Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Eating Is A Happy Thing To Do

Surry Hills | Best of The Best


When it comes to finding somewhere to eat in Sydney there are a couple of factors to consider:
  1. Budget
  2. Quality
  3. USP
It's no secret that this amazing city is subsequently ridiculously expensive to live in. A small bottle of water will rob you $6+ in the CBD, and breakfast - my fave meal of the day - will require a second mortgage for anything involving avocado. Sigh. So when I find somewhere that delivers on all three of my requirements I want to jump for joy and tell everyone I know to try them out.

First up is HavenNow Haven was the first place I went to as soon as I landed in Sydney back in May 2015. It's a little coffee shop located on Chalmers Street (across the road from Central station) and offers a range of tailored coffee's, as well as seasonal dishes cooked by their chef on site. It's Japanese inspired with one of my fave dishes being the signature pork belly kimcheese burger, but the absolute best thing to eat on their menu is the smashed avocado, egg and bacon sandwich. This bad boy gets taken up a notch with the salsa verde and garlic aioli spread on the soy & linseed holding the whole thing together. In Winter this came with a coffee for $10 and i'm not going to lie, I ate this every day. Especially if I was hungover. Now it's about $15 for the coffee/sandwich combo, which is still worth every penny considering it fills you up for the morning/early afternoon and you get that caffeine hit, too. Haven's USP is definitely the shop design and the fact that their staff are the loveliest people on earth. When I went home to the UK for a little bit, I came back to Haven and they asked where I had been and if I was still having a latte with two sugars. It was just so sweet to know that they recognise their regulars.

Photo credit: Haven Facebook 

Next up is Chur Burger. If a burger could steal your heart, this would do it. Price, quality and USP all ticked off with one bite. The burger above is The Notorious P.I.G and is a naughty little limited edition that happens every few months. As far as i'm aware they've done it in pork and beef, with beef being my favourite. The special sauce they use tastes exactly like Big Mac sauce, so you're basically getting an upgrade of the Big Mac with everything being 100 times better tasting. On their regular menu you've got all the signatures you'd expect: pulled pork, chicken, beef, fish etc so choose your favourite and don't forget to add sweet potato fries or chilli fries - or do what we normally do and order both to share. We can never decided, don't judge.

Photo credit: Chur Burger Facebook page

Half way through and we're back to all-day breakfast food on Albion Street. Reuben Hills is a little hole in the wall inspired by Central and South America. Their food is just as great as the interior and the general vibe you get from the place. It's chilled out and really does have you feeling as though you're in a little eatery in Mexico; especially when you order their baked eggs with tomato, chorizo and fresh bread to soak it all up. Absolutely incredible at any time of the day, just the thought of it has my stomach grumbling at me to go.

Photo credit: Insta @reubenhills

Last up is Blacksmith, just a few doors up on Chalmers Street from our first stop Haven. This slightly dim and outback-looking cafe is great for breakfast and lunch - I did say I'm a breakfast kinda person - and does the best breakfast burger. Go around noon and make it brunch with some fries on the side and you're set with a good meal for the day. The food is great, but it's the interior that first caught my eye on my way past, and that is what I would say is this little cafe's USP. It's just quirky, cool and oh so instagram-able. If that were a word. 

Photo credit: My own photographs via Insta @marialitiziaxo
Photo credit: My own photographs via Insta @marialitiziaxo 
That's where I like to get a bite to eat at the weekends, but where's your favourite place to eat around Sydney?

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