Tag: food blog

Sydney Lockdown – Takeaway options August 2021

If you are looking for a new takeaway option during lockdown. You have come to the right place.

With the numbers continuing to rise in Sydney, it looks like we are going to have to continue feasting on takeaway until we are allowed to dine out again. With hope that this does not go on too much longer – we have created a list in the meantime of some takeaway options you may not be aware of.

1. Sous Le Soleil – Roseville

Sous Le Soleil is a French Restaurant and shop located in Roseville. Their kiosk is still open for takeaway during the lockdown and has a range of options to select from with pick up and delivery available. You can find dishes like quiches, scallops, lamb shank pie and more. They even have a dessert menu and we are eyeing off the pear and frangipani tarts on their Instagram.

2. Pickle and Lou – Wattle Grove

Serving up coffee seven days a week is Pickle and Lou at Wattle Grove. They are currently doing takeaway for breakfast and lunch and there are some good options on the menu. For breakfast we are eyeing off the baked eggs and for lunch we will happily have the chimichurri chicken plate.

3. Bobby Bakehouse – Dural

For those times you are craving a nice hot pie, Bobby Bakehouse in Dural is the place to be. They are serving takeaway during lockdown and their truffle beef pie has gained our interest. You can also add potato, peas and gravy to any of their pies to spicy them up a little. Also, they have recently added doughnuts to their menu and we are living for this – perfect for dessert after your pie.

Photography – Bobby Bakehouse

4. Ormeggio – Mosman

When the cravings start for Italian food, seafood and cocktails, Ormeggio in Mosman is the place to get lockdown takeaway from. Depending on the day, they offer delivery and pick up. There are some great options on their menu – we would love to have the gnocchi in napoletana sauce paired with an Aperol Spritz. They also have dessert and the coconut and chocolate chip sorbet looks amazing.

5. Luigi’s Restaurant – Narellan

Another Italian option for those on the other side of Sydney is Luigi’s Restaurant in Narellan. They have been around for over 10 years and are currently open for takeaway. Their takeaway options seems like it is filled with endless possibilities, I think we will go with the gnocchi formaggio. They are also open seven days.

We hope one of these options is close enough for you to get takeaway from within your 10km radius restrictions. Let us know if you have any restaurants you would recommend to be added to our next blog.

Hopefully our strict lockdown ends soon, we could read the entire Harry Potter book collection at this rate haha!

Have you seen our latest blog on Five Guys coming to Penrith?

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with where are we eating: https://www.instagram.com/whatthehaloumi and subscribe to our newsletter for our next article!

Advertisement

The Perfect Burger Patty

If you are looking for a simple and delicious recipe for your next burger patties, you have come to the right place.

View our recipe below on how to create our perfect burger patty.

This recipe is so quick and easy to make. Even the fussy eaters in your household will be looking forward to this one.

Serves 2

What you will need:

What you need to do:

  1. In a bowl combine the beef mince, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, rosemary and lemon. Stir until all ingredients are evenly spread throughout the bowl.
  2. Split the mixture in two even servings and shape into round patties.
  3. Add the oil to a fry pan and cook the patties on a medium heat for 5 minutes on each side
  4. Meanwhile get your burger bun and toppings ready. Everyone has their own way of doing this so we will leave this for you to decide. We usually just add pickles, tomato and lettuce and add a mayonnaise or spicy sauce.
  5. Add your patty to your bun and enjoy!

The patties do well in the fridge and reheated the next morning as well. We haven’t tried to freeze them before but we are sure this would work also.

We hope this perfect burger patty recipe was easy to follow. Let us know if you try it and if you suggest any changes to suit you!

You can also check out some of our other favourite recipes here.

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with where are we eating: https://www.instagram.com/whatthehaloumi and subscribe to our newsletter for our next article!

Five Guys USA is coming to Penrith

American fast food giant Five Guys is coming to Australia and they have picked their first location in Sydney.

For those that love American fast food, this is the news you have been waiting for. Five Guys is coming to Australia for the first time and opening their first store in Penrith NSW. There doesn’t seem to be an official date yet when they will open but it does say they will open mid-2021 which could be any day now! We are so excited.

Update: They will be opening 20 September 2021!

For those that have never heard of Five Guys, they have been around since 1986 and started as a small family business. They have had huge success since and have opened over 1,500 locations around the world. They are well known for their burgers, hotdogs, fries and milkshakes and they claim to not own any freezers… which we assume means everything is made fresh.

Photography – Panthers Penrith

You will be able to find the new Five Guys once it opens in Penrith NSW in the Penrith Panthers Precinct (which also already includes Krispy Kreme – what a combo!) and next door to McDonalds and KFC.

