Our Food Stories

Here is a video to nicely end our blog series. Lachlan gives a solid description of how we handled the blog. Sam offers his methods on how he approached the blog. Theo presents his experiences and Eric illustrates his favourite part of the blog.

This morning I visited one of my local cafe's before I began my journey to uni, I order their big breakfast special which consisted of bacon, eggs, chorizo, hash brown, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and two slices of bread. It was definitely one of the best breakfast dishes I have had in a while and would recommend the cafe to anyone who is passing through the area. It called The Container, located in Dunas Valley. Overall the dish was very filling and satisfying. Lachie

' Today, I wasn't too hungry in the morning so before heading to uni i stopped past my local cafe and had a piccolo coffee and a chocolate and vanilla cannoli. I decided not to have any sugar in my coffee, due to the fact the cannoli made up for it I think. The total price of both items set me back $7.50. The coffee was made well, however, the cannoli did taste like it had been there for a couple of days. It was still enjoyable, but not the freshest one that I have had. I have had good cannoli here before, so this will not hinder my loyalty to this cafe.  Sam 

                                                              This is a laksa I made at home using Maggi Fusion Laksa and adding my own vegetables. The laksa is very convenient to cook, you just need a pan. You boil water in the pan, add noodles then add the seasoning and the coconut milk that comes with it. I added the vegetables after these steps were completed but I would recommend adding them earlier so they soften up as carrots and broccoli are quite hard when not cooked through and if you leave them cooking for too long you end up with soggy noodles. I would also recommend adding extra coconut milk if you are not a fan of spicy food as the dish is quite a spicy one. Overall I give it a 9 out of 10 as the flavour is really quite stunning. Broccoli is a must as it absorbs the glorious juices of the dish and explodes in your mouth...

Today I had a chicken and leek pie. This home made meal is one of my favourites. It consists of chicken, leek, peas and onion sealed in pastry. The pie is cooked through and left in the oven until the top is golden brown, the pastry should be crispy and flaking off. This pie was cooked extremely well and was bursting with flavour. The chicken was sweet and juicy, the peas were soft and the leek produced an exquisite  flavour that complimented the chicken so well. This is easily a 9/10 dish, perfect for a cold winters night, snuggled up at home. Theo

Today I was on the run all day, busy will uni work and my part-time job. Therefore I needed something quick and easy, so I thought there was no better place the go than my local KFC. I decided to order my 'go to' meal when I visit KFC and that is the 3 piece box, it consists of 3 pieces of original recipe chicken, small fries, a dinner roll, a can of drink, a small box of popcorn chicken and the best product to top it off is the potato and gravy. For those who haven't tried this menu item at KFC, I strongly encourage you to get out there and get in during your next visit. The best thing is, it only sets you back $10.95! Lachlan

Today I decided to have another burger from where I work, Metro Grill. I got the Deluxe Ranch Burger, which consists of lettuce, tomato, crispy chicken, bacon, cheese and a spicy peri mayo that just does the trick. Combined together, these condiments create a perfect burger. The total price is usually $16 and that comes with a side of chips and your choice of drink. Overall I think it was a complete meal and definitely hit the spot, highly recommend for everyone to visit and give it a go if you are willing to switch it up from your regular fast food chains. Sam

                                                            This is a simple favourite I like to make using garlic bread loaves as the base. I made three different ones this time, one with just mozzarella cheese, one with roasted eggplant and one with ham, salami, bacon, mozzarella and parmesan cheese and barbecue sauce. For the eggplant pizza I roasted the eggplant before I put in on the pizza. I roasted them in the oven in olive oil, oregano, basil and other mixed herbs. Roasted for 20-30 minutes before the pizzas went on the oven because if the eggplant was put raw on the pizza it wouldn't cook through in time to coincide with the pizzaz being cooked through. A family favourite is the meat and barbecue sauce pizza, I am inclined to agree. The cheese one was nice and basic and the eggplant was a new experiment. Overall these Pizzas get...

