Travel: Scenic Day Trips from Gold Coast
Monday, July 20, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
Travel: Commune Cafe in Gold Coast
Thursday, July 02, 2015Waking up early for breakfast is usually a tall order for me, but not when I'm in Australia because the day starts early ...
Thursday, July 02, 2015
Waking up early for breakfast is usually a tall order for me, but not when I'm in Australia because the day starts early here. Cafes open as early as 6am and seats start filling fast from 7-8 am, so it is true when they say the early bird catches the worm.
Travel: Beaches in Gold Coast
Thursday, June 25, 2015Other than theme parks, Gold Coast is known for their beautiful beaches that stretch on forever. Sunny yet cool, the beautiful weat...
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Other than theme parks, Gold Coast is known for their beautiful beaches that stretch on forever. Sunny yet cool, the beautiful weather all year round, even in winter, makes Gold Coast the perfect beach destination in Australia.
I could just laze my day away at the beach all day with a book, feeling the powdery soft sand between my toes and listening to the roar of the crashing waves. When I get bored of sitting down, up I go to take a walk along the beach, where the finely milled sand makes you feel like you're walking on silk.
Travel: Elk Espresso Cafe in Gold Coast
Tuesday, June 16, 2015I was under the impression that cafes in Gold Coast pale in comparison to those in Sydney and Melbourne, but my recent trip to ...
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
I was under the impression that cafes in Gold Coast pale in comparison to those in Sydney and Melbourne, but my recent trip to this sunny city proved me wrong.
In fact, JW and I came across quite a number of good cafes thanks to recommendations from Urbanspoon, now known as Zomato (the Australian equivalent of Hungrygowhere) and Elk Espresso at Broadbeach was one of our favourite spots. If you ever visit Gold Coast, you have to come here for breakfast or brunch.
In fact, JW and I came across quite a number of good cafes thanks to recommendations from Urbanspoon, now known as Zomato (the Australian equivalent of Hungrygowhere) and Elk Espresso at Broadbeach was one of our favourite spots. If you ever visit Gold Coast, you have to come here for breakfast or brunch.
Why Elk Espresso? In a nutshell, the casual, laid-back Australian vibe and friendly service at Elk Espresso go hand-in-hand with its unpretentious yet absolutely delicious food to give you an experience that you'll never forget. No wonder it is so popular with the locals!
One of the most popular items on its breakfast/brunch menu is the very photogenic French Toast which comes with a medley of poached pears, salted caramel and dehydrated berries with vanilla bean mascarpone (A$17.50). Its prepossessing appearance is bound to brighten up any instagram feed.
The salted caramel sauce adds just a hint of sweetness to the french toast while allowing the natural flavours of the fruits and berries to shine through. I loved the refreshing touch of vanilla bean mascarpone which further enhances the party of flavours in your mouth, giving a new dimension to the overall taste.
To complement the comparatively sweeter french toast, we ordered a savoury breakfast favourite - Potato Hash with bacon, avocado, rocket, free-range eggs, hollandaise sauce, garlic, thyme and mushrooms (A$17). What a mouthful, literally, but this makes such a hearty and satisfying breakfast.
Aside from seasoned chefs, there is just something special about the eggs in Australia. They are always perfectly poached,with bright orange yolks that ooze out like liquid gold when you cut into it.
The portions are very generous and despite the temptation, we were way too full by the end of the meal to add anything else to our order.
Well, except that a cafe experience is never complete without a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and he had to have his coffee and me, my hot chocolate.
The cafe latte (A$3.60) is good by Australian standards (usually much higher than Singapore's) but in comparison to the hot chocolate that I tried at Lindt Cafe in Sydney, I felt that the Lindt Hot Chocolate (A$5.50) here could be richer. Don't get me wrong though, it was gratifying nonetheless.
We had such an enjoyable experience at Elk Espresso that we headed over to the owners' new restaurant, Sparrow Eating House at Nobby Beach for dinner during our stay.
