Banksia Bistro @ Banksia

When news hit that the Banksia Hotel was welcoming a new bistro, my interest perked up. 

Colin Fassnidge has teamed up with Leigh McDivitt of 3 Weeds to bring us Banksia Bistro.  A gastro-style pub that us locals in the South have needed for some time and we are excited!
 

The Bistro is simple, green, leafy and bright!  The feels are about community, comfort, enjoyment and laid back dining.  There is a small play area for the little ones too.

The hotel also has also an area of high top tables in front of the bar area where you can dine and watch your sports as well.

  

The Bistro has been opened a week when we decide to check it out.  We head down early and within 20 minutes the bistro was packed. We were lucky to be seated in a booth that offered the perfect view of the kitchen and the dining area. 

 

 

Although the menu may seem limited at first glance it actually offers some interesting dishes for a pub.  With the likes of chicken liver parfait, crab on toast, ham hock and pigs ear schnitzels for entrees amongst the more regular pub grub comforts including chicken schnitzel, Irish stew, corned beef, and a burger you are in for a great meal.  The chefs' philosophy of nose-to-tail dining is definitely showing through on this menu!

 

 But tonight we focus on the mains. We cannot pass on the beer battered market fish with chips and the house made buttermilk chicken schnitzel with chips.

Although the kitchen is getting very busy as more people are arriving we were surprised how fast our meals arrive. 

We decided to share our dishes (you know for maximum tasting purposes).

The beer battered fish is crispy, light and the fish was juicy and meaty.  The house made tartare was awesome.

The chips are perfect to. They are chunky, hot, crispy, crunchy with fluffy middles.

Slicing through the huge buttermilk chicken schnitzel was as easy as slicing through butter. Super juicy and tender with a herby crunchy panko bread coating was delightful.  The coleslaw is crunchy, chunky and not swimming in dressing which is great!

My only negative was with the price of the beverages at the hotel (this is not the Bistro). There seems to be a big difference between beer and wine. Standard tap beer is normal bar prices but glasses of wine started at $9 (note that they do serve Artisan/boutique beer that cost more), which I thought was a little on the expensive side for the area. Just saying.....

 

That will not stop me returning for a meal.  I am looking forward to spending more time at the Banksia Bistro.   Next time the pigs ear schnitzel and crab on toast will be a must!

They have done a stellar job at updating an refurbishing a weary looking hotel and us locals are very happy to have Colin and Leigh in the area!!!

 

 

 

 

Eat Grk

What better way to enjoy some Greek than at Eat Grk after watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 at Beverly Hills.

 

Situated next to the Beverly Hills hotel, Eat Grk offers a space that has a casual chill out vibe and serves up some pretty tasty Greek street eats.

 

Order at the counter, find yourself a table (or lounge) and or order will be brought out not long after.

 

 

For starters we shared the haloumi fries.  Thick chip style slices of halmoui that are deep fried to a crunchy exterior with the salty squeaky halmoui that we all love on the inside.

 



 

 

We shared a Yia Yia special wrap meal.  This comes with the wrap, fries and a drink for $13.50.

 

 

 

The Yia Yia special has a traditional sheftalia sausage drizzled with lemon juice, topped with parsley, tomato, cucumber, red inion, tzatziki.

 

the flavours and texture of this sausage were perfect!  A little 'spicy' but not heat spicy and the mince still on the chunkier side, this gyros was a great addition to the regular pork or lamb gyros.

 

You can opt to 'upgrade' for $2 to make your fries feta fries.  A liberal sprinkling of salty feta nubs and a generous sprinkling of Greek oregano makes these crispy fries a little special.

 

 

 

For an easy vibe, take away prices with table service and a cool chill out restaurant, Eat Grk is a great addition to the Beverly Hills food scene. 

 

 

 

Sapore di Napoli @ Kingsgrove - Round 2

A week after my first visit  I am back for a birthday dinner. Sapore di Napoli @ Kingsgrove

 

We start with garlic bread. The dough is bubbly with a few charred bits which make it crunch and doughy at the same time.  The garlic is superb.

 

 

My Dad raves about anchovies on pizza, my Mum not so much. He requested anchovies on the pizza and was shot down in flames (by Mum) so he got his own jar!  Look at the excitement...

 

 

 

Okay, so we didn't really get the jar but we did get a couple of bowls of them.  They are super briny and salty and they are the delicious. 

 

 

We start with the rocket and parmesan salad drizzled with aged balsamic and olive oil.

 

 

 

It turns into a pizza fest.  Some of us share a couple of pizzas.  I can't even remember which this one was.

 

The bases of the pizza here at Sapore are bubbly, fluffy but crispy. 

 

Miss B goes with a Clasic Margherita which is topped with the tomato, fior di latte and basil.

 

 

No 6 Pizza Capriccosa - double smoked ham, artichokes, mushrooms and olives.  This was a very tasty pizza!

 

 

My brothers own pizza.  No 15 fior di latte, beef mince, italian sausage, spicy salami, caramelised onion (added olives)

 

He devoured it! 

 

Again another successful visit at one of our local restuarants. 

