NYDC, Holland Village, Singapore

 

In the mood for some dessert, I headed down Holland Village way.  It has the usual TCC, Coffee Bean & Co and then I stumbled across this place, NYDC which translates to New York Dessert Cafe. 

It was busy, which in my book is always a good sign.  The signature colour red is big and bold, large booths line one side of the wall, pop art pictures adorne the walls and there is a buzz of chatter.

The counter at the front houses delicious looking, waist increasing, calorie rich desserts, which for me are hard to resist. 

The menu is somewhat playful and in the end I chose the traditional New York cheesecake.  Well, it had to be right?!  The last traditional New York cheesecake I had was from Eileen's Cheesecake in Little Italy, lower Manhattan.  And my goodness, their cheesecake is amazing by the way!

Back to this NYDC cheesecake in Holland Village, Singapore.  It was offered with ice-cream, but I politely declined.  I don't need more calories on top of the cheesecake and my waistline would not have been a happy one, let alone a good-looking one...

The cheesecake arrived dutifully in good time; a drizzle of sweet mango coulis with the cheesecake on top, but almost ruined by the childish looking dollop of cream with a sprinkling of 'hundreds and thousands'.  Seeing as this place also caters for children, I guess they have to make it appeal to all ages.

The biscuit base was thin and sponge-like which is how I like it.  The cake itself was creamy and smooth, and the taste of it really took me back to the days when I used to eat up cheesecake galore on my trips to New York. 

The waitress was all happy and full of smiles, which made for a pleasant 'American' dining experience. 

I had a camomile tea with my cheesecake which was a refreshing and light companion to the delightful sweet dessert.   

NYDC is a great place to come with friends, family, or purely solo.

NYDC

30 Lorong Mambong, Holland Village, Singapore

Tel: +65 6469 2998

HOURS

11:30am - 12am (Sun-Thu)

11:30 am - 2:00 am (Fri & Sat)

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Captains of Industry, Melbourne

I accidentally stumbled across this place a few weeks back - whilst I was on my way out from another cafe along the same lane.  With a curious name and an interesting signage, my friend and I were intrigued.  I made a mental note to come back for a lunch visit.  And so I did, this lovely sunny afternoon.

We walked up the wooden stairs, from which clothing patterns hung from the ceiling.  The stairs lead into a vast open room; full of wooden tables and chairs, and a little bar near the far corner with an espresso machine where a few sweet treats are on display.

We sat ourselves down by the window, looking out onto Swanston Street and across to the marvelous architecture of the GPO building.

I ordered a skinny flat white along with a chorizo, cheese and olive tapenade toasted sandwich.  The skinny flat white came in a cute retro red coffee cup and saucer with a Jubilee spoon.  It tasted delicious.  I was really quite impressed. 

Now, for those coffee snobs out there, I am no coffee aficionado, I only like what I like.  Which at the end of the day, isn't that generally what most food/drink critics go by?!  Oh but of course, they are well trained in the complex processes of seed to mouth, but really, we all do just 'like what we like'.  Some may say that is a bit of 'food for thought', and worthy of a good old debate...for a later date perhaps.

The chorizo with cheese and olive tapenade sandwich came along shortly.  The cheese had melted wonderfully and the chorizo wasn't chewy, but more like the consistency of a normal banger.  It was probably a little bit too rich for me though.  I could have done with half the sandwich with a bit of salad on the side instead. 

Staff are wonderfully friendly here; they dress like they have come from the 1940s and are super clean and slick.  This place is a gentlemen's outfitter as well.  Yes, that's right.  There's a barber, made-to-measure menswear, bespoke footwear and leather accessories and men's grooming products.  And the best thing of all, you can relax and have a lovely coffee whilst you wait.

Captains of Industry
Lv1, 2 Somerset Place, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Tel: +61 (0)3 9612 5013

HOURS:
Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm
Sat: 10am-5pm


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The Little Mule Company & Café, Melbourne

This café is pretty brand spanking new.  In fact, it's only been open a few weeks or so.  My fellow cafe hound and I were pleased to be visiting a fairly new kid on the block so to speak.