If you were wondering, yes, we gave two thumbs up for both establishments, and I can assure you that you wouldn't want to miss them for the world.
*****
Elk Espresso
Address:
16 Chelsea Avenue
Broadbeach QLD 4218, Australia
Tel:
Website:
http://www.elkespresso.com
Instagram:
@elkespresso
Opening Hours:
6am - 4pm
Hunter Valley Gardens
Monday, May 27, 2013We woke up to a splendid morning with azure blue skies and a blanket of huge, fluffy clouds. The clouds looked deceivingly 3-dimensi...
Monday, May 27, 2013
We woke up to a splendid morning with azure blue skies and a blanket of huge, fluffy clouds. The clouds looked deceivingly 3-dimensional, and for just a split second, I actually contemplated reaching out my arms to touch them.
The plan for the day was to visit Hunter Valley Gardens, home to 10 feature gardens spanning over 25 acres. We love taking long walks in the park and admiring the glorious blooms while taking in the alluring scents and captivating sights. Flowers are natural mood lifters and we felt instantly refreshed.
One garden that I particularly liked was the Formal Garden. Infused with French and English influences, this magnificent garden features beautifully manicured hedges and lawns. It brought back fond memories of our travels in Europe, where we used to spend at least a month out of the entire year in our favourite continent.
Wanderlust is an incurable addiction, and as I am penning this post, I am reminiscing about Versailles in Paris, Eagle's Nest in Austria, Sagrada Familia in Spain and Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic. There are many parts of Europe left unexplored, and I hope to return soon to visit Switzerland and Greece.
Daydreams aside, I remember it was an absolute joy to be surrounded by abundant flowers, shrubs and trees. The picturesque gardens make spectacular photography backdrops, but nothing beats being there in real life.
This trail of poppies was a hot favourite among avid photographers, who stood there for what seemed like an eternity, trying to perfect each and every shot. As you can tell, I was more interested in using the lovely poppies as my backdrop haha.
The Rose Garden was probably where I belonged that day. My outfit was completely unplanned and coincidentally, the rose on my sleeve is just as huge as the real roses in the garden!
Cherry Blossoms are a familiar sight in Australia in Spring too. I remember the road leading up to my apartment was lined with glorious cherry blossoms from September all the way till about early November. Ah, the perks of living in a country with four seasons.
I am infatuated with dandelions too. I know they are pests, but I would marvel at these fuzzy, cottony plants with childlike wonder without fail, every time. I love blowing on them, seeing the little seeds take flight and parachute to the ground.
Before I entered Hunter Valley Gardens, I heard about its Storybook Garden, where you'll find characters from Alice in Wonderland and other fairytales as well as nursery rhymes. That piqued my curiosity and the long walk through the other feature gardens only served to build up my excitement as I waited eagerly in anticipation for the storybook characters to be unveiled.
A huge storybook stood with its pages open, marking the entrance of the garden.
On the other end
of the entrance sat a pile of equally ginormous books stacked carelessly
in a haphazard fashion, one on top of the other. Cuteness overload!
The childlike spirit in us manifested as we hopped from one nursery rhyme display to another, with silly smiles plastered on our faces, completely oblivious to our surroundings.
Humpty Dumpty was the most popular display and it was perpetually surrounded with children attempting to climb on top of its egg of a head. LOL.
I loved the Jack and Jill display as I thought it captured the essence of the nursery rhyme. The expressions on the statues' faces are priceless!
Hey diddle diddle,
The Cat and the fiddle,
The Cow jumped over the moon,
The little Dog laughed to see such sport,
And the Dish ran away with the Spoon.
The Cat and the fiddle,
The Cow jumped over the moon,
The little Dog laughed to see such sport,
And the Dish ran away with the Spoon.