Today I visited the Sicilian Italian Restaurant in Parramatta. I ordered pork belly. This consisted of a crispy skin pork belly with creamy mashed potato underneath, 3 beautifully cooked scallops topped with a homemade apple cider sauce. The dish overall was the die for as the pork belly melted in your mouth while the crunch of the crispy skin was definitely the signature of the dish. The service and quality of the restaurant were outstanding which made the food even more delighting and tasty as there was passion in the food! I would recommend the restaurant as a go-to venue when you're all out of options, you won't regret it and that is a guarantee! Lachlan

Today I decided to have some crispy chicken tenders for lunch, and I definitely didn't regret it. This was purchased from a local chicken shop in Panania. They were priced $2.80 each and were worth every cent. They were crunchy, hot, and you could tell they were cooked fresh. It wasn't my firs time here so I was aware that the food was going to be of high quality. They have a hint of chilli in the coating which is my favourite part of the food, as it isn't too much but a perfect amount. Along with that they gave me a complimentary peri peri dipping sauce which goes hand in hand with these tenders. Overall a very satisfying experience. Sam

                                                 This is another delicious home made dish with a delicate combination of textures and flavours. Emphasising the crispness of the fried tofu, the crunch of the broccoli combined with the kale and the smoothness of the avocado. The tofu is fried in olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and chilli flakes while the rest of the salad is seasoned with salt and pepper. The tomato adds a nice note of juiciness to the otherwise dry salad. Overall i rate this dish a 9/10. It is amazing, but not as amazing as the roast pumpkin, avocado and chickpea salad, I just think that the other one had a more intense and glorious combination of textures and flavours. Eric

Today I decided to visit a small bakery in Marrickville, called Bourke Street Bakery. Since I have been here several times over the years of its operation, I knew exactly what I wanted. One of their famous home made meat pies. It arrived, still steaming hot, to my table accompanied by a serving of tomato sauce  (also home made). My first bite was exquisite, and only got better. The pie, full of flavour, was made with fresh pastry (crisp, flakey top with a bottom not too soft) and succulent premium grade beef. The only downside was a larger than normal vein of fat from the beef. Regardless, it will not dissuade me from buying it again. It was the perfect start to a Saturday morning. Easily a 9/10 dish. Theo

Today I visited the newly opened BayVista restaurant located in Parramatta. I decided to order a serving of the Strawbana pancakes since it was recommended by one of my friends who had visited the restaurant before. When receiving the pancakes my first reaction was "wow" since the portion size was massive, however, when eating it I was quite satisfied with the amount served for how much it cost. Overall, I would definitely recommend the restaurant to anyone and would go back again. For those who are interested the serving consists of 2 buttermilk pancakes, topped with strawberries, banana, ice cream, choc topping and icing sugar. Lachlan

Today for lunch, I decided to make myself a Hamburger with bacon and cheese, from where I work at Metro Grill Menai. The burger consisted of lettuce, tomato, beetroot, onion, a beef patty, bacon, melted cheese and BBQ sauce. The meat was cooked to perfection and definitely made the burger, as it wasn't over cooked so still maintained a lot of it's flavour.  It was definitely a filling meal, and sustained me for the majority of the rest of the day. I would definitely recommend if you were looking for a good burger it is a great place to go. Sam

                                                            This is a relatively lengthy but delicious and worth the wait meal which is incredibly good that a friend and I made. It's main ingredients are roasted pumpkin, avocado and chickpeas with supplementary ingredients of hummus, parsley, garlic, tomato and the crucial spice of turmeric which gives the dish (especially the chickpeas) its orange hue. This dish has quite the contrast of textures. The base of this dish is the chickpeas which provide a moist crunch and general solidity to the meal. This combines with the softness of the roasted pumpkin and avocado with the near liquidity of the smooth hummus. Be careful with the parsley as too much could over power the rest of the flavours. In terms of texture this gets a 10/10 due to the perfect balance of contrasts and for flavour it...