We arrived at midday, expecting it to be a little busy, but we were the only ones there for about half an hour or so.  A trickle of other lunchtime revellers came in - a mix of office workers and casual looking types.  I suspect this place is still finding it's feet whilst word of mouth gets around.

Many bicycles adorn the white walls here and they sell buy bicycles and bicycle parts.  The bikes come in some deliciously funky colours and if I had any space to park one in, I would be rather tempted. 

Aside from the bikes, this place is light and airy, with communal tables as well as a leather sofa and smaller tables dotted about the place. 

I ordered a skinny flat white along with a tuna and cheese melt with jalapeños, and a pumpkin and chickpea salad.

It all seemed to be made with love.  The tuna and cheese melt arrived, and it was what it said it was - a tuna and cheese melt with jalapeños.  It tasted fine, but if I'm honest, I prefer my own home made tuna and cheese melt... 

The pumpkin and chickpea salad was nice and fresh.  Again though, nothing out of this world.  So I am just going to say it was fresh, tasty and seemingly healthy.

 A nice little cafe which probably needs more time to mature and develop.  Service is extremely friendly here, although my skinny flat white was forgotten about until I had to remind them.  This was a little strange since we were the only ones in the place at the time of my ordering.  Still, another lovely addition to the Melbourne café scene.

The Little Mule Café
19 Somerset Place, Melbourne, Victoria 3000
Tel: +61 (0)402 212 052

HOURS
Mon-Fri: 07:30-15:30

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Proud Mary, Melbourne

I must admit, I am loving the hunt for a good cup of coffee these days.  Having made arrangements to meet a friend at Proud Mary, I woke up feeling pretty excited about my visit to this auspicious North Melbourne cafe today.

After a sweat-filled workout session in the gym this morning, I was feeling ready for lunch and a good strong coffee.

I just needed to do a couple of chores before catching the tram and arriving at Proud Mary just before one o'clock.  It was already buzzing, but I managed to grab a seat by the window whilst a friendly waitress took my order for a skinny latte. 

The menu here is split into breakfast and lunch options, which I perused over with much anticipation and rumbling tummy.  Drinking my lovely latte - it was smooth, strong, but not so much so, and it went down a real treat.

My friend arrived just after I finished my latte, whilst at the same time, a table was being vacated which we grabbed.  We ordered the pork belly toasted sandwich ($15.50) to share.  

It came with a lovely rocket salad on the side.  Apologies for the partially eaten sandwich in the photo.  I was simply too hungry to remember to take the 'picture perfect' sandwich before digging in.  It was mmm, so utterly yummy, the pork simply melted off the fat (which I cut off) and the paprika aioli was the perfect accompaniment.  All in all, a yummy-licious, lip smacker of sandwich.

I finished off my lunch with another coffee - a skinny flat white.  It came in a gorgeous retro blue coffee cup and saucer.  Retro blue and white being the colours of the salt and pepper shakers too!  In fact, there is a rather retro feel to this place which I love. 

Anyhow, back to the coffee, I loved my flat white just as much as the latte.  I think the coffee here is pretty darn good, if not great!   

 

Service is friendly and attentive here, which is always a bonus in my books.  And a definite thumbs up in terms of how I view a place.  Although not quite as funky and grungy as Auction Rooms or St. Ali in décor, Proud Mary is certainly worth seeking out for their food and their great coffee.

Proud Mary
172 Oxford Street (cnr Stanley St), Collingwood, VIC 3066
Tel: +61 (0)3 9417 5930

Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm

Sat-Sun: Sun: 8am-4pm

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Auction Rooms, Melbourne

OK, so one wouldn't naturally think of going to auction rooms for brunch, but this cafe really rocks.  Having been here a few weeks ago for lunch, I was so taken with the place that I had to share my new found cafe hot spot with my partner this lovely sunny Sunday afternoon. 

I love how this place is rather grungy in a such an uncontrived way.  I love the bare red brick walls and the music posters that plaster some of it; the open central bar area; the high warehouse ceiling with old fashioned ceiling fans; the laid back vibe and the most friendly of service from types that look reminiscent of students from my old uni days.  Love it!!