We had a look into their American reviews and people seem to love that their menu is customisable on how you like your food and you can get unlimited add-ons (hopefully this continues in their Australian store).

What will be on the menu?

Five Guys have not yet released what will be on their Australian menu, but if their American one is anything to go off, here are some of the burgers we can expect:

  • Hamburger
  • Cheeseburger
  • Bacon Burger
  • Bacon Cheeseburger
  • Little Hamburger
  • Little Cheeseburger
  • Little Bacon Burger
  • Little Bacon Cheeseburger

Then it seems you can add whatever you want to your burger including simple things like lettuce and tomato or all the way up to peppers and grilled mushrooms.

We are really looking forward to visiting once they open! Let us know if you have tried Five Guys before in another country?

Have you seen our latest blog on Chargrill Charlie’s moving west?

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with where are we eating: https://www.instagram.com/whatthehaloumi and subscribe to our newsletter for our next article!

Vegan Lentil Bolognese

If you’re craving a bolognese pasta but looking for a vegan twist – this is the perfect recipe for you. This is full of vegetables with the same great taste.

View our recipe below on how to create our lentil bolognese.

Serves: 4

What you’ll need:

What you need to do:

  1. Diced the brown onion and carrot and add them to a pan with your oil. Cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, dice the zucchini, mushrooms and garlic and add to pan for a further 2 minutes.
  3. Add the tomato paste and mix to cover the vegetables. Then add your vegetable stock and can of tomatoes. Mix together and add the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Place a lid on top and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Boil a pot of water, once boiled add your pasta and a pinch of salt. Follow instructions according to the packaging of the pasta.
  5. Once the sauce has been simmering for 10 minutes add your lentils, spinach and lemon juice. Return to simmer until pasta is ready and spinach leaves have shriveled.
  6. When the pasta is done, drain the water and serve evenly between your dishes. Add pasta sauce on top and mix. Add nutritional yeast for a cheese flavour.

Enjoy! We usually double the serving of sauce and put the rest in the freezer for an easy dinner another night. It does well and keeps its taste after defrosting.

This meal also goes well being reheated the next day after refrigeration.

We hope this lentil bolognese recipe was easy to follow. Let us know if you try it and if you suggest any changes to suit you!

Eggplant Parmigiana

If you want to give yourself a break from meat. This recipe uses eggplant to replace your typical parmigiana.

View our recipe below on how to create our eggplant parmigiana.

Serves: 4

What you’ll need:

What you need to do:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius
  2. Slice your eggplant into even thick (about 2cm) round pieces. sprinkle with salt and place between two sheets of paper towel to dry out the slices.
  3. Meanwhile use three bowls to create your mixtures, first being flour, then egg and water and finally almond meal, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast
  4. After your eggplant has been drying for about 10 minutes remove from the paper towels and remove any excess salt. Add oil to each of the slices and then dip in the flour, egg and almond meal mixtures and place on a baking dish (we recommend you use baking paper). Cook your eggplant for 15 minutes
  5. Meanwhile start making your sauce. Add to a pan your oil, passata, garlic, salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes
  6. After your eggplant slices have been in the oven 15 minutes, remove and flip them over. Add your passata sauce on both the bottom and top of each slice. Bake for a further 15 minutes
  7. Serve

We serve this with potato and any vegetables that we have available. Feel free to add your own twist to this.

This meal goes well being reheated the next day after refrigeration.

We hope this eggplant parmigiana recipe was easy to follow. Let us know if you try it and if you suggest any changes to suit you!

Chargrill Charlie’s moving west?

Chargrill Charlie’s has opened a new location further in Sydney’s west. If you haven not been to the new location we’ve highlighted the important information for you.

There are many cafes/restaurants those in the west must go on a trek to experience and vice versa for those living in the east. However, Chargrill Charlie’s is taking their locations another step further towards the western suburbs of Sydney with a new Beecroft location. We know Beecroft isn’t really ‘west’ but it is close enough. This is exciting news for those in the Hills District and surrounding areas.

If you have never heard of Chargrill Charlie’s it is basically your local neighbourhood chicken shop that has been around since 1989. They started in Coogee and now have 17 locations across Sydney and Melbourne – this is amazing for a family business. They live by their slogan of ‘Simple food. Done well.’ And they have avoided falling into the hype of the latest trends and kept their own originality.

What’s on Chargrill Charlie’s menu?

  1. Their famous chargrilled chickens
  2. Hot chips and wedges
  3. Chicken and beef burgers or a schnitzel roll
  4. A huge selection of salads (15)
  5. A range of sides including, fried rice, wings, pad Thai and more!
  6. They can also do catering

According to Chargrill Charlie’s website, every day everything is made fresh in store for their customers. This even includes their sauces, spice recipes and handmade rolls.

