Tag Archives: coffee

Italian Breakfast Banana Bread

Cakes, Bakes & Desserts, Recipes 09/06/2013 Comments: 3

I absolutely adore banana bread! I was delighted when I found a banana bread recipe while I was flipping through Nigella’s recipe book (thank you Goon!). Initially, I was a bit concern that Nigella added a few teaspoons of instant espresso powder in the banana bread ingredients. I was afraid that the coffee would overwhelm the banana taste but luckily it didn’t. The espresso gives the bread a nice aroma yet not too overpowering and complements really well with the banana taste.

After letting it cool for 30 minute, I couldn’t resist and took a slice. I was so disappointed with it as I couldn’t taste any banana flavor. I was thinking to myself who is going to finish the rest as I don’t like to waste my stomach space on something that taste bad. The following day, I couldn’t find anything in the house for breakfast except for the banana bread that I baked the day before. I was hungry so I forcefully took a slice for breakfast and was glad that I did as it was surprisingly good. The banana flavor intensified over night and it was super moist. I brought some to my workplace to share with my colleagues and they loved it. So, it is important to follow Nigella’s advise, let the banana bread stand for a day after baking! IMG_7638 Continue reading →

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Morning Tea @ Lavish Specialty Coffee Cafe

Reviews 13/01/2013 1 Comment

Address: 119 – 121 Little Malop Street, Geelong VIC 3220, Australia.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri (8.30 am – 4 pm), Sat (8.30 am – 3 pm) & Sun (closed)

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It’s not difficult to find a good coffee spot in Melbourne city. In fact, there are plentiful scattered around the city. I couldn’t say the same for Geelong but fortunately we have Lavish Specialty Coffee Cafe in the city. Yesterday Mr. D craved for a cup of good coffee hence we decided to drop by the cafe to fulfill his caffeine needs. The staff here are very committed and passionate in their coffee and I really enjoy watching the baristas working behind the counter, looking so engrossed in making the perfect cup of coffee for each and every one of their customers. The coffee here is strong and aromatic with just the right creaminess.  When I was at the cashier paying for our drinks, I noticed a tray of fantastic looking banana and raspberry muffin on the counter. They looked too good to pass up so I ordered one to try. The muffin was so delightfully soft and paired very well with the cream and drizzles of raspberry sauce.

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Mocha and banana & raspberry muffin.

Boxing Day

Reviews 28/12/2012 Leave a comment

Address: 125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia.

Opening hours: 7 days a week (11 am – late)

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Mr. D and I spent our Boxing Day shopping with our friends (Goon, KS and HY) in Melbourne CBD. The first thing we do when we reached the city is to fuel up our tummies at Chin Chin, a restaurant that serves South-East Asian cuisine. This place is usually very busy and crowded with long queues, a common sight at the restaurant. However, this time we managed to walk in and obtained a table almost immediately. Thanks to the shopaholics and bargain hunters who were more than willing to forgo their lunch so that they could grab the items they want before they ran out. We, on the other hand, needed to charge up first. I couldn’t sacrifice my tummy as it is equally and possibly even more important than my shopping. 😛

After studying the menu, we decided to order the kingfish sashimi for entree. We absolutely adored this dish as not only the fish was super fresh, the combination of the sweetness of the fish, the sourness from the lime with the fragrance from the coconut and thai basil were just perfect!

2012-12-26-503Kingfish sashimi with lime, chilli, coconut and thai basil.

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Elkhorn Roadhouse

Reviews 14/12/2012 Leave a comment

Address: 420a Wallington Road, Wallington, VIC 3221, Australia.

Opening hours: Mon-Sun (8am – 5pm)

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Elkhorn Roadhouse is situated in an idyllic countryside called Wallington, which is about 30 min drive away from Geelong. I usually drive to the cafe via Barwon Heads to savor the beautiful scenery along the way. You also can watch horses,  herds of cows, and flocks of sheep grazing or lounging in the fields. On our recent visit to Elkhorn Roadhouse, we were fortunate to spot 4 fashionable little ponies, each with different stylish mane on our drive back to Geelong. Unfortunately, we did not manage to capture a snapshot of them. Anyways,  if you’re stressed-out and looking for a short escape, driving down to Wallington might be a good remedy.

As the name of the cafe suggests, the whole place is decorated with elk-themed paintings and wall-mounted head. This cafe is cozy and inviting. The waitresses here are super friendly and they are not stingy with their smiles at all. They serve breakfast from 8am-11.45am and lunch from 12pm-3pm. I’ve tried their lunch on our previous visit and they were scrumptious, extremely fresh, and well-cooked too.

IMG_6465The cafe is nicely decorated with elk-themed decor.

IMG_6476More wall-mounted elk head decors.

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