Being a gorgeous sunny Sunday afternoon today, this place was packed since all the other cool people in Melbourne had also decided to spend brunch at Auction Rooms.  So much so in fact, that we had to put our name down on a waiting list.  Estimated wait was twenty minutes, but in reality it was only about five.

We were given a great table at the back by the outside courtyard area and our order of flat whites taken right away.

A few minutes later, our flat whites came with the lovely swirly pattern.  As somebody who knows nothing about coffee, I will say that I find Auction Rooms coffee has a very distinct, bold flavour. 

From the food menu, I ordered the 'Coriander falafel and poached eggs on grilled flat bread with cumin & mint yoghurt, tabouli, dukkah and tahini dressing' ($16).  The falafel was crispy on the outside and fell easily apart when cut into.  The whole dish was a tasty combination, but I would have preferred a slightly smaller portion.

My partner ordered the pork knuckle sandwich only to be told that they had run out.  What a shame - I really wanted to try it.  So instead, he ordered the 'Opening bid - poached eggs on toast with field mushrooms, grilled bacon, wilted baby spinach & roasted roma tomatoes' ($16.50).  The smoked bacon was grilled just right, the mushrooms had been cooked in a little delicious butter and the eggs were poached perfectly.

We were both absolutely stuffed at the end, but not enough to be able to have another cup of coffee. 

With it's great vibe, cool interior, friendly service and all round fabulousness, I urge you to take the trip up to Auction Rooms in North Melbourne.

Auction Rooms

103-107 Errol Street, North Melbourne, VIC 3051
Tel: +61 (0)3 9326 7749

Mon-Wed: 7:30am-5pm
Thu-Sat: 7:30am-10pm
Sun: 8am-4pm

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Pope Joan, Melbourne

Today involved a trip out of the city on the number 96 tram.   As it rattled it's way along Nicholson Street, I was starting to get a little apprehensive about whether I would be able to find Pope Joan. 

Unbeknown to me, Nicholson Street is a pretty long street and Pope Joan is nestled amongst, well, not an awful lot by way of trade to be honest.

I got off at stop number 24 as instructed by Melbourne's metlink journey planner and wondered back down the street and alas, I had found Pope Joan.  The cafe doesn't look like much on the outside, but get a load of that cute copper pan letter box. 

Anyhow, my friend had arrived before me and was already enjoying a cup of coffee.  As I sat down, a waitress came along to bring us some water and take my order for a skinny flat white.

This place is only open for breakfast and lunch (Monday to Friday), and so the menu was really Eggs (cooked in many different ways) and sandwiches.  We opted for the chicken with stuffing sandwich and the curried egg and cress.  Mmm...they sounded yummy.

You can watch the chef at work just behind the front counter too.

We decided to order the chicken stuffing sandwich ($9) and the curried egg sandwich ($8).  The chicken stuffing sandwich came warmly wrapped in foil.  The curried egg was served between slices of sourdough.

The chicken stuffing was delightful.  The curried egg was just OK.  We thought it could have done with some oomph and I had to pepper mine to add some kick. 

There is outside seating to the side.  Babies more than welcome as was evident by the several mums and bubs sitting outside.  It's modern rustic with a good old splash of Britishness about it.

Pope Joan
77/79 Nicholson Street
Brunswick East, VIC 3057
Tel: +61 (0)3 9388 8858

Breakfast + Lunch 7 days a week.

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Basement Café, Melbourne

The city circle trams rattles past this place on La Trobe street, near to the corner of Queen street.  It doesn't look like much from the outside, but enter this cafe and feel welcoming warm reception envelope you as sit down and relax. 

Décor has a musical theme.  Remember vinyl?  Well there's a vinyl decorated wall below the window counter, posters advertising bands and musicals on one wall, and lots of other decorative paraphernalia.

There are separate breakfast and lunch blackboards listing the days menu.  Service is super friendly in this funky cool cafe and also extremely efficient.

My lunching companion and I both ordered flat whites and they came with the much oligatory leafy pattern on top that I have become accustomed to whilst living in Melbourne.  And it still makes me smile each time I see it...

