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Thursday, July 14, 2011
So after being rostered a Melbourne-Auckland and a Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne for the end of June, I thought it was about time I did another My Perfect Layover post. I love Melbourne, aside from being born there it has a great vibe to it that even makes the Sydney, Brisbane and Perth mates I have want to move there. The weather is horrible though, constantly changing. So good luck if you're visiting and want to pack light. I had my Hunter Wellington boots on pretty much the entirety of my stay.First place I'm going to feature, and the one place I cannot miss out on in Melbourne above any other is Cumulus Inc.  I love this restaurant. I love how close it is to the hotel. I love the decor, the name and even the logo. And I especially love their breakfast. The baked eggs, also known as the shakshouka, make me happy. I cannot rave enough about this place. My only complaint is the price. And the chef's hat it now has means everyone is going to dine here. Oh well.  I think I've mentioned before that some of the best things I've ever bought have been at art gallery gift stores, and one supplier of these is Third Drawer Down. It's most notorious for the tea towels it sells, all of which you can get stretched over a frame ready for hanging.  The last item I bought from here was a thermos mug disguised as a Canon lens. Awesome no?  So just around the corner from Third Drawer Down and Arcadia is one of those places that for some reason I never plan to visit, but I always end up here for a muffin and a coffee.   Trust me guys, if you order only one thing from this cafe, make sure its a muffin. Last time I was here I grabbed myself a Coconut, Boysenberry and Chocolate muffin. I think the muffin batter was around the 20% mark, whereas the rest of the filling was the remaining 80%. It was full of flavour and so moist. A joy to snack on :-) So a short 5 minute walk later and you reach Brunswick Street, which is a great place to go if you don't know what to do for the day and don't mind window shopping. Everything can be found here - thrift stores, rug shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs, art stores, clothing shops, and everything you can think of. It also has Panelpop.  I've mentioned Panelpop on this blog before, and everytime I go there my eyes light up seeing the art they have on display, imagining how my apartment will soon take shape. Last time I was there I walked away with some Drew Funk graffiti artwork and a gorgeous Beth Emily piece, and I'm itching to go back to buy more.I only found Panelpop whilst walking towards Clear It, which is a factory outlet store. They mainly stock Alannah Hill clothes, which is my favorite Australian designer, and the first 3-4 times I was in Melbourne for work my sole mission of the layover was usually spent shopping here. Worth checking out anyway... Lygon Street is a must do when you're in Melbourne. Every cuisine imaginable is available, but the best stuff is the Greek, Italian and Turkish food. Thai, Indian and Chinese are in abundance as well, and all of it is reasonably priced, especially compared to the restaurants in the CBD and Southbank.  I wish I could just nail down one place for you guys that is just the epitome of awesome, but I really can't. There are so many hidden gems here, and you probably need about 2 weeks stay to dine at all the restaurants along here, there's bound to be something here for your tastes. I'm partial to the Italian food here though :-) So a short walk back to the city, and you'll find Flinders Street Station...  Nothing says Melbourne to me more than Flinders Street Station. The building is gorgeous, and is a flurry of activity at all times of the day and night. And it's just directly opposite from...  Federation Square. Personally I think Federation Square is worth seeing for the architecture alone - whether you love it or hate it, it is certainly eye-catching. It houses the tourism office in case you get lost, it houses the National Gallery of Victoria and has a bar called 'Transport' if you're at a loss as to what to do on a Tuesday night.So a short stroll from Fed Square and in 5 minutes you end up at the best cafe in the Melbourne CBD - Brother Babba Budan  Strange name aside, the CBD isn't really the place for amazing Melbourne coffee, but this place was recommended to me by another crew member, so I decided to check it out. It's very difficult to find without having the address beforehand, there's no sign outside the store. You just have to know... It's more catered to take-away orders as there is hardly any seating space, but the coffee is worth it. And the decor is pretty cool to boot. And for my last recommendation, just a short stroll north is the Queen Victoria Markets. If you do one thing at these markets, you simply have to get yourself a doughnut from this van.  