Don Campos Alexandria NSW

I am glad that I no longer have to go to traffic heavy Newtown anymore just to get my cuppa of Campos blend coffees in Sydney.  No more vehicle parking hassles  - and more space for every one when one sits down at a table for a moment.  

I love the business layout concept at 21 Fountain Street, possible an ex-warehouse turned hipster hub and gathering central.    At Don Campos here, you could start your weekend morning here and move on to lunch or brunch at its neighbours - all within the same building, what a good idea if it is so windy or rainy outside.

With a transparent counter and barista area, the bonus in this Waterloo joint are the big wide glass windows looking out, not just on to the street but also at the big blue sky that is iconic of Australia - just ask any Londoner or Scandinavian mate.    You can even watch the youngsters making dough through an open glass bakery prep room - they look enjoying themselves at their craft, passion and work.  There is a rustic, wooden ambiance.  Don Campos is not hemmed in by fellow neighbours but has street side as well, that is a plus for a coffee place.

The young lady at the counter took initiative to suggest a blend for my cuppa.  She mentioned that if I wanted stronger, to not choose the more acidic Ethiopian option available that day.    And so another perfect cup of my pick me up was taken  - bold, flavourful and distinguished.

 It was after lunch, so no accompanying food.  However there are Danishes, muffins, caramel tarts, banana breads, Cronuts and brownies.   Mini sausage rolls have two flavour combination options - pork and leek or beef and mushroom.

Croissants are available plain, Brie and caramelised onion, almond, Pain au chocolat, ham and cheese, cheese and tomato or in a Chorizo, Feta cheese and roast capsicum combo.




The Don Campos Cafe in Waterloo is located at Shop G1, 21 Fountain Street,  near the corner of McEvoy Road and Fountain Street in Waterloo NSW.   The cafe is one of five businesses sharing the same building.
Opening hours are from 630 am to 4pm on every week day and from 830am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. 
Contact + 61 2 9690 0090
Don Campos also operates cafes in the following places in greater Sydney area  -  Newtown, Dulwich Hill and Barangaroo.




My impressions of the Don Campos Cafe in Waterloo:
Ambiance: 3.5 out of 5

Customer Engagement: 3.5 out of 5
Culinary Delight: 3.5 out of 5
X Factor:  2.5 out of 5
Overall:    13 /4 out of 5 






 

Crystal Seafood Restaurant Carlingford NSW

The stand out was the steamed fish.  The soft juicy bite combined well with the gentle but flavourful light gravy, gracefully with aromatic sensations of the ginger, shallots and succulent seafood.  I must say it was a master piece, more than what I have experienced in most other Cantonese restaurants in Australia.   Steamed fish is the outcome of technique, the quality of the fish itself and knowing when to serve and stop steaming.   There are choices in Morwong, Barramundi, Parrot fish or Silver Perch.   My fellow diners had the Red Morwong this time around.

The much favoured claypot of vermicelli for southern Chinese dinners perhaps is a significant  test for Cantonese cuisine.  Usually cooked with seafood like prawns, lobster or Mud crab, the texture of the noodles combines with the flavours of the ocean  to produce an exquisite yet wholesome experience for the palate.    XO sauce is utilised but the freshness of the sea produce is also on test.

I did find the vermicelli  smoky flavoured from the clay pot but the Mud Crab meat was without question yummy.  I was told the version with lobster for this dish was not as good at a previous dinner.

Another interesting option to consider is having King Crab in two courses - first served as deep fried and then in another dish as stir fry of the crab roe with yummy E-Fu noodles.   The seafood is often just swimming around in the restaurant's aquarium tanks not  more than a few minutes before being served.   Freshness and liveliness of the sea produce is associated highly with taste  and nutrition in the mindsets of the Cantonese.

I saw Menu Item 168, roast pigeon!

When faced with a selection of braised, steamed, deep fried, marinated or honeyed, I definitely prefer the first two options.  The overall satisfaction of the sensations and the more healthy the cooking style, is when they preserve better the inherent flavour and freshness of the produce.