Photography – Chargrill Charlies

Where else can you find Chargrill Charlies?

If their new Beecroft location isn’t close enough for you, they have plenty of other stores in Sydney you can visit (they may just be further East):

  • Beecroft
  • Bondi
  • Coogee (The original store)
  • Dee Why
  • Drummoyne
  • Frenchs Forest
  • Lane Cove
  • Mona Vale
  • Mosman
  • Neutral Bay
  • Randwick
  • Rose Bay
  • St Ives
  • Wahroonga
  • Willoughby
  • Woollahra

Let us know if you’ve tried Chargrill Charlie’s or if you have a local chicken shop that deserves a mention – we would love to know!

Have you seen our latest blog on takeaway options for Sydney’s June 2021 lockdown?

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with where are we eating: https://www.instagram.com/whatthehaloumi and subscribe to our newsletter for our next article!

Sydney June 2021 Lockdown Takeaway Options

If you’re looking for some local businesses to support during Sydney’s June 2021 lockdown. We have listed some recommendations from our followers.

Here we are once again as Sydney goes into lockdown for 2 weeks- lets call it lockdown 2.0. During this time it is so important to support your local cafe and restaurant owners as their bills don’t stop because their customers do. We’ve reached out to our community of almost 5,000 followers and asked them to let us know of their local that deserves to be recognised. Without further ado, here is our list of takeaway options for Sydney’s June 2021 lockdown.

1. Gus’ Brothers Canteen, Seven Hills

Recommended by one of our followers, we can’t seem to find this one on social media but the Google reviews prove it is worthy of a mention. There isn’t a bad word said about them and it is said to be the best kept secret in the area. Some of the highlights we’ve read are, ‘Freshest food I have had in a long time’ and ‘The food and coffee is exceptional.’

If you are a Seven Hills local then you must check them out. You can find them at: Shop A/2 Tollis Pl, Seven Hills NSW 2147

2. Temasek Restaurant, Parramatta

Another recommendation for your Sydney June 2021 lockdown is Temasek Restaurant in Parramatta. We have not heard of this one either but it has been around since 1992 and serves authentic Singaporean-Malay cuisine. They are remaining open for takeaway from Thursday-Sunday. Here you will find decent pricing and great food according to their Google reviews.

They’re delivering to Parramatta and North Parramatta and can find them at: 71 George St, Parramatta NSW 2150

3. Hangang by Mama Park, Strathfield

Our third recommendation is Hangang by Mama Park at Strathfield, they are open for takeaway with their full menu available to order. Here you will find tradition Korean cuisine and some of the highlighted dishes on their Google reviews include pan fried flounder, fish roe stew, chilli crabs and soy crabs. Now we’re craving Korean food!

If you are a local to Strathfield, you can find them at: Shop 254 Corner of Raw square and Churchill ave Opposite, 30 Churchill Ave, Strathfield NSW 2135

4. Oh My Days, Glebe

For those in the Glebe area, Oh my Days are offering 15% off their all day food menu Monday-Friday. With an offer like that, we cannot not mention them. They are a vegan cafe/bakery with many different milks you can try in your coffee/tea. We’ve also heard the homemade lemonade is bomb from Google reviews.

If you are a Glebe local, you can find this cafe at: 99 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe NSW 2037

5. Linea Cafe, Ramsgate

We had so many good recommendations, so it was hard to pick our final cafe for this article (I guess we will have to write another one.) Linea Cafe in Ramsgate is open for takeaway with their full food, drinks and snacks menus available to order. The locals in their Google reviews state this has been their local fave café! And apparently their coffee is excellent too (they use Campos).

For those Ramsgate locals, you can find Linea Cafe at: 226 Rocky Point Rd, Ramsgate NSW 2217

Let us know if your local deserves to be in our next article!

Have you seen our latest blog on can you recycle cling wrap?

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with where are we eating: https://www.instagram.com/whatthehaloumi and subscribe to our newsletter for our next article!

Sundried Tomato Creamy Pasta (Vegan)

A delicious vegan recipe that tastes super creamy.

View our recipe below on how to create our sundried tomato creamy pasta.