The jam donuts from this van are freshly made, coated in the sugar and served warm, and are for sale for 6 for $6.00. I really had to restrain myself from buying 15 of them, but they were so good with the take away coffee from Brothers Babba Budan. The Market itself is well worth a browse, and I've lost track of what I've bought here - I visit so often. I'm currently in love with this jar of passionfruit butter I purchased from one of the fresh fruit and vegetable vendors. Definitely a place I recommend for anyone visiting for the first time. Images from here, here. EDIT - As per a wonderful suggestion from Sodwee, here is a map of all the locations. I don't know why I didn't think of doing this sooner... View My Perfect Day - Melbourne in a larger map Cumulus Inc - 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Open Mon-Fri 7.00am-11.00pm, Sat-Sun 8.00am-11.00pm. Third Drawer Down - 93 George Street, Fitzroy. Open Tue-Wed 11.00am-5.00pm, Thu-Sat 11.00am-6.00pm Arcadia - 193 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy. Open Mon-Fri 8.00am-5.00pm, Sat-Sun 9.00am-5.00pm Panelpop - 117 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Clear It Factory Outlet - 188-192 Brunswick St Fitzroy. Open Mon–Thurs, Sat 10.00am – 6.00pm. Fri 10.00am – 7.00pm. Sun 11.00am - 6.00pm Lygon Street, Carlton. Various Hours Brothers Baba Budan. 359 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. Open Mon-Sat 7.00am-5.00pm Queen Victoria Market - Cnr of Elizabeth and Victoria Street, Melbourne. Open Tues and Thurs 6.00am to 2.00pm, Fri 6.00am to 5.00pm, Sat 6.00am to 3.00pm, Sun 9.00am to 4.00pm Labels: Layovers, My Perfect Day 9 commentsTuesday, March 01, 2011
So recently I was rostered on an epic Sydney-Bangkok trip. And when I say epic, I mean EPIC - a whopping 8 days away from Dubai, living out of a suitcase, resting in two completely different climates, no washing machine, no dryer, no reliable opening hours I know off the top of my head to dine at. I was not looking forward to the trip at all, and had done well to avoid it for over 3 years. It can also be a very testing time for the crew, as quite often on long trips such as these personalities clash and then fights break out. The memory of the 5-day Melbourne-Auckland I operated last Xmas was all to fresh in my mind, with a total bitchfest between one Economy crew member and one from First. I did very well not to buy too much stuff (we're now restricted to 23kg of checked in weight) but boy did I eat my way around Sydney! So despite not getting the chance to visit Sydney since April 2009, I still thoroughly enjoyed myself, and hereby present to you, my lovely readers, my personal black book of things to do or see in Sydney.  Pancakes on the Rocks – A local crew member recommended this place to me, and whilst I’d much rather have Poached Eggs for breakfast than pancakes, I definitely make an exception for this place. Plus the best thing going for this place (at least in Australia where it rarely happens) is that it’s open 24 hours a day!!!!!! Perfect for any jetlagged cabin crew with minimum time off on layovers. I’ve had here in the past their Macadamia Madness pancakes, and I could only finish 2 as it was so filling. And whilst their pancakes are incredibly bad for you I still feel a need to feast on them every time I end up in Sydney. However this place comes with a warning – try to avoid visiting here on a Friday or Saturday night at 2am-4am as that’s when all the drunkards of Sydney leave the clubs for something to eat.  Luna Park – I’m not one for riding amusement park attractions (they make me super nauseous!) but boy do they make great photos! I was here in April last year, and armed with a Lomo camera and nothing else to do I went to Luna Park. Was very shocked to find that I didn’t have to pay any entrance fee – you only pay for the rides to take. Also good for general people watching, especially on the weekends or school holidays.  