Food wise, we ordered a mushroom pizza with feta, pine nuts and rocket ($8); and also a pesto chicken salad with pine nuts and feta to share ($9).

Both came out at the same time.  Ingredients were fresh and tasty.  Pizza was thin crust, which is how I like it. 

The very generous serving of salad was yummy.  Gorgeous pieces of chicken breast, avocado and spinach leaves dressed with pesto; feta and pine nuts on top. 

They don't rush you here; they play some good background tunes, and they are more than happy for you to perch your bottom here all day if you wanted to.

A great find with fabulous service and delicious fresh food at amazing value!

Basement Café
350 La Trobe Street, Melbourne 3000
Tel: +61 (0) 9329 8000

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Arintji, Melbourne

Arintji is referred to as a cafe-cum-restaurant by many who have reviewed the place.  Serving modern Australian fare in what can only be described as 'grazing' plates.

It was opened back in 2003 by renowned French chef Jacques Raymond.  But, it has since changed hands...

Arintji sits on in the heart of Federation Square and has casual outdoor seating with orange umbrellas.  Walk inside and there are orange cushioned donut shaped chairs in the cafe area to the right and a bar to the left.  Walk up a few steps to the more formal dining platform which is a roomy light space with views across the Yarra River. 

Our friendly waiter kindly explained to us that their menu is for grazing and sharing.  Thus, not to expect big plates.  Kind of surprising when some of the plates were $16 plus.  For that amount of dollars, I expect a substantial sized plate or at least something absolutely spectacular however small.

So, my companions and I all opted for a burger each, some fries, a salad and a tart.  When we enquired on the size of the burgers, our waiter grinned and hesitated before describing them as 'cute but really tasty'.  Hmmm, could that be a cover up for saying 'they are so tiny and probably won't fill you up unless you're a size zero with a baby appetite...but don't worry, they're so packed full of flavour that you won't even notice how small they are'.

A pair of burgers arrived, with one on its own.  I only took a photo of the pair and yes, they certainly were small.  At $6.50, I would have preferred them to be a little bigger..

Mmm, a generous bowl of french fries with ketchup ($6) arrived next.  And these were the small portion...

Followed by a healthy rocket, radiccio and grana salad' ($8)...which was very delicious. 

And my companion, Miss M's 'Gorgonzola and leek tart with crispy prosciutto' ($8.50) -  which was more like a slice of quiche Lorraine as we know it back in the UK.  It was certainly small with a token piece of leek on top.  Crispy prosciutto mixed with rocket on the side, which Miss M delighted in. 

Fairly friendly service, nice location, food OK, servings small.  All in all, a nice enough place for a get-together lunch, just don't expect to stay too full for too long afterwards.

Arintji
Federation Square, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Tel: +61 (0)3 9663 9900

HOURS
Daily 10AM-Late

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St. Ali, Melbourne

At 12-18 Yarra Place in South Melbourne is a hidden gem.  I say hidden because unless you're in the know, it's not obvious to a passerby looking down this street that there's a great little coffee place just a few steps and a skip away.  

St. Ali occupies a converted warehouse with wooden tables and mis-matched chairs.  Yes, this place is certainly quirky, but oh so good quirky!

I arrived at one o'clock today and was instantly greeted by a wide eyed and smiley waitress.  I instantly saw my friend sitting at the end of one of the communal tables and went to sit with her.

Another waitress came and offered to get us some coffees right away.  Again, with a lovely  huge smile.  Wow, with the amount of smiles we were getting in such a short space of time, we were becoming instantly enamoured with this place. 

We both ordered flat whites ($3.80 each); except I ordered a 'skinny' as opposed to regular.  There were a couple of coffee makers with brewing looking contraptions to the side, it all looked a bit like a potions class going on in the background. 

The flat white came with a lovely fir tree pattern on top.  It was beautifully smooth and oh so yummyliciously creamy.  Mmm, I think I fell in love with this place from the sip go!

This place has a breakfast menu as well as a lunch menu.  We decided to share a couple of dishes.  From their 'kitchen confidential' section, we chose the 'my mexican cousin' ($14.50) which is their secret recipe corn fritters with baby spinach, grilled halloumi and kasundi with our choice of poached eggs.