JW really looks like he's running away with the dish and the spoon! Can you see the spoon looking at him with adoring eyes? Haha
Finally, here's the Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter's Tea Party that I was so looking forward to!
Can you spot me?
There we were, playing the fool and pretending to bite into the rock hard chocolate cake! It was quite a surreal experience to be a guest at this fairytale tea party. ;)
Words can't express how much I love the set, so if you are a fan of Alice in Wonderland (like me!), remember to visit this garden when you're Hunter Valley!
Top from MDS
Jeans from Mango
Shoes from Rubi
Bag from Louis Vuitton
Hunter Valley - An Unforgettable Stay
Sunday, May 26, 2013Time flies. Within the blink of an eye, JW and I have been back in Singapore for quite a while now. We've been so caught up with...
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Time flies. Within the blink of an eye, JW and I have been back in Singapore for quite a while now. We've been so caught up with work and family commitments that it took a while for us to realize that we've left Australia for 6 months. It's strange though, because it feels like we were just there yesterday.
Looking back at the photos taken in Australia inevitably brings back lovely memories and a sense of longing for the relaxed, idyllic lifestyle which we once enjoyed. If you would like to read more about what I did last year in Australia, click here.
We had several short getaways while we were in Australia, but our stay at Hunter Valley was by far the most unforgettable.
We stayed at the Leisure Inn Polkobin, which was enshrouded in lush greenery and serenity. I absolutely loved waking up to this beautiful view everyday.
The cozy decor of our one bedroom house made us feel right at home. I can't quite explain it, but there was something about the sense of tranquility here that made us feel unbridled and carefree.
In fact, JW loved this place so much, he kept telling me he wanted to buy it. LOL
We decided to take it slow on our first day at Hunter Valley, and having a leisurely lunch at highly acclaimed restaurant, Amanda's on the Edge, was the perfect way to start the day.
Amanda's on the Edge is a quaint fine dining restaurant perched atop a hill overlooking sprawling vineyards and a luscious green garden. Just look at the surroundings! I couldn't resist taking some outfit shots here.
We were the first to arrive that day and had the whole restaurant to ourselves!
We were the first to arrive that day and had the whole restaurant to ourselves!
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I don't know what the Romans do these days, but when in Hunter Valley, you have to order wine. ;) Moscato for me, and red wine for JW.
I had prawn linguine, which was cooked to perfection with fresh herbs and juicy, succulent prawns. A squeeze of lemon was all it took to complete the dish.
JW had the eye fillet steak topped with a generous cube of creamy herb-infused butter. Tender and oozing with juicy goodness, it was nothing short of wonderful.
Besides a smorgasbord of appetizers and main courses that will certainly tantalize your taste buds, Amanda's on the Edge also offers a delectable selection of the finest desserts, so be sure to leave some room for them!
We went with the Hot Chocolate Fudge Brownie with Tiramisu ice-cream, which was highly recommended by the server. We loved the rich, dark chocolate flavour of the brownie, coupled with its delightfully crunchy texture. The tiramisu ice-cream complemented the brownie very well and lent an interesting dimension to the dessert.
Both of us have a soft spot for creme brulee, so whenever we chance upon it on a dessert menu, we have to order it. We are hopelessly drawn to the gorgeous, caramelized sugar crust, just like bees are to honey.
It is hard to go wrong with creme brulee, and I love breaking the tortoiseshell sugar disc on top to reveal the rich, smooth cream that's waiting to ooze into my spoon. Yummy!
At the end of the meal, JW was almost drunk. He has a terribly low tolerance for alcohol and almost always ends up talking at the top of his voice after drinking a glass of wine. Yes, one glass is all it takes.
To save us from embarrassment, we politely asked for the bill and left. LOL
To save us from embarrassment, we politely asked for the bill and left. LOL
After a short nap, it was time to indulge in a cheese platter with drinks while we catch the glorious sunset and wind down for the day.
No prizes for guessing who had coffee this time. ;)
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