Bourke St Bakery – I’ve wanted to try the goods here ever since I bought a copy of their book, and the pictures have me absolutely salivating. Whilst I’ve managed to create the unique sausage roll recipes with great success (and they’re a permanent fixture in my freezer just in case I need on-board sustenance without sifting through the aircraft catering) it’s the tarts that have left me so curious.My haul for the first day was a ginger crème brulee tart, a raspberry and chocolate mousse tart, raspberry and chocolate muffin and pork and pancetta sandwich, which was quickly consumed on my SYD-CHC-SYD shuttle. I couldn’t stop there though – I bought more supplies on the way back, though this time it was a Mixed Berry muffin, Pear and Rhubarb Tart, a Plain Croissant and my new favourite, the Ginger Crème Brulee tart. I’m already having withdrawal symptoms. Downside is that I had to take a bus just to get there.  Billy Kwongs – I know it’s not a popular thing to say, but the best thing about this restaurant is the NO RESERVATION POLICY! Finally I can dine somewhere high end and not worry about having to make a booking 2 months in advance! Considering I don’t get my roster until the 20th of each month this is a welcome relief. I queued up here at 5.45 in time for the doors to open at 6pm, and I’m glad I got in there early as the tables were all filled up by 6.30pm! After that they take names and numbers down, which is good if you live in the area, or have a car, or are willing to hang around and try NOT to get drunk at a cocktail bar nearby, but for the jetlagged hostie this really isn’t possible. I ordered the Beer-battered Blue Bottle Squid flavoured with Szechwan pepper and salt as an appetiser, with the stir fried mussels in Szechwan sauce as a main (with a side of rice) and a lemongrass and ginger tea to wash it all down with, and I didn’t leave a single thing left on the plate. It was very tasty, and my only regret was that I didn’t have anyone to join me :-(  Clipper Cafe – Bit of a trek if you’re heading here on a layover, but if you manage to get here in the morning on a weekday its quiet enough to totally chill out and enjoy. I only wish this place was closer to the hotel, but alas what to do. I ordered the baked eggs with Italian Chorizo and ciabatta, and a fresh watermelon, ginger and lemon juice to start off my day. It was a bit chilli outside so this was perfect to warm up with.  The cafe also has back issues of Monocle (big tick!) and Free WIFI as well (massive tick!) Now only if I can steal the bicycles they have on the wall and carry it with me to Dubai... Vella Nero Coffee Couture – Seemingly ‘the’ place in Sydney to get your morning coffee hit (with the exception of Mecca Espresso, which is just too packed at any time of the day for me to be able to get a seat there) it should be worth mentioning that it’s the only place in Sydney that I’ve seen, and only one of two places in Australia that have on display for sale Hario Coffee Siphon sets and accessories. They really do the most amazing cup of coffee, nice and strong without having to ask for an extra shot, no skimping on the crema either. They’ve also managed to get some super perky folks behind the La Marzocco machine, which can be hard to find at 7am...  Via Abercrombie – I’m going to start off with the worst – if you’re wandering here to get a decent cup of coffee you’ve come to the wrong place. Their specialty in Sydney is their sandwiches, absolutely loaded with filling that you can only eat one half in a single sitting. Despite being hidden in some random alleyway with only an orange sign (with no name!) and a couple of white chairs, it still manages to draw an epic lunchtime crowd. The best thing is, they don’t inflate the prices, with a bacon and egg sandwich costing a mere $5.00 and a Vegie sandwich (which is loaded with hummus and roasted red pepper puree) for $8.00, which if you count one sandwich as being 2 servings ends up being $4.00 a serving. Be warned though, as from 12pm to 2pm the place is absolute chaos, so if you’re able to aim for a 11am visit then this would be ideal.  