“We ate well & cheaply & drank well & cheaply & slept well & warm together & loved each other.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

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an iconic 73-year-old institution offering home-made pastries & traditional drinks

retro furnishings harking back to the Singapore of old

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kaya buns to die for

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Chin Mee Chin Confectionary

204 East Coast Road, Singapore 428903

+65 63450419

Tues-Sun: 8.30am-4pm

the traditional eggs & hot beverage to start your day

custard puffs that never stay in the pastry cabinets for long

have your half boiled egg w/ a dash of dark soy sauce & pepper – simple

the famous kaya buns are soft, nicely toasted, & w/ more butter than you were expecting

nostalgic charm, old-school traditions & very much exuding a part of Singapore history

so search out this long-standing little confectionary the next time you’re on the sunny island, & savour the authentic local breakfast

pick up a box of the very fragrant home-made kaya jam

then explore the old-school charm that the surrounding shophouses have to offer

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built from an eco-friendly standpoint by Melbourne-based French designer Anne-Sophie Poirier (Sasufi)

owner Curtis Riddington champions the sustainability cause by favouring organic or locally-sourced foods

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open for dinner when the weather is warmer

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Slowpoke Espresso

157 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Australia VIC 3065

+61 3 9942 7813

Mon-Fri: 7am-5pm; Sat-Sun: 8am-5pm

roast chicken sanga w/ salsa verde, rocket & house mayo

slow & steady coffee & the day’s papers

smashed egg & lettuce roll w/ house mayo, chives & tarragon + jamon

a place for great food, a relaxed atmosphere & wonderful company

outfitted w/ lovely, recycled timber off-cuts & furniture foraged from flea markets

if you’re thirsty, try the viet style coffee. if you’re really thirsty, try the affogato w/ whiskey

check out the tabletops made from recycled floorboards, the hand-cut business cards from disused cardboard packaging, & a solar-powered recycled tool box as the street signage

the open fireplace brings an unbelievable warmth & the sweet smell of burning logs

enchanting fairy lights illuminate the cosy courtyard at dinner time

this is where you’ll feel time slow down in your own little nook

but the carrot needs some coffee

it’s been unseasonably warm for autumn in melbourne
& the red gems of sweet strawberries are still ripening in the garden
add yoghurt + oats
& you’ve got the world’s healthiest muffin

☀

Ingredients

2½ cup oats (old fashioned, not quick cooking)
1 cup plain low fat greek yoghurt
2 eggs
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1½ cup strawberries (diced & patted dry)
more strawberries to top off muffins

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200˚C/400˚F. Line 12 muffin tins with liners. (Note: Silicone or foil will prevent the flourless base from sticking to the liners. You can also use a silicone muffin pan.)
2. Place all of the ingredients (except the strawberries) in a blender or food processor, & blend until oats are smooth.
3. Pour mixture into a bowl, then stir in diced strawberries. Additionally, you can top each muffin off with more strawberries.
4. Divide batter among liners, & bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cool, then eat.
6. Have two more guilt-free.

Serves 12

because june is when i’ll be roaming the streets of europe again
it’s been awhile

~

so speaking of grand journeys. .

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a boys playground with great food, an easygoing vibe & a tyre swing

handsomely named & built by owner & tradie Greg Saunders

solid coffee supreme blend

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worth a drive down into the industrial zone

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Salford Lads Club

Corner Bridge & Fennell Streets, Port Melbourne, Australia VIC 3207

+61 3 8534 9957

Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm; Sat: 8am-2.30pm

smoke out this little cafe ode to the smiths amidst port melbourne’s industrial turf

sit under the leafy shade of the ol’ stately tree w/ your coffee & hum the tune to ‘follow you down to the red oak tree’

speckled coffee

sometimes the best view is to look up

feta, mint + zucchini fritters w/ tassie salmon, avocado & lemon crème fraîche

you won’t miss the iconic tyre swing out the front

teriyaki pork burger on toasted brioche w/ japanese coleslaw & fries + ice cold cider

the tuck shop extension: for takeaway sandwiches & coffee

follow you down to the red oak tree/as the air moves thick through the hollow reeds/i will wait for you there until someone comes/to carry me, carry me down

being neighbourly – especially when the globe headquarters is just on the flip side of the wall

definitely where skaters go for brunch

& when you’ve had your fill of burgers, coffee & skateboards, you can always pop in next door for a wicked hipster haircut at uncle rocco’s

names get carved in the red oak tree/of the ones who stay & the ones who leave

So i found out that my teeny tiny little blog has been chosen as one of
The Voices of 2013 Top 100
out of 500 fantastically talented Australian blogs
& one of only 25 bloggers in the food + wellbeing category

you have no idea what this means to me
to be alongside some of my absolute favourite blogs!
i’m super stoked!
let me show you some of what i’m talking about -

rohan | whole larder love

amelia | simple provisions

sneh | cook republic

steph | raspberri cupcakes

kate | finger, fork & knife

katie | what katie ate

karen | citrus and candy

yeah i’m super super stoked

oh wait,
did i say that already?