From the 'between the sheets' (sounds a little naughty), we chose the 'morrocan spiced chicken thigh burger' ($16), stuffed with tomato jam, tomato, avocado salsa and rocket.

They both arrived at the same time.  The burger came in toasted turkish bread - one of my favourites.

One can see the yummy filling - chicken, lovely fresh green avocado salsa, plenty of crunchy rocket and big beef tomato slices with lovely sweet tomato jam.  The ingredients were all fresh and tasty and after a good morning workout, it felt indulgent without being too glutinous (apart from the white bread...)

The corn fritters came with two lovely poached eggs on top with kasundi on top (sliced mango pickle).  The halloumi wasn't salty as some that I have had before, and the corn fritters were delicious and very non-greasy.  The poached eggs were just about runny, with the edges of the yoke cooked - a little more done than I prefer.  But all in all, a well rounded dish which hit the spot. 

We polished off the meal with a chai tea latte ($4.80 each).  The spices had been ground up and topped with hot milk in a one handle jug.  I asked for honey on the side and they gave me a generous shot glass of honey.  The chai latte was delicious, but it could have done with more oomph if I'm honest. 

Staff here are so super friendly.  We were made to feel welcome from the moment we set foot inside the place to the moment we left. 

St. Ali is just brilliant.  I love the concept and I love the fact that they take such pride in their coffee.  I think I've been persuaded to make the effort to come back here just to buy some ground coffee beans.  After which, I will just have to try to emulate their great coffee back home! 

St. Ali
12-18 Yarra Place, South Melbourne, VIC 3205
Tel: +61 (0)3 9686 2990

HOURS
Mon-Tue: 7am-5pm
Wed-Sat: 7am-11pm
Sun: 8am-5pm

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1000 £ Bend, Melbourne

This warehouse space on Little Lonsdale street doesn't look like your average café.  Then again, Melbourne is a city full of surprises.  1000 £ Bend café is also home to a gallery space at the back.  Walk in and you'd be forgiven for thinking you were at a junk yard sale set up for your granny and her friends. 

It's kind of shabby chic, with mis-matched sofas (that look as though they could have been on  the set of Mad Men), low wooden tables (that wouldn't look out of place in a primary school) and a smoking room to one side with a metal barred window that looks out onto Little Lonsdale. 

They serve an assortment of baguettes and pides (pronounced pee-day) and a few hot lunches.  These were beef or veg burger, spaghetti and meatballs, and a lentil veggie curry.  All for $15 or under.   

I ordered a skinny flat white ($3) and was told they don't have skinny milk.  OK, so full fat it would have to be!  And seeing as I was pretty famished after my morning workout, I went for a salami and bocconcini pide, which was a reasonable $8.50.

The coffee came first and it was truly delicious.  Maybe I could be converted back to full fat milk?! 

My pide arrived a few minutes later with the bocconcini all wonderfully melted.  For those who don't know what a pide is, it's Turkish style bread and is wonderfully light and yummy.  OK, so it's not on my 'wholegrain' only list of breads, but this place only had pides or baguettes and I'm not a huge fan of baguettes. 

Still, this was OK.  But I did wonder why all salami had gathered together at just one end of the pide.  Personally I would have preferred it to have been evenly spread about inside so that I got a bit of salami with each bite, rather than a couple of mouthfuls and then nothing but bocconcini and pesto...but that's being rather picky I think...

Come here for something different, a great coffee and a bit of lunch (which is nothing amazing, but nothing terrible, just ordinary really).  With the exposed concrete floor and large warehouse space, it's not the warmest of places to chill out on a cool Melbourne day, but I can imagine it's a pretty cool place to hang out in the Summer.

1000 £ Bend
361 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
No telephone number (and no skinny milk either!)

HOURS
Mon-Fri: 8am-7pm
Sat-Sun: 11am-7pm

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Little Cupcakes, CBD, Melbourne

This place is only about a five minute walk from where I live, unfortunately.  I say unfortunately because this place does the best cupcakes, and I simply have to stop myself from going in everytime I walk past.  Yes, they are that good.