Serves: 2

What you’ll need:

What you need to do:

  • Start boiling your pasta waster (add a little salt) as you get the rest of the recipe ready. Add pasta and follow packet instructions once water is boiled. Then set aside once drained.
  • In your fry pan add your olive oil and garlic, cook until fragrant (about 1 minute) and add your cornflour. Sprinkle with salt and add your cup of almond milk. It will start to gain thickness as you stir it – then add to a blender.
  • Add half of your measured sundried tomatoes (oil drained), nutritional yeast and 1/4 cup of water and add to the blender with your garlic mix. Blend and set this aside.
  • In a pan add some oil olive, onion, the remaining sundried tomatoes – cook for 2 minutes. Add your broccoli, olives, yellow capsicum and spinach. Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes to your taste.
  • Add your drained pasta back to your pot and adjust your stove to low heat. Add your sauce from the blender plus your vegetable mix onto the pasta and mix until the sauce is warm and mixed through.
  • Serve into your dishes, add extra salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: Add garlic bread to the side to complete the meal.

This meal goes well being reheated the next day after refrigeration.

We hope this sundried tomato creamy pasta recipe was easy to follow. Let us know if you try it and if you suggest any changes to suit you!

Can you recycle cling wrap?

If you’re looking for a new way to care for the environment, we have the answer for you.

You would be surprised how often people search, ‘can you recycle cling wrap?’. Yes is it plastic, however, due to it being a soft plastic it cannot be sorted at a recycling facility. It sits in landfill for yeas while it ever so slowly breaks down. We often think about the negative impact we have had using cling wraps and sandwich bags until recently when Compostic reached out to us. They have a new range of cling wraps and sandwich bags that are better for the environment.

Now Compostic isn’t recyclable either, but is it compostable and should break down within 12-24 weeks. For those that do not have a compost – good news also, the Compostic products decompose quicker than regular plastic at your commercial rubbish landfill.

They are also freezer safe, microwave safe and worm bin safe so basically they’re safe in every situation. There is also no cutter in the cling wrap box, but do not worry – they have all been pre-cut to the size of a dinner plate so there is no waste.

We also love the green packaging, it reminds you that you are doing something better for the environment and you can easily distinguish it from regular cling wrap and bags.

The only down side we have experienced after a few uses is that is does tear more easily then regular cling wrap but if you are careful it should not be a problem. We think this small issue does not out way the good you are doing for the environment.

Let us know if you have tried these products or if you know of any other similar brands.

Have you seen our latest blog on bars outside Sydney’s CBD?

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with where are we eating: https://www.instagram.com/whatthehaloumi and subscribe to our newsletter for our next article!

Bars outside Sydney’s CBD

Are you looking for a new local bar? Well you’ve come to the right place – we’ve discovered bars from Coogee to Penrith.

Now that we have arrived in Winter, we like to avoid venturing out too far in the night. The cold just isn’t worth the trip into Sydney’s CBD to visit the bars in there. We’ve done a bit of research to assist you staying warm and found bars all over the suburbs. Maybe your next bar trip will be just round the corner?

1. Hendriks, Crows Nest

Hendriks, located in Crows Nest is a small bar with a huge wine list (100 bottles to choose from). For those on the lower north shore, if you can’t find a wine you enjoy here – we can’t help you haha! We have heard the highlight of this bar isn’t the wine list though, but instead it is their Jaffles. They are giant and come in flavours including mushroom, cheese, beef, chicken and even a Nutella one for dessert!

2. Una Mas, Coogee

If you enjoy tapas and wine, Una Mas at Coogee is the place for you. It is inside Coogee Pavilion, right off the famous beach. You’ll find some unique Spanish and Australian dishes here plus an array of cocktails and affordable wines. We are eyeing off the octopus with fermented chilli (which we can’t find a picture of but it sounds good on the menu)!

3. Sake Restaurant and Bar, Manly

If looking over the water and eating Japanese food is your style, this is the place for you. For those on the Northern Beaches – if you thought the 100 bottle wine list previously mentioned was a lot, it has been outdone by Sake with a list of 150 bottles! They also have $10 spritzes during certain hours on weekdays.

4. Pickled Bear, Bella Vista

The Pickled Bear, located in Sydney’s Hills District, is the perfect local bar if you like cheese boards and meat. There are some great cocktails on this menu, we are having trouble deciding which one we could pick. We do know what we would choose to eat though – The Charcuterie Plate! We would recommend you book an inside table to stay extra warm haha.

5. Mr Watkins, Penrith

And lastly, we have Penrith who host Mr Watkins Bar. You’ll find hotdogs and a great wine list ready for you 6 days a week. They also have trivia night one day per week (currently on Tuesdays). With Penrith being about 40kms from Sydney’s CBD this means you can save so much time on transport and spend more time being warm!

We hope you have found a new local bar to visit during these colder months!

Have you seen our latest blog on the new US diner in Marrickville?

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with where are we eating: https://www.instagram.com/whatthehaloumi and subscribe to our newsletter for our next article!