Bruching Adventures: Caffiend, Petone

Caffiend, Petone has been on my ‘eat at’ list since I moved to Petone, so when asked one Sunday morning where I wanted to eat I knew my answer. 

Walking in, it felt a lot calmer then some of the other places in Petone. This could be due to the larger sized room then the others. With ample seating available, we had the room at our finger tips. If it were a bit warmer, we could have sat outside.

Browsing the menu, we quickly made our decision and ordered at the counter before finding a table. Sitting down we settled in for what we thought would be a long wait.  Our coffee came out quick and they tasted good.

It was a surprisingly short time till the food made an appearance.

Eggs Benedict for him. Bacon cooked perfectly, crisp, fresh bread and eggs that had just the right amount of run.

For me it was french toast with grilled banana and maple syrup. Dipped look enoughthat the bread was soaked right through they were delicious. I think one of the things that impressed me the most is that as soon as I asked for no bacon they asked me if I’d like something else instead.

Caffiend, Petone  is somewhere I’m definitely going to be having brunch again.

Find this restaurant on Zomato | Caffiend, Petone http://zoma.to/r/7100761

Brunching Adventures: Sweet Vanilla KItchen

When looking for a place to live, distance to the nearest coffee/ brunch place is a key factor for me.

Imagine my delight then, while exploring the streets of Lower Hutt, I stumbled upon Sweet Vanilla Kitchen. So one Saturday morning we decided to venture there to try it out.

After ordering food and coffee, we decided to take one of the tables in the back room. Little did we know this was where the kids toys were located and although good for keeping children occupied bad for those wanting a calm and quiet meal.

The drinks came quick and we were left to talk about the art on the walls and what room in the converted house we thought this use to be (I still think the lounge). The food finally arrived and boy did it look good. Ad had ordered the daily special of pancakes with banana and a salted caramel sauce. The pancakes were amazingly fluffy and the sauce very rich (maybe too rich for that time of the morning).

I had ordered off the menu board and went for sweet as well. Banana bread with fruit compote and greek yogurt. It was something a little different from what I normally get but I was not disappointed at all. The only slight change I would have made is serving the fruit warm rather then cold.

The food selection was large and varied (mince on toast everyone) and in my perspective seemed to have something for everyone.

Sadly we didn’t end up finding a place in Lower Hutt, but we did finally manage to find one in Petone, which offers even more choice for brunch!

Brunching Adventures: The Most Amazing Waffles

This July, #Brunchclub headed to the heart of Wellington city, to the understated Ti Kouka Cafe.

Having walked down Willis Street countless times, I must have passed by Ti Kouka more times then I can imagine. However, I never thought of heading up those stairs at all. But that’s the good thing about #brunchclub, you dine places you otherwise wouldn’t, (or at least I find).

Having checked out the menu before going, I found that a lot of the dishes seemed..well… on the healthy side, or at least as close to as you could get. Ti Kouka cater for a variety dietary needs and foods like polenta feature. One dish in particular caught my attention.. Waffles!

Avocado on toast

This #brunchclub I was craving something sweet, so imagine my dismay when I arrive and read the menu, to find NO WAFFLES!  As we waited for others to arrive, our drinks order were taken and quickly brought to the table. There was no rush to order food which turned out to be a good thing since after 45 minutes only 6 of us had shown up! That’s not a bad thing as it meant everyone was able to join in conversations and the staff were more then helpful when we asked to move away chairs.

Potato Rosti with eggs

When it came time to order, our waitress informed us there were two specials,a potato Rosti (which I had last #Brunchclub) and… WAFFLES. Not just any waffles but the most delicious waffles ever. With Vanilla Mascarpone, Hazelnut Meringue and Maple syrup, It was gone much to quick for my liking.

But hopefully the next #Brunchclub will bring waffles just as delicious

A Trip to Mexico

Have you ever walked past a place and wondered why anyone would want to go inside? That was how my friend described her reaction to Mexico, as we turned up one cold wet day.

