and 33% Ethiopia Kolowa...which means nothing to me, other than the fact they are super keen to perfect the taste of their coffee with the right ratio of beans. And honestly, when my cappuccino arrived, I was rather disappointed that it was only just warm. Such a shame as it seemed like it was good roast and blend with beautiful latte art to match!

Cappuccino $3.50

I loved how Salvage offers so many weekend specials for food! I decided to try the Gobble Gobble, which sounded like it was inspired by the Christmas season with ingredients such as turkey, cranberry and red currant! Indeed the dish was just so delicious, fresh with a homemade feel. I loved the textural complexity of the dish - tender turkey meat, crunchy toasted pistachios...with a lovely prosciutto layer to finish. And I absolutely loved the homemade cherry and red currant jam! I am such a big fan of chunky jams with generous bits of fruit especially berries. May be a bit too sweet for some though but was simply amazing with the toasted crunchy seeded sourdough...yum!

Gobble Gobble: Turkey, cranberry & pistachio terrine, wrapped in prosciutto,
served with cherry & red currant jam & seeded sourdough toast $18

My friend decided to order the three little piggies which was pork cooked three ways. While bringing out the dish to us, the waiter was so eager to point out that the dish was arranged in the shape of a pig! He was like..see.. the tail and the snout made out of pork crackling, body of slow cooked pork and the salad leaves as the ears! Very adorable indeed. And besides presentation, this dish delivered! I loved the crunchy crackling contrasted by the juicy slow cooked pork and the delicate pork floss. The chutney and salad also added a good tangy taste to the dish to cut through all the meatiness.   

Three Little Piggies - pork three ways: pork rillettes, pork floss & pork crackling
served with apple & galangal chutney with nasturtium apple & radish salad. $18 

All in all, Salvage is an ideal weekend brunch cafe to be outdoors, enjoying the company of good friends in a relaxed environment. I would be keen to come back for the weekend brunch specials. However, Salvage may not be so ideal in rainy weather as there was only one bench for indoor seating...

Salvage Specialty Coffee
5 Wilkes Avenue, Artarmon
Mon - Fri: 6:30am - 2:30pm
Sat: 7:30am - 2:30pm
Sun: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Elbow Room Espresso, Chatswood

It's hard to miss a cafe like Elbow Room Espresso with its large glass windows opening into an airy place with lots of natural light and a mean silver coffee machine which resides at the very centre of the cafe. The decor is all about simplicity - black walls, wooden tables and pops of green succulents dotted throughout the cafe.

It was too early for the lunch menu, so we opted for the all day breakfast items. Options included many standard items including bacon and egg rolls, banana bread, granola and bircher muesli but my eyes were drawn to the french toast! I'm such a sucker for sweet items. I really liked the brioche made as a french toast as it was like eating a nice soft sponge cake with decadent maple syrup and berry drizzle. The house made cinnamon ricotta was lovely and creamy and paired well with the grilled bananas. I wish the banana was not as ripe though as I felt that it was way too mushy for me and that there was more pistachio, to give the dish a bit more crunchy texture to break through the all the softness.

French Toast with grilled banana on brioche $18

My friend ordered the grilled asparagus and prosciutto bruschetta and poached eggs. Call me boring but I still prefer the usual avocado on my sourdough than the broad bean and pea mash on this dish. Perhaps it was because I found it the mash a bit tasteless I was craving the creaminess of the avocado. But the prosciutto wrapped asparagus was particularly tasty - simply fresh, crispy, grilled asparagus spears firmly wrapped with salty meaty goodness...mmmm! And can't say no to the poached eggs which were cooked beautifully with perfectly runny yolks and fluffy whites.

Grilled asparagus and prosciutto bruschetta $18

Elbow Room offered plenty of gourmet drinks to suit all tastes from cold pressed juices, teas and their special house blend coffee. But because it was a warm day, I decided to order the Green Freak smoothie which sounded like a refreshing clean drink. And indeed it wasn't bad - the avocado and almond milk made the drink rather creamy with the perfect balance of sweetness from the honey.

Green Freak - spinach, chia seeds, avocado, lemon, mint, almond milk, honey $8

If you're a peanut butter fan, you'll probably love the chocolate, pretzel and peanut butter milkshake offered here. Imagine a Reeses bar but made into an incredibly smooth and creamy drink with crunchy pretzel bits. Mmm...!

Chocolate, Pretzel & Peanut Butter Milkshake $7

All in all, Elbow Room does tick all the boxes for what customers want at a cafe - comfortable seating areas perfect for catchups with friends and lots of gourmet food and drink options. I can't say the food tastes extraordinarily amazing but definitely is fresh and honest.

Elbow Room Espresso
6a Spring St, Chatswood
Mon - Fri: 6:00am - 4:00pm
Sat - Sun: 7:30am - 4:00pm

Armchair Collective, Mona Vale

Gorgeous weather and a public holiday...what better excuse than to go for a drive to the beach and visit a cafe especially one which is only moments away from the beach!

