One more off the list!

I think Kevin and I went a bit overboard yesterday... for Kevin, he started his day from down south in Wollongong, made his way to Eastwood thereafter to the Northern Beaches to Palm Beach and we are now heading back to the inner city of Newtown for Vietnamese before ending our night.  All in all, Kevin said that it was a round trip of 150 kms in more than 15 hours!

Newtown on this Saturday night was abuzz with people.  People with wine bottles heading to dinner, students grabbing a bite before hitting their books again and children on their skateboards heading home.  Some restaurants were busy while others were waiting for walk-ins.  We made a mental note to check out some of the restaurants there such as the Nepalese restaurant.

It's been a long while since Kevin last ate at Thanh Binh and it was on his to-do list.  So, we headed there... Thanh Binh had not changed much albeit cosmetically.  The neon sign looked new and they had added new ceiling lamps.  The menu had also been updated and had a cosmetic change, the layout was aesthetically pleasing and more organised. 

Hard... hard... hard... it was really hard to pick from the menu... too many mouth watering dishes.  Furthermore, after the pig out we had all day, it was hard to make room for this but who could resist?

We finally settled for the Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancake) and the Cha Gio (Vietnamese Spring Rolls).  The Banh Xeo was delicious, light omelette filled with minced meat, mung beans and bean sprouts.  Accompanied by the herbs and lettuce, the pancake had a fresh and wow taste to it.

The Cha Gio was also very delicious - I could just eat this the whole day.  Crispy rolls packed with a meat filling so tasty that the only other enhancers required were the fresh flavours of the herbs.  Mmmmm....

Our main dish was a combination salad - jellyfish, prawns and chicken infused with sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce, chillies and fresh herbs sitting on a sesame cracker.  Mmm... yum...my... the salad really plays on your taste buds!

If we were not so full, we would have enjoyed our other dish, a master stock pork salad.  Alas, our tummies were bursting and we managed to cancel this order.

I am not sure if I am biased towards Vietnamese food but Kevin and I were making all these Mmmm sounds.  It is definitely one restaurant which I could keep going back to and not tire...and ask for more... please!  Who is coming with me again?? 

The Cooks Larder

After our lunch at Ripples Whale Beach, Kevin and I thought we'd check out Jonah's for coffee.  Alas, we could not find this restaurant and ended up taking a drive past imposing mansions and celebrities homes to come to Palm Beach.  Palm Beach is quite unique, enveloped by the ocean on one side and the tranquil Hawkesbury river on the other.  It was lovely to see the contrast and to have a moment to take it all in.

We drove past some retaurants / cafes but did not find anything appealing and finally ended back in Avalon village.   The village was quite bustling for a Saturday afternoon and we saw this cafe which the busiest.

We realised that The Cooks Larder was not only a cafe, but it was also a delicatessen, cooking school and does catering.  The Cooks Larder deli stocks fabulous produce including free range ham, stunning smoked wagyu, handmade salamis.  They have also made it easier to put together simple meals and has an expanded Everyday Dinner menu for busy families.  Rows of teas lined the shelves and the deli has a good selection of teas and coffees, nuts and nibblies etc...  

What caught my eye was their dessert menu listed on a blackboard.  The desserts were yummy and there must be at least 10 different cakes listed there.  Hmm.... eenie, meenie, mynee, mo....

Kevin settled on a flourless passionfruit and coconut cake, served with vanilla bean ice cream while I had the blueberry and macadamia crumble also served with vanilla bean ice cream.

Stunning! Wunderbar!  The desserts were cooked to perfection, the cake was very moist and fresh while the crumble was just perfect.  Definitely a place to come back to for a lovely morning or afternoon sugar fix.

Ripples - Whale Beach

After a few hiccups leaving my house on time yesterday, Kevin and I are finally on our way to the Northern Beaches to check out Ripples on Whale Beach.  I thought it was going to be a sunny day but the day started out a bit drizzling and was cloudy.

We headed out using Mona Vale Road and along the way saw a few nurseries and a Supacenta which should be worth checking out next time.  The drive was lovely, passing some beaches at Newport and abundant views of the peninsula heads.

Kevin's TomTom (aka "Simon") was not working very well.  "Simon" kept asking us to turn back to Canberra.  There was a safety lock and Kevin being the "cabin crew" on this trip could not reset.  We finally arrived in Avalon village and not being very sure of where we were supposed to get to next, we stopped at a Shell station and managed to reset "Simon".  "Simon" saved the day and we arrived at Ripples on Whale Beach (sharp turning from Whale Beach Road into the Strand), ahead of our reservation at 1pm.

My first impression when we arrived was that I'm back in Port Douglas, Cairns.  A long row of towering Pine trees greeted us and the views of the pristine waters and the Peninsula Heads was breathtaking. The beach was quiet this morning (maybe due to the weather) with only a few surfers and there was an aura of calm as we approached the restaurant.

There is a kiosk next to the restaurant for people who wanted a quick and easy drink or snack.  There were only a few diners when we arrived.  Seated outdoors, we then proceeded to look at the menu.  Kevin commented that the menu was slightly different to the sister restaurant, Ripples - Chowder Bay which he visited the week before.  

We both liked the sound of the Tastes of the Sea and opted for that as our entree.  Tastes of the Sea comprises 3 small tasting entrees - slices of tuna, fried soft shell crab with brussel sprout and anchovy dressing and oyster with lemon aioli.    It was a wonderful combination with the various dressings highlighting the tastes of the tuna, soft shell crab and oyster respectively.

For mains, I ordered the seared canadian scallops with carrot puree, truffled honey, apple and pork crackling as a main.  The scallops were cooked to perfection and the carrot puree and the truffled honey added to the sweetness of the scallops.  Nice dish which is light to the palate.

Kevin wanted something more substantial and ordered the lamb rack and braised shank on green lentils and braised potato.  It looked absolutely delicious with a rich tomato colour and the shank was very tender.  I tried a bit and the shank was juicy and tender.  Kevin said that the potato was cooked very well and although he was not very fond of potatoes,  there was not a lentil or potato left on his plate!

It was a relaxing lunch although the service slacked off towards the end (as more diners came in)... the food was good but somehow we both decided that it lacked the "WOW" factor.

For insights on the sister restaurant, Ripples at Chowder Bay check out Kevin and Charmaine's blogs.

ps... Kevin and I also drove down in the evening towards Chowder Bay... the spectacular views of the city lights welcomed us and the lit up Sergeants Mess with its expansive deck looked very inviting. And, yes, Ripples at Chowder Bay is also open for dinner.