Category Archives: reviews

Mar 19 2013
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biscuits, bread, brunch, cake, dessert, reviews

Review: Candied Bakery, Spotswood

This amazing bakery, located in the wild western suburbs of our fair city, has been on our minds for months here at New Fat Ladies HQ. We’d heard tales of crusty bread, creamy apple pie shakes and imaginative sweet pastry treats that tickled our taste buds.

We bundled ourselves into the car with empty bellies and drove the 40 minutes to Candied with only a little bit of bad directioning and an iphone that JUST WOULDN’T LOAD THE MAP to delay us. It was still worth the trip. Think about that for a second.

The bakery is located a stone’s throw from the Spotswood train station, very close to Scienceworks and would make for an excellent day trip of sweets and science!

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Prices are a little on the high side, but for a boutique-style bakery that’s pretty much to be expected. I also didn’t care at all after I put the things in my mouth. SO TASTY.

We tried the following (for science):

– Crispy based Brownie
– Jam Donut
– Chocolate and Marshmallow Cookie
– Pain au Nutella (Nutella Croissant)
– Honey Joy Cheesecake
– Korean Chilli Paste Focaccia
– White Country Loaf
– Coffee
– Coffee Shake

All the sweet treats were met with happy faces and giddy licking of fingers, so I’d say we like them a lot. Look out for a New Fat Ladies rendition of the Honey Joy Cheesecake coming soon. The lamination on the Pain au Nutella had S-J and I making impressed faces at each other for about 5 minutes. We are baking losers you guys, no shame.

Both breads were excellent. I’m a chilli-wuss so none of the focaccia passed my lips, but it looked super tasty and seemed to disappear pretty fast. (SJ: IT WAS SO FREAKING GOOD!) The white loaf was super tasty. Crunchy but not impossible to chew crust, soft interior and was still fresh after 2 days – great for organic bakery bread!

SJ noted that her coffee was a little bitter on first sip, but mellowed as she went on. The coffee shake I had was pretty perfect, an excellent mix of flavours, not too thick and not left with 5 inches of undrinkable froth at the end, lovely and cold and delicious.

If I was to make a recommendation as to what you should get if you pass by Candied? Definitely the Coffee Shake and a chocolate and marshmallow cookie.

We plan to head back again and try out the pies and sausage rolls. Can’t wait!

Opening Hours
Wed-Sat: 7.30am – 4pm
Sun: 8am – 4pm

81a Hudsons Rd
Spotswood, Vic 3015

Ph: 03 9391 1335
Email: hello@candiedbakery.com.au

http://candiedbakery.com.au/

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Dec 03 2012
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dessert, dinner, drinks, reviews

Review: Punch Lane Wine Bar

Sometimes my boss and I like to go to fancy places to celebrate things. Yes, I am spoilt. No, I don’t mind!

Our clinic recently reached a milestone and so we decided to celebrate at a wine bar/restaurant chosen by my boss’s husband. He does most of our restaurant picking as he works in the city and hears about places we might like. He was not wrong with this pick. Nestled up at the Spring St end of Lt Bourke St, Punch Lane Wine Bar was a deliciously delightful find. We met my friend there (who was already enjoying the delightful waitstaff) and the four of us decided on the tasting menu (5 courses for $69, a fancy-food bargain!) and a delicious bottle of bubbly to celebrate.

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Oct 24 2012
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reviews

Review: Pearl Oyster, Preston (Or: the day that S-J had two breakfasts. For the good of the blog! Honest! Part Two.)

And here is the thrilling conclusion to me eating two breakfasts!

So, post-Lowlands, I immediately toddled off down the road to Pearl Oyster. It is safe to say that Pearl Oyster is our local. I would say, on average, I drop in at least once a week and Esther and Arty are probably there more than that. I have explored that menu thoroughly and I reckon I could offer a fairly elaborate review of all of them.

However, this day I did try something I had never had before. Behold the Date and Walnut Loaf!

Delicious Loaf. (With some sort of orange flavoured creamy spread.) (I’m a details person, obviously.)

Now in what is another example of truly dreadful blogging practice, I cannot remember if it was a mascarpone-based spread or a ricotta. It was orangey and complimented the loaf perfectly.

I don’t often go the sweet breakfast but this was an excellent choice as it wasn’t too sweet but was very satisfying. (In case you were wondering: my recommendation for savoury breakfast is the Sambal Omelette with Smoked Tofu.)

I could tell you more about the wonders of Pearl Oyster but I’d say the proof is in the eating i.e. I am there all the time.

Pearl Oyster

114 Miller Street, Preston

Open 7 Days, Mondays are meat-free

Breakfasts average about $16

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Oct 17 2012
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reviews

Review: Lowlands, Thornbury (Or: the day that S-J had two breakfasts. For the good of the blog! Honest! Part One.)

A couple of weeks ago, I set up a breakfast date with my friend Steph (more on that in a later post). Little did I know, my lady friend was setting up a breakfast date with another friend. Instead of missing out on one, I decided that it was my blogging duty to have two breakfasts. I did it for you!

Breakfast one was at Lowlands, one of our local cafes, that we go to semi-regularly. It is a lovely space but my favourite spot is outside in the garden — it is light, airy and there is plenty of space. We’ve sat out there in the rain and cold before and felt very cosy (but quite guilty about the staff coming out to visit us).

I had “two baked eggs on creamy leek and fennel with apple cider chorizo” and it was delicious. Let’s face it – in my opinion the chorizo was the star of the show. The eggs were a bit too creamy for what I felt like and that is totally on me. It is right there on the menu! What was I thinking? That said, the fennel flavour was excellent and not too overwhelming.

Something that I really appreciate about Lowlands is that the serving sizes are sensible. So sensible that I could totally have another breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 
 This picture, however, makes me look like a liar but this was also sensibly sized!

Esther had the “french toast with whipped ricotta, candied pistachios and sour cherry compote” and says that it was delicious and that our 8 month old also enjoyed the cherries.

The only thing that isn’t to my taste at Lowlands is the element of coffee snobbery. I enjoy the coffee, it is very tasty, I don’t need the history of each individual bean. I know, however, that some people are into that so if you like single origin cold-drip so on so on, Lowlands can do that for you. They also do a good trade in tea snobbery too.

In conclusion, Lowlands = totally worth your time! Decent amount of vego and vegan options! Great coffee! Walkable from my house!

Lowlands

923 High Street, Thornbury

Open 7 Days, 8am – 4pm (kitchen closes at 3pm)

Breakfasts average about $15

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