Tuesday 2nd Jan

We find Ikea fascinating, a maze where you discover things you didn't think you needed till now, the cheap treats at the checkout and the cafeteria. We've been once before for a Christmas dinner event in 2014. Today their best selling cart is on sale, that's why we're here. 





 










9.30am 
Breakfast at Ikea. Someone forgot all the seasoning, herbs and spices. Water mushrooms. So much potential... but at least everything was cooked and the hash browns were crispy.

School cafeteria style, grab a tray and slide. Cake, drinks, hot food, pastries, salad and fruit salad. Oddly butter and jams are 50c... surely free if you buy toast or a bagel? 



Don't forget to go check out the check out downstairs, that's where the candy bar, cookies and other drinks, treats and take home foods are. The ginger thins are a favorite of ours. 


10.00am
First person to check out! Someone else ran but still didn't beat me :P We got the ikea raskog cart $20 for the brown one. Normally $60-ish. I've got two at home that we use everyday, in the bathroom and in the office. 



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Tuesday 2nd January 2018




Home to have a driving lesson, where I was slow but didn't drive on the right. My teacher says he can read hieroglyphics, he says, not sure if he's joking or not... Nap time before dinner.



It's rated yellow (green is good) so I'm not sure about Overseas Seafood Restaurant, but I didn't book so I'm not sure. It ended up being very expensive and not worth it...




Wednesday





Across the road, still on the main street, a walking only area, like a strip, was Nikos Quality Cakes, but it's not just a cake shop, they do lunch too. 




Bus replacements on the line for a couple weeks, but it's close so it's fine. A couple stops away I had a meeting where we went through things that upset me (a checklist). It's like when naming a baby, you never realized there's so many people you hate XD. 

There was an amazing singer in the subway, but I was too shy to get a video. From lion king to opera, he did it all. I've never seen him before. 

Heading up north, tram, bus, bus due to the trams being replaced by buses we got lost... I got lost. Directions has never been my strong point, lucky for me it was next to the tram stop and around the corner from the bus.




It might have been Wednesday but it was a party with a couple birthdays and quite loud, borderline bar loud. But the food was good and lighting, I loved the fairy lights. Full house at Mama Manoush.

Everything looks good and we aren't too familiar with Lebanese food, so we went for the banquet. Which I think we did last time at the Turkish place too. And we're doing a 6 course thing tomorrow too. I swear we don't always eat like this.


Thursday

The afternoon started with a meeting before a nap (yes I know I just got up) from feeling quite alone (I lost someone close to me, and feel it more sometimes than others) and didn't have the energy to get stuff done. Eating much like my feelings ping pong between extremes, I either starve (today was one of those days) or do banquets (tonight).




Our annual ish birthday dinner at The Grand Richmond. The menu has changed slightly but the great service and deco remain the same.

This is our third time here, and we're seated in the perfect spot, the corner under the window, covered by winter drapes (pretty sure they never open the windows here). The combo of cozy warm colors and that wallpaper gives it a feel that no other restaurant has.

Sunday



Just finished Season 2 of The Originals, the big bad was defeated. Everyone got their happily ever after pretty much, without a another big bad lurking for the next season. Rebecca chose to be a witch and her plotline is to revive Kol from the dead. Marcel to rule the city once more, with only Josh left by his side. Klaus and Elijah to raise the baby. Haley & Jack are under the crescent curse, wolves who turn human under the full moon. No questions left unanswered. Davina is also now head witch. 

This season we lost: Aiden, Gia (no body really cares), and Ester x2 (though she's a villain to most except herself, trying to fix vampirism) and Kol.
We gained: Hope (the baby) and Freya. 

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Charlie & Co. dined as guests.
Thursday 17th January 2019



Located on Main Street, Fitzroy is Curry Smuggler, an ambient Indian restaurant that offers all the classic Indian dishes in a inviting atmosphere, most Indian places we go to are more takeaway places, but this is one of those lovely dates worthy spots.  





Not pictured are the booths to the left. We love booths! It's nice and cool in here, spacious with music and quiet tonight (we suspect it's the heat wave). 





Seated by the window for the best lighting we enjoyed mango lassis, Nina (my new plus one) had the original one which we were delighted to discover tastes a bit like natural homemade yoghurt but more sweet and less sour. 





To start off Nina recommended we order this amazing entree, which I've never had before, and it was awesome! It's like a thick potato cake but not as fried topped off with a chutney and yoghurt space, covered in a kinda salsa mix, with just the right amount of coriander. I've never had anything like it before and would definitely order a big one of these as a main if it was on the menu. 






This is my go to dish whenever we order Indian, bio guy says it's the whitest thing you can order, in other words the safest! I love all the spices in Indian food, it's the actual spicy foods I can't handle (spicy toothpaste and ice {mint flavoured} is a real thing!). Mild butter chicken, safe and delicious, a tomato cream based sauce this one was quite good though not as sweet as most places.  




Nina ordered the biriyani with lamb, a big bowl of fragrant spiced rice with tender lamb pieces, cut to bite size. Full of spices, flavour and wonderful things it was very filling and perfect on it's own, and even better with raita (a yoghurty sauce) mixed in. I would have guessed that being served with a dairy sauce that it be hot, but it was perfect.











I always thought this dish was pistachio ice cream with cardamom but it's so much more than that! It's thick and creamy and amazing with all those flavours creating something awesome, especially on a midsummer's evening like tonight. I've had kulfi before but never like this, the flavours have never been this intense, and I love it! Served in ice cube sizes try not to inhale them and get a brain freeze. :P


On the specials menu today was donuts, and who can resist that? And I can say with almost certainty that this is the only donut that you only truly need one of. The filling kinda reminds me of almond meal, but different. It's nice.



Everything we tried was delicious, so we'd recommend it all. Curry Smuggler is open for dinner Tues-Sun and deliver too, they also have a Thursday (12pm-2.30pm) lunch menu, which is great value. Oh and being in Hipsterville they also have a vegan menu available on request. 






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June 2017




We still recall the first cupcake shop we fell in love with, down Degraves. A little cupcake shop called Little Cupcakes, with minimal seating and the cutest cupcakes! There's plenty of flavours though along came Cupcake Central may years later with their more experiment and modern flavours. If it's classic cupcakes and we're downtown it's where we'd stop by.

On this occasion we picked the coffee, red velvet, chocolate and lemon. Red Velvet is my favourite though the coffee is a top choice too. They were a little drier than we recall though, but I'm sure not they're not always like that.

Service is as friendly as always. On price they're the standard 2.50 mini 4.50 normal size.



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Tuesday 13th June





On this particular Tuesday afternoon we were on our way somewhere, I don't recall where, when we stopped by the Cherry & Twigs for lunch, lured by an offer by Liven.

Located down a lane far west, it's a block or lane up from Stop 1 Flinders, brunch hours.





Those pastries do look tempting, but we had just picked up a box of cupcakes. So instead we ordered lunch.




A chicken salad with potato, broccoli, a soft boiled egg, spinach, with satay dressing and crackers. A great mix of texture and flavour, all except spicy. It was very filling too. 

The guy on my right had french toast. The ladies were all having salad and were pretty envious, including me. We said we'd be back but it's been over a year...

Service was very friendly. A cute spot for lunch or coffee/pastries on the way somewhere. 



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Thursday 17th August





There's 8 mains to choose from which is pretty impressive and it even includes a beef dish!



The beef was very close to the bulbogi at Kopan. The cabbage salad had a sesame Kewpie dressing on top which we love. A fresh contrast, purple rice was also fun. Not a fan of bean sprouts though... The miso was average/standard though a bit on the salty side.











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