Evida Cafe in Henley Beach, Adelaide

So here we are, Anzac Day long weekend is over and so was my trip to Adelaide for a lovely wedding.

We decided on dinner @ Evida Cafe, Henley Beach, located near the airport and well we had plenty of time to spare before my flight.


I ordered Cajun Chicken - chicken breast topped with rocket lettuce, bocconcini, chargrilled zucchini, oven roasted mushrooms and balsamic reduction.. came just under $21. The dish came cold, emm I don't recall ever having cold chicken unless I was having some salad? Perhaps they had forgotten to leave it under the heating area whilst the other dish was being prepared? Chicken was slightly dry, but other than that, combination was lovely, and taste overall was good probably because of balsamic flavours and chicken done chargrilled style (that's always a plus in my book). Presentation was fine, price reasonable for a dinner main, considering beach front views.

My cousin ordered grilled barramundi fillet which was topped with lemon butter served with steak fries and mixed salad, that came under $23. That was ordinary, fish was overcooked.

The only thing is, this was the 3rd place I had gone to over the weekend in Adelaide where we had to order and pay at the counter up front. One barista preparing all the coffees, whilst another attending the rest of the bar and the food orders, and the very lengthy wait especially when all drinks order were prepared and done before they are willing to take yours.. well, felt a bit strange. Maybe's this is a new Adelaide thing? It's like McDonald's style of food service in a cafe.

But then again, a few hours later... I'm back in Melbourne, home sweet home..... yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

You can find Evida Cafe @ 269 Seaview Road, Henley Beach South Australia.

I just want to mention briefly, there's the ultra pricey $3.90 standard size coffees sold in Cibo (a franchise-like coffee house). The coffee is good, I admit, but for that price? Wow, even in Melbourne, all the great standard size coffees here aren't even at that HEFTY price.

Cafe Paradiso @ Hyde Park in Adelaide

It's always nice to stroll along King William Road in Hyde Park and enjoying a meal around there.

Don't you just love the name Paradiso? I love it. Well the cafe still looks the same, the decor relaxed, simplistic and modern. New pieces of art of course on the walls, tables and chairs all the same, but not sure whether there's been a change of owners?


Whatever the case is, my coffee came out good, but my bruschetta was BAD. The bread was ultra dry, and it was very very ordinary. There were 7 of us, with 3 orders of bruschettas. One came out with 1/5 of the bread burnt. I finished mine because I was hungry, lucky it wasn't burnt.

The other orders included scrambled eggs, I tried a bit of that, and that was bland.

I'm not sure what's happened to the food at this trusty cafe. The last time I had breakfast there with an order of Raisin Toast & Cinammon some years back was great. Maybe I should have stuck to that (still on current menu), and that can't be hard to prepare, surely :)

Oh yea, you have to go up to the counter to order. Read next blog so you know what I mean...

Find Cafe Paradiso @ 150 King William Road, Hyde Park, South Australia

LuLo Spanish Tapas, Bar & Restaurant, Hawthorn VIC

Alright... I feel like if I didn't blog this, it just doesn't feel right because this place deserves a praise.

Wasn't a planned evening to actually eat here, only decided to since we thought there's plenty of eateries around Hawthorn before heading off to a show.. and well why not tapas.

So here we are.. ultra modern, red, black and white interior. The place was incredibly lively and buzzing on a weeknight. We were promptly greeted, and service from start to end was fabulous. Plus we had an American waiter too which rightly fits the venue. Pity he wasn't South American but he certainly looked the part. :)

We had very limited time and ordered a few tapas to share. Food came quickly without much of a wait. The way the restaurant paid attention to our time to spare, is a PLUS. Prices are mid-range to below-high, but I believe the quality is worth the $.

So here's the dishes we had that's worth a revisit:
- Seared scallop with pistachio picada and sofrito, $4 each, and each piece was served in a spoon. Nice. I love scallops, and certainly never had scallops with a pistachio twist. Super.
- Chorizo con Sidra $10.. yum yum yummmm
- Pork belly dish $22... . crispiness was spot on
There was one other dish and I simply cannot remember what it was. Sorry. But that was actually the least interesting dish of the 4.




Worth trying some other tapas and shared plates on the menu given more time. These were considered and will be tried next time, ie King Prawns with garlic, chilli and smoked paprika butter, and the spiced roast glenloth chicken with quinoa & an almond eggyolk emulsion. The pic already looks enticing. These guys do paella too but wait time is about 35min (Sun-Thurs, min 2ppl).


So what is Lulo? I'm going to take a wild punt here with help from google... but I think it's the naranjilla plant, subtropical fruit found in northwestern South America. Looks like a little orange or even orange tomato, citrus in taste (somewhat combo of rhubarb & lime), juice is green in color and is used as a drink. If I'm wrong and that's not what LuLo is named after... ah well. heh

Bring a couple of friends, have some beer, cocktails and tapas, and I'm sure you're guaranteed a great evening out at LuLo with plenty of laughs. The venue specialises in beer and wine. Or pop in and try the Estrella Galicia lager (Spanish beer) offered on tap. Find it here and I hope you do quick:

798 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn VIC
Open every day of the week for dinner, and Wed-Sun for lunch
ph 03 98188321

(photos are borrowed from LuLo, since I hadn't brought my camera on the night ARGHHH)

Single Ladies....

If you guys haven't seen it... you will now!! This is so funny, the boy is devastated when he's told he's not a single lady... awww eheheee

Now I feel like doing the beyonce single ladies dance..

Melbourne Comedy Festival 2010 : Frisky & Mannish

I thought I was going to give the Comedy Fest a complete miss this year.. but then I got invited to see Frisky & Mannish at HiFi Bar... heh

I must say, Melbourne Town Hall looks glorious when lighted up, nice huh? Pictured below is Circus Trick Tease doing stunts and entertaining those outside.



Anyway, I haven't a clue really who Frisky & Mannish were, since I wasn't given any info except the performers name. Then saw the poster and thought "School of Pop"? Crazy makeup, really punk. Ermm.

But you know what, we really enjoyed it, it was unlike any other performers I've seen over the years. What makes Frisky & Mannish (from UK) truly different is the music they 'teach' (hence the school of pop). Hilarious! from TLC's "No Scrubs", to Bangles "Eternal Flame"... doing their Lady Gaga performance as though they were on Dancing with the Stars!?...and impersonating Lily Allen.


They were very much entertaining and the performance was well worth catching. A definite surprise, I haven't seen a comedy performance quite like theirs.

Frisky & Mannish will still be performing at the HiFi Bar, 125 Swanston St, Melbourne till 18th April 2010. You should be able to grab tix at the door for this one, or be safe and buy at ticketmaster.

(Photos are mine)

Day at Melbourne Zoo

We finally made it to Melbourne Zoo.. yippeee

If you are planning on going to the zoo anytime soon, allow at least 4.5 hrs. Carparking is cheap, I think we paid $2 for a 5hr park. hehee And great to bring your own fluids and some food for snacks. Most people just sit around around the lawns having a picnic lunch. There's a few eateries, from the usual fast food kiosk, to the little cafe for sandwiches and coffee (word of advice, go grab a splendid coffee from a good local barista before heading to the zoo, well that's what we did). Located in the Elephant Village is Mek Kapah Cafe (pictured below) which sells Asian food, like kuay teow and noodles.

Cost of an adult tix is $24.40, whilst kids (aged 4-15) are around $12. Kids 3 or under are freebies. Family prices are worth it especially when you have at least 2 kids. Then there's the Friends of the Zoo special, for ongoing visits during the year for families, definitely a worthy buy.

The zoo isn't the most spectacular, and you won't be able to touch any of the animals. I was in Bali Safari Wildlife park years ago and.. you get to carry the baby orangutang, pat the baby tiger, even have a parrot on your arm... just plenty of great photo shots.

Here, we got to see the polarbear and the giant tortoise up close. You can touch the tortoise, but that's just about the only creature you're able to pat.



The elephant area is very much Thai influenced, with a Thai Hut built for educational purposes. There's 2 session times for viewing, around 11.15am-12.15pm, and 2.15-3.15pm. So best to queue up about 15min prior to opening and be prepared to spend 1hr for the whole process, majority is the wait in queue. You're allowed 5mins for viewing baby elephant Mali, her mum Dokkoon, and her best friend (unsure of name) before being rushed out and another 150 people will come through. Viewing times may differ for weekdays.


But the photo tells all, Mali is just adorable.

I first blogged Dokkoon being close to giving birth on 6th Jan, see it if you haven't. And visit the zoo if you haven't recently, since ermm Mali grows at 1kg per day. So delay no longer and go! :)


(All photos are mine)

Council House 2

Guys and girls... apologies for the lack of food blogs lately, I just haven't been bringing my camera around. But I did on this most recent weekend, so here goes..

We dined at Council House 2, only stumbling in due to the closure of some eateries on Easter Sunday in the city. The bar/restaurant is housed in the council house building occupied by Melbourne City Council. It is a purpose-built office building in Australia, first to achieve a maximum 6 green star and basically an eco-friendly building.

Anyway, back to the food, I can't say much about it because we had to do a quick order of main before rushing to a show.


Both ordering seafood marinara spagettini, even less to speak of! Okay, here's the pros, I thought the service was lovely and prompt. Food came without a long wait and price was low-average. The pasta dish was $20, fresh prawns and enough cockles. Atmosphere - dim lighted with candles, very relaxed feel, except I didn't feel relaxed somehow?! Lovely timber panels framed the bar, and some stark modern designed pieces of lighting, and simple designed chairs.


Cons, pasta slightly overdressed, as in heavy taste, average mussels, and was just OKAY. Very standard presentation.

It's a pity not to have tried other dishes, the place actually sources its produce from regional Victoria.. ah well, maybe next time.

Find it at Shop 1, 218-240 Little Collins St Melbourne.