Taste of Shanghai @ Hurstville

Months ago (yeah I have a bit of a back log), I headed to Taste of Shanghai in Hurstville to meet a friend for dinner.

 

The restaurant is busy and after a 15 minute wait we are seated at a two top wedged in amongst a noisy dining room. 

 

Pots of tea delivered quickly and ordering is smooth and efficient.

 

An array of Shanghai style dumplings and other delectables are on the menu along with a few dishes from other regions of China including Hu Nana, Beijing and Gungdong

 

We start with a steaming basket of the classic and most famous dumpling, the Xiao Long Bao.

 

 

 

Soft skins around steaming pockets of tender pork mince and soupy insides. 

 

 

 

Be careful biting into these.  They spurt soupy (but delicious) liquid so hot it will burn the tongue (and lips and chin).

We also have a serve of the Grilled onion pancakes.  Crispy shell laced with fresh shallots.

 

Shanghai crispy spring rolls.  From memory these were okay.  Crispy but not to hot and the filler was on the average side. But of course this is just my opinion.

 

The other speciality is pan fried pork dumplings.  These are soft and pillowy with crispy bottoms.

 

Overall, this was a lovely dumpling dinner.  It's convenient to my home and good venue to catch up for a casual dinner with a friend.

445 Food Store @ Bexley

It is a Stevensons Fine Foods and Nougat Royale collaboration! Meg and Ben have spent months planning this new venture and 445 Food Store made its debut opening in Bexley last weekend.

445 Food Store is a gourmet store/café and is very welcomed to this stretch of Forest Rd, offering locals something new and exciting. A place where you can pop in for a coffee, a sweet snack or a meal and grab some delicious gourmet meals to take home. I was eager to try it out and my eagerness found me to be their first customer of the day (right on opening time).

The space is airy, sunny and bright, comforting and rustic with blond wooden benches and stools running the length of a wall and the window overlooking the footpath.

The shelves are laden with house made chutneys, sauces and jams, fresh loaves of bread and boards of Backa salamis and sausage. The fridge is full of gourmet take home meals, pies, cheese and olives. Many goodies are supplied by local market owners (particularly Ramsgate Foodies Market, where you will find Stevensons Fine Foods each Saturday) along with other house made creations.

An open doorway invites you into the kitchen and to a large communal dining table. Ben and Meg and the team are busy in the kitchen preparing for their first day.

I really like this space as you can feel the buzz of the kitchen and other diners. I take a seat at a comfy stool at the window bench, so that I can soak up the warmth of the sun and the bustle of a Saturday in Bexley’s main street.

 

I start with a much needed coffee. The Golden Cobra beans are roasted in nearby Marrickville by the head roaster who is also 445 Food Stores barista.

The menu may not seem extensive but on closer inspection they offer something a little more. They are on point. Fresh eggs and bacon, house made muesli, homemade pies (Meg’s are so delicious!!!) amongst other breakfast delights you can’t go wrong.

The potato latkes with house cured salmon, poached eggs and paprika aioli is my choice for breakfast.

 

A large crispy potato latke with a generous serve of cured salmon, a gooey poached egg and a big dollop of aioli, served with rocket and a wedge of lemon.

It is the perfect breakfast dish. Ben made the house cured salmon the day before. It’s fresh, slightly salty and so great on top of the crispy rosti and a gooey poached egg yolk that oozes over the top. It is always a winner in my books.

 

On the counter there are freshly baked caramel cookies, cakes, nougat and coffee to go. Grabbing another coffee to take away my thoughts are already drifting to when I can have breakfast here again!

 

Welcome to the neighbourhood 445 Food Store. I wish Meg and Ben the greatest success in their new venture!


445 Food Store
445 Forest Road, Bexley
Opened Wednesday to Saturday 8am-2pm

The Laughing Goat Cafe @ Kogarah

A cafe that has been on my hit list for quite sometime turned out to be one of the best breakfasts I have had in a long time...and to imagine that it is in my neighbourhood this hidden gem is going to see alot more of me! Why haven't I been sooner?

 

 

 

Tucked inside the Southern Antiques Centre on the Princess Highway at Kogarah (across the road from Jubilee Oval) The Laughing Goat Cafe is a welcoming spot for everyone including being pet friendly.

 

 

Inside, the uniqueness of the decor is a bit hit.  I enjoy sitting back and looking at all the unusual light fittings and antiques dotted around the place and can't wait to go poking around the antique centre afterwards.  Many pieces take me back to my childhood days.  It's a fun space!

 

 

 

Being a week day (Friday) it's on the 'quieter' side, but that's not to say that there wasn't a steady flow of customers. It is nice to sit and chat to Jenna, who owns/runs  the cafe with her Partner Todd (who I meet later on).  Weekends it gets very busy for brunch and lunch goers.

 

Jenna tells me that they are planning some events later in the year.  I'm keeping my eye out for them.

 

We happen to be celebrating my friends birthday today too!

 

So she starts with a chai latte and tells me she really likes it and who doesn't love a tiny teddy with your coffee.