My love affair with cupcakes started as a small child.  Probably not unlike most people really.  I grew out of them when I started to mature a bit - in my teens.  But like all good things in life, I went back to them as a grown adult.  These days though, they are a little more fancy to what I was used to. 

Little cupcakes is the cutest little bakery with a pastel pink wooden glass fronted door; what looks like hand painted signage on the window and girls in signature Little Cupcake aprons.  It all harps back to the good old 1950s where women took pride of place in the home.

Their cupcakes are freshly baked on the premises and are so moist, they really do just melt in your mouth.  They are lovingly arranged in a glass fronted cabinet and customers form an orderly queue. 

There are a few stools by the window and a central wooden table with a few high chairs, all in this one little space.  Outside are a couple of round garden tables and chairs.  If you're lucky, you'll get a seat here.  Otherwise, a takeout in one of their white cardboard boxes with a cute little sticker on top will have to suffice.  And indeed they do!

Today, I was lucky enough to get a table outside.  I ordered a pot of tea and a Belgian chocolate mini cupcake.  The mini cupcakes are $2 a pop and the larger ones are $4.  Flavours include Red Velvet (made famous by Magnolia Bakery in NYC - also delicious!), lemon, vanilla, latte, carrot, cookie and cream, and more...

I went to sit down and one of the waitresses brought me my pot of tea (in a gorgeous floral teapot), a cup and saucer (which is how tea should be served) and my little cupcake.  Doesn't it look adorable??

 

In case they run out, there is another branch at TG 06 Goldsbrough Lane in the CBD.  Although I have never visited this one, it is definitely on my 'To Do' list.  

Little Cupcakes

Shop 7, Degraves Street, Melbourne VIC 3000

Tel:  +61 (0)3 9077 0413 

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Brunetti Café, Melbourne

I have been told how good the cakes at Brunetti are by several others.  So given what a gorgeous warm afternoon it was today, I decided to stop by for a coffee and 'une petit' treat.

Brunetti City Square, as it is referred to on their website, resides on the corner of Flinders Lane and Swanston Street.  There is an upstairs seating room as well as an outside patio area with plenty of tables.  At the back there is a bench piled high with broadsheets and tabloids, providing free reading material for paying customers. 

It's a self service style café, where customers place their orders (of savoury and/or sweet) at the patisserie counter and wait at the bar to collect their drinks. 

Everything here looks utterly delectable.  There is a vast array of sweet mignons (dainties) which all look adoringly irresistible.  As usual, I want to have more than one.  But in the end, it was a toss up between the 'Vanilla Custard Tart' and the 'White & Dark Chocolate Mousse'. 

Seeing as I have to watch my (non-existent) waistline, I stuck with just the Vanilla Custard Tart.  At $1.80, this is hardly indulgent.  I ordered a skinny flat white (at what seems to be the standard Melbourne price of $3.50), picked up my Vanilla Custard Tart and made my way to the bar to collect my beverage.

There were a few seats available outside and I chose a seat at the back along the pretty mosaic tiled communal table.   

The Vanilla Custard Tart has a trio of layers - a short crust pastry base, a custard centre and a gelatin top with sour cherries.  With all the different textures and sweet flavours, this little tart comes together beautifully.  The pastry was slightly chewy, the vanilla custard was delicious - not too sweet at all, and the cherries were the right side of sour.  It reminded me of a good old fashioned English custard tart, only with sour cherries on top. 

(I forgot to take a picture before I stirred my coffee,

but at least I remembered before I ate my tart!)

My skinny flat white coffee was creamy yet strong.  There wasn't any bitterness and it was the perfect accompaniment to my delicious sweet treat. 

I can honestly say that I will definitely be back to try the White & Dark Chocolate mousse.  And I will most probably go out of my way to pass this cafe on several other occasions, just so I can try the many other gorgeous things on offer.   A girl can never have enough cake you know?!

A cautionary note of warning:  Just watch out for the greedy pigeons that flock here too!

Brunetti

241 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, VIC 3000

Tel: +61 (0)3 9663 8085

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