M's Food Find #80

I go to this place really often for brunch. The chef recognises my father who really visits once every year. HAH.

But I really liked the local surfer beach vibe. and right on the Cottesloe Beach strip, the view is great too.

Beaches Cafe on Marine Parade. I have tried quite a few of their items and you order at the counter. Great coffee. and oh, cash only!

My favourite has to be their oven baked open faced omelette. It takes some time to serve up but the wait is so worth it. It used to come served in the hot pan but these days its as pictured above. I quite like the pan idea though. Ingredients vary...but usually its feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and ham/bacon. Sometimes avocado on the side. and spinach! Very healthy and so so so filling!!! really great w toast strips and shared with a friend.

Photos credits: mayydiaries.blogspot.com

And their eggs benedict is something my sister craves for all the time. It is fresh and the hollandaise sauce done perfectly.

Their baked beans are very yummy too with a slight mexican tang.

Safe to say I return there all the time despite the many choices one has on the Cottesloe Beach strip. and I have been to most of the other places too.

I love the beach. Its what keeping me here in Perth really.

Completely Random

A sure way to feel like a kid all over again?

Watching morning cartoons on telly before morning shower and eating kiddy cereals in cold milk!

Photo credits: mayydiaries.blogspot.com
It is one of sis' favourite find in the supermarkets in Singapore. Stocks are constantly sold out as soon as they arrive! Lucky Charms hail from America, the land of all great junk food. With marshmallow bits!! I love those. I remember Alpha-bits had marshmallow version too when I was younger. But they don't have it anymore. Nevertheless, we found a replacement! There were also a couple of other versions in the Philipplines supermarket.

So head down to Cold Storage as fast as you can!

M's Food Find #11

Girlfriend and I got a bit lost looking for this food place. It is our first time and I have heard pretty good reviews about it. Even from a fellow pancake-lovin' foodie friend back in Perth who visited Singapore. It was a leisurely Sunday brunch and we finally found our way to Strictly Pancakes on Prinsep Street.

Located in a tiny shophouse in a row behind the big Prinsep Place sign which you can spot from across SOTA, tcc at POM. Your best bet is to walk down from Dhoby Gaut MRT pass the new School of Arts (SOTA). Or the circle line, Bras Besah station and then walk past Coffee Bean, Kopitiam, Hotel Rendezvous, then before the traffic light to cross to SOTA which you do not cross, turn right and walk straight on!

We had to wait for abit to be able to sit inside as we did not make a reservation. So if you know that's where you want to meet up with your friends, call in advance. Otherwise you can sit out in the balmy weather and have leaves all round you. Not my thing. Hahaha. Anyway we were lucky enough to get a table on the second level. Which was well, very tiny and the tables were very close together. Not much for private conversations. I am also NOT impressed with their poor service. Maybe it is the very young service crew and lack of proper communication. Sitting upstairs, I witnessed quite a bit of fluster when it comes to orders and getting iced water and orders taken were really difficult as the staff seemed to always be downstairs. They only surface when they bring food up. My suggestion would be to station one person up there to attend to all the customers. But what do I know, they had a steady stream of customers.

Moving on to the food...Melissa ordered the American brekkie set which will only be available on weekends 10am to 12pm. Strictly Pancakes has a special menu during that time in addition to their normal menu. Nice touch. Maybe I will have to go back and try the normal menu? And the milkshake the table next to mine ordered......Hmmmmmmmm. The American brekkie set was $12 and was a generous portion for that price which also came with coffee. Order their Chilled Brew which is really good. Strong coffee yet icy to cool you off after the trek to their place! Quail's egg done sunny side up is a cute touch but not enough egg for me! Haha. 3 pancakes were plenty, quite a few people ended up with 1 extra they could not finish. I would rather having 2 pancakes and maybe have baked beans or sauteed mushrooms instead.



I ordered the Hawaiian set so I can have a proper full size sunny side up. Bacon was properly done. I like it, juicy and crispy. The grilled pineapple was something different but nothing special. This one cost $11. Couldn't finish all 3 pancakes. I washed this down with Chilled Brew. Yums, but really want to try the milkshake now...

Photos credits: mayydiaries.blogspot.com
That's the pathetic portion of maple syrup and butter to go with your pancakes. Butter was given just enough and I like how you can choose what kind of butter there is. Four kinds: Salted, Unsalted, Rum and raisin, (i can't rmb the last one). Maple syrup is REALLY NOT ENOUGH to properly wolf down my pancakes. I think that was why I felt the pancakes were not that great. It was a little bland and dry to me.

I would go back again to give it another go for their savoury pancakes and milkshake. If I wanted pancakes and maple syrup, I would go get hotcakes from McDonald's or somewhere like Wild Honey in Mandarin Gallery.

Till my next food find, Mayy xo

Kitchen Venture #1: Sunnyside ups

I remember over 2 years ago I did not know much about the kitchen and the work one can do in it. I did not know how to crack an egg. I really have not even boiled any water before, so I can't even do instant noodles/cup noodles. Who would have thought I needed to go study overseas and learn to feed myself eh?

I stayed at my first house with 2 really kind landlords. Marcus was patient and I used to go grocery shopping with him. He taught me little things and big things. If I had any questions about food storage, I could ask him. One important thing I learnt was: The best guide to storing food of any kind (if not indicated on package) is to store the item based on how you found the item in the supermarket. I would watch him cook dinner in the evenings. I would watch Adeline bake when she started her obsession a year later. I guess I do have their influences in my cooking nowadays. I learnt to use different kitchen utensils based on different needs.

The very first food I set out to conquer was the egg. I have since learnt to crack them without apprehensiveness and fear. Just use a teaspoon and knock the middle of the egg and create a thin line horizontally about 2cm and then use hands to crack into a bowl before the pan. After that, try with a tablespoon, spatula, knocking against the bowl/pan to create the crack. I am even able to crack them with one hand at times. Watch Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, it instills this sense of confidence in me! I love eggs. I can do them in so many ways too. I also love big brekkies, you know with sunny side ups, baked beans, bacon etc. So a month from the time I moved to Perth for university, I cooked a nice big hot brekkie (complete with kaya toast) for my dinner in the cold winter. Yes, breakfast for dinner is one of my many quirks.

Photo credit: mayydiaries.blogspot.com

To make sure its well cooked through, the whites should be bubbling and crackling. You can use the spatula to slowly slide the eggs onto the plate so the yolks don't break. Or you can flip the egg and cook both sides well, wrapping the yolk within the whites.

I am hardly the expert chef. But for the clueless cooks out there like I was and still am, maybe this will all make you all that bit more confident to try. If I can do it, you can too.

Till my next kitchen venture on eggs, Mayy xoxo

P.S. follow me on twitter! twitter.com/mayyb