Dose Espresso, Willoughby

Since converting to drinking black coffee, I have learnt to appreciate even more the art of good coffee. Cue in Dose Espresso where Sam Gabrielan who owns the boutique roasting company Di Gabriel. He is a coffee judge and former chairperson of the Australian Barista Guild, if he doesn’t know good coffee, I don’t know who else will.

Dose Espresso shares the same address as High St Bistro and The Italian where the cafe oozes comfort with long wooden tables and assortment of different coffee apparatus which belongs in a science lab. The place is packed early on with families enjoying the paper (plenty of room for the kiddies to run around), several morning bike riders and couples out for their daily exercise, all stopping by for the one thing.

Simple menu

Lots of open space

Liquid gold

The menu offered is no fuss divided into breakfast and lunch options. Mr Dough had the brekkie toast. The schiacciata was deliciously crunchy when toasted with stringy cheddar cheese pulling apart upon each bite leaving the mouth.

Brekkie toast – $10

I opted for a vegetarian option of crushed avocado with pan-fried haloumi adding the saltness to the creamy avocado.  The basil pesto on the sourdough added the little extra specialness to the toast.

Crushed avocado with Haloumi – $14

 

When I left, I found an excuse to come here every weekend as Harris Farm is right next door. So I can complete my grocery shopping and indulge on coffee, all in the one place!

 

 

Dose Espresso

6/187-191 High StreetWilloughby 2068

T: +612 9967 2552

Mon – Sun: 7:00am – 3:30pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainford Street Social, Surry Hills

I am subscribed to a few websites where if you sign up, book through the website, it provides you with access to discounts to quite a number of dining places in Sydney such as Manta, Spiedo, Macleay St Bistro, Neutral Bay Bar and Dining just to name a few. The best deals are mainly for mid-week dining which gives me an incentive to have a lazy day off cooking. Always wanting to try something new, I used www.fullsociety.com to make my booking for Rainford Street Social with 25% off the entire bill (BARGAIN). The booking process is simple, you need to subscribe to their website, choose number of diners, date and time and it will bring up a list of available restaurants for your chosen date. You pay a booking fee and no coupons or print outs are necessary for you to bring to the restaurant.

Located in the old Bird Cow Fish site is the neighbourhood new comer, Rainford Street Social. It is the latest baby from the team that delivered Tokonoma just next door, the restaurant focuses on Bistro grub instead of Asian fan fare. Upon entry, the restaurant has an open kitchen and a wrap around bar with heavy use of rustic timber for tables and chairs.

Whilst perusing the menu, we ordered some pork crackling and oysters from the “Bites” menu. If you are a regular of my blog, I wouldn’t have to say twice that I am an avid fan of pork crackling. The dish was like little strips of french fries, sprinkled with a touch of salt and ever so light, airy and crunchy.

Pork Crackling – $5

The oysters were served with a “bleurre blanc”  type of sauce but due to the high concentration of butter, the sauce was simply “frozen” on top of the oyster. I tried one for good measure and it felt like I was chewing on a piece of butter along with my oyster. The subsequent oysters, I took off the sauce.

Oysters – $3.5 each

As the discount applies to drinks as well, I was able to try more of French Sauvignon Blanc. The wine was quite crisp with a sweet pink grapefruit undertone. I find the French Sauvignon Blanc more rounded and less tart than the New Zealand ones.

2010 Gerard Boulay Sancerre Tradition – $82

We decided on light seafood entrees so we could make room in our stomachs for sides. The salmon is house-cured on premises and the salmon skin is air-dried to make chips. The dish was simple and the freshness of the herbs makes me think of Christmas Family Lunch.

House Cured Salmon, capers, new potato salad – $14

The tuna that we eat out are usually yellow fin or blue fin, I have never tried Albacore tuna before and keen to give it a go. Albacore tuna is known as white tuna for the lighter colour and milder flavour. The taste is definitely less meaty, if I could call it that. The contrast of textures of the potato crisps and the soft tuna, made it an indulgent version of chips and dips.

Yummy Crisps

Albacore Tuna Tartare, salted crisps, bloody mary granita – $18

Now onto the main affair, it was a cold and rainy day and when I saw fish pie, I couldn’t find a more perfect opportunity to try. The pie had a layer of mashed potato, finished by a layer of pecorino cheese melted on top. This is a truly a moorish dish with generous chunks of prawns, fish and mussels inside. I was glad Mr Dough didn’t order anything too big for himself so he could help me finish mine.

Classic Fish Pie – $19

I love eating spatchcock because of the tenderness of the meat. Mr Dough gave it 2 thumbs up!

Special of the Day – Grilled Spatchcock

I couldn’t get away with no eating some sort of veggies with the fish pie. The crispness of the iceberg lettuce shaved finely with toppings of pecorino cheese and caesar dressing was like a semi healthy version of a caesar salad as the lettuce is not drowning in the caesar dressing. The pine nuts which replaced croutons, had me convinced it was healthy (although, I don’t know about the lashings of cheese)

Iceberg salad, pecorino, caesar dressing – $8

All in all, I am glad there are various restaurant booking websites to enable you to try out different places. The test is whether or not you would be back again the second time. I most certainly went back a few months later and tried out a few other different things.

Rainford Street Social

500 Crown Street

Surry Hills NSW

T: +612 9357 2573