Inside was a completely different story. Warm, vibrant and inviting, with art to admire on every wall. It was hard trying to settle down and read the menu. Though I’m glad I did, since the food all sounded amazing. I found that Mexico was more then your normal bog standard Mexican food. Yes it had soft shell tacos and quesadillas (which tasted fantastic) but it also had a range of snacks and specialties including chickpea patatas, which I highly recommend. Each time I return (the count is three times so far), I’ve tried to have something new, whether it’s food or a drink. My favourites by far are the cold pressed coffee and the chickpea patatas. I would recommend if going for dinner to make a booking as both times I’ve been at night the place has been packed and for good reason! If you need any more excuse to check it out, try here.

Brunching Adventures: Flat Whites at Zaida’s

Another month means another #Bruchclub Wellington and this time it was held at Zaida’s in College Street.

The last time I was here was 5 years ago and I knew it under a different name. Walking in on Sunday Morning, it all felt very similar despite the name change. Yes, the inside seemed to be done up but food wise, it seemed much the same.

Zaida’s offers both menu and counter choices, and lining up to order, the food on offer was very tempting. I can remember the filo being a firm favourite of mine when I worked up the road all that time ago. After making my decision from the blackboard behind the counter, I discovered a menu sitting by the register… seemed an odd place when I normally want to make my decision before I get up to pay.

I settled on the rosti, an easy decision when I found out that I could substitute the bacon for mushrooms. And it was good… As was the coffee.

There were lots of new faces at this #BrunchClub and I finally got to meet Kat from Lady Loves Cake as well as getting to see lots of old faces. I also need to thank Tilly from The Poppy Creative for the amazing print.

Can’t wait for the next one

Jenna

There’s no place like home

I’m suppose to be getting a tattoo… My sisters have matching ones. My original idea was that I’d get half on one heel and half on the other so that in the end I could click my heels together three times and wish I was home…just like Dorothy.

They say there’s no place like home and I’d agree. Despite all the wind and rain, despite the occasional fights with siblings, there is really nothing like being home in Wellington….Which is why it is no doubt my favourite place in New Zealand.

And Cafes all along the water

From the beach, to the bush, to the Inner City. You’re never really ten minutes away from any of it. There’s so much to see and do, with more things popping up every day. It’s no wonder I got a lot of things to catch up on since I’ve been away.

Which is why I’ve decided to come up with my own Wellington Bucket list. https://instagram.com/p/3XdfAaFQSl/?taken-by=jenna_o

Currently there’s not much on it ie. It’s still a work in progress but the nothing I love better then being a tourist in my own city.

So let me know if you have any ideas of things I should do. I’m thinking a ride on the cable car, Somes Island and the new Te Papa exhibit have to be in there somewhere.

This has been added to the #BrunchClub #BlogGreatness link up. This months theme is Favourite Part Of New Zealand. Make sure to check out #BrunchClub if you want to join in next week.

Dining out at Chow

A lot of things for me seem to start with a tweet and dinner at chow was no different.

If you’re in Wellington, on twitter and like eating then you’ve got to enter #datenight. I didn’t win #datenight but I did win dinner and a show.

Unfortunately for me, traffic meant I didn’t get there on time to take full advantage of the all you could eat offer and bar tab they put on for me and Ad but we tried to make the most of it.

Since I was driving , I got to indulge in the nonalcoholic drinks menu which I found great. The amount of choices you had (that wasn’t just the usual coke, lemonade, juice) meant that even though I was drinking I could have something special made just for me. 

The food list was just as good and I found lots of different options that I could have. I needs up choosing 5 small plates from the menu which I shared with Ad while he got a curry just for himself (he wanted something meaty). Each dish was delicious on its own but I found the spiced tofu to be the highlight for me.

Sadly we didn’t get time to have dessert so I’ll guess I’ll have to go back to sample some. Not that I needed a reason anyway since their cocktail list is calling my name (on a night I don’t drive of course)

I’d like to thank Chow for an amazing meal. Despite being busy, we found the service to be great and very attentive. After dinner we were also treated to a show that was part of the Wellington Fringe Fest. It wasn’t something I would have picked to go and see but I’m glad I got the chance to go.

Chow can be found at 45 Tory St, Te Aro, Wellington 6141