Cafe Sopra/Fratelli Fresh – My visit here was pretty much a complete shambles. First there were the seating issues – despite advertising that their dinner service started at 6pm, and unable to take any bookings, I was a little shocked to find that at 5.50pm half the restaurant was already full. I was seated at a table, then told to move to the bar, then at the bar told to move AGAIN to accommodate 2 people (despite there being at least 14 chairs available at the bar). The staff could see I was pissed off though so they comped me a cocktail which I was surprised but pleased to see. I first ordered the FREE Campari de limone, which had Campari, muddled lime, ruby red grapefruit and a splash of orange juice. It was tasty, very tart, but not worth the 15 min wait at all. For dinner I had the Lamb Ragu with Rosemary, Chilli and Gnoccitini. The main was very tasty, very hearty Italian. I think though that they were mainly suffering from staffing issues, because despite everything being slow, the staff that they did have looked relatively competent. And that place was absolutely packed, with an ever-increasing queue outside as well. If you want a place to drink with great atmosphere though then I would definitely recommend Cafe Sopra, it seemed that the beautiful Sydney peeps all descend here for their post-work/pre theatre drinks.  Gaffa – Well I thought I should feature somewhere that doesn’t really involve food for a change, and here in Gaffa there is a kind of artist showcase and Arcade 1, which is a jewellery/bag/stationary display for purchase. The three artists featured when I visited were Nitta, Mattt and [little branch] who’s bounty I would have walked out of had I not had my annual leave coming up and a reason to save every last cent I could. They also have a coffee shop downstairs, which is a great place to go for a bit of peace, and not somewhere (I think) the CBD crowd populate in the morning for their pre-work coffee. A nice place to go if you want to go off the beaten track a bit but without leaving the CBD.  Bills – So every time I’m in Australia, layover or leave, I make sure I pick up a copy of Delicious magazine, and every issue seems to have Bill Granger featured. His recipes look amazing, and some can be a little simple, but I have a lot of trouble trying out his recipes at home since what is in season back in Australia is almost never in season in Dubai and impossible to get. (Oh what I wouldn’t give for fresh figs!!!) So I decided to visit Bills, just to see what it would be like. I ordered the Ricotta Hotcakes with Fresh Bananas and Honeycomb Butter, a Sunrise Smoothie of OJ, banana, yogurt and berries, and a Cafe Latte. The Ricotta Hotcakes were just absolute heaven!!! So good it prompted me to pop over to Kinokuniya in Dubai to find the recipe in one of his books. So good that I fully intent to bring back some honeycomb from Perth and make the said butter and have it on toast. It’s served with maple syrup, but you really don’t need it as there is enough subtle flavour in the butter to make the dish awesome. Bills is definitely in my must-do for future Sydney trips. Are you a virtual or actual Sydney Local? Where would you recommend for my next layover? [Images from here, here and here] View My Perfect Day - Sydney in a larger map Pancakes on the Rocks - 4 Hickson Road, The Rocks. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Luna Park - 1 Olympic Drive, Milson's Point. Opening Hours vary, check website for details. Bourke St Bakery - 633 Bourke St, Surry Hills. Open Mon-Fri 7.00am-6.00pm, Sat-Sun 8.00am-5.00pm. Billy Kwongs - 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills. Open everyday 6.00pm-late. Clipper Cafe - 16 Glebe Point Road, Glebe. Open Mon-Fri 6.00am-6.00pm Vella Nero Coffee - 259 Clarence St, Sydney CBD. Open Mon-Fri 7.00am-4.00pm Via Abercrombie - 1 Abercrombie Lane, Sydney CBD. Open Mon-Fri 8.00am-3.00pm Cafe Sopra - 16 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay Open everyday 12.00-3.00pm, and 6.00pm-10.00pm Gaffa - 281 Clarence Steet, Sydney CBD (02) 9283 4273 Open Mon-Fri 10.00am-6.00pm and Sat 11.00am-5.00pm Bills (Surry Hills) - 359 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW - (02) 9360 4762 Open everyday 7.00am to 10.00pm. Lunch until 4.00pm Dinner from 6.00pm. Labels: Layovers, My Perfect Day 3 commentsFriday, September 17, 2010