I liked the braised seafood with a variety like prawns, scallops and calamari, cooked with the sweet snow beans.   We also had the always popular crispy-on-the-bite deep fried squid marinated with salt and pepper.  Also good with many non-Chinese diners are the braised beef in oyster sauce, the beef already cut into bite sized serves.  Most Asian diners would order the seafood bean curd in a hot pot.

Lobster galore, served Cantonese style.

What looked aesthetically pleasing was snow like really snow white crab meat laden over fresh looking green broccoli.   The steamed rice that evening also stood out in quality - young Marissa loved it just by itself.

I have yet to try the yum cha sessions under the new chefs and ownership.  Again I observed this peculiar habit of Chinese restaurants to pack and rearrange dining tables to smaller lunch ones even when diners were present and it was not even eight o'clock.haha, this seems to be my pet irritant when we are all making conversation at our table and the staff are working like in a godown.

That evening when nine of us were there, we did not go upstairs but were content with the ground floor seating, given a spacious round table and we did not have to put up with the noise that is compulsory at Chinese dining places.   Interesting fish formations were used to decorate the lower dining area wall.  I was amused that the waiters used a variety of languages - Mandarin, Cantonese and English - to communicate with us.  Vehicle parking was easy at the shopping centre car park on a relatively quiet night for Carlingford - perhaps many diners were at nearby Eastwood?

The interiors at Crystal here have been redesigned by the HC Group.   There is an ambiance of being surrounded by dynastic symbols, simple but meaningful lines and a sense of contemporary chic as well.

Australian diners must be reminded of the complimentary welcome soup and dessert platter (usually red bean soup, biscuits and cut slices of fresh oranges) if you are having a course dinner meal.  This is de rigour practice in southern Chinese restaurants, especially those with a Hong Kong background. 







The Crystal Seafood Restaurant in Carlingford is located at on the ground floor, Carlingford Court, at the corner of Carlingford Road and Pennant Hills Road in Carlingford NSW.
Opening hours are from 11am to 10pm every day.  Yum cha available at lunch time.
Contact + 61 2 8845 8200
Crystal Seafood also operates restaurants in Blacktown and Strathfield NSW.




My impressions of the Crystal Seafood Restaurant in Carlingford:
Ambiance: 3.5 out of 5

Customer Engagement: 3 out of 5
Culinary Delight: 3.75 out of 5
X Factor:  3 out of 5
Overall:   13.25 /4 out of 5



Recommended Menu choices:
Crabmeat over stir fried broccoli
Steamed fish of your choice with clear light garnish
Mud Crab with vermicelli in claypot
Hainan steamed chicken with ginger condiments
Royal Peking Duck served in two courses, with entree wraps and Hoisin sauce and then as a stir fry or Sang Choy Bow.









 

White Rabbit Cafe Keiraville NSW

The White Rabbit Cafe gives the feel of being home in a small village. with people you must surely know already.   Nestled in the foothills of the Illawarra escarpment, it has a strategic location near the junction of Grey Street and Gipps Road.  There is both indoor and outdoor seating - and the cafe owners support the Rabbitohs of South Sydney NRL.     There is even a shelf of delicate looking porcelain white rabbits on an inside wall.   It is in  a hub of activity not far   from Wollongong city centre itself, but not that near.  The university campus is in an adjacent suburb;  I could even go to the local butcher before dropping by this cafe.

I was happy with my choice of old fashioned Whiting fish and chips, graced by a serve of veg on the side.  The coffee is strong and good.   The people at the cafe are friendly, even to the extent of keeping my butcher's meats in their fridge whilst I was there.   The barista also said someone will take my food orders at my table, instead of the increasing practice of customers lining up to pay for their orders in advance.   How lovely.....and there is also Eggs Benedict for  morning breakky.

The White Rabbit Cafe is located at 2/50 Grey Street, Keiraville  NSW
Opening hours are from 7am to 3pm from Mondays to Fridays; from 730am to 2pm on Saturdays and from 830am to 1130am on Sundays for the autumn/ winter season at the time of writing.
Contact +61 2 4228 3871