The vibe at Armchair Collective is distinctly casual and relaxed yet retains a sense of homeliness with a huge range of stylish home decor and fresh bunches of flowers near the counter. Look out for the retro armchairs and lamp shades which they have beautifully re-upholstered in vibrant fabrics and gives the cafe its name!  

As always, we decide to order the more unique dishes on the menu. I'm normally not a huge fan of lasagne but the way they described it on the menu as '72 hour-beef' with 'massaman sauce' sounded like it was worth a try! And indeed it was absolutely delicious. So much so that my family members kept stealing bits of the pasta and beef from my sister! Imagine beef which was so moist and tender that it melted in the mouth with bursts of flavour from the creamy flavoursome massaman sauce. And the pasta - just perfectly cooked al dente.

72-hr-beef open lasagna with massaman sauce,
couscous corn, herbs and chick pea $19.00

The soft shell crab burger also sounded very enticing...I mean who doesn't like deep fried crunchy goodness?! I first tried it at the Paramount Coffee Project a few months ago which was amazing so had high expectations for this one! However, I found the burger a little underwhelming. Yes it was tasty but felt like it was missing some tang to cut through the greasiness of the soft shell crab. On the menu, the burger was supposed to have wasabi mayo but I couldn't taste the wasabi flavour at all. And maybe it was also because the soft shell crab wasn't as crunchy as Paramount's version. The thick cut chips were great though! Not oily but simply crunchy on the outside and soft creamy potato in the middle! It would have been even better perhaps if the chips came with an aioli dip or perhaps sprinkled with some chicken salt or spices for that extra kick! 

Softshell Crab Burger with housemade wasabi mayo, baby cos,
alfafa, danish feta and thick cut chips $19.00

Being a huge peanut butter lover, I couldn't go past the peanut butter and salted caramel smoothie! It came served in a huge glass with a drizzle of salted caramel syrup on the bottom. Yep, this drink was worth the calories - very peanut buttery in taste but well balanced with the slight sweetness of the salted caramel! A nice decadent treat to accompany a cafe lunch on a hot day!

Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Smoothie $8.00

We also tried the chai tea here. I thought it was a bit off balance in flavour with a strange bitterness that needed a lot of honey...and also quite powerfully gingery in taste that it burns the throat...! Personally would not recommend ordering this. The one at Brewtown was much nicer! :)

Chai Tea with Milk $5.00

All in all, a beautiful cafe conveniently located super close to the beach with a unique array of homewares and a refreshing menu! Worth a visit if you're in the area!

Armchair Collective
9A Darley Street East, Mona Vale
Mon - Sun: 7am - 4pm

 

Daisy's Milkbar, Petersham

A visit to Daisy's Milkbar is like travelling back in time to the 'good old days' - the curious world of milkshakes, retro music and cute cafe booths. From the moment you walk in through the baby pink wooden door, the cafe exudes a sense of excitement and fun. Picture a giant plastic icecream cone hanging off the wall, free cordial station, splashes of pastel blues, pink and yellow and booths decorated with fruity patterns!

The menu here at Daisy's was quite extensive with options for breakfast, lunch, tea or dessert. I must say that the breakfast and lunch options here were fairly standard compared to other cafes in Sydney. However, if you're in a for a real retro treat, the desserts sounded amazing and simply ideal for a romantic sweet date with salted caramel banana split, icecream sandwich and sundaes on offer!  

The zucchini and corn fritters were a tad disappointing as I was expecting them to be crunchy. What I did get was like a wet corn and zucchini pancake. I did like the tangy tomato and onion relish and creamy smooth mint yoghurt...but it wasn't that spectacular.

Corn and Zucchini Fritters with tomato and onion relish, mint yoghurt
& roasted carrot ribbons $16.00

On the other hand, the banana pikelets were a delight! I've shared before that I'm not a huge fan of bananas but these won me over! These pikelets were fruity and fluffy and paired beautifully with the caramelised banana and raspberry coulis. What I loved most was the decadent luxurious smooth maple butter...I could probably spoon that on my toast each morning if I could. Simply delicious and cinnamony!

Banana Pikelets with raspberry coulis and caramelised maple butter $14.50

Daisy's Milkbar is also known for their milkshake specials. On the day I went, the special on offer was pancake which didn't sound that appealing as it reminded me of gluggy pancake batter mix! I decided to get the Double Roasters cappuccino instead which was creamy, smooth and had lovely fruity tones. 

Cappuccino $3.50

All in all, Daisy's Milkbar was a nice escape from the everyday with its old school and fun feel. A bit of hit and miss with the food but maybe it might be worthwhile to visit again for the desserts!

Daisy's Milkbar
340 Stanmore Road, Petersham
Mon - Fri: 7:30am - 4:30pm
Sat - Sun: 8:00am - 4:30pm