So following on from my "My Perfect Day in London" post, I thought that with a week in Perth I'd feature some cool spots to recommend to you guys. On a typical layover my day is pretty packed with catch ups from family and friends, and stocking up on groceries from Woolworths, so fitting all these in for me would be very difficult, but should you be fortunate to find yourself in Perth and clueless as to what to do, then I hope that there is at least a few places here you can enjoy as much as I do. First up on the chopping block is Zekka - So I first got into this place from my mate Osman, and I only had a latte, but found it to be quite pleasant. I decided to come back here as I'd had enough of my usual breakfast hangout and it's constant rudeness. May as well patronise another establishment that actually wanted to serve me.    To be honest, after a mini breakfast at home all I really wanted was something to carb-load on, and Zekka's thick cut sourdough with softened butter hit the spot right on!  Yummo! So a short walk and you end up in Cloisters Arcade, home of Lowdown...  Lowdown is the place with the most promise but cursed with probably the worst location in Perth CBD. To get there you must pass 2 substandard cafes before you even see the place, and the actual cafe itself is so small, the seating area will hold about 6 dine in and 4 awaiting take away. It totally wins me over due to the staff - hippy-esque, bearded, long haired types that... wait for it...actually know what good service is! Aside from the latte that I purchased (very reasonable prices BTW) they automatically served me a glass of water, and when that was finished, without me even thinking about it, they'd already replenished the glass! I'd only been in there for 15 minutes and they were keen for a chat, find out what I was doing, whether or not I liked the Mighty Boosh... A nice refreshing addition to Perth's coffee scene, one that really needs to change it's location ASAP.   One place that I manage to visit every single time I'm in Perth (without fail) is Pigeonhole - I just love this place! They have three located in the city, and every single layover I have is spent in at least one of these stores.  They try to cater to the student market, so you won't find any designer items here for over $200 AUD, what you have is a store full of unique products, including jewellery, clothes, stationary and home wares you probably don't need but end up buying anyway. Every time I visit there always seems to be something new. Even scored myself a cute Jackalope who now keeps my TV company when I'm away on layovers.  I usually try to cram in a short trip to Freo as well so will visit the following places when I'm there  I actually found the B&M Pop Up Store after stumbling on their blog, it's a felt store but so much more. Kinda like the more adult Pigeonhole. They specialise in premium German felt and the items they have for sale are so nice. I'm even thinking of buying a sheet or two of felt and making my own coasters... They also stock items from Cardboard Safari, and a short plane ride later I am now housing Fred in my living room, and he seems happy :-)  Just down the road you'll find Remedy -  Another great place for window shopping, and amazing if you need to buy gifts. They have a lot of Aesop products here which I go absolutely crazy over. At the moment I'm stocking up on these porcelain fridge magnets by Little Jane St that I haven't seen anywhere else.  San Churros seemed to pop up out of no where, but there's the only place that I know of in Perth that do a chilli hot chocolate made from melted chocolate instead of powder. Consistency is very hit and miss, sometimes I get a nice, smooth drink, other times it's very thick and needs a lot of stirring to keep it drinkable. Everything here though is tasty and it's great to have when it's a little too late at night for a strong coffee. And for one last coffee place... Mini Espresso  I know that there are other places I'd recommend over Mini's, but this is great in it's convenience, in it's quality, and the guys behind the machine are super sweet. Best thing of all is that you can SMS them your order and in 5 min they'll have it ready for you. Fantastic! [Images from here, here, and here] View My Perfect Day - Perth in a larger map Zekka - 74-76 King Street, Perth. Open Tue-Sat 10.00am-5.00pm, Fri 10.00am-7.00pm, Sun 12.00pm-4.00pm. Closed Mondays. Lowdown - 16a Cloisters Arcade, 865 Hay St, Perth. Open Mon-Fri 7.00am to 5.00pm Pigeonhole Bon Marche - Shop 16, Bon Marche Arcade, 80 Barrack Street, Perth Pigeonhole London Court - Shop 44, London Court, 647-649 Hay Street, Perth Pigeonhole Shafto Lane - Shop 7a, Shafto Lane, 401 Murray Street, Perth Open Mon - Thurs: 10.30am - 5.30pm, Fri - 10.30pm - 8.00pm, Sat - 10.30am - 5.30pm B&M - 49 High Street, Fremantle http://www.bandmstore.com.au/ Remedy - 95 High Street Fremantle. Open Mon - Sun 9.00am - 5.00pm Chocolateria San Churros - 91 Market Street Fremantle. Open Mon - Thu 9:30am Mini Espresso - London Court, Hay Street, Perth. SMS +61 400 016 464 Labels: Holidays, Homesick, My Perfect Day 4 comments |