 

 

 

I go with my usual skim cappuccino served in a big cup. 

 

 

The menu is very appetising and  birthday girl goes with Eggs Benny with smoked salmon and avocado. Th homemade hollandaise is perfect - It is always about the poached egg and hollandaise sauce that makes this dish what it is!   This was done perfectly.

 

 

 

I go with an unlikely suspect of the Pesto Scrambled Eggs with a side of bacon (because well....bacon!). This dish is surprisingly excellent.  The pesto is mixed through the eggs and they are fluffy and light and very refreshing.



 

 

The Laughing Goat Cafe is a perfect place for breakfast, brunch or lunch or just to grab a coffee.  The cafe are using coffee beans from Black Poison and it's pretty decent cup of java.

 

 

Before checking out the antique centre before heading off, ensure to peruse the vast selection of baked goods from the glass cabinet.  All homemade, there is a sweet selection for any palate.  We decide on a piece of the rocky road that is decadent and sits on a Golden Rough biscuit base.  We take that home for afternoon tea (which may have been more elevensies than arvo smoko!).

 

 

Apparently the Laughing Goat burger is pretty good too (even being compared to a certain famous burger over the bridge in Sylvania).  I am eager to return to give it a go.  Keep up to date with upcoming events too on Facebook as they have mentioned a burger night or two.

 

Looking forward to coming back very soon. 

 

 

 

 

245 Princess Hwy

Kogarah 

Sapore di Napoli @ Kingsgrove

It is nice to see that Kingsgrove has started to grow a little over the past year or so. With the new development at The Pottery, new shops, supermarkets and restaurants have started to breathe some life into this sleepy little hub.

Seeking a dining destination for a dinner with friends (and kid friendly), Sapore di Napoli was suggested. Nestled in the square of The Pottery (across from Woolworths) this well lit busy open restaurant is just the ticket for 5 adults and 4 kids on a Saturday night.

2GB radio has voted Sapore di Napoli No 1 choice by customers (according to the sign out front) and offers the authentic woodfired pizza. Always striving to find the best meals, here I am.

 

 

 

 

Once we are settled with drinks (and wine buckets eventually) we catch up while choosing what we are going to share.

We start with the special of the evening. The Antipasti platter which has a selection of marinated artichokes, marinated capsicum, salami, shaved parma, olives, tomatoes and rocket, cheese and a ball of mozzarella. It’s a decent starter for the five of us.


 

 

We also went with a serve of Crocchette di patate con bufala (potato croquettes with buffalo mozzarella. 

 

The kids share a garlic pizza and a  bianca con prosciutto cotto (hold the chilli) and they are happy campers reading books (yes I know!) and chatting amongst themselves.

We all end up having a piece of the garlic pizza because it looks so good.  It's fluffy and full of toasty garlic!

 

 

The bianca con prosciutto cotto (hold the chilli)  looks good too.  There is something about cream based sauces for pizza and the fior di latte is gooey and cheesy.

 

Penne Vodka – penne pasta with bacon, cream and vodka. Surprisingly this cream based pasta sauce is light (or is it the vodka?). I love penne because the sauce gets inside the tube and coats the pasta more (I'm sticking with that). Smokey nubs of bacon are delicious.

 

Another share bowl is the fettuccine tri colore with Italian sausage, cherry tomatoes in napoletana sauce. the simplicity of this bowl of pasta is what makes it a winner. The intense tomatoes flavour is so yum and the pasta just past al dente. Very comforting dish.

 

Couple of  pizzas for the adults makes a very carb laden meal, but tasty and yum all the same!

Pizza Contutti Carne – tomato base, fior di latte, beef mince, italian sausage, spicy salami, caramelised onion and olive oil.

I have to admit the pizza is pretty good.

Pizza Garlic and Sausage with San Marzano tomato base, fior di latte, Italian homemade sausage, garlic and rosemary

I like the use of fior di latte, the stretchy curd melts easily and goes all gooey on top of the cheese. Nubs of sausage through out with hints of garlic. I like this pizza!


Fior di latte is fresh mozzarella made from cow’s milk rather than the traditional buffalo.
  

 

 

When there is room for dessert I have to take advantage.  Sapore di Napoli are well known for their homemade gelatos.  The stracciatella was calling my name.  What is that?  Vanilla gelato with chocolate chip.  Plain and simple but the perfect dessert.

 

My friends went with something a little traditional and had the cannoli. one filled with vanilla and one filled with sweetened ricotta.  the filling was lovely and light but unfortunately the pastry was soggy, which was the only small let down.  I like them crispy!

 

 

The kids finished off with the nutella pizza with strawberries.  By the look of it all around their mouths I think they enjoyed it very much.  and secretly who doesn't love nutella on a pizza!

 

 

I was delighted to find yet another restaurant in my area that is casual and fun and family friendly.  It's BYO as well as licenced.  The service, although very friendly and outgoing was a little hit and miss, where we had chase up a couple of requests (like an ice bucket for our wine, but that is okay.  It was busy and we eventually were given what we needed.   They also hold functions if you are looking for a venue for a private event.