Mrs. S - Maylands

I am yet to go to Mrs. S Café in Maylands for an actual meal.

I have heard the brunch is amazing and  by the looks of the people lining up out the door every weekend, I can only imagine the food is impressive.

I had coffee with a girlfriend one morning at Mrs S. and although I had already had a huge brekkie, I was keen to sit in this cute café and spy on the delicious looking meals that kept coming from the kitchen!

Mrs. S. has a really kitch, quirky, charming feel to it.

Like your grandma’s house but with modern charm and some arty paintings on the walls giving it a Melbourne vibe.

The drink options are chalked up on the wall on a big blackboard and the counter sits full to the brim with cakes and desserts to tempt you as you order.

The wooden tables and chairs make you feel as if you’re sitting in Goldilocks house as you read the menu from children’s books pinned together by colour pegs.

There is a lot of colour, flowers and knick knacks that really make Mrs. S a quirky café. No wonder it is so popular!

With a communal table in the middle and a select few tables surrounding, there is not a lot of room to spare as the waitresses duck past you with constant streams of food coming from the kitchen.  

The breakfast menu is short but features some interesting options. Dishes such as mushrooms, polenta, goats curd and pesto, and cornbread with eggs, bacon and maple syrup caught my eye.

I am so tempted to try the cornbread here as my last experience of cornbread was in America where I devoured an entire basket of cornbread after wondering what on earth this yellow, cakey and unbelievably tasty bread was that was given to us as an entrée! (America and their freebies – you’ve gotta love it!)

 I’d have to omit the bacon from this dish, being the big Vego Lettuce Muncher that I am, but would happily substitute for some of those mushrooms!

As I mentioned earlier, I had already had breakfast so opted for a latte. It was smooth and hit the spot!

I’m looking forward to coming back for some of that cornbread!

The lunch menu didn’t particularly interest me as there were very limited options and a lot of red meat that I couldn’t really work around… None-the-less the meals coming from the kitchen looked fresh, clean and tasty!

I’ll be back…………. J

FYI - You order at the counter here and they bring it out to your table.

Be prepared to wait for a table if you’re visiting on a weekend. Mrs. S. is popular among the locals and those true fans!

Hanami Japanese - Mt Lawley

Hanami Japanese is my new local Japanese restaurant.

We tried Hanami for the first time a few weeks ago, and since then have been back twice!

Below are the dishes we tried on our first visit.

These were:

·         Prawn Gyoza ($7.90) but had it steamed instead of fried.

·         Teriyaki Tofu ($7.90)

·         Vegetable Katsu Curry set meal ($14.90 - includes salad, rice, miso).

·         Rapture Roll $21 for 10 pieces – prawns, cucumber, and avocado wrapped in salmon.

 Prawn Gyoza ($7.90) but had it steamed instead of fried.

Miso Soup

Teriyaki Tofu $7.90

Vegetable Curry set meal $14.90 (includes salad, rice, miso).

Sake!

Vegetable Katsu Curry

Rapture Roll $21 for 10 pieces – prawns, cucumber, avocado wrapped in salmon.

Rapture Roll up close

We later visited and tried the ‘Scallop Teppan Yaki’ served with vinegar sauce ($24.90), ‘Chicken Katsu Sushi Roll’ ($10.90 for 5 pieces) and the ‘Small Assorted Sashimi’ (9 pieces, $15.90. Salmon, Tuna, White fish and spiced octopus).

The sashimi was lovely and fresh and I quite enjoyed the spiced octopus which was also served with the salmon, tuna and white fish. The rapture roll was beautifully presented with fresh salmon covering the crunch cucumber, smooth avocado and fresh prawn.

The vegetable curry was a classic Katsu Curry. I wasn’t a huge fan of peas, corn and potato being the “vegetable” components of the dish as some fresh broccoli or some cauliflower wouldn’t have gone astray.

