Train Trip to the Big City

 Elise is a fan of trains and buses
and so yesterday I decided to take

her on her first 'train trip into the city'.
Please be warned my daughter is a very

big poser...

This was taken outside the station before

we left for the city. The look on her face is

not one of boredom... this is her

'aren't I the most stunning person
in the universe' pose!
I think I may have overdone the

demonstrating of poses thing!

 We alighted at Melbourne Central Station and

our first port of call after some deliberation

was the 'Harajuku Crepe Shop'.

We indulged in a green tea crepe filled with

strawberries, cream and ice cream, as

well as a Hershey's Hot Chocolate
(the diet starts tomorrow....!)

HARAJUKU CREPES:
http://harajukucrepes.com.au/coldcrepes.php

Photo Source: HARAJUKU CREPE SHOP

After another tram trip and a bit of shopping,

we were both ready to head home.

On the train trip home, an African gentleman

got on the train and sat near us.

I was startled when after staring at him for a

few seconds, Elise turned to me and said

in a loud voice... 'He's black. You're white.'
All in all though, an excellent lesson in

'social education'?!!!!

Sunday Morning Pleasures

The whole family was rather unusually

awake by 9am on Sunday, so we
decided to visit the 'Kingsbury Drive
Market' (Bundoora) to get some
spring plants and veggie seedlings.

Our first and foremost port of call was Dr. Java for

coffee. Dr. Java was (and still is) a cafe just a few

doors up from Cocoro in Fitzroy, and they also
have a mobile coffee caravan that visits markets.

http://indolentdandy.net/fitzroyalty/2009/06/07/coffee-at-dr-java/

The next stop was inevitably Mr. Whippy,

which lured elise like a paper clip to a magnet;

bee to honey? '50c' we were told was the cost

 for a soft serve cone for a 'future customer',
as we were handed a bag of complimentary
fairy floss. Poor Mr. Whippy was making
a loss on what he was handing
over, so we left a subtle tip.

http://www.latrobe.edu.au/community/events/community-market

Bluebird Espresso - A well kept secret in Johnston Street Collingwood!

This morning I enjoyed a lovely coffee
and Croc Monsier (correct spelling?!)
at this cute little cafe. I wouldn't even have
noticed it, had my in-the-know brother
not pointed it out and taken me there
(he lives around the corner).

Having worked and lived in this area
for close to 6 years, I have to say I
am pretty much over the hippy
atmosphere of Fitzroy and
Collingwood, but I was very pleasantly
surprised when I stepped inside this lovely
little cafe. Upon Mike's suggestion that we do
coffee on Johnston street - I was quite dubious
and very much in doubt.

But take a step inside and this place was buzzing.
With a back outdoor seating area as well,
Bluebird was churning out good coffee
and good but not over-priced breakfast dishes.
My Croc Monsier (Mr. Crunch) cost $8,
while other more bulkier breakfasts were $12.

Quirky interior with old paintings clearly picked up
from op shops. A random garden bench in the
back outdoor area and cute touches throughout
the place. Pleasant staff, although somewhat
taken aback that only I was eating.

Will definately be making this 'my cafe' when
in Collingwood.

http://www.facebook.com/bluebirdespresso

Sunday Brunch @ Cafe Pinocchio (298 Rathdowne Street, Nth Carlton. Tel. 9349 2777

This morning I enjoyed a reunion with some long lost friends from high school days.

 We met at a cute cosy cafe in Carlton - Cafe Pinocchio.

I arrived early (10 minutes early in true Japanese style)

and was greeted by a most friendly and welcoming staff member 

together with the barista. The coffee was excellent, the waitress remembered

our coffee orders without writing them down, and the barista added my equal

sugar in for me on my second order of coffee - most impressive. The cafe was

empty when I arrived, and full when we left. True to its name, the cafe had little

reminders of Pinocchio throughout and miniature
Pinocchios in the cake display, very cute.

The interior was welcoming with groovy chairs covered in old hessian

coffee bean bag fabric, as well as a cosy little fireplace. Lovely little

touches throughout the cafe such as a little maple tree in the window

and this vase of greenery, all made for a lovely ambiance.

     

The menu was simple in a good way, with a nice selection of dishes

to choose from, without being overwhelming. I opted for the seasonal

special of pancakes with poached pear and ricotta cheese. The pancakes

complimented the coffee beautifully and were an indulgent way to start

the morning. The only negative note being that I did wonder at the freshness

of the poached pears, which were meant to have been the highlight of the dish.

Aside from that, presentation was lovely and the pancakes were cooked

to perfection.

Once the cafe started filling up, another waitress apparently started

 her shift, but failed to be as smiling and caring as our first waitress,

who saw that we were looked after to the end of our stay. All in all, this was a

lovely spot to drop into for coffee and brunch and there was plenty of parking around,

which was a definite bonus. Definitely worth a visit away from the crowds of Lygon Street.

my Rice Story - 6/145 Upper Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe. Tel. 03 9499 6180

Tonight I dragged my daughter out into the cold to go to dinner. My husband is overseas on business, so I figured it would be a nice opportunity for a mother-daughter night out. Wearing our woollen hats we arrived for the second time at 'my Rice Story' in Ivanhoe. The name itself is alluring enough for me as it is, but this cute little dining spot is a gem waiting to be uncovered at the back of a little shopping center in Ivanhoe.

The menu is healthy and simple, although apparently the number of choices offered puts some people off, but I love the concept of choice. On my first visit I had the bibimba (a kind of rice salad with finely sliced beef, a mountain of beautiful veggies and spicy korean sauce). Tonight I opted for the dinner box with bulgogi (finely sliced beef), fluffy white rice, a yummy garden salad and chewy potato noodles. My 3 year old devoured her veggie dumplings so quickly we had to order another plate. With a somewhat soft chewy but crunchy texture, the man sitting in front of us kept yelling out his order for more of these little dumplings priced at just $4.50.

The owners are lovely and remembered us even though we had only visited once before. Before we knew it, my daughter was given a container of cruncy seaweed style chips to chew on, and at the end of the meal a take away cup with some Korean biscuits in it. 

The decor at this cute little eating spot is clean and bright, but there are only 2 tables for some reason, and a counter for eating at. my Rice Story is mainly a take away shop, but has a lovely amount of shiny new magazines available for reading while waiting.

Definately worth a try, if only to create your own rice story or find out the lovely owners' story.