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charmingly transformed from a former furniture restorers to a homely, retro cafe by owners Lauren Bieber & Tom Crowe

bright & breezy with a flourishing little back garden, white-washed walls, & stuff that your gran would appreciate

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pick up a few posies at the cafe’s eco-friendly flower shop Fowlers Flowers

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Mixed Business

486 Queens Parade, Clifton Hill, Australia VIC 3068

+61 3 9468 1606

Tues-Sat: 7.30am-5pm; Sun: 8am-5pm

imagine a lazy brunch under a burgeoning lemon tree & speckled sunlight

w/ a little pot of honey to go w/ your organic chai latte

& impressive plates of beautifully seared steaks, fluffy omelettes, flavour-spiked rolls, & enticing gingerbread waffles

grab a comfy little crocheted blanket for the cooler days

& grandly dig in

maybe have some gluten-free lime + coconut polenta syrup cake or a lemon + mint soda when it gets quieter

or a good & honest cup of their seven seeds coffee

be reminded of the colourful history of mixed businesses w/ merry little enamelled signs

just remember where to go the next time you feel like a little floristry w/ your pastry

it’s that time of the year again
when a giant rabbit maniacally controls all the eggs in the world
& chocolate unfathomably pops out of everything

say you have too much chocolate?
as if that’s possible. .

☀

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter
100g good quality dark chocolate (or any easter leftovers)
½ cup dutch processed cocoa powder
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp rosewater
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

Adapted from Alanna’s romantic, little recipe on her adorable Petal & Pie blog

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F. Line a square tin or loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Over a low heat, melt the butter & chocolate in a heavy bottomed saucepan.
3. Pour into a bowl & stir in the cocoa powder & caster sugar.
4. Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes, then whisk eggs in one at a time.
5. Add in the rosewater & stir well.
6. Fold in the flour & salt, & stir until just combined.
7. Pour into the prepared tin & bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a plate.

Serves 8

sinfully crunchy on the outside, yet angelically fudgy on the inside

imagine biting into rich chocolate flavours bursting w/ the fragrance of lush roses

happy easter egg hunting!

~

in the morning when i wake
& the sun is coming through,
oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness,
& you fill my head with you.
shall i write it in a letter?

shall i try to get it down?
oh, you fill my head with pieces
of a song i can’t get out.

can i take it to a morning
where the fields are painted gold
& the trees are filled with memories
of the feelings never told?

when the evening pulls the sun down,
& the day is almost through,
oh, the whole world it is sleeping,
but my world is you.

♥

brilliantly envisioned & crafted by dutch-born eco-entrepreneur Joost Bakker

designed entirely with recycled & recyclable materials

champions ingredients that are sustainable, organic, biodynamic & of local origin (some even from Joost’s Mansfield farm)

refreshingly green, pleasantly earthy, graciously enlightening & positively benevolent

simple & unique at the same time

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even if you don’t like toast, you’ll like Joost (‘yoast’)

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Silo by Joost

123 Hardware Street, Melbourne, Australia VIC 3000

+61 3 9600 0588

Mon-Sat: 6.30am-3.30pm

embrace the simple & surprising beauty that fresh herbs & leafy vegetables can exude in a flower jar at a truly green cafe

beautifully made fresh juices & heart-warming coffee

the luscious chai latte w/ its abundance of perfectly-mixed spices

coddled hen egg // slowly cooked hen egg, locally cultivated oyster mushrooms, wild herbs (foraged daily), served on toast w/ brown butter

oats or granola // freshly rolled oats, yoghurt, Joost’s honey & poached or fresh fruit

to feast on what is fresh & wholesome

eat out of the lovely Bakker-designed, flowerpot-shaped terracotta crockery or recycled glass bottles

the clean, greenhouse, industrial chic interior – where the only rubbish bin is the dehydrator behind converting organic waste into fertiliser for the cafe’s suppliers

along w/ the eco-friendly, seasonal menu comes great coffee crafted by experienced hands

delight in the freshly baked bread created from milling whole wheat grain right in the kitchen, rustically churned butter & other fine foods made from scratch

perch on the skilfully recycled communal table & watch the magic surrounding the making of your food

remember – don’t waste anything

imagine making a 6-layer cake with scintillating frosting & chocolate ornaments
imagine the lofty tiers resembling the pretty colours of the rainbow
then imagine the swelling heat & pieces of confection sliding everywhere

i’ll try doing this again when the weather gets cooler
until then, try the cake for yourself
it’s delicious – even when it’s falling apart

☀

Ingredients

125g butter soft
200g sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
½ tsp salt
300g all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
160ml buttermilk
food colouring
*makes two 9-inch round layers (triple the batter for 6 layers)

Adapted from Julie’s recipe on her undeniably indulgent blog Always with Butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C/350˚F. Butter & flour the 9-inch cake pans.
2. Cream butter & sugar until pale & very fluffy.
3. Add in vanilla bean paste & salt, then the eggs one at a time.
4. Whisk the flour & baking powder together in a separate bowl.
5. Add half the flour mix to the butter mix. Mix until combined. Add half the buttermilk. Mix until combined. Then the remaining flour, the remaining buttermilk.
Do not over mix.
6. Divide evenly among 6 bowls. Place a few drops of each colour into the corresponding bowls & mix until you achieve your desired colours.
7. Spoon a colour of the cake mixture into a cake pan & bake for about 25 minutes or until lightly golden on top & set through. You will have to repeat this step for the different colours, depending on how many cake pans you have.
8. Remove from pan onto a rack & let cool completely.
9. Frost lavishly, top ambitiously & eat simply.

Serves 12

the smooth chocolate frosting & crispy m & ms

the gloriously melting, multi-hued layers of vanilla & buttermilk

& a tune while the cake bakes
for the coming changing of the season
yes
i’m dreaming of Spring again
(when my frosting has a chance)