The Prawn Gyoza’s were tasty but nothing sensational. The wonton wrapping used had a nice texture and was not rubbery or undercooked. The teriyaki tofu was fried lightly in a crunchy tempura batter and inside oozed smooth silken tofu. This was sitting in a sweet/salty teriyaki sauce. The Miso soup had a lovely balance of saltiness and was very simple.

The salad as part of the set menu was strangely tasty. A lot of cheap lettuce covered in a sweet chunky sauce with some shredded carrot and cucumber. Nothing too fancy but a nice fresh change.

My favourite dish by far would have to be the ‘Scallop Teppan Yaki’ served with vinegar sauce. Plump, perfectly cooked scallops came out on a sizzling plate and were ever-so-tasty!

Highs: Scallop Teppan Yaki, fresh sashimi and teriyaki tofu!

Lows: Vegetable Katsu Curry less than desirable in quality of vegetables but tasted typically “katsu” – nothing too special, but overall it was nice and tasty.

Overall: This wasn’t a fine dining experience but the quality of Japanese was above average and prices were reasonable.

Will I return? Being 5 minutes down the road there’s no doubt I’ll be back when I crave some raw fish!

The Happy Wife - Bunbury

Bunbury isn’t typically renowned for its choice in breakfast café’s, but this new little café has certainly caught my eye! On a recent Monday morning, I popped down to The Happy Wife on Stirling Street to catch up with a friend over a beautiful brunch!

The Happy Wife sits right on the foreshore on Stirling Street and when I walked in, I instantly felt like I had entered a quirky, charming little café. The menu for one just blew my mind!

Gourmet ingredients like free range eggs and menu choices such as homemade porridge with cinnamon and poached fruit kept me busy scanning the menu trying to decide! Choices like Moroccan baked eggs or homemade crumpets with honeycomb butter just left me pondering the menu for ages trying to work out how I could try one of everything!

I ended up choosing the poached eggs on sourdough with cherry tomatoes and homemade relish. I added a side of smoked salmon (as I can't resist having smoked salmon with my breakfast!).

Service was lovely as I sat in a seat tucked away on the side of the café with the morning sunshine streaming through the café and a strong breeze that was persistent to blow through the café from the water. My eyes wondered as I saw gorgeous paintings on the walls and the fridge which was decked out with the most irresistible homemade treats! You could even purchase some organic fruit and vegetables which were in the fridge or buy a jar of homemade chutney. I love the fact that the café sells the homemade chutney’s and jams that it uses in its dishes.

The Happy Wife really had a country feel and you felt like you could sit for hours, sipping on a coffee and reading a magazine or catching up with a friend. I know I was keen to stay until I had digested breakfast so I could try some of the delectable lunch items that were starting to come out of the kitchen!

As I can sometimes feel a little bloated after white/sourdough bread, I was hoping for a grain bread option, but unfortunately the sourdough toast was the only option…

Poached eggs on sourdough with cherry tomatoes and homemade relish. (+ a side of smoked salmon $6) 

My eggs were poached to perfection and the plump red cherry tomatoes had been roasted until they were bursting full of goodness! The side of smoked salmon was generous (as it should be for $6 a pop!) the toast was ladened with butter which it oozed as you cut it. I’m normally not one to be picky about something like this, but I like the choice of being able to put butter on my toast or not or how much to put on…I felt a little robbed when I didn’t get this choice and my toast was drowned in butter regardless of my decision.

All in all, it’s great to see Bunbury has a cute café that offers organic, fresh and homemade treats for breakfast and lunch. The décor in The Happy Wife reminded me of a modern beachside shack, but with class. If I’m in Bunbury again and looking for a gourmet breakfast or lunch I will definitely be back!

Highs: Gorgeous fresh, organic and homemade ingredients and the most mouth-watering of dishes on offer!

Lows: Lack of toast options and it being smothered in butter

Overall: Beautiful food and great service

Will I return? Definitely, Bunbury needs more of café’s like this offering fresh homely food!