Saturday 17th March 2018


One of the many places we've got on the high tea list is 'By Josephine' up North. A food blogger introduced me to this place when we met at LuxBite years ago. I've been here once since in 2016 for a meeting, we had the soup which was great and tiny 20c sized macarons and now we're back for high tea! For the occasion of my belated birthday weekend. 





As it was summer (and parking was a struggle, we parked far away) we were offered a cool refreshing housemade raspberry mint iced team, very lightly sweetened. Jas would have liked a hot tea too. 





There was also a chicken dijon mustard lettuce brioche (Chicken & Tarragon Pain au lait), which was so small but delicious! We didn't get an actual menu, so I'm looking it up and matching it up to the menu as I'm writing this.


Rose & Raspberry Tea Cake - Jas absolutely loved this and said it was absolutely amazing. It was pretty good, fluffy sponge and moist. Reminds me of a our pandan chiffon but a few grams heavier.









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Friday 3rd November



Today ChaTime opened at Southgate, just across the river from the office and so we thought we'd check it out. Who could resist with a BOGOF fruit tea offer. I've never had their fruit teas before cause we just go to the T2 Bar on our side of the river.



It was lunch time and the line was long but very quick! Much quicker than anywhere in the CBD (we once waited 40mins). I'm iffy on fruit teas as I'm damn sure there's nothing natural about them here.






The thai milk tea with 75% sugar is my favourite bubble-cup esque drink. It's the sweetest one the friendly girl at the counter says, asian sweet though (never sweet enough for me?) though this was just right.




For my free fruity tea I picked a peach flavour with a green tea base. It tastes a bit like the lipton one, but with a more bitter aftertaste. Peach and coconut didn't really work, but sure was refreshing for a summer's day.





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Thursday 16th November




Heading up North to Brunswick on a Thursday evening to a Beer x Donuts at All Day Donuts event. Where food trucks live. My plus one cancelled on the day right before it started as usual. Any pork loving drinking, not selfie-taking loving people want to apply to be my plus one? I lost my last plus one to the church (true story).








Juanita Peaches sets up shop beside All Day Donuts and provided the savories, I had expected Mexican food though it was more American like the beer and theme of the night. We had corn chips and salsa, perfect french fries and mini cheese burgers (needs more tomato sauce) but other than that they were pretty good.


Tonight's menu, alas as I don't drink jas was suppose to do the beer segment but is consistently unreliable (as he's against my blogging) and a no show. All those donuts sound pretty good!


Gillian is a beer with strawberry honey white pepper, slightly tart with an effervescent body (google says that means fizzy). The donut had a lemon, white pepper honey glaze. Oh wow I really like this one. Raspberry dust I love!


Lolita, a pink rose colored Belgian style pale ale fermented with wild yeast and aged on raspberries in wine barrels. Aromas of fresh raspberries, bright jammy fruit flavors and crisp, refreshing body. Paired with a custard filled donut, with raspberry marshmallow meringue peppery frosting.


Halia, a farmhouse ale aged in wine barrels with whole peaches, resulting in bright, effervescent fruit notes in a soft, hazy body that finishes slightly tart and sweet with the pleasant character of ripe, juicy peaches. Hello white chocolate ganche with a light peach cream (not artificial).This one's less amazing than others, paler in comparison, less taste bud tingling.

A collaboration brew between Boatrocker & Goose Island. October beer dates back to 17th century England, brewed as a special beer on country estates and prized for it’s incredible depth of flavour. This style of beer pre-dates barley wine and was originally brewed in October and kept in barrel over the winter months. Our version was aged in Starward whisky barrels over winter, and released in October.

October Beer, how lovely that sound? I'm thinking apples and cinnamon and pumpkins, the fall, my favourite season. If warm apple cider was a donut with caramel this is it. Served in a sauce, hope you bought a fork! Add some spiced and diced green apples, a dollop of cream and this could be a dish on its own!



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Tuesday 14th November


8.40 Dinner at Tetsujin. The entry is on little Bourke behind David Jones and between that and the Emporium. Take the lift up. We were led through the bbq area to the sushi train at the end. If you're dining within mall opening hours (they close 7pm except for Thu/Fri 9pm) there's an direct inside entry near Jimmy Grants & Kikki K.  







Bright white halo lights and white tiles reminded me of the NY subway. Clearly I've never been there (we lived on the other side of the country, West Coast), cause jas says it's dirty... maybe if you dreamed it in heaven then? Like when Harry Potter died and met Dumbledore at Kings Cross Heaven Edition.

There was a line, they don't take bookings. Going alone gets you seated faster. Though we only waiting about 15mins. Tetsujin is on level 4 and open later than the shopping center. I didn't know that, and thought they closed when the mall did.


With the train there bag hook underneath, yay! Soy sauce is on the bar table, while ginger and wasabi is on the train. There's no kewpie mayo. No option for free water either unlike Hotaru.


He had the pineapple mocktail, the pikachu which he commented it was like mango lassi but with pineapple! I had the strawberry calpico which was very nice! It's nothing like the strawberry fanta. There's something real about jap sodas. My drink was plainly presented, would have liked a strawberry wedged on the rim of the mason jar and a spring of mint.


















Some of the stuff on ipad isn't on the zomato menu e.g. gyoza, octopus balls, abalone. There were chicken finger on sushi and fries (not on rice), this is for kids or when friends are on a strict American diet of deep fried food, pizza and burgers only XD


We had a mixture of things off the train and ordered through the ipad. Like with Hotaru (our first sushi train, this is our second) there's two accounts per ipad. But it's set lower so awks to share with a stranger.


Our highlights were...
Crabstick - from the train
Scallop - also from the train
Octopus balls - served hot
Abalone - chilled. In a creamy sauce with a hint of wasabi


In contrast my matcha cheesecake was strong! Flavour over texture he said. But I prefer the green version. Both sever with red bean paste and a sad strawberry. A swirl of cream pipped would have completed it.



There's dessert spring rolls on the menu! Two, one dark one white. I thought it was more like milk. Not oily at all it was wonderful! Sadly didn't try the ice cream and creme caramel, as he said we don't need five desserts (next time!).


Service was slow towards the end but friendly. Also we asked for spoons and we literally got one. How do we get one when it's busy?? The bill came to $80 for 3 drinks and 17 plates (10 from the train, and 7 from the ipad). We liked our hot dishes fresh. So $40pp which I was happy with. I feel like we spent more at the Kitten sushi train (we did, at Sakura Kaiten) next block over. Tetsujin is brighter, more instagramable and has a